If the only thing Jim Gilligan had to worry about was the strength of schedule Lamar is facing, he really wouldn’t have anything to worry about.
But these days, the Cardinals (10-6, 1-2 Southland) aren’t quite as hot as they were when they went off to their best start since 2009, when they defeated Arizona and LSU. Gilligan’s concern doesn’t rest with the opponents, however.
“We have to have different ways to win,” he said Monday. “Right now, we’re sluggers. We’ve got to find a way, whether with hitting and bunting, some way to add some other dimension to our offense. We either really score runs or we barely score runs. We’ve got to be able to get better at playing under any conditions.”
The Cards totaled only seven runs on 23 hits through the three-game series loss at Northwestern State this past weekend. They hammered out 13 hits in a 6-5, 10-inning victory to start the Sunday doubleheader.
Junior reliever Jimmy Johnson improved his record to 4-0 after holding the Demons (8-7, 2-1) to his first earned run of the season on four hits.
Gilligan called Johnson’s start to the season, which includes a 0.73 ERA in six appearances, incredible. But the soon-to-retire coach is looking for more out of his staff.
“I have guys who are physically as able to pitch as well as my starters, but they haven’t developed their confidence and I haven’t developed confidence in them,” Gilligan said. “Their first game is against reputable opponents, and if a kid can do the job, it’s a for-real deal to him to go up against a Rice or Texas or Baylor.”
So, Gilligan admits he might take his chances against the University of Houston on Tuesday by “overmanaging” in an effort to find another starter who has more confidence. For now, junior Brent Janak (0-0, 16.20 ERA in two appearances) gets the starting nod.
Senior Travis Moore (1-1, 0.79) and Johnson are the only Cardinal pitchers with less than a 1.00 ERA through 10 or more innings. Regular Friday starter Will Hibbs is 2-1 with a 1.73.
And, it was good pitching that Gilligan said was the same problem for both his team and Northwestern State.
“They played much more aggressive defense than we did [in Lamar’s 2-0 loss Saturday], and two great pitching staffs [went] against one another,” Gilligan said. “It was a classic college baseball game.”
No. 20 Houston (8-6) won two of three at No. 23 Alabama this past weekend, but the Cougars have struggled against ranked opponents themselves, going 0-3 against then-No. 23 Texas Tech, No. 18 Arkansas and No. 13 TCU in a classic at Minute Maid Park last month.
On Friday, though, junior Andrew Lantrip (2-2) of Livingston struck out a career-high 13 against Alabama in a 3-1 win. It earned him the Louisville Slugger National and American Athletic Conference pitcher of the week awards.
While the Cards hit the ball well, they could not manufacture enough runs in a 5-1 series-ending loss Sunday.
“One of the things I’m noticing, whoever we play, we’re probably going to have more power than them,” Gilligan said. “Most dynasties have their fair share of power. When the wind’s in their face, it evens up things.”
That was the scenario Lamar faced on its home field in the previous weekend series against UT Rio Grande Valley, in which Lamar took two of three.
Junior Brendan Satran missed the Northwestern State series with a shoulder injury he sustained against UTRGV but hopes to return to action Tuesday. Bronx, New York, true freshman Robin Adames, who’s started the past eight games and is hitting .300 with 12 hits and seven RBI, will move to designated hitter from first base.
“We’re going to get better,” Gilligan said.