3Q In: Pelicans Are Not Contenders

Ethen Meyers • March 2, 2023

If you asked me when I wrote the first and second installment of this series if the 3/4 review would be they are not, compared to are they? I would have assumed a lot went wrong. Frankly, that feels mostly accurate. A lot has gone wrong. Excuses and excuses is what I have but I am writing this from a positive mind frame despite the Pelicans being outright frustrating to watch sometimes, they still hold a lot of upside with nothing but youth from the staff to the players. The Pelicans may not be contenders, and that happening this year required a lot to go right. We were #1 at one point and now risk missing the play in but all at the same time are only a few losses back in the loss column from 4th place. It has been a wild and confusing season, time to dive in and just point out one big positive, one negative, and one big concern.

The youth. As I stated in the intro, this squad is still young. While not the youngest, if you remove Uncle GT from the count we drop in the youngest of young guns in the NBA. Zion is still only 22 and somehow got better despite not playing competitive basketball for what felt like a decade. Jose, Trey, and Herb are all under 25 and came from the same draft year and just 2nd year players. We have the pieces to build long term success, and I know a lot of folks were angry that we did not make a major move at the trade deadline but a part of me figured we would not. This is still not a destination city for NBA super stars, but I feel with time it will become one under the current leadership. The frustrating part is what appears to be a quick retract leash on the young guys. Temple getting time over Trey last year, Graham and Richardson getting a clear nod over guys we have seen grind out their playing time. I don't have a rhyme or reason for this, but I can say I have faith that long term, Willie Green will figure it out because he is the 5th youngest head coach in the association sitting at 41. I was one who gave up on Monty Williams early, and he comes from that tree, I am much more willing to see Willie Green work it out over swapping head coaches every other year.

The energy. Man oh man the energy. What happened to it? We went from Zion breaking an unwritten rule and the team looking like they were best friends forever to... this. The guys just look defeated. We come out flat and feels like we are walking while everyone else is running. Even worse, we have made even the worst deficits into games time and time again. If the energy was there from tip, this team would be the same team we saw earlier in the season. This brings me to my point, the age while a positive, is also a negative. If you listen to Antonio Daniels talk about "young" teams and how you can discourage them. This seems to happen with the Pelicans. We seem to allow the moment to own us and not own the moment. Some folks say "Zion" some folks blame Willie. I am not sure who or what to blame, but this team is nearly identical to the team that knocked out the current GOAT LeBron and gave the championship winning Suns a run for their money in the first round.

The issue. This is a theory, purely and 100% nothing but speculation. I want to really consider what happened in the shift and guys walking instead of running. My theory? Potential trouble in paradise with the Zion and Ingram deadly duo. Again, and I need to stress, this is SPECULATION, but I crave answers. I crave knowing what is going on and this year something is definitely going on. Last year Ingram knew this was his team for that time. Ingram is not a hugely vocal guy but we saw him come out of shell last year and become a young leader budding into his position. Start of the season, BI still had that "look". Then Ingram missed 27 straight games. In a bulk of those games Zion retook the league by storm nearly averaging 30PPG. Treated like the next super start, loved by fans far and wide not just in New Orleans. All of a sudden it looked like Zion's team, all of a sudden the KD rumors came back up. If I was Branon Ingram, and I am not, but if I was, I would certainly feel some type of way. People have short term memory in regards to success. The world of sports is a "what have you done for me.... lately?" world. It is the reason we watch sports. We want that thrill of our favorite team or our favorite player carrying "us" to a win. Zion did that, Zion did it really well. I can't help but think that without Zion everyone looked at Ingram and he carried us. Now people got a small taste of Zion and again, if I was Ingram, I would feel some type of way. He is young and it is easy to feel like people forgot what you did for them or how good you are. By no means do I believe if this is the issue would break up the duo, but I have attempted to think of every other possibility and not many of them make sense. This one hardly does, but I just can't help but feel the "energy" will return when the dynamics are worked out. I think BI and Zion can be an insane pairing for the future of the Pelicans and the future of the NBA, but with what feels like 2 total games played, it will take time. The team is still looking to Ingram, but is he looking back?

