Pitching Dominates, LSU Evens Series With UK
David Billiot Jr • March 28, 2026
LSU - 7, Kentucky - 0
Saturday Afternoon Recap
Saturday was as much of a must-win game as you can find halfway through the season. After dropping game 1 of the series last night and having no defined starting pitcher for game 3 on Sunday, LSU simply had to have this game. Give credit to Jay Johnson and his squad, because they showed up and played like it. William Schmidt pitched in and out of trouble as he has all season. Kentucky did a fine job of making him work, a hallmark of pesky offenses like theirs. He refused to give in, though, shutting them down at every turn. Schmidt earned the win to improve his record to 4-1. Zac Cowan followed him and was just as magnificent, if not more. Jay said after the game that he believed that was Cowan’s best performance in his LSU career, which had plenty of them in 2025. He also explained just how important he is to their team, saying that Cowan was a top 5 reason that they won the College World Series a year ago. He earned his first save of the season.
The offense was much better. Although they only scored three times in their eight at bats, they put up crooked numbers each time and never appeared satisfied. LSU recorded 9 hits as a team and only struck out 5 times, a far cry from last night. The most promising note is that they did their damage with only 3 combined hits from Jake Brown, Derek Curiel, and Steven Milam, the typical leaders of the team. Today, it was two freshman that delivered multiple times and that is something this team has been lacking.
Pitching
William Schmidt was looking to get off to a more efficient start and despite a 1-out infield hit off of Zach Yorke’s backhand attempt, he did just that. Things got interesting for a bit, as Omar Serna hesitated on a steal attempt and then threw the ball in to centerfield to put the runner on third base. Schmidt delivered back to back breaking balls to 4-hole hitter Hudson Brown to strike him out and end the threat. After a 3-pitch strikeout to start the 2nd, he allowed another 1-out single, but another fantastic play by Steven Milam and a pop out to Serna would lead to a quick 9-pitch inning. The 3rd inning was the stiffest test, yet, for the sophomore. After a leadoff infield single, Schmidt started the second hitter 3-0, but came back to record the big out. Kentucky executed a perfectly drawn up hit-and-run to put runners on the corners with 1 out with Tyler Bell coming to the plate. A 96 MPH fastball on the inside corner with a 3-2 count locked up the star shortstop for a massive second out. A fly out would keep the Wildcats off of the scoreboard, yet again. They got right back on the basepaths in the 4th, drawing a leadoff walk, but a beautifully turned 6-4-3 double play by Milam and Seth Dardar, followed by a one pitch flyout would quickly get Schmidt off of the field with an 8-pitch inning. Schmidt danced around more trouble in the 5th after hitting the leadoff hitter, despite starting him 0-2 and then throwing a wild pitch to allow him to second base. A 1-out single put runners on the corners and set up the defensive play of the game. On a shallow flyball to Jake Brown, Kentucky tried tagging up to score, but the former pitcher gunned him out at home to a raucous applause from the Alex Box crowd. The day would end for Schmidt in the 6th after allowing a walk and a single, with a flyout between. He finished with 88 pitches and battled throughout the day. Kentucky got at least one baserunner on in every single inning for the first 6 innings.
- Final line: 5.1 IP / 6 hits / 0 runs / 3 Ks / 2 BBs / 88 pitches (52 strikes, 59%)
Zac Cowan was a name many considered as a possibility to fill Sunday’s TBA spot, but he was called upon with runners on 1st and 3rd and only 1 out with LSU holding a 5-0 lead. A quick stolen base put both runners in scoring position, but the senior struck out consecutive hitters to leave a Wildcat runner on 3rd base for the fourth time in the game. The 7th inning was the first 1-2-3 inning for the Tigers all day. In the 8th, Cowan had to pitch through some trouble, but as it was all day, it was no issue. The inning started with a very good play on a slow-roller by Dardar, but then a walk and a single put runners on 1st and 3rd with only 1 out. Like he did when taking over for Schmidt in the 6th, Cowan struck out back to back hitters to end the threat. Two more Ks in the 9th helped only the second 3-up, 3-down of the day and LSU closed out a 7-0 victory to even the series.
- Final line: 3.2 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 7 Ks / 1 BB / 54 pitches (39 strikes, 72%)
Hitting
Mason Braun made the start at DH and despite not playing as much recently as he did earlier in the season, he delivered multiple times today. His RBI double in the 2nd was just the first impact swing, but it wasn’t even his biggest. In his next at bat in the 4th, Braun launched a 3-run homerun through a strong wind that was blowing straight in. That swing pushed LSU’s lead to 5-0 and was the type of insurance that they have struggled to find at times this season. The freshman finished 2-4 with 4 RBI and a run scored.
