Sacramento St - 5, LSU - 4
David Billiot Jr • March 8, 2026
Saturday Afternoon Recap
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.
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Sunday Afternoon Recap For the first time since 2021, LSU has been swept in back-to-back series. It was the third uncompetitive game from the Tigers, falling behind early and failing to ever punch back. It’s a shame, because we actually saw one of the best pitching performances of the season by Deven Sheerin. He was phenomenal, but by the time he entered the game, the damage was already done. Zac Cowan made the start, which was what a lot of folks hoped for, but Texas A&M’s offense was just too good, even for him. The wind was blowing hard and straight in, making it a tough offensive day in Alex Box. That did not matter, though, as the Aggies blasted two homeruns. Jay Johnson told me after the game that the wind conditions actually plated a factor in the decision to start Cowan, so it was a tough blow watching that gameplan go down the drain. Offensively, the LSU lineup continued to be anemic. Aggie starter Weston Moss entered with an ERA of 6.69, yet the Tigers couldn’t touch him. They struck out another 11 times, drawing only 4 walks. For the weekend, that’s 29 strikeouts while only drawing 7 walks. On Sunday, they were 2-16 with runners on base and went 0-7 with runners in scoring position. That formula isn’t good enough to beat anyone in the SEC, much less a top team like Texas A&M. Pitching Even Zac Cowan wasn’t immune to this dangerous Aggie lineup. After a leadoff groundout, Caden Sorrell hit a line drive homerun that just got high enough to get in to the Diamond Deck. That swing put Texas A&M on the scoreboard first for the third time in the series. Despite following with a walk, the senior was able to get a strikeout and another ground out to limit the early damage to 1-0. Cowan allowed a leadoff walk to start the 2nd. A groundout moved the runner to 2nd, then yet another wild pitch moved him to 3rd, setting up a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 before a flyout ended the inning. Back for the 3rd, the Aggies got their leadoff man on base, again. After a flyout, Chris Hacopian ripped a 2-run homerun and LSU was down 4-0. Following a groundout and a walk, Cowan’s day was done. Final line: 2.2 IP / 3 hits / 4 runs / 1 K / 3 BB / 60 pitches (37 strikes, 62%) Likely way earlier than he hoped, Jay Johnson had to call upon Deven Sheerin to record the final out of the 3rd. He came in and struck out Terrence Kiel II looking. In the 4th, he found himself in a good bit of trouble after a leadoff strikeout. Three consecutive singles extended the lead to 5-0 and had two runners still on base. Sheerin then struck out both Sorrell and Hacopian to stop the bleeding. It wasn’t until the 5th inning that the Aggies were kept off of the scoreboard, going 3-up, 3-down with a couple of strikeouts. He did the same in the 6th, striking out another two. His 7th inning was his final inning and it was another 1-2-3 frame, extending his streak of 11-straight Aggies retired to finish his outing. Final line: 4.1 IP / 3 hits / 1 run / 9 K / 0 BB / 61 pitches (47 strikes, 77%) Santiago Garcia took over for the 8th and walked the leadoff hitter. He locked in after that, going strikeout, flyout, strikeout. That was his only inning of work. Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 2 K / 1 BB / 16 pitches (11 strikes, 69%) After the Tigers finally found the scoreboard to make it a 5-2 game, Gavin Guidry took the mound for the 9th. After starting 2-0 to Bear Harrison, he battled back to start with a strikeout and then followed with another. An error on Tanner Reaves was the first of the weekend for LSU and after Grahovac stole 2nd, Jay chose to intentionally walk Sorrell. Guidry was able to record a flyout to center to keep the deficit at 5-2 heading to their final 3 outs. Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 2 K / 1 int BB / 20 pitches (13 strikes, 65%) Hitting Cade Arrambide blasted his 10th homerun of the season, the second Tiger to reach double digits in 2026. It came in the 8th inning to break the Aggies shutout. He finished 1-5, but had a good weekend and now hold the second highest batting average on the team at .311. Derek Curiel finished 1-3 with a walk. His base hit came directly after Arrambide’s homerun and he eventually came around to score on a wild pitch for the Tigers second and final run of the game. Steven Milam, Jake Brown, Omar Serna, John Pearson, and Eddie Yamin each finished with one hit. Up Next LSU will stay at home for a midweek battle with UNO on Tuesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30. The Privateers sit with a 17-25 record and are also struggling in their conference play with a record of 7-14. With the Tigers season entering dire moments, Tuesday is not only a must-win, but it feels like a must that they play well and find some momentum to take to Starkville next weekend for a 3-game series with the Bulldogs. A loss on Friday would mark only the second time in LSU baseball history that they lose 7 consecutive games. Follow me on X for much more @DCBilliotJr
Saturday Evening Recap Despite the uncompetitive loss in game 1. Despite Jay Johnson’s post-game comments about the roster. Despite his comments about the competitiveness. Despite the fact that this team in running out of runway to finally take off, they came out flat, yet again, and got dominated by Texas A&M to clinch the series. LSU fell to 6-11 in SEC play, having lost 5 consecutive conference games. Three of those losses are by 5+ runs, meaning it was smooth sailing for their opponents. Weekend pitching had been the Tigers “best” aspect for the first 5 weeks of the SEC schedule, but it has failed them through two games so far. William Schmidt had his worst outing of the season, getting pummeled by the potent Aggies lineup for 7 runs through 5.1 innings pitched and getting credited with the loss to drop his record to 4-4 in 2026. The bullpen was solid, holding Texas A&M scoreless for the final 3.2 innings of the game, but with