Kentucky Ace Dominates LSU, Tigers Fall in Opener
David Billiot Jr • March 28, 2026
Kentucky - 7, LSU - 4
Friday Night Recap
If it’s possible for a series to be a “must win” in week 3 of conference play, it felt like this one is just that for LSU. After dropping each of their first two series in SEC play, the Tigers are already a couple of games behind the 8-ball and the schedule gets even tougher when they leave Baton Rouge following this weekend. So, with Kentucky coming to town, a team that Jay Johnson has mostly controlled since becoming Head Coach, LSU has to have this one. Unfortunately, a 7-4 Friday night loss has them immediately on their heels. The Wildcats jumped on top from the very beginning and never looked back. Following his historic 15 strikeout performance against Oklahoma last week, Casan Evans crashed back down to Earth early tonight. He issued 8 free passes within the first 3 innings, making it nearly impossible to limit the damage. He was able lock in and prevent the night being a disaster, but the damage done early put the Tigers in a hole that they were unable to climb out of.
Despite two half-hearted punches from the Tiger offense, Kentucky came in to Alex Box on a Friday night and cruised to a series opening win. Jaxon Jelkin showed why he is the ace of their staff for 8 innings, severely limiting an already limited offense. Although the 8 strikeouts is down from what that total had been in some recent games, drawing only 2 free passes is no where near how Jay Johnson wants to see his lineup operate. As a unit, they were searching for answers and unable to string together good at bats, which has been the case for the last 5 weeks.
Pitching
Casan Evans was off from the very beginning, walking the leadoff hitter on 4 pitches. A hit by pitch put runners on 1st and 2nd for Kentucky’s star sophomore Tyler Bell. The shortstop did Evans a favor, though, swinging at the first pitch and grounding in to a 6-3 double play to Steven Milam. A strike away from escaping the rough start, Evans through a wild pitch and put the Wildcats on the board first. He’d give up a walk and infield hit, but was able to get out with any further damage. The damage would come in the 2nd after Kentucky got their first two hitters on base, again. A fly out to advance the runner to third base would set up an RBI single. Back to back walks and a sacrifice fly would push the deficit to 4-0 for the Tigers. Evans would allow the first two hitters to reach base for the third straight time to start the game in the 3rd, but was able to retire the next three hitters to finish his first scoreless inning. That’s where he started to work ahead and settle in, retiring 12 up, 12 down. The ace only allowed one more base runner from that point forward and he was erased with the second 6-3 double play of the night. Evans through less pitches in his final 4 innings than he did in his first 2 of the game. As bad of a start that it was, his ability to lock in and stay in as long as he did saved LSU’s short-staffed bullpen for the rest of the weekend.
- Final line: 6.0 IP / 4 hits / 4 runs / 3 Ks / 6 BBs / 100 pitches (53 strikes, 53%)
Ethan Plog entered for the 7th and was not as sharp as we’ve seen him be. A swinging bunt put him in a tough spot to start the inning, but he followed that with a walk. After a big first out with a strikeout looking, Ethan Hindle hit a ball deep to centerfield and despite the leaping attempt and the ball hitting his glove, Derek Curiel was unable to make the gold glove catch and Kentucky was on the scoreboard for the first time since the 2nd inning. Plog’s night was over, but the damage to his final line was not.
- Final line: 0.1 IP / 2 hits / 3 runs / 0 Ks / 0 BBs / 16 pitches (11 strikes, 69%)
Mavrick Rizy entered with runners on 2nd and 3rd and only 1 out with LSU already down 5-2. For LSU to have any chance considering the state of their offense, it felt like the Wildcats simply could not score anymore, but certainly not twice. With the infield drawn in, a Trent Caraway fielded a ground ball way too far back to have a chance at making a play at home, but tried anyway. The runner was safe by a mile and the Tigers failed to record an out, which set up a sacrifice fly from the next hitter and both of Plog’s baserunners that Rizy inherited ended up scoring to make it 7-2. He returned in the 8th and was lights out, striking out two and recording a ground out to Ethan Clauss, who came in to the game as a defensive replacement. In the 9th, Rizy struck out the leadoff hitter, but a 1-out single would end his night.
- Final line: 2.0 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 3 Ks / 0 BB / 25 pitches (20 strikes, 80%)
Seldom used Danny Lachenmayer would enter for his first ever SEC appearance. He threw 2 pitches, both in the strike zone, and recorded a flyout.
- Final line: 0.1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 0 Ks / 0 BBs / 2 pitches (2 strikes, 100%)
With 2 outs in the 9th, Jay Johnson would bring in Zion Theophilus. On his fourth pitch, Eddie Yamin, who came in for Omar Serna for the final inning, would throw out Bell trying to steal second base.