Omar Serna made his third consecutive start at catcher and continued to deliver in every facet. After throwing out a base-stealer last night, he followed up with a stellar job of blocking pitches in the dirt and preventing extra bases for Wildcat runners. At the plate, he went 2-4 and also drew a walk.
Steven Milam only finished 1-4, but his one swing was huge. In the 6th, LSU had put runners on 2nd and 3rd base with 0 outs. A groundout with the infield drawn in and a pop out to the second baseman kept both runners in place and it appeared as if they may miss a giant opportunity. Milam stepped in and ripped a ground ball down the 1st base line to bring both runners home and extend the lead to 7-0.
Jake Brown’s numbers aren’t going to jump off of the page today with a 1-5 finish, but it is worth noting that his 8th inning single was his first time on base today and that makes it 27 of 28 games that the star outfielder has reached base in 2026. As I mentioned earlier, he also threw out a runner at home with a rocket of a throw that helped preserve the shutout.
Seth Dardar followed up his 3 doubles night with a 3 walks performance. Officially, he finished 0-1, but he reached base at a .750 rate today and he also scored once. The senior also played excellent defense at 2nd base today, drawing praise from Jay Johnson in his postgame press conference.
John Pearson and Zach Yorke each finished 1-2. Pearson had a double, walked twice, and also scored twice. Yorke drew a walk, scored twice, and drove in an RBI.
Up Next
LSU and Kentucky will return for a massive rubber match tomorrow. First pitch is set for 12 noon central. Jay Johnson told us after the game that they needed to sit down as a coaching staff and look at what options they have available to decide who they will start, as it is currently listed as TBA. Junior LHP Ben Cleaver will start for the Wildcats. He started game 1 for Kentucky last week at Ole Miss and went 3.2 IP and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, while striking out 4 and walking 2 hitters.
Follow me on X for much more @DCBilliotJr
A quick share helps us a lot!
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. Follow me on X for much more @DCBilliotJr
Saturday Afternoon Recap It’s impossible to say just how catastrophic a loss on March 21st is with their being 8 more weeks to the season, but as of today, this one feels pretty dang catastrophic. For the third time in their 4 SEC losses, LSU found themselves on the losing side of a game decided by 1 or 2 runs. After opening the series with a massive win on Thursday night behind a special performance from Casan Evans, the Tiger lost the final two games and lose their second consecutive series to start SEC play. William Schmidt and the pitching staff was fantastic, but it was the same old story of being let down by the offense. Despite the sophomore starter only making it through 4.0 innings, he still threw well. Oklahoma’s offense did a fantastic job of making him work, particularly in the back half of his outing. Gavin Guidry and Deven Sheerin did their jobs, but one of the biggest questions of the day was regarding Jay Johnson’s decision making. He’s the best college baseball coach in the country, but choosing to send Guidry back out for the 8th inning and refusing to take him out at the first, second, or even third sign of trouble was quite perplexing. The veteran was fantastic through his first 3 innings, but fatigue seemed to set in and he remained out on the mound. Although Sheerin wasn’t perfect, he made the pitch he needed to for what should be a routine play for any team in the SEC, but as things have gone through 25 games in 2026, the play wasn’t made. The offense was bad, yet again. The only 3 runs that the Tiger lineup put on the board came on two swings. Homeruns by Omar Serna and Chris Stanfield were the entire offense on Saturday. LSU only recorded two hits other than those. After striking out 13 times on Friday night, Jay’s lineup only struck out 5 times today. In the post-game press conference, he attributed the lack of hits to poor quality of contact. Recording only 4 hits in game 3 of a series is, quite frankly, abysmal. It’s the game that is widely considered high scoring, because college pitching staff’s are rarely equipped to run quality arms out on to the field for 3 straight games. There’s just no excuse for what is going on with this LSU lineup right now. For the third weekend in a row, this team ends the weekend with more questions than it entered with. Pitching Although he struck out 2 in the 1st, William Schmidt had a few mistake pitches and Oklahoma made him pay for one of them. After a leadoff strikeout of Sooner leader Trey Gambill, who had two RBI hits last night, the sophomore stud left an 0-1 breaking ball up in the zone and Camden Johson drove it the other way in to the Left Field Landing for a solo homerun. Following a second strikeout, Schmidt hung another breaking ball to Jaxon Willits in a 1-2 count, but got away with it with a deep flyout to right field. The 2nd inning was far more clean, going 1-2-3 on only 11 pitches. He got in to trouble in the 3rd, mostly due