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LSU Salvages Game 3 Over Vanderbilt

By David Billiot Jr • March 16, 2026

Sunday Afternoon Recap There aren’t any must-win games this early in the season, but Sunday felt like a must-bounce-back game for LSU. Following the emotional roller coaster that was game 1 on Friday night, the Tigers got steamrolled in game 2 on Saturday. Jay Johnson did not get the response he was hoping for from his team after their heart was ripped out by Logan Johnstone when he hit a 2 out, 2 run walk off homerun two nights ago. Today, the response was great, especially early. The first four LSU hitters reached base to start the game, leading to a 4 run 1st inning. After adding two more in the 2nd, the Tigers were rolling with a 6-0 lead. That lead evaporated, though, and those bad feelings that this team may be in trouble started creeping back in. To their credit, LSU refused to lay down this time. They went blow for blow with Vanderbilt, but back to back 5 run innings in the 7th and 8th innings helped salvage the final game of SEC opening weekend and the Tigers improved to 14-7 with a 1-2 start in the SEC. Pitching For the second straight week, William Schmidt’s line doesn’t do his performance justice. Vanderbilt made him work inning after inning and it eventually led to his early exit. The start got off to a great start, though, pitching around a double to record three groundouts with only 7 pitches. In the 2nd, he allowed a leadoff homerun, but recorded a couple of outs before stranding a 2 out walk. The 3rd was where Schmidt had to battle the most. He hit the first batter and then allowed a 3-2 walk after Johnstone fouled off pitch after pitch to stay alive. That approach by Commodore hitters is what stretched Schmidt’s pitch count. With runners then on 1st and 2nd and no one out, he struck out the next three to slam the door on the threat. Vanderbilt went down in order for the first time in the 4th, but finally found a way to get Schmidt out of the game the very next inning. Another leadoff homerun brought the game slightly closer at 6-2 and that was the beginning of the end. After starting his final hitter 2-0 with a couple of high fastballs, Cade Arrambide called time to go to the mound and check with his pitcher. Jay Johnson and Head Athletic Trainer Isaac Trujillo also came out to talk to Schmidt, then left him in to finish the at bat. Once back in the dugout, the broadcast showed him a few times and he seemed to doing just fine without a trainer in sight. After the game, Koki Riley reported that Jay confirmed everything is ok. He said Schmidt had some slight back tightness that he was trying to fight though and could have continued to, if needed, but it wasn’t worth it. Final line: 4.0 IP / 3 hits / 3 runs / 6 Ks / 3 BBs / 1 HBP / 84 pitches (51 strikes, 61%) Mavrick Rizy was first out of the bullpen and it turned in to his worst outing of the year. Upon entering with a runner on 2nd and no outs, Rizy gave up back to back RBI doubles. Both doubles came off of decently executed pitches, but were just more examples of the good hitting Vanderbilt displays. Back to back strikeouts would get Rizy close to escaping the inning, but a 2 out double off of the left field wall would chase him from the game and LSU’s lead was down to 6-5. Final line: .2 IP / 3 hits / 2 runs / 2 Ks / 0 BB Santiago Garcia was tasked with shutting down the Commodores 4 run 5th inning. He walked the first guy he faced, but froze Korbin Reynolds to end the frame. Tommy Goodin led off the 6th with his second homerun, Vanderbilt’s third lead off blast of the game and the LSU lead had vanished. Garcia then went strikeout, double, strikeout, and that would be the end of his SEC debut. Final line: 1.0 IP / 2 hits / 1 run / 3 Ks / 1 BB Deven Sheerin entered with the go-ahead run on 2nd, but was able to induce a pop out to John Pearson in foul territory to let his offense get back to work. They did just that, exploding for 5 runs and giving Sheerin a comfortable lead to back out with in the 7th. He struck out the first hitter, then a slow chopper got past Steven Milam for an infield hit. A tailor-made double play ball was then hit right to defensive replacement Jack Ruckert at second base, but he booted it and failed to record a single out. As they did all weekend, Vanderbilt made