Gut-wrenching. There’s no other way to put it. LSU fought all the way back from a 10-4 deficit to have the game ripped from them at the very last second. They say that the 27th out in baseball is the hardest one to get and tonight, we saw why. If you told Jay Johnson that he could be in that situation with the tying run at 3rd base with 2 outs in the 9th inning and Gavin Guidry on the mound, I can guarantee you that he’d take that scenario 10 out of 10 times. In majority of those times, it would work in the Tiger’s favor, too. Not tonight. Sometimes you have to tip the cap to the other team for making the necessary plays and that’s what happened in the final inning on Friday night. Vanderbilt earned their victory. Not without some help from the LSU pitching staff early in the game, but when it mattered most, the Commadores stepped up. Although we learned a lot about the resilience of the Tigers in game 1 with their willingness to to fight back, we will learn even more about their ability to rebound from a tough loss. There were plenty of silver linings despite the L, which could be huge for the future success of this LSU team. Pitching Casan Evans had been on a steady upwards trajectory with his transition from ace bullpen piece to Friday night ace. That trend hit a brick wall tonight. Despite having a lead before stepping on to the mound, Evans was way off from his very first pitch. He walked 3 of the first 4 hitters of the game. Though he was able to strike out two, a two out 2-run single flipped the scoreboard to give Vanderbilt a 2-1 lead. The offense retook the lead, but the struggles remained as the LSU ace gave up another run in the 2nd on walk and a couple of singles. It was more of the same in the 3rd, as Evans continued to battle control problems, allowing another 2 runs on only 1 hit. The free passes were a haunting presence for his entire outing. Surprisingly, he returned for the 4th having already thrown 82 pitches. He’d finish with 83, though, as Braden Holcomb would blast a solo homerun to right center and that would be the end of the night for Casan Evans. Final line: 3.0 IP / 5 hits / 6 runs / 5 Ks / 5 BBs / 1 HBP / 83 pitches (46 strikes, 55%) The expectations for Cooper Williams were high coming in to his sophomore season, but he has failed to come even close to them, so far. That continued tonight when he relieved Casan Evans in the 4th inning. He entered with no one out in the inning, but failed to record an out. Williams walked the bases loaded and then started the next hitter with back to back balls and Jay had seen enough. Williams desperately needs to figure it out. Final line: 0.0 IP / 0 hits / 4 runs / 0 Ks / 4 BBs Jaden Noot inherited the 2-0 count from Williams and promptly allowed the walk with a few more pitches out of the zone. He followed with back to back outs to get close to being out of the inning, but another walk, then a 2 run single, followed by yet another walk would allow Vanderbilt to extend their lead to 10-4 and that would be all for Noot. Final line: .2 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 1 K / 2 BB Although it’s fairly subjective, it’s safe to say that Zac Cowan has been the most disappointing pitcher on LSU’s staff thus far in 2026. Considering how dominant he was for almost all of his 2025 season, the coaching staff had high hopes that they were bringing back a pitcher that could be trusted against anyone on the schedule. With the way some of Cowan’s outings had gone through the first four weeks of the season, he was borderline unable to be trusted against anyone. That changed Friday night. He was marvelous. Looking like the rock solid bullpen piece from a year ago, Cowan mowed through the Commadores lineup, allowing just one baserunner. One single was all that he allowed, while striking out 5 and throwing 73% strikes. As much credit as the offense deserves for fighting back in this game, Cowan deserves just as much for stabilizing things for the staff and allowing the bats to go to work. Final line: 3.1 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 5 Ks / 0 BBs Once the Tigers took the lead in the top of the 8th, Jay Johnson turned to Gavin Guidry. The argument could be heard that Cowan may have had more in the tank as he was rolling strong, but we’ve seen Guidry come in to close the final 6 outs of a ballgame before. It’s almost never the wrong move to put the game in his hands. At first, he was proving why. He went 3 up, 3 down in the 8th while striking out two hitters looking. But as I said in the beginning, sometimes you have to tip your cap to the opponent and admit that they beat you. In the 9th, Vanderbilt recorded back to back singles to start the inning. A passed ball then allowed both runners to advance, putting the tying run at 2nd base in a 12-10 ballgame. Guidry was able to record an out, although it was a sacrifice fly that drew the Commadores within a run and top hitter Braden Holcomb coming to the plate. Guidry painted a perfectly executed slider on the outside corner to freeze Holcomb for the second out of the inning, putting LSU just an out away from the comeback win. Unfortunately, an 0-1 slider to Logan Johnstone hung up just a little and the ball took flight in to right center to give Vanderbilt a walk off victory. Guidry just got beat. Plain and simple. Final line: 1.2 IP / 3 hits / 3 runs / 3 Ks / 0 BBs Hitting Moving up in to the leadoff role, Steven Milam acted like he belonged there. He recorded