Da Boot Sports
2/28/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: William Franques


   AUSTIN, Texas – Second baseman Gavin Dugas launched a three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning Tuesday night to lift top-ranked LSU to a 3-0 win over Texas at Disch-Falk Field.
 
LSU improved to 7-1 on the year, while Texas dropped to 3-5. The Tigers return to action at 6:30 p.m. CT Friday when they play host to Butler in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
 
Friday’s LSU-Butler game will be broadcast on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network and streamed on SEC Network +.
 
With Tuesday night’s game scoreless entering the top of the ninth inning, LSU catcher Brady Neal and shortstop Jordan Thompson drew back-to-back walks from Texas reliever Chris Stuart.
 
Stuart struck out third baseman Ben Nippolt for the first out of the inning, and reliever Andre Duplantier II was inserted into the game to face Dugas.
 
Dugas smashed a Duplantier pitch beyond the wall in left-center field, giving LSU a 3-0 advantage with his third homer of the season.
 
“That was awesome, a great at-bat by Gavin,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “To win games like this against a good team in an environment like this, your dudes have to be dudes, and he was in that moment. Gavin is tough-minded; he had some setbacks last year and going into this year, but he got himself ready to play, and he’s playing better now than he ever has. All credit to him for his determination.”
 
LSU reliever Christian Little pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth to earn his first save of the year.
 
Left-hander Nate Ackenhausen (1-0) was the winning pitcher after entering the contest in the fifth inning and working 3.1 scoreless innings, limiting the Longhorns to one hit with one walk and four strikeouts.
 
LSU starter Thatcher Hurd blanked Texas over the first 4.2 innings, allowing three hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
 
Stuart (1-1) suffered the loss as he was charged with two runs in 0.1 inning with two walks and one strikeout.
 
Texas starter Lebarron Johnson delivered a strong outing, firing five shutout innings with three hits, two walks and nine strikeouts.
 
“This was a great experience for our team,” Johnson said. “Going into SEC play in a couple of weeks, we’re going to see the same environments we saw tonight. It won’t be new to us the next time we play on the road in front of a big crowd in a great atmosphere. The players were energized throughout the game, and it was a blast.”
 

Da Boot Sports
2/26/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: William Franques


   ROUND ROCK, Texas – Top-ranked LSU scored 16 runs on 23 hits Sunday afternoon to win the sixth and final game of the 2023 Round Rock Classic, 16-4, against the Sam Houston Bearkats at Dell Diamond.
 
With LSU’s 12-run victory, the Tigers were awarded the Round Rock Classic championship belt. Due to three teams – LSU, Iowa and Sam Houston – finishing 2-1 on the weekend, run differential became the determining factor. Comparatively to Iowa and Sam Houston, LSU’s run differential against those two teams was greater than either the Hawkeyes or Bearkats versus the other 2-1 squads.
 
LSU improved to 6-1 on the season and Sam Houston dropped to 5-3 on the year.
 
Centerfielder Dylan Crews paced LSU’s 23-hit output by going 5-for-6 at the plate with three doubles, four RBI and four runs. Crews’ three doubles tied the LSU single-game doubles record set on several occasions, most recently by Tre’ Morgan on March 27, 2021, at Tennessee.
 
Rightfielder Brayden Jobert enjoyed a huge day as well, as he was 4-for-6 with two home runs, a triple and five RBI. Jobert became the first Tiger to hit two homers in a game since he did it himself on May 21, 2022, at Vanderbilt.
 
Crews was named the Most Valuable Player of the Round Rock Classic, and he was joined on the all-tournament team by LSU teammates Jobert and pitcher Paul Skenes.
 
“Dylan Crews is the best player I’ve ever coached, and I had 14 former players play in the Major Leagues last year,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “That tells you how good he is. The talent is easy to see, the way the ball comes off the bat, the plays he makes in center field. What I’m most proud of is the way he continues to develop and be in control of himself when everyone in the park knows he’s the best player out there.”
 