to himself. After striking out the leadoff hitter, a swinging bunt and back to back walks loaded the bases with just 1 out for Oklahoma’s 3 and 4-hole hitters. Schmidt struck them both out to a loud applause from the packed Alex Box. After two quick outs in the 4th, back to back singles by the Sooners set up another massive spot for the sophomore. After a first pitch ball, Schmidt got three straight swing and misses on his breaking ball and struck out Jason Walk to escape once again. With his pitch count already at 83 through 4 innings, back to back singles to start the 5th were enough for Jay Johnson to make the call to the bullpen. Schmidt threw the ball well, but the Sooner lineup deserves credit for making him work hard, despite only scoring 1 run off of him. Final line: 4.0 IP / 6 hits / 1 run / 7 Ks / 2 BB / 90 pitches (59 strikes, 66%) Gavin Guidry entered in a tough spot as he often does. With runners on 1st and 2nd and no one out and LSU clinging to a 2-1 lead, the veteran was entering in boiling water. With 3-hole hitter Brendan Brock up in a big spot, again, he squared around to try and bunt the runners over. A wild pitch did the job for him, moving both the tying and go-ahead runs in to scoring position. Guidry struck him out on a full count, then Steven Milam snagged a line drive right at him and made another routine 6-3 groundout to end the inning and make it 7 Oklahoma runners stranded in the past 3 innings. Guidry returned in the 6th and struck out the side, despite a 2-out walk. He’d return for the 7th and go walk, strikeout, walk, strikeout with a wild pitch mixed in to set up runners at 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs. The tying run would likely score on anything through the infield and Deiten LaChance came close to making that happen, but Steven Milam made yet another monster play with a backhand deep in the 6-hole to gun him out by a few steps. With 59 pitches, Guidry surprisingly returned for the 8th. Another 4-pitch walk to leadoff the inning seemed like a sign that he was out of gas, but Jay left him in. Oklahoma singled in the next two at bats to make it 3-2 and runners were still on 1st and 2nd with no one out. A sacrifice bunt would move them in to scoring position and that’s where Guidry would finally be taken out of the game. Final line: 3.1 IP / 2 hits / 3 runs / 6 Ks / 4 BBs / 70 pitches (39 strikes, 56%) Deven Sheerin entered in a spot desperately needing a strikeout with LSU’s defense playing back and conceding the tying run. He was in a great spot to get it after starting 0-2, but after Gambill fouled off 4 pitches, he was hit in his foot to load the bases. Sheerin then induced the double play ball that he needed, but an error on Jack Ruckert prevented a single out from being recorded and the game was tied. A sacrifice fly to right field gave Oklahoma their first lead since the 1st inning. Sheerin would find a way out of the 8th without further damage following an intentional walk and a flyout. Aside from the hit batter, the hard-throwing righty did his job, but was let down by his defense. He’d stay in for the 9th and pitch around a walk with a couple of strikeouts to hold the deficit at 1. Final line: 1.2 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 2 Ks / 2 BBs / 45 pitches (29 strikes, 64%) Hitting For the second game in a row, Omar Serna was the most productive LSU hitter. His 2-run homerun in the 1st inning immediately put the Tigers in control, which they’d have until the 8th inning. Jay had told us last night that Serna wouldn’t be coming out of the lineup anytime soon or possibly ever and further emphasized that point after today’s game. The freshman started at 1st base today and held his own with a few nifty plays. Serna finished 1-4. Chris Stanfield carried on the production that he has delivered since returning from his hand injury, hitting his 1st homerun of the season. His solo shot in the 5th extended the Tigers lead to 3-1. He finished 1-4. Derek Curiel and Trent Caraway each went 1-3. Curiel wasn’t as productive as we know he’s capable of, but he did get an infield hit, along with a walk. The sophomore scored once to finish 1-3. Following a tough night with a few strikeouts, Cade Arrambide moved back to catcher and found his way on base a few times. In the 9-hole, he only saw 3 at bats, but drew walks in two of them and finished 0-1. His defense behind the plate was better, particularly with blocking up pitches in the dirt with runners on base. Oklahoma very well could have scored a few more runs if not for the job Arrambide did back there. Up Next LSU will return on Tuesday for midweek action vs Louisiana Tech. First pitch will be for 6:30 central. The Bulldogs currently hold a record of 15-8 with two games remaining in their weekend series at New Mexico St tonight and tomorrow afternoon. They took game 1 on Friday night with a score of 13-8. The top competition they have faced was Southern Miss at home in Ruston, in which they were swept and outscored 25-5 in three games. LSU now sits with a 16-9 record and falls to 2-4 in the SEC. After LA Tech, the Tigers will remain home to welcome Kentucky next Friday.