The pressure is mounting for LSU baseball. After dropping the series opener to Texas A&M on Friday night, LSU is 23-16, having lost five of six. LSU began the year ranked No. 2 in most major polls -- now the Tigers are facing the possibility of missing the NCAA Tournament.

If the big dance began today, there's a decent chance LSU would be on the outside looking in. With an RPI outside the top 65 and some bad midweek losses, LSU hasn't given the committee much reason to give the Tigers an at-large bid. There's still a lot of baseball left to play and LSU's fate is far from sealed.

It's hard to imagine Jay Johnson's LSU program sitting at home in June, yet it's now a serious discussion. LSU isn't a complete baseball team right now. LSU's pitching staff has elite stuff until they can't throw strikes.

The defense is dead last in the SEC and fielding percentage and while the lineup is laden with talent, it's not consistent. A home series vs. Texas A&M gives LSU a chance to dramatically improve its RPI, and that's still a possibility with two more games left in this series.

William Schmidt, LSU's best pitcher, takes the mound in Game 2. That gives LSU some confidence, but the rest of the squad will have to do its part. If LSU loses again on Saturday, it will make the Tigers 1-6 in their last seven.

LSU can't afford that. This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU baseball in jeopardy of missing the NCAA Tournament