hits in his first three at bats, leading to a 3-6 day with 3 runs scored. Milam has been hitting the ball hard, severely lowering his strikeout rate from 2025. His lone strikeout tonight was only his 4th of the season, showing why concerns of his performance have been largely overblown. This spot for Jake Brown might as well be written in permanent marker at this point. He finds his way on to the top offensive performer list ever single game and he is year yet again. The 3 run homerun in the 2nd seemed like the perfect opportunity for Casan Evans to settle in and roll, but as we know, the offense would be relied upon for even more. Brown’s final line was 3-5 with 3 RBI, 2 runs scored, a walk, the homerun, and also a double. His third hit came on a beautifully executed drag bunt in the 8th inning, helping get the rally together that eventually took the lead. Derek Curiel moved down to third in the order with Milam swapping to leadoff. Curiel has been LSU’s best hitter not named Jake Brown and he continued that on Friday. It doesn’t matter where he hits in the lineup, he’s going to just simply…hit. He finished 2-4, which included the 2 run double over the center fielder’s head to pull LSU within a run with a 10-9 deficit. He finished with 3 RBI, 2 runs scored, and also walked. Cade Arrambide has gone through the bumps on the road as he adjusts to being the primary starting catcher. Both offensively and defensively, LSU has needed him to be better. He was just that on Friday night. His defense was solid, blocking up multiple pitches in the dirt. His 2-4 line with 2 runs scored and a walk further boosted his bounce back game from a rough week or two. Seth Dardar didn’t get the start, but he entered as a pinch hitter in the 5th inning for Brayden Simpson and delivered what I would say was the biggest swing of the night for the Tigers. With the bases loaded and 2 outs in the 5th, Connor Fennell was very close from escaping without damage, but Dardar ripped a base-clearing double to drive in 3 runs and cut LSU’s deficit in half to 10-7. If he doesn’t come through in that moment, who knows how the rest of the night would have went for the Tigers. He finished 1-3 with that double and the 3 RBI. Zach Yorke entered the game with a 4 game hitting streak that started in game 1 against Sacramento St. That streak came to an end on Friday, but he did draw 3 walks, which led to a .600 on base percentage. Last, but certainly not least, is Chris Stanfield, who provided the much needed spark that the lineup had been missing in his absence. In that 9-hole spot in the bottom of the order, his ability to find his way on base is invaluable. He is, essentially, a second lead off hitter. His biggest value in that spot is to be a table setter for the table setters in the top of the lineup and that’s exactly what he did Friday in his first start since opening weekend. Stanfield was 2-4 with a couple of singles, while drawing a walk and scoring twice. Up Next LSU will be faced with the enormous task of bouncing back from that heart breaking loss to try and win the next two games and head back to Baton Rouge with an opening SEC weekend series win. The loss dropped the Tigers to 13-6. Cooper Moore (3-1) will take the mound on Saturday with the goal to go deeper in the game and compete to give his team the best chance to win. Vanderbilt improved to 12-7 on the season and will send Wyatt Nadeau to the mound on Saturday night. Nadeau has made 4 appearances thus far, with last Saturday being his only start. He is filling in for Austin Nye in the weekend rotation, who is injured. First pitch between LSU and Vanderbilt will be for 7 pm central on Saturday night.

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns were made aware of their 2026 Sun Belt Conference football schedule on Friday. The schedule includes in-state rival and Sun Belt Conference newcomer Louisiana Tech, who is replacing Texas State. All six home games this season will be played on Saturdays, beginning with a home opener meeting with the Lamar Cardinals on September 5th. They will also host an American Conference member, the UAB Blazers, on September 19th before opening up Sun Belt play against the Arkansas State Red Wolves on October 3rd. Louisiana will also host the Troy Trojans on October 17th, the South Alabama Jaguars on November 7th, and the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers on November 21st to close out their home slate. On the road, the Cajuns will play in Los Angeles, California against the USC Trojans on September 12th and in Charlotte, North Carolina against the Charlotte 49ers on September 26th. They will then take a trip up to Ruston to face the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on October 10th. Their remaining away games include another rival in the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on October 24th, the ULM Warhawks on November 12th in a nationally televised Thursday night contest at Malone Stadium, and the Georgia State Panthers to close out the regular season on November 28th. Kickoff times and TV designations for the first three games, as well as any expected national broadcasts, will be announced in late May. All remaining games' kickoff times are released 12 days prior to each game by ESPN and the Sun Belt Conference. It is important to note that although the SBC and UL label this as the official football schedule, there is an ongoing legal dispute between Conference USA