- Final line: 0.1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 0 Ks / 0 BBs / 4 pitches (4 strikes, 100%)
Hitting
Seth Dardar was the only true positive for the offense tonight. After a couple games out of the starting lineup, the senior was back in there at DH and likely earned a spot for the rest of the weekend. Dardar finished 3-4 with 3 doubles and an RBI. His final double in the 9th inning was the hit that brought Alex Box to life and gave the team a sliver of hope to make the comeback. He also garnered praise from Jay Johnson after the game, as Coach noted the improvement that Dardar made with his plate approach.
The only other big swing of the night came from Derek Curiel. In the 3rd inning when LSU was down 4-0, they loaded the bases with no outs. Omar Serna had a fairly uncompetitive strikeout, brining up Curiel. The sophomore was up in a similar situation last Friday against Oklahoma, albeit later in the game, and was unable to come through. Tonight, Curiel ripped a single through the infield to drive home the first two runs of the game for the Tigers. He finished 1-4 with those 2 RBI.
Omar Serna, Zach Yorke, and Chris Stanfield each contributed 1 hit in tonight’s loss. Yorke and Stanfield each scored once.
Up Next
LSU and Kentucky will return tomorrow afternoon for a 2 pm central first pitch. William Schmidt (3-1) will make his first game 2 start of the season, moving up from his game 3 spot to fill the void following Cooper Moore’s triceps injury. Kentucky will answer with sophomore RHP Nate Harris. He holds a 4.97 ERA with his 3-1 record. In his start at Ole Miss last week, Harris only went 3.0 innings and gave up 5 runs on 4 hits, so the Tigers could have opportunities to get the offense on track.
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Battle For The Bell! Saturday, September 26, 2026 6:00 p.m. CT Yulman Stadium ESPN+ Hall of Fame night in Uptown. Southern Miss leads the all-time series 24-10. They walked into this building in 2022 and left with a 27-24 win. Tulane answered 21-3 in Hattiesburg in 2023. The Wave’s last home win in this series was 2002. Both teams are 1-2. Tulane is an 18.5-point favorite. The Wave just took Kansas State the distance after the Duke punch and the South Alabama escape. Southern Miss beat Alcorn State 49-3, then got manhandled 43-8 at Auburn and 48-20 by UConn. Will Hall faces the program that fired him. He will not make it about him. Saturday night should. Can the Wave finally take the Bell back at home? Sponsor: @RedshirtLtd http://Redshirtltd.com CODE: RDW = 10% Off The Best Tulane Licensed Lids Around! Tulane Green Wave: Year 1 of the Will Hall era. Ugly 17-3 opener at Duke. Necessary 28-24 home win when Jaylin Lucas ran for 214 and Kadin Semonza hit Destyn Hill with 1:17 left. Then a 31-20 road loss at Kansas State that was closer than the first two weeks and still not enough. Semonza is the starter. 38-of-69, 517 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT through three games. He also has a rushing TD and too many sacks. 10 carries for -27 at K-State. Roster reality heading into Saturday night: The Wave still cannot stay on the field on defense. Third down remains the wound. K-State converted enough of them for Avery Johnson to take the game over with his legs. Tulane allowed 6 sacks and finished with 260 total yards. What remains is still Wave culture: Lucas has 215 yards on 18 carries. The USA explosion was real. The K-State night was not. Maurice Turner gave them a spark in Manhattan (64 rush, 25-yard TD catch). Johnnie Daniels has two short TDs. Destyn Hill is 9-158-1. Jamauri McClure (foot) has not played in any of the three games. Zycarl Lewis Jr. is questionable (leg). If McClure is not ready again, Lucas / Turner / Daniels have to finish drives against a defense that has been gashed on the ground. Southern Miss Golden Eagles: Year 1 of Blake Anderson. Seventy-four new players! They flattened Alcorn State, then found out the rest of the schedule is not Alcorn State. They are 1-2 after 43-8 at Auburn and 48-20 vs UConn. Anderson called it getting manhandled. Starting QB Ethan Hampton is out (throwing hand). Same hand he bruised in camp. Anderson does not expect him to play. Landry Lyddy gets the offense this week. 20-of-33, 265 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. He threw for 194 in the second half vs UConn, including a 56-yarder to Mario Sanders. Steven Robinson is the problem if Tulane does not set the edge. 56-246-4. Jamarice Wilder has 120 and 2 scores. Sanders is the WR1: 16-233-1. USM defense has allowed 220 rushing yards per game and 31.3 points. That is the number that should keep Hall’s group from getting cute. Both teams have questions. Only one of them is playing at home with a two-score line and a chance to put a bad three weeks behind them. Southern Miss offense vs Tulane defense Anderson and Kyle Cefalo will want to run Robinson and play-action off it. QB Hampton is out. This is Lyddy’s operation. He can push it downfield. He also turned it over once vs UConn and this Tulane defense has to make him live in obvious passing