LSU - 8, Creighton - 4
David Billiot Jr • March 11, 2026
Tuesday Night Recap
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!
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Mississippi State sets new offensive record with 762 yard performance
Week one is in the books for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, as they opened the season with a 38-7 win over the Lamar Cardinals at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium in Lafayette on Saturday. Louisiana scored five touchdowns, all on the ground, as the Cajuns put together a strong rushing performance and took advantage of a struggling Lamar defense to produce methodical scoring drives throughout the game. The Renewed Running Game Looks Strong One of the biggest questions surrounding the Cajuns this offseason was who would lead the running back room following the departures of Zylan Perry and Bill Davis. There wasn't a clear answer coming into today, or even a guarantee that Louisiana could replace the talent of that duo. But Coach Michael Desormeaux and company remained confident in the depth of the room. Redshirt freshman Darrell Smith, redshirt sophomore Steven Blanco, redshirt freshman JJ Garner and junior Anthony Reagan Jr. were all listed on the depth chart as starters, and that depth showed today. The Cajuns finished with 243 rushing yards, with all four backs contributing. Darrell Smith was the standout, leading the group with 84 yards on 10 carries and two touchdowns. Coach Des chose Smith to get the start, and he made a strong case that the job could be his to keep. Quarterback Lunch Winfield also played a big role in the running game, carrying eight times for 84 yards and a touchdown. Blanco, Garner and Reagan Jr. combined for another 75 yards, with Blanco and Reagan Jr. each finding the end zone. Overall, the Cajuns looked much better on the ground than many might have expected, including myself. Credit also goes to the offensive line, a group that mostly remained firmly intact from last season, who helped consistently open up gaps for the backs to run through all night. The Passing Game Still Has Questions The passing game was supposed to be one of the biggest storylines coming into this game. Louisiana entered the season without a returning wide receiver who had eclipsed 100 receiving yards in a game last season outside of Shelton Sampson Jr., so the big question was who would step up alongside him. We got somewhat of an answer, but there are still plenty of questions. Sampson Jr. wasn't able to finish the game after leaving early in the first quarter with what appeared to be an ankle injury. Given the injuries he's dealt with over the past year, his health is something to monitor closely. Last season showed how much of a difference it makes when Sampson Jr. is healthy and on the field. The Cajuns' leading receiver wasn't even a wide receiver. Redshirt sophomore tight end Caden Jensen caught five passes for 77 yards and came up with several important plays that helped Louisiana move the ball. Unfortunately, Coach Des told the media that Jensen also wasn't able to finish the game because of an undisclosed injury. So, you're down your best receiver and your best tight end. Now what? One name we may hear a lot more this season is redshirt junior wide receiver KeDarius Wade. He finished with three receptions for 64 yards and led all Louisiana wide receivers in receiving yards. It is not an eye-opening number, but Wade was open when the Cajuns needed him to be. Redshirt freshman Trenton Chaney also added three catches for 34 yards, while redshirt sophomore tight end Teddy Gawlik, who replaced Jensen following his injury, had 22 receiving yards. Outside of those names, there wasn't a whole lot of production through the air. We did not see an offensive touchdown being thrown by either team. What was concerning to me is that when it came to passing, UL either relied heavily on tight ends to move the ball vertically down the field, or used screen plays to wide receivers and running backs to gain "passing" yards. Other than a couple of great routes by KeDarius Wade, there wasn't many significant vertical threat opportunities posed to Lamar by wide receivers. Lunch Winfield and the Cajuns need playmakers on the perimeter to step up. We knew coming into this game that the wide receiver room was thin and needed to prove itself, and a matchup against a "lesser" opponent seemed like the perfect opportunity to do that. Instead, we're heading into week two with many of the same questions. Defense Does Its Job Defensively, UL looked strong for most of the game. Sophomore cornerback Brent Gordon Jr. had himself a night, finishing with seven tackles, including one for loss, and an interception at the goal line. Lamar was knocking on the door of what could have been its only offensive touchdown, but Gordon Jr. came up with the play UL needed. Up front, the Cajuns shut down Lamar's rushing attack, allowing just 56 yards on the ground at under two yards per carry. Lamar quarterback Aiden McCown was also intercepted three times. There were a couple of drives where Lamar moved the ball well, particularly through the air, but Louisiana did a good job of getting stops when it mattered. The Cardinals reached the red zone only once and were eventually forced to attempt a 35-yard field goal, which hit the left upright and missed. Cornerback Avery Demery also recorded a sack on that drive to help slow Lamar's momentum. Lamar's only touchdown came on a pick-six thrown by redshirt sophomore quarterback Daniel Beale, who replaced Winfield in the fourth quarter because of the lopsided score. Beale tried to hit JJ Garner on a screen, a play Coach Des said was poorly drawn up on his end. Beale did get some revenge, though, leading a nine-minute, methodical drive in the fourth quarter down to the Lamar 14-yard line before the Cajuns settled for a field goal. Lunch Winfield also threw two interceptions in this game. The first came in the second quarter after a receiver made a route mistake. The second came in the third quarter when Winfield threw a jump ball toward Jensen that was underthrown and intercepted by Lamar's Jarrett Mitchel. Final Takeaways Louisiana did what it needed to do in week one: control the ball, avoid falling behind and slow down Lamar's offense. There were mistakes, especially early with the rain making things sloppy, but the Cajuns had firm control of this game thanks to their rushing attack and defensive play. The biggest question now is the passing game. Who is going to step up at wide receiver? Can the Cajuns keep producing through the air if Sampson Jr. is unavailable? And now, with Jensen also dealing with an injury, who steps up at tight end? Those are questions Louisiana will need answered quickly. It's a good start to the season, and a much needed one considering what's coming next. The Cajuns now turn their heads to week two as they prepare to travel to Los Angeles and take on the 14th nationally ranked USC Trojans next week in a 10pm CT matchup on the Big Ten Network. That's a completely different challenge which we'll preview on Thursday.