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At Clemson, the Mountaineers did many things right. They never got down on themselves, even when trailing by large deficits. They hit with two outs, scoring runs in that setting just as they had done for much of the season. They showed good plate discipline, working 10 walks while striking out only 13 times over the weekend as they put the ball in play.

And yet, at this level, sometimes more is required.

Holdovers from last year's òòò½ÊÓƵU team probably understand that, having played two excellent games against North Carolina in a 2024 super regional in Chapel Hill, yet coming away without a win. There, the Mountaineers were edged by a combined three runs in a pair of losses that highlighted the college game at its highest level.

So, what might òòò½ÊÓƵU be concentrating on in order to put together another magical weekend?

Fielding

This is priority one, as giving away runs to a team like LSU is a sure recipe for disaster. òòò½ÊÓƵU's lineup changes last weekend helped it at the plate, but seemed to discombobulate the defense, especially in the infield. The Mountaineers committed nine errors, including five in the second game against Kentucky, with seven being charged to the infield over the three contests.

More than one of these came as a result of bad decisions, in which eating the ball would have been a better play than trying to make an unlikely throw for an out. In that regard, òòò½ÊÓƵU must, of course, play smart and make the right snap choices, but first and foremost, it has to make routine plays and not throw the ball around Alex Box Stadium.

Limit self-inflicted errors on the mound

It's easy to say "pitch better." Everyone is trying to do that. For òòò½ÊÓƵU, which doesn't have an overpowering rotation, that means limiting walks and hit batters, and perhaps just as importantly, not letting early-count advantages trickle away. West Virginia hurlers saw that last item bite them in several situations over last weekend, seeing 0-2 and 1-2 counts turn into hard-hit balls, or worse, walks.

This will be vital if the Mountaineers are to avoid falling into a similar hole on the scoreboard, which they did in all three games in Clemson. There aren't too many rallies that bring teams back from five-run deficits, as òòò½ÊÓƵU faced twice against Kentucky, or even from three runs down, from which the Mountaineers also battled back in the first Kentucky game.

LSU is really good, and if it gets help via walks, hit batters and errors, West Virginia's path to a win will be along the narrowest of margins.

Can't swing at bad pitches

LSU starting pitchers Anthony Eyanson and Kade Anderson make up perhaps the best tandem in the country. They combined to give up one earned run in 22-plus innings in the Baton Rouge Regional and posted a 2.89 ERA and a WHIP of 1.08 over the season. That's dominant.

West Virginia can't give them any help. While the Mountaineers will continue to be aggressive at the plate, they can't swing at offerings out of the zone, or those that look good but move late to become difficult to hit. Again, this is easier said than done, because Eyanson and Anderson are a combined 19-3 on the season, piling up 291 strikeouts against only 58 walks. No one has done much at the plate against them, so expecting the Mountaineer offense to put up numbers like it did last weekend is unrealistic.

What òòò½ÊÓƵU can do is scratch out a run or two, try to elevate LSU's starters' pitch count and get them out of the game. The Tigers' bullpen has been inconsistent over the course of the year, and getting there is paramount for the Mountaineers.