the lack of offensive support, it was too little, too late. As bad as the offense seemed at times in game 1, they found a way to get worse in game 2. Mustering only 5 hits, LSU only reached base 7 times, including the 2 walks. They’ve now struck out 18 times this weekend, while only drawing 3 walks. That’s just another example of how the lineup is so far away from looking like a Jay Johnson lineup, they’ve become unrecognizable. They hit .161 as a team on Saturday night, including a .111 average with runners on base. Mason Braun was the only Tiger to reach 2nd base safely the entire night. It’s just not good enough. Pitching William Schmidt got off to a great start, quickly disposing of one of the best 1-2-3s in the country with Grahovac, Sorrell, and Hacopian. It only took 12 pitches to record a strikeout and two flyouts. That quickly went down the drain in the 2nd, as Texas A&M picked up right where they left off last night with scoring 2-out runs. The inning went flyout, infield single, flyout to start, when Jorian Wilson followed his two homerun game last night with an RBI single to start the scoring. Bear Harrison followed with a 2-run homerun and just like that, the Aggies were up 3-0. A lineout would end the inning. Things didn’t get a whole lot better in the 3rd, as Schmidt allowed a leadoff homerun to Grahovac, followed by a single, double, and sacrifice fly and it was a 5-1 game. The sophomore was able to pitch around traffic to prevent any further damage. He finally got back on track in the 4th with a 3-up, 3-down inning, but the Aggies weren’t held scoreless for much longer. A leadoff double in the 5th, followed by a wild pitch, set up a sacrifice fly that extended their lead to 6-1. Back-to-back strikeouts would get the Tigers off of the field, but the whole was getting deeper and deeper with their struggling offense. Schmidt’s day would end in the 6th. After recording a flyout to start the inning, the then walked the bases loaded and with his 105 pitches, Jay Johnson came out to get him. Final line: 5.1 IP / 7 hits / 7 runs / 4 K / 4 BB / 105 pitches (60 strikes, 57%) Connor Benge came out for his normal task of trying to put out a fire, but a weak ground ball through the open side of the infield with the Tigers shifted led to an RBI single to make it a 7-2 game and that would be the only batter he faced. Final line: 0.0 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 0 K / 0 BB / 3 pitches (2 strikes, 67%) Cooper Williams entered for a lefty-lefty matchup against Sorrell and struck him out for his only batter faced. Final line: 0.1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 0 BB / 6 pitches (4 strikes, 67%) With 2 outs and the bases loaded, Zion Theophilus entered and recorded a groundout to end the inning. He returned for the 7th and despite allowing a leadoff single, he was able to record a strikeout and a flyout before his day came to an end. Final line: 1.0 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 1 K / 0 BB / 11 pitches (7 strikes, 64%) After a fantastic outing last night, Jay called upon Danny Lachenmayer took over with 2 outs and recorded a groundout to end the inning. He did not return for the 8th. Final line: 0.1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 0 K / 0 BB / 5 pitches (3 strikes, 60%) It was Marcos Paz taking over in the 8th and as he has in his first inning of work many times this year, he cruised. He went 1-2-3 with a flyout, a strikeout, and a weak groundball. His troubles have come in his second innings back out on the mound and that somewhat held true, but he was able to pitch through it. He struck out Sorrell to start the inning, then allowed a walk and a single. That’s where he locked in and got his third strikeout and a groundout to escape with no damage. The freshman continues to boast tremendous promise as he matures throughout his first season. So much so that Jay Johnson gushed about him in his post-game presser, saying that he believes Paz “will eventually be the best pitcher in the program.” Final line: 2.0 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 3 K / 1 BB / 42 pitches (25 strikes, 60%) Hitting Steven Milam recorded his second game in a row with multiple hits, including another homerun. This one was from the left side off of Aiden Sims, a bomb that landed under the auxiliary scoreboard in right-center. The star shortstop has quietly raised his average up to .284, 4th among regular starters. He finished the night 2-4. Omar Serna, Chris Stanfield, and Derek Curiel each had a single. Serna finished 1-2 with a walk, Stanfield went 1-3 with an RBI, and Curiel was 1-4. Up Next LSU and Texas A&M will wrap up the series tomorrow afternoon with game 3. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm central and presents a pitching matchup of TBA from each team. Despite how bad this series has gone for the Tigers, they are set up well with their top arms for tomorrow. Zac Cowan, Deven Sheerin, Gavin Guidry, and Santiago Garcia have each yet to throw this weekend. The availability of Cooper Moore may also play a large factor. If Moore does pitch, I expect him to start the game in a very limited capacity. Despite potentially being unavailable to record more than 3-6 outs, it would be beneficial for him to get back in to a starter’s routine before, hopefully, fully returning next weekend. If Moore doesn’t pitch, my best estimation would be Cowan to start the game. As for the Aggies, RHP Weston Moss could be a potential candidate. He has started 8 games on the weekend this season, so it would make sense. His record is 3-2 with a 6.69 ERA through 36.1 innings pitched. He has struck out 35 and walked 13 and holds a WHIP of 1.58. Tomorrow is a must-win for LSU. Semantics say that it’s never a must-win until the season is on the line, but the season gets more and more on the line with every loss. A second consecutive sweep would be catastrophic for this team, especially considering their remaining schedule. It’s been a waiting game for this team to finally click, so time will tell if that ever actually happens. Follow me on X for much more @DCBilliotJr