LSU pay. A 3 run Mack Whitcomb homerun got the Commodores right back in to it. A strikeout and a walk would bring the tying run to the plate, when Jake Brown made a diving catch on a blooper in shallow right field. It was originally called a no-catch, but was challenged and correctly ruled the third out. Sheerin would cruise from that point, returning in the 8th to retired 4-5-6 in the Vanderbilt lineup after a Pearson error to leadoff the inning. Final line: 2.1 IP / 2 hits / 3 runs / 4 Ks / 1 BB Cooper Williams entered to record the final 3 outs with LSU up 16-9 and it went just about as well as it could’ve for the lefty. He’s had a very disappointing start to his sophomore season, but hopefully this outing could be the spark that he needs going forward. He retired Vanderbilt 3 up, 3 down and struck out the final two. Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 2 Ks / 0 BB Hitting With the offense back in a big way, there should be no surprise that Jake Brown was in the middle of all of it. He is a legitimate Golden Spikes candidate right now. Brown hit his 11th homerun of the year, which was his 2nd of the weekend. Both of them were 3-run bombs. This one came after Milam had just driven in the go-ahead run to steal back the momentum after the Tigers choked a 6-0 lead. The big swing from Brown went off of the batter’s eye, re-extending the lead to 4 runs. He finished 2-4 with 6 RBI and scored twice. Cade Arrambide quietly had a good weekend, hitting .384. On Sunday, he went 2-5 with a double, 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Despite a few mishaps, his defense behind the plate slightly improved over the weekend. The much-welcomed return of Chris Stanfield kept rolling on Sunday as the senior leftfielder provided another multi-hit game. He finished 2-4, while also drawing a walk. One of his hits was a single off of the big wall in left field, that very well may have been a homerun in other parks. Stanfield also drove in a run and scored twice. Steven Milam’s 1-4 line may not seem massive, but it was his one hit that retook the lead for LSU after their collapse halfway through the game. He also walked, while scoring 3 runs, despite only recording the one hit. Derek Curiel also only went 1-4, but his one hit was a triple where he got to show off his speed. The ball went to left-center and Vanderbilt still didn’t come close to keeping him from getting to third base. Curiel also drew a walk and scored 3 runs of his own. John Pearson got the start at third base and made the most of it. Despite one throwing error in the 8th inning, he played a great all-around game. Even the error wasn’t a big deal, as it came with him shifted way out of position. He finished 0-1, but Pearson drew 3 walks and was also hit by a pitch. Those four times on base led to 3 runs scored. I would be surprised if Pearson is not back in the starting lineup once again on Tuesday. Although Seth Dardar finished hitless with an 0-3 stat line, he deserves to be pointed out for a few good at bats. After LSU had taken a 2-0 lead in the 1st, Dardar drove home another run with a ground ball for an RBI. Later in the 7th after Curiel tripled, Arrambide was unable to get him in with 0 outs because the Commodores brought their infield in and he hit the ball hard right to the second baseman. They remained in for Dardar and after falling behind with an 0-2 count, he found a way to drive the ball deep enough to left field for the sacrifice fly and his second RBI of the game. Those little things matter, especially for a struggling team. Omar Serna had a good day in his first SEC start on Saturday when catching Cooper Moore, so Jay rewarded him with a start in the DH spot. In the 1st, he hit a laser in to left field where Mancini made a crazy leaping catch. That brought in the 4th run of the inning with a sacrifice fly, but the ball was drilled. Serna finished 1-4 with an RBI single that drove in the final run of the game, as well. Up Next LSU will return home where they will remain for an eight game homestand. That will start on Tuesday as they welcome Grambling for a 6:30 pm central first pitch. The Tigers come in with a 5-13 record, following a 2-1 series win at Alabama St. Pitchers to watch for potential work for LSU include Dax Dathe, Grant Fontenot, Danny Lachenmayer, Connor Benge, and DJ Primeaux.