downs. The run committee: Steven Robinson 246 yards, 4 rushing TDs, plus a receiving score. Workhorse. Not a home-run back so much as a volume back who will take what you give him between the tackles. Jamarice Wilder is the change of pace. 120 yards, 2 TDs, 5.2 a carry. Receivers: Mario Sanders 16-233-1. The 56-yarder vs UConn is the tape. MJ Johnson 7-103. AJ Little 11-101. Grant Page has a 33-yard catch from Lyddy. Tulane’s 4-2-5 under Tayler Polk / Nate Fuqua just watched Avery Johnson run for 152 and two scores. Before that, Nate Sheppard gouged them for 227 at Duke and South Alabama held the ball for 37 minutes. Chris Rodgers (left leg) is out and would’ve played a huge role for spying on Avery. Makai Williams has stepped up. Dickson Agu is still the tackling machine. Jack Tchienchou is still the defensive leader. Kevin Adams III is right there with him. Ed Smith IV, Kameron Hamilton, and the young ends have to set the edge against Robinson/Wilder and keep Lyddy from extending. We’re about to hit Conf play and I believe the young edges are heating up! Through three games the pass rush has been too quiet. Dalton Hughes rushing the passer could still be a fun option, if healthy. If Robinson gets 20 carries on schedule, this becomes a 60-minute possession game and Yulman gets quiet. If Tulane wins first down and forces Lyddy into third-and-7+, the secondary can hunt. X Factor: Just show the world what this D is capable of. Fast, Aggressive, and Turnover hungry. Tulane offense vs Southern Miss defense: Hall and Russ Callaway will still want to run it and play-action off it. Semonza does not have to throw 40 times. He has to stay on schedule, hit Hill / Brown-Stephens / Richardson when USM loads the box, and protect the football. Zero interceptions in three games is the best thing on this tape. Keep it. The offensive line is the swing unit at home. Reese Baker is the veteran. K-State teed off for six sacks. That cannot happen against a Golden Eagle front that has not traveled well. If McClure is still out, Lucas is the feature again. 214 on 11 vs USA was real. 4 carries for -2 at K-State was also real. Turner and Daniels have to finish drives. Tight ends Dawson Johnson, Vance Bolyard and the F package still need to be involved. TE and Superback let em work! Southern Miss defense last two weeks: Auburn and UConn ran through them. 220 rush yards allowed per game. 31.3 points allowed. Third-down defense is not a strength. If that front stays gap-sound, Semonza is in obvious passing downs by the middle of the second quarter. If they overpursue Lucas the way USA did, the Wave can steal explosives. Hill already has a 61-yarder and the game-winner. Mitchell had the 41-yarder at K-State. Last time this building saw this series, USM won 27-24 in 2022. In 2023 in Hattiesburg the Wave punched first and never let them up, 21-3. The difference Saturday is whether Tulane plays like an 18.5-point favorite or like the team that needed a last-minute score to beat South Alabama. X Factor: Explosive run game + zero turnovers. Anything less and a 1-2 USM team with a backup QB stays in it longer than this crowd wants. Overall and three keys to victory for Tulane: On paper this one should not be close. Tulane’s favor. The Wave is at home, healthier at quarterback, and playing a team that just got smashed in back-to-back weeks and is starting its backup QB. Southern Miss is 1-2, missing Hampton, and has allowed 220 rushing yards a night. The only reason this is interesting is 2022 in this building and the fact that this Wave team has not played a complete game yet. Hall will not talk about Hattiesburg. Everybody else will. Saturday night. 6 p.m. kick. ESPN+. Hall of Fame. The Bell is in the building! Three keys for Tulane: 1. Set the edge and make Robinson/Wilder earn everything. If Robinson gets 20 carries on schedule, Lyddy gets free play-action and the Wave defense spends the night in the middle of the field. Set the edge, tackle in space, force USM into third-and-7+. Generate pressure. Do not let a backup QB get comfortable. 2. Play-calling/Feed your Stars. Play-calling has to get better and keep your stars on the field, you can’t be worried about the Portal. Lucas and Hill should never leave the field, use this so called superback! 3. Win early downs and stay out of obvious passing situations. The line does not have to dominate. It has to give Semonza a clean pocket on first and second down and create enough push for Lucas / Turner / Daniels / McClure (if healthy) to keep that front honest. Third-and-long is where the K-State game got away. Stay ahead of the chains and this should be the night the offense finally looks like a Wave offense. Yulman will be loud if they punch first. The only time Southern Miss should be in this game is kickoff. They almost never had to sweat Alcorn State and then they had to sweat everything. This is a plus for Tulane if they strike first. Play complementary and clean football, finish in the red zone, tackle, and take the Bell back in the building that lost it in 2022. #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X