and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs which could alter it. Both conferences currently have Louisiana Tech as a member on each of their schedules. That being said, the Sun Belt schedule (including UL's) and the Conference USA schedule are both subject to change. One of them WILL change, but which one it will be is in the hands of judges and lawyers. For now, this is a tentative schedule until all is resolved. The 2026 Louisiana Football Schedule (home games in bold) September 5th - vs Lamar September 12th - @ USC September 19th - vs UAB September 26th - @ Charlotte October 3rd - vs Arkansas State October 10th - @ Louisiana Tech October 17th - vs Troy October 24th - @ Southern Miss November 7th - vs South Alabama November 12th - @ ULM November 21st - vs Coastal Carolina November 28th - @ Georgia State

The Sun Belt Conference announced its "set" 2026 football schedule today, which includes the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. Normally, it does not take this long for the Sun Belt to release their annual football schedule. But ongoing issues between Louisiana Tech and Conference USA has complicated the process and delayed the schedule releases for both conferences. That said, I would take this "set" schedule release with a grain of salt (with heavy emphasis on the quotation marks). A few days ago, reports surfaced that the Sun Belt would indeed release its football schedule today and that it would include Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs have already accepted an invite to join the Sun Belt last July, and is pushing to make the move this summer, pending a court ruling next week. Late Thursday night, however, Conference USA unexpectedly released its own "set" 2026 football schedule out of nowhere, which also includes Louisiana Tech as one of its member schools. The timing itself raised eyebrows, making it seem like the conference did it out of pettiness to release their version of the schedule with the Bulldogs included prior to the Sun Belt's scheduled Friday release, which was also set to include the Bulldogs. As a result, Louisiana Tech is technically listed as a member of both conferences according to the newly released schedules. Of course, the Bulldogs cannot play in two conferences at once, which is why both schedule releases should be viewed as tentative for now. A court ruling between the UL System (which oversees Louisiana Tech) and Conference USA is currently rumored to take place on Thursday next week (March 19th). The decision at this rumored hearing is expected to have a solution on whether Louisiana Tech can move to the Sun Belt in the summer or remain in the Conference USA for one more year before making the move in the summer of 2027. Until then, it is a wait-and-see game for members of both the Sun Belt and Conference USA. Ultimately, one of these newly released schedules will be right, while the other will be forced to change. But it is in the best interest that both sides have their backup non-Louisiana Tech schedules ready to go in case the ruling swings one way over the other. Here is the 2026 Sun Belt Football Schedule, per the Sun Belt Conference: TEAM-BY-TEAM SCHEDULES SUN BELT EAST DIVISION APP STATE 9/5 Maine 9/12 at East Carolina 9/19 Charlotte 9/26 at North Carolina State 10/10 Old Dominion* 10/16 at Coastal Carolina* 10/22 James Madison* 10/31 at Georgia Southern* 11/7 Georgia State* 11/14 at Marshall* 11/21 ULM* 11/28 at South Alabama* COASTAL CAROLINA 9/5 at West Virginia 9/12 Fordham 9/19 at Delaware 9/24 Liberty 10/3 Georgia Southern* 10/10 at Marshall* 10/16 App State* 10/31 at Georgia State* 11/7 Old Dominion* 11/14 Arkansas State* 11/21 at Louisiana* 11/28 at James Madison* GEORGIA SOUTHERN 9/5 Charleston Southern 9/12 at Clemson 9/19 at Jacksonville State 9/26 Houston 10/3 at Coastal Carolina* 10/10 James Madison* 10/15 at Old Dominion* 10/31 App State* 11/7 Marshall* 11/14 at Georgia State* 11/21 at Troy* 11/28 Louisiana Tech* GEORGIA STATE 9/5 North Carolina A&T 9/12 at Kennesaw State 9/19 at UCF 9/26 Northern Illinois 10/3 Old Dominion* 10/17 at James Madison* 10/24 at Arkansas State* 10/31 Coastal Carolina* 11/7 at App State* 11/14 Georgia Southern* 11/21 at Marshall* 11/28 Louisiana* JAMES MADISON 9/5 Liberty 9/12 Wagner 9/19 at San Diego State 9/26 at Old Dominion* 10/3 Marshall* 10/10 at Georgia Southern* 10/17 Georgia State* 10/22 at App State* 10/29 Troy* 11/5 at Southern Miss* 11/14 at UConn 11/28 Coastal Carolina* MARSHALL 9/5 at Penn State 9/12 Middle Tennessee 9/19 at Missouri State 9/26 Gardner-Webb 10/3 at James Madison* 10/10 Coastal Carolina* 10/20 South Alabama* 10/31 at Old Dominion* 11/7 at Georgia Southern* 11/14 App State* 11/21 Georgia State* 11/28 at ULM* OLD DOMINION 9/5 Norfolk State 9/12 at Virginia Tech 9/19 East Carolina 9/26 James Madison* 10/3 at Georgia State* 10/10 at App State* 10/15 Georgia Southern* 10/24 at Louisiana Tech* 10/31 Marshall* 11/7 at Coastal Carolina* 11/21 at UConn 11/28 Southern Miss* SUN BELT WEST DIVISION ARKANSAS STATE 9/5 at Memphis 9/12 West Georgia 9/19 at TCU 9/26 Kennesaw State 10/3 at Louisiana* 10/8 South Alabama* 10/17 at Southern Miss* 10/24 Georgia State* 11/7 ULM* 11/14 at Coastal Carolina* TBA^ at Louisiana Tech* 11/28 Troy* LOUISIANA 9/5 Lamar 9/12 at USC 9/19 UAB 9/26 at Charlotte 10/3 Arkansas State* 10/10 at Louisiana Tech* 10/17 Troy* 10/24 at Southern Miss* 11/7 South Alabama* 11/12 at ULM* 11/21 Coastal Carolina* 11/28 at Georgia