Vanderbilt - 11, LSU - 3

By David Billiot Jr • March 15, 2026

The big question following LSU’s heartbreaking loss on Friday night was how they would respond. Game 1 was a rollercoaster of emotions, starting with the Tigers scoring first, giving up the lead, Jake Brown crushing a homerun to retake the lead, then the pitching staff collapsing to fall behind 10-4, followed by 8 unanswered runs by LSU, only to be walked off in the 9th inning while being just an out of securing the dramatic comeback victory. Having that happen will test a team mentally under normal circumstances, but considering the timing, it was an even bigger challenge. It happened on the road, in the first game of SEC play, and on the heels of a pretty bad multi-week stretch for the Tigers. LSU was going to need a quick start on Saturday night to regain momentum, but Vanderbilt beat them to it by scoring first while Wyatt Nadeau carved up Jay Johnson’s lineup the first time through the order. The Tigers answered back to tie the game, but as Cooper Moore battled through the early innings, he was also playing with fire. He finally got burned in the 5th inning and things went downhill in a hurry for LSU. Before you knew it, they were down 10-1 and, again, in deep trouble. What was most concerning was Saturday’s results seemed to indicate that what we watched transpire on Friday had more to do with the Commodores choking, rather than the Tigers storming back on their own merit. LSU would go down quietly this time, dropping their first series of conference play. Pitching Cooper Moore entered Saturday coming off of his worst start of the season thus far. It wasn’t bad last week, but it was a far cry from his first three. He looked good early against Vanderbilt, breezing 1-2-3 through the 1st inning. Despite getting in to early trouble in the 2nd, Moore battled out of a 2nd and 3rd with 0 outs situation by only allowing 1 run. That was a massive win in the moment. The leadoff hitter got on base in the 3rd, but, again, he fought through it and didn’t allow the baserunner past 2nd base. We saw more of the same in the 4th, as the inning started with an infield hit, a single, then the chopper that bounced high over Zach Yorke’s head and rolled down the 1st baseline to give Vanderbilt a 2-1 and, once again, put runners on 2nd and 3rd with 0 outs. Moore struck out Ryker Waite, who came in to the series with a .560 on base percentage. Then, thanks to the magician that LSU has playing shortstop, a double play ended yet another big threat. Korbin Reynolds hit a laser right at Steven Milam, who was playing on the grass with the infield in. The ball go on to Milam so quickly, he had to fall backwards to catch it, but his impeccable reaction time somehow allowed him to snag the ball, fall to his butt, and toss it Trent Caraway at 3rd base. Unfortunately for Moore, the trouble would catch up to him in the 5th, though. A four pitch walk to the Commodores 9-hole hitter was the omen of bad things to come, as that was followed with a perfect sacrifice bunt attempt that no one fielded as they hoped it would roll foul, and then another single loaded the bases with 0 outs and Moore’s night was over. The first inning was the only inning that he was able to pitch from the windup, as the leadoff hitter was on base for the next four innings. Despite the talent of starting pitchers, that will forever be tough to overcome, especially against good teams. Final line: 4.0 IP / 7 hits / 5 runs / 4 Ks / 2 BBs / 79 pitches (48 strikes, 61%) Ethan Plog entered in an impossible situation and promptly got he ball he was hoping for. A high chopper ground ball made Yorke leave his feet, but he snagged it and fired home for the force out attempt. Unfortunately, the throw was poor and Omar Serna was unable to go down and get it, scoring a run and the bases remained loaded with no outs. Plog would then walk a hitter and give up a sacrifice fly, pushing Vanderbilt’s lead to 5-1. Chris Maldonado then stepped to the plate to pinch hit and blasted a 3 run homerun over Derek Curiel’s leaping attempt in dead center and the Commodores had blowing things open with 6 run 5th inning. Plog has been fantastic, but that’s where his first SEC appearance would come to an end. Final line: .1 IP / 1 hit / 3 runs / 0 K / 2 BBs Freshman Zion Theophilus was called upon to try and finish off the disaster of an inning for LSU pitching and he did just that, recording a strikeout and a flyout to end the 5th. Back for the 6th, he recorded the leadoff hitter for the first time since the 1st inning, but was unable to record another out after that. He then issued 3 walks (1 intentional) and a hit by pitch and his day was done. Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 2 runs / 1 K / 3 BBs From one high promise freshman pitcher to another, Reagan Ricken entered with the bases loaded and 1 out. He did exactly what Jay Johnon called upon him to do, drawing a ground ball to record an out and striking out Waite looking to keep the damage from getting worse. Even though a run scored on the groundout, LSU pitchers have struggled to simply record outs in some of these tough spots, which allows things to get worse and worse, much like we saw in the 5th. Ricken returned for the 7th and despite allowing a solo homerun and 2 two out walks, was able to navigate through the entire inning and get out of trouble. Ricken continues to flash plenty of traits to very excited about as he grows as a Tiger. Final line: 1.2 IP / 1 hit / 1 run / 2 Ks / 2 BBs With LSU down 11-3 and the tensity of the moment being low, Jay Johnson inserted Marcos Paz for the 8th inning in a great spot to get his feet wet. As he continues to come back from Tommy John surgery, he’s flashed his talent that made him a possible draft risk, while also battling through rust. In his first SEC appearance, he looked fantastic. Despite a walk, Paz struck out the side, including Maldonado that hit the big homerun earlier. Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 3 Ks / 1 BB Hitting There isn’t a lot of offensive production to get to, so this will be quick. Steven Milam followed up his 3 hit performance on Friday with a 1-4 game, including a fantastic piece of opposite field hitting for a double. Derek Curiel, Cade Arrambide, and Omar Serna each had a single hit, to give you the 4 total LSU hits. Arrambide’s was a double and Serna’s was a 2 run single that brought his RBI total for the week up to 6. Jake Brown entered the game with only 9 strikeouts so far this season, but Nadeau’s stuff was so good, he was able to get LSU’s offensive MVP twice. Brown did draw 2 walks, finishing the night 0-2. Up Next LSU and Vanderbilt will wrap up SEC opening weekend tomorrow. First pitch will be at 3 pm central. William Schmidt will take the mound for the Tigers as they look to avoid being swept on SEC opening weekend for the first time since 2006 when Arkansas took three in Alex Box during Smoke Laval’s final season. The Tigers have fallen to 13-7, which matches Vanderbilt’s record after back to back wins to start the series. The Commodores will send Nate Taylor to the mound on Sunday, who has started all four Sundays for them this season. Taylor has a record of 0-3 with a 4.91 ERA. His batting average against is the highest of any of the top Vanderbilt pitchers that LSU has seen so far at .242. Taylor has given up 12 runs in 18.1 innings of work, so the opportunities for the Tiger offense to get back on track could be there.