re: LSU projected as a "First Four Out" team by Baseball America.

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Can't expect to be back in the championship game after losing that much talent. You can try your best to reload, but sometimes those prospects don't pan out, or they take a while to develop into stars

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Very few people expected LSU to be back in the championship game. But there is a LOT of difference between not making it to the championship game and not even making the NCAA Tournament. Particularly in a sport where 64 teams make the NCAA Tournament and only a relatively small number of schools nationwide place as much emphasis and resources on baseball as LSU does.

LSU hasn't officially missed the tournament yet (though their chances of making it right now are hanging by a threat). And regardless if they do or don't make the NCAAT it doesn't discredit the results Johnson achieved in his first two seasons at LSU. Nor does failing to make the tournament mean that is going to become the norm going forward. But missing the tournament would mean Johnson did not perform well this season. I know it is a foreign concept to most here, but it is possible to be reasonably critical in the micro but generally pleased in the macro.