State* ULM 9/5 at Mississippi State 9/12 at UAB 9/19 Southeastern Louisiana 9/26 Florida Atlantic 10/3 at South Alabama* 10/17 Louisiana Tech* 10/24 at Troy* 10/31 Southern Miss* 11/7 at Arkansas State* 11/12 Louisiana* 11/21 at App State* 11/28 Marshall* LOUISIANA TECH 9/5 Northwestern State 9/12 at LSU 9/19 at Baylor 10/3 Army 10/10 Louisiana* 10/17 at ULM* 10/24 Old Dominion* 10/31 at South Alabama* 11/7 at Troy* 11/14 Southern Miss* TBA^ Arkansas State* 11/28 at Georgia Southern* SOUTH ALABAMA 9/5 Southeastern Louisiana 9/12 at Tulane 9/19 Ohio 9/26 at Kentucky 10/3 ULM* 10/8 at Arkansas State* 10/20 at Marshall* 10/31 Louisiana Tech* 11/7 at Louisiana* 11/14 Troy* 11/21 at Southern Miss* 11/28 App State* SOUTHERN MISS 9/5 Alcorn State 9/12 at Auburn 9/19 UConn 9/26 at Tulane 10/6 at Troy* 10/17 Arkansas State* 10/24 Louisiana* 10/31 at ULM* 11/5 James Madison* 11/14 at Louisiana Tech* 11/21 South Alabama* 11/28 at Old Dominion* TROY 9/5 Sam Houston 9/12 Alabama State 9/19 at Missouri 9/26 at Utah State 10/6 Southern Miss* 10/17 at Louisiana* 10/24 ULM* 10/29 at James Madison* 11/7 Louisiana Tech* 11/14 at South Alabama* 11/21 Georgia Southern* 11/28 at Arkansas State* * Sun Belt Conference Game ^ TBA as 11/19, 11/20 or 11/21

For the first four innings tonight, it was starting to feel like the same old story for the Tigers. Despite scoring first, they quickly gave up the lead and then watched their deficit grow to 4-1. Tonight was the night that LSU said “enough”, though, as freshman Omar Serna delivered the biggest swing of his young collegiate career. On the mound, pitching struggled early. Despite the fantastic start by Reagan Ricken, he struggled when returning after his first inning. Ethan Plog was fantastic his last few appearances, but he, too, lost it towards the end of his outing and allowed runs because of it. But after that, the final three pitchers of the night were fantastic for LSU. Creighton failed to score another run after the 3rd inning, which gave the Tiger offense time to finally come out of hibernation. The win improved LSU’s record to 13-5 as they now turn their attention to the meat grinder that is a 30 game SEC schedule. Pitching Reagan Ricken got the start for the Tigers and was fantastic in the 1st. He started things off with a strikeout, then got some help with a nifty play by Steven Milam ranging to his left behind second base and throwing across his body with a beautiful pick at first by Zach Yorke. A pop out would end the top and things were off to a good start. Ricken returned and faced three batters in the 2nd, but didn’t retire any of them. He gave up a lead off single, allowed him to move to second on yet another E1 on a pickoff attempt from an LSU pitcher, then another single tied the game at 1-1. The freshman would walk the next guy and his night was over. As good as his first inning was, the second was the polar opposite. Final line: 1.0 IP / 2 hits / 2 runs / 1 K / 1 BB / 28 pitches (16 strikes, 57%) Dax Dathe entered with runners on 1st and 3rd and his outing got off to a bad start by getting called for a pitch clock violation before even throwing a pitch. He’d follow with three straight balls to load the bases and Jay Johnson had seen enough. Final line: 0.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 0 K / 1 BB Following another great performance on Saturday, Ethan Plog was called upon in a nearly impossible situation to get out of. He got his first hitter down 0-2, but credit Blue Jay left fielder Lew Rice for getting a bat on the ball for a sacrifice fly to center, giving Creighton a 2-1 lead. They’d attempt a safety squeeze, but the bunt was poor and the batter got called for runner’s lane interference on the throw to 1st. Rocco Gump stepped up with 2 outs and hit a laser that Milam dove across his body and snared to save an extra run, escaping the inning with only 2 runs allowed. Plog returned in the 3rd, but following a strikeout to begin the inning, he lost control, walking two in a row and then hit another. That would be the end of his night. Final line: 1.1 IP / 0 hits / 2 runs / 1 K / 2 BB / 1 HBP Mavrick Rizy entered with the bases loaded and one out, having only allowed 2 hits through his 7 appearances so far. He’d promptly give up his third, scoring 2 more Blue Jays and extending their lead to 4-1. With the infield in, he got a massive ground out to Milam, holding both runners right where they were and following that with a strikeout to prevent more damage. Back for the 4th, Rizy only allowed a single and watched his star center fielder make another full extension catch in right center, adding to Derek Curiel’s extensive highlight real this year. Final line: 1.2 IP / 2 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 0 BB Deven Sheerin came in for the 5th and allowed a leadoff single. Following his first strikeout looking, Creighton’s Ben North stole 2nd and advanced to 3rd on a throwing error by Omar Serna, setting up yet another scoring opportunity. Sheerin recorded yet another strikeout looking, followed by a groundout to Milam and stranded the leadoff baserunner. Back for the 6th, Sheerin mowed through the Blue Jays with two strikeouts and a flyout. In the 7th, he hit the leadoff batter, then got a ground ball right back to him to secure the first out at 1st. Now surpassing his season high in pitches, his control slipped and he gave up his first walk. His time was done, but Sheerin was phenomenal. Final line: 2.1 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 4 Ks / 1 BB With the tying runner on base in a 6-4 game, it was Santiago Garcia who was called upon to enter the jam. It looked as if he hit the first batter he faced and the bases were going to be loaded with just 1 out, but Jay challenged that the batter got intentionally hit and the call was overturned. Garcia then fell behind 2-0 to Isaac Wachsmann, who had already driven in 2 runs, but battled back with a couple of nasty pitches to get the strikeout and end the threat. Back for the 8th, he struck out two and pitched around a bloop double that put a man in scoring position with only 1 out. Garcia returned in the 9th with the opportunity to secure his first save of the season and he did just that with a quick 1-2-3 inning. Like Sheerin, Garcia also surpassed his season high pitch count. Previously, his highest was 29 pitches against Nicholls in game 5 of the season, but he blew past that with 44 tonight. He was outstanding. Final line: 2.2 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 4 Ks / 0 BB Hitting The offensive star of the night is Omar Serna and that should serve as no surprise. With the Tigers in a familiar spot where they were trailing halfway though the game, trying to hold on for dear life, and facing another giant opportunity that they could not squander. Despite striking out with the bases loaded in the 1st, Serna found himself in the position yet again. This time, he made it count. He got a 2-0 fastball and blasted it 455 feet in to right center field to give every fan, coach, and player a giant sigh of relief. LSU was up 6-4 and never looked back. He finished 1-3 with the 4 RBI and also drew a walk. If homeruns are being mentioned, there’s a good chance Jake Brown is involved. He hit his 9th of the year to give the Tigers some insurance runs in the 8th inning. He has now surpassed his previous season high of 8, which he hit last year. Brown has been one of the best hitters in the SEC though the first 18 games of the season and is not expected to slow down, considering 6 of his 8 homeruns in 2025 came during conference play. He finished 2-4 with the 2 RBIs, scored 2 runs, and also walked once. Brown did bring in another run in an earlier at bat, but it was credited as an error on Creighton’s second baseman, so he does not get the RBI. Zach Yorke bounced back from a rough weekend with his first multiple hit game in a while. He had 2 singles and finished 2-4 and was hit by a pitch, as well. Yorke also made a few picks on low throws at 1st base, which can easily sneak by on the stat sheet. Steven Milam may have only finished 1-4, but he drove in the first run of the game in the 1st inning to get LSU off to a good start. It appeared as if he was going to pop out in foul territory, but an E2 gave him second life and he took advantage of it. He was also hit by a pitch and scored a run. His defense was, once again, extraordinary. His night was highlighted by a diving catch across his body on a hard hit line drive that would have given the Blue Jays a 5-2 lead earlier in the game. Up Next LSU will travel to Nashville to kick off SEC play against Vanderbilt this weekend. Game one will be Friday with a 6 pm central first pitch. Saturday will start at 7 pm and Sunday has one of the later starts you’ll see for an SEC game with a 3 pm first pitch. The Commodores have arguably had an even rougher start to the season than the Tigers, amassing 7 losses prior to conference play. They beat Indiana State 14-6 tonight to improve to 11-7. Vanderbilt will send ace Conner Fennell to the mound on Friday with a 2-0 record and a 3.80 ERA. He has been tough to hit, only allowing 16 hits through 21.1 inning pitched while striking out 30. Follow me on X @DCBilliotJr for more in-depth previews as the weekend gets closer!

Lifeless. There’s no better way to describe this LSU team right now, specifically the offense. There are a hundred questions and not a single answer at this point in time. The fans are confused. Those that cover this team are confused. Even Jay Johnson appears confused. Friday night’s offensive explosion seemed like a “we’re back” sort of game, but now appears to be an anomaly. The 8-0 start feels like a century ago. Nothing makes sense. It was another night marred by missed opportunities and letting the opposing pitching staff off of the hook. LSU left 8 runners on base. The strikeouts weren’t as big of an issue tonight as they were on Saturday, but Tiger hitters also only drew 2 walks. As for the pitching, William Schmidt was, once again, pretty good. His final stat line doesn’t do his performance justice, especially considering the mistakes that led to Sacramento St scoring their first 2 runs. The first run the Hornets scored in the 3rd was the first run Schmidt had allowed since his opening weekend start vs Milwaukee. Although he allowed 4 runs on 4 hits, the 0 walks number is the most promising stat from his performance. As he has been for his past three starts, Schmidt lived in the strike zone and attacked hitters throughout his outing. He had his breaking balls working throughout, flashing the ability to throw both at any time. The ability to land a slider and/or curveball for a strike not only in pitcher’s counts, but also in hitter’s counts or to start off an at bat, will make him tough to deal with no matter which team is in the other dugout. It’s becoming more and more evident that LSU’s weekend rotation may have to carry their subpar offense, at least early on in SEC play until they can flip a switch. Pitching William Schmidt picked up right where he left off last week. He struck out two in the 1st inning on just 7 pitches between the two batters. He followed that up with a 1-2-3 2nd inning and sat with only 24 pitches through the two innings. Things got shaky in the 3rd when he gave up a lead off single on a 3-1 count, which was his first 3 ball count of the game. He struck out a batter looking and then got a Superman diving catch by Derek Curiel, adding to the sophomore’s already impressive defensive weekend. On another 3 ball count, Sacramento St leadoff hitter Sam Harry laced a ball over Mason Braun’s head in left field. It goes down as a double, but Braun misplayed the ball and it probably should have been caught, which would have ended the inning. Schmidt looked to have an inning ended strikeout on the next batter, but the ball in the dirt forced a throw and Cade Arrambide threw the ball off of the runner’s helmet, allowing another run to score to give the Hornets a 2-0 lead. He would immediately make up for it, throwing out the potential base-stealer at second. Following that 25 pitch inning, Schmidt got back on track with a quick 3 up, 3 down inning, finishing four innings with 62 pitches. His 5th inning was just as smooth, retiring the side in order, capped off by another silky smooth defensive play by Steven Milam. Schmidt quickly retired two in the 6th before giving up opposite field single, just the third hit of the game for Sacramento St. The Hornets would follow with another single and that would be the end of the day for the sophomore starter. Final line: 5.2 IP / 4 hits / 4 runs / 8 Ks / 0 BBs Cooper Williams entered with runners on 1st and 3rd and looked to build upon a solid 9th inning yesterday. Unfortunately, he only lasted two pitches. After throwing a first pitch strike, he hit the batter on his second one. Jay Johnson was halfway out of the dugout before the runner even got to 1st base and that was all. Final line: 0.0 IP / 0 hits / 1 run / 0 K / 1 HBP With the bases now loaded, it was Gavin Guidry time and you always feel good about that. Tonight was different, as Guidry struggled to find the strike zone upon entering. He walked in a run and then gave up a weak ground ball through the left side of the infield and just like that, LSU was losing to Sacramento St 5-0, once again. He’d record a strikeout to end the inning, but the damage was done. Guidry returned for the 7th and battled past a 2 out walk. Back in the 8th, he drew a flyout to Curiel, but then walked a batter, threw a wild pitch, and gave up a bloop single to set up 1st and 3rd and one out. Sacramento St executed fundamentals and squeezed the runner home on a perfect sacrifice bunt. That’s where Jay would, again, turn to his bullpen. Final line: 2.0 IP / 2 hits / 1 run / 2 Ks / 3 BBs Santiago Garcia entered with a runner on 2nd and two outs and delivered the strikeout LSU needed to avoid further damage. Final line: .1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 0 BBs Hopes of a comeback were slim as LSU entered the 9th down 5-1, but it was Mavrick Rizy’s task to keep it right there. Despite hitting a batter, he was able to do his job and get the Tigers back to the dugout for one last chance. Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 1 HBP Hitting Brayden Simpson drove in the sole LSU run tonight, which makes him the top offensive performer. For the second game in a row, not a single Tiger hitter had multiple hits. Simpson finished 1-4 and also struck out twice. After a 4-5 night that included 3 homeruns on Friday, Jake Brown finished up his weekend with a hitless effort on Saturday and just one single tonight. He hit the ball hard a few times, but it was one of those nights where he didn’t have much to show for it. Brown finished 1-3 with one of the two LSU walks. Derek Curiel’s weekend followed the same trajectory as Brown’s, following up a huge Friday night with just one hit over the next two days. He, too, finished with just a single and went 1-4. Zach Yorke drew the other walk for Tiger hitters and later singled in the 8th inning when they were trying to rally. He finished 1-3. Freshman Mason Braun continues to sting the ball in his early season opportunities. While he only has a 1-4 stat line to show for it, he continues to flash high exit velocity. Obviously that doesn’t put runs on the board, but hard hit balls will eventually start to find grass if he keeps it up. Seth Dardar was another Tiger who stung the ball a few times tonight, also finishing just 1-4. In his post game press conference, Jay specifically mentioned Dardar as someone he was happy with in terms of how they swung the bat. Up Next LSU will remain home and welcome the Creighton Blue Jays for one of the best Tuesday night midweek games you’ll find. The Blue Jays won both the Big East regular season championship and their conference tournament, as well. They made the NCAA tournament as a #3 seed and traveled to Arkansas for the Fayetteville Regional. Creighton made it to the regional final, but lost to the Razorbacks for the second time. So far in 2026, the Blue Jays are off to a slower start with a 5-7 record, but will head to Baton Rouge after taking 2 of 3 from Gonzaga. LSU now sits at 12-5, which looks even worse when you consider they started 8-0. The Tigers will, no doubt, take quite a tumble in the top 25 rankings tomorrow.

While everyone was thrilled about the offensive explosion on Friday night, there was still skepticism about whether or not LSU’s bats could keep it up. We saw plenty of it through the 8-0 start, but the six games that followed completely changed the outlook of this team’s actual potential. While it’s naïve to abandon the ship that is a Jay Johnson coached team, the performance of his squad had certainly allowed some doubt to start creeping in. On Friday night, some of that doubt was squashed…temporarily, at least. We needed to see more to feel better about saying that the Tiger offense was all the way back. Well, Saturday was the complete opposite. LSU had one hit going in to the 8th inning. Yes, they were facing the same pitching staff that they hit 6 homeruns and scored 15 on less than 24 hours prior. Nonetheless, the two games were polar opposites. Sacramento St struck LSU hitters out 11 times, 5 of which were looking. It was in the 8th that the Tigers finally got on the scoreboard, putting up a three spot just minutes after a grand slam extended the Hornets lead to 5-0. LSU would truly threaten in the 9th, getting the winning run on base with only one out, but the at bats reverted right back to what they had been for the first seven innings…poor. Despite the one big swing allowed on the other side of the field, the LSU pitching staff did all they could to give their offense a chance to turn the game around. Cooper Moore had his shakiest outing of the season and suffered his first loss of the season, despite only allowing a single run. His record now stands at 3-1, while LSU dropped to 12-4 overall. Pitching Cooper Moore had been marvelous through his first three starts. He was throwing a lot of strikes and piling up zeros on the scoreboard. On Saturday, we saw his command struggle for the first time. He averaged a 77% strike rate coming in to Saturday, which is pretty absurd, but the issues saw that dip to 55%. The 5 free passes nearly doubled his season total of 3 that he entered with. Still, Moore fought and fought, despite having a runner on base in every inning he threw. The one run he did allow came on a 2 out, 2 strike bloop double in to the right field corner. His day would come to an end in the 5th inning following his third walk of the day. With control already being an issue, the rain started to fall just as Moore took the mound to start that inning and that certainly didn’t help. After the game, Jay praised how he battled despite the struggles and stated that he’s comfortable winning or losing with Cooper out there because of his mental resilience that the staff trusts. Final line: 4.2 IP / 4 hits / 1 run / 4 Ks / 3 BBs / 2 HBPs / 89 pitches (49 strikes, 55%). Ethan Plog took over in the 5th and was phenomenal. Not only did he enter and end the 2 out threat with 2 runners on base, but he followed that with back to back 3 up, 3 down innings. He started the 8th, but was relieved after recording a strikeout on the first batter of the inning. Plog filled up the zone with 16 of his 26 pitches being strikes. His only blemish was a leadoff walk in the 7th, but he immediately induced a groundball back to himself which started a 1-6-3 double play. Following Wednesday’s loss to ULL, Jay mentioned that he had four relievers that he absolutely trusts at this point in time. Many speculated that Plog was one of them and if there was any doubt that was the case, there shouldn’t be now. Final line: 2.2 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 2 Ks / 1 BB Deven Sheerin entered in the 8th with no one on base and one out following Plog’s strikeout. This would be his 6th appearance of the season and in the moment, there was no reason to feel anything but great about seeing him jog out to potentially finish the game. Sheerin had yet to allow a hit coming in to Saturday, while striking out 13 and only allowing 2 walks. Well, much like Moore, he was due for a shaky performance. He walked the first batter he faced, but followed that with a flyout to record the second out of the inning. That’s when the impressive hitless streak came to an end with a bloop single in to left field. Sheerin then walked another batter to load the bases and Jay had seen enough. Final line: .1 IP / 1 hit / 3 runs / 0 Ks / 2 BB Ever since his rough debut on the Monday following opening weekend, Jaden Noot had been fantastic. He hadn’t allowed a single baserunner through his next three appearances. On Wednesday, he threw a scoreless 8th inning in which he threw 11 pitches, with all 11 being strikes. But, despite turning things around, Noot came back down to earth in a brutal way. It was a huge spot with the bases loaded and down 1-0, considering the offense had a single hit up to this point. Any more runs would make the comeback feel closer to impossible. After working ahead to his first batter with a 1-2 count, he just missed a called strike three to even it at 2-2. He then left a pitch up in the zone and one swing later, LSU found themselves down 5-0. The spot made sense to go to Noot, but he simply just didn’t execute. A pitch later, he recorded a flyout to end the inning, but the damage was done. Final line: .1 IP / 1 hit / 1 run / 0 Ks / 0 BB Cooper Williams had a brilliant opening day performance when he followed up Casan Evans, but his outings went down hill after that. With how strong he came on down the stretch a season ago and how dominant he was in preseason scrimmages, his poor performances were a big surprise. He entered for the 9th on Sunday following the Tiger offense finally scoring a few runs to close the deficit to 5-3. Williams task was simple. Hold the rope right there and give LSU’s offense a chance to get back to work and pull off the comeback. He did just that, recording a quick 1-2-3 inning on just 10 pitches. While the comeback fell just short, we can only hope that Saturday’s performance was a sign that Williams is getting back on track. Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 0 BB Hitting Daniel Harden made his first start of the season in Lafayette on Wednesday and it did not go very well. But he bounced back in a big way when he got his chance on Saturday. To lead off the 9th inning with LSU down 5-3, Harden blasted a solo homerun in to the Diamond Dech in right field. It was a no-doubter, traveling 392 feet to get the Tigers within a run. It’s not often that you find yourself on the list of top offensive performers with a 3 strikeout game, but Cade Arrambide had one of the only three hits for LSU all day. He finished 1-4 with two of his Ks being caught looking. Zach Yorke had the other of the three hits, a ground rule double in the 8th that drove in the first LSU run of the game. It almost certainly would have scored both Jake Brown and Steven Milam, but the bounce over the 1st base line wall bailed the Hornets out. Both Milam and Yorke would eventually come around to score before the end of the inning, which is what set up the 5-3 deficit going in to the 9th. Up Next LSU and Sacramento St will face off in a rubber match on Sunday at 6 pm central. The game was originally scheduled for 1 pm, but was moved back due to inclement weather between Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. William Schmidt will take the mound for the Tigers with his 3-0 record and have the chance to be the first to record a fourth win. The Hornets will answer with Carson Timothy, a sophomore RHP with a record of 0-1. Timothy has started all three Sundays for Sacramento St, so far, and enters with a 2.45 ERA in 11.0 innings pitched.

LSU needed a bounce back game to kick this weekend off and, boy, did they get it. Following a fairly pedestrian 6 game stretch where they went 3-3 with losses to McNeese, Northeastern, and then ULL on Wednesday, the Tigers had been looking nothing like the team we watched start the year 8-0. Even the three wins over Dartmouth and Northeastern over last weekend did not look pretty on the offensive side. Well, everything went right tonight. Casan Evans was marvelous from first pitch. He started his outing with five perfect innings and looked flat out dominant along the way. It was easily his best start of the season and arguably the best start of his career. Only his start against Tennessee in 2025, which was his first career start, can possibly compare. It wasn't just Evans that went to work, though. Not only did LSU's bats show up for the first time in two weeks, they showed up for their best night of the season. The 15 runs scored on Friday night equal half of what they scored in the previous six games. Speaking of the number six, that's how many homeruns the Tigers hit. Six of them in only 6 innings at the plate. It was a monumental return for Jay Johnson's offense. Pitching Casan Evans got off to a hot start with a two strikout 1st inning. His final pitch was a 99 mph heater that he blew past Sacramento State's 3-hole hitter. His 2nd and 3rd innings were just as good, as he struck out 2 more in each inning. After "only" striking out one in the 4th, Evans returned in the 5th and struck out another two to bring his total to 9 through his first 5 innings. It was the leadoff hitter in the 6th that finally broke up the perfect game, as his ground ball through the right side just barely missed Jack Ruckert's glove. Sacramento St would get to Evans for another single and then a 2 run double and that would be where Jay Johnson would call it a night for his sophomore ace. Despite only 72 pitches, Evans had a lot of long waits inbetween the first four innings with his offense going crazy. Simply put, he was phenomenal. Jay Johnson could not have asked for a better final tune up prior to traveling to Nashville next weekend for the start of SEC play. Final line: 5.2 IP / 3 hits / 2 runs / 9 Ks / 0 BBs / 72 pitches (52 strikes, 72%) Zion Theophilus came in to finish off the 6th once Evans exited the game and did exactly what he needed to. He only needed 4 pitches to get a strikeout and leave a Hornet stranded on 2nd base. Final line: .1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 0 BB Marcos Paz entered for the 7th to finish off the game and was up and down. After starting off with a strikeout, he issued back to back walks. He'd record the second out of the inning on a flyout, but then gave up 2 run double to the right center gap. Despite the trouble, Paz was able to lock in and strikeout the final hitter to close out the game. Final line: 1.0 IP / 1 hit / 2 runs / 2 Ks / 2 BBs Hitting Jake Brown continued his torrid start to the season, blasting THREE home runs to bring his season total to 8. All were beautiful, but the first was an opposite field shot to the Left Field Landing at 104 mph off of the bat. Somehow, his second was even more impressive. At 108 mph off of the bat, Brown hit the ball off of the batter's eye in center field at 425 feet. Just when you thought it was going to be his third two homer game of the season, he stepped to the plate for his third at bat in the first three innings and deposited yet another ball over the fence in right center. Brown added a single to his final stat line, which read 4-5 with 6 RBI and 4 runs scored. Derek Curiel followed up his 3-3 night in Lafayette with another stellar performance. In his first three at bats, he went: double, 2 run homerun, double. In his fourth at bat of the night, he was finally recorded out for the first time since Monday night against Northeastern. His homerun went 421 feet and came off of the bat at 108 mph. Curiel finished 3-4 with 3 RBI and 3 runs scored. Cade Arrambide also joined the homerun fun, blasting his fourth homerun of the season in the 4th inning. It was the longest of the night, flying out at 432 feet to dead center field. That was his first since hitting one in back to back games in Jacksonville two weeks ago. Arrambide was also hit by a pitch and finished 1-3 with the RBI on his solo bomb and scoring 2 runs. Speaking of joining the homerun fun, Steven Milam finally got his first of the year. The junior launched a towering 404 foot blast in to the Diamond Deck and took his time leaving the batter's box, soaking up that "finally" moment. Monster finished 2-3 with the 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. Zach Yorke did not leave the yard like multiple other guys, but he did put the barrel on the ball a few times. The big 1st baseman finished 2-4 with a couple of frozen ropes that surely have him mixed in to the top exit velocities on the night. Like Yorke, Seth Dardar can hit the ball out of the park on any night, but tonight would settle for a 2 run double in the 1st inning that helped push LSU's lead to 4-0 and show that the offense was here to get back on track. He also smacked a ball in to the left center gap that was chased down, but was another very hard hit ball. He finished 1-3 with 2 RBI. Up Next LSU and Sacramento St will return to action tomorrow night. First pitch has been moved up to 2 pm central due to possible rain later in the evening. It was originally scheduled to start for 6 pm. Cooper Moore will make his fourth start of the season, coming in with a 3-0 record and three dominant performances. He went 7.2 innings and struck out 10 just a week ago.