LSU’s 23-hit total marked its most hits in a game since May 13, 2014, when the Tigers also collected 23 hits against Northwestern State in Baton Rouge.
 
“Tonight was our best game of the year,” said Johnson. “We had a goal of playing our best game so far, and we accomplished that. I’m thankful that our guys have been very coachable, and I’m excited for the future of this team.”
 
A slew of relievers entered Sunday’s game for LSU including Garrett Edwards, who was awarded his first victory of the season. He finished the night tossing 3.1 innings while giving up one run on four hits. The trio of Bryce Collins, Griffin Herring, and Blake Money threw a combined 3.2 innings and held the SHSU offense to three runs on one hit.
 
“Sam Houston in its first two games this weekend did an unbelievable job of hitting mistakes,” Johnson said, “our plan to not allow their lineup to see any of our pitchers more than one time through the lineup. That was the plan going in; we weren’t going to let them see anyone twice, and it lined up well for us.”
 
Freshman Chase Shores got his second start of the season, firing a solid two innings and giving up no runs on three hits.
 
LSU opened the scoring in the first by blitzing the SHSU starter Logan Hewitt (1-1) with a two-run home run from Jobert. Crews gave Jobert the RBI opportunity with a single through the left side. LSU led 2-0 after one inning.
 
Hewitt worked two innings for Sam Houston and was charged with eight runs on nine hits.
 
The Tigers added eight runs over the next two innings, which included a five-run second. LSU first baseman Jared Jones got it started with a double down the left-field line. Shortstop Jordan Thompson drove in Jones with an RBI single. With Thompson and second baseman Gavin Dugas occupying a base, Crews smoked a double down the left-field line scoring both Thompson and Dugas.
 
LSU’s Jobert punctuated the inning with another two-run dinger to right field, scoring Crews and pushing the margin to 7-0.
 
Jones began the third inning with the Tiger’s third home run of the game, which gave LSU an 8-0 lead. After two singles and a passed ball, Crews came up to bat and popped one up on the infield. The first baseman misplayed the ball, allowing two runs to score. LSU’s lead increased to 10-0 after three.
 
In the top of the fourth, left fielder Tre’ Morgan singled and Jones walked with Thompson heading to the plate. He poked a single through the right and SHSU right fielder Clayton Chadwick misplayed it, allowing Morgan and Jones to score easily. Thompson wound up at third, and LSU’s lead sat at 12-0 after four.
 
The Bearkats would respond in the bottom half of the fourth with four straight free passes and a two-RBI single, narrowing the gap to 12-3.
 
LSU made it a 10-run game again in the top of the fifth after Crews smoked a double into the left-center field gap and Jobert’s third hit of the day drove in Crews from second. The Tigers led 13-3 after five innings.
 
The Tigers would add three more down the stretch, while the Bearkats added one to account for the final margin.
 

Da Boot Sports
2/25/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: William Franques


   ROUND ROCK, Texas – Iowa pitchers held top-ranked LSU to four hits Saturday afternoon en route to a 12-4 victory during Day 2 of the Round Rock Classic held at Dell Diamond.
 
 
The Tigers will face Sam Houston at 4 p.m. CT Sunday to conclude the Round Rock Classic at Dell Diamond. The game will be broadcast on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network, and it will be streamed on a pay-per-view subscription basis by D1Baseball.com.
 
LSU (5-1) returns to action Sunday to take on the Sam Houston Bearkats for the second game of the day and the final one of the tournament. The contest is scheduled for a 4:00 p.m. CT start and can be viewed on D1Baseball.com via a pay-per-view subscription. The game can also be heard on the LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates.
 
LSU starter Riley Cooper (1-1) was charged with the loss after firing three innings and giving up five runs on seven hits. Hawkeyes reliever Jared Simpson picked up his first victory of the season after tossing 4.2 innings and allowing two runs on three hits.
 
Iowa starter Brody Brecht stifled the LSU lineup for 3.1 innings before being lifted for Simpson. He allowed two runs on one hit during his second outing of the season.
 
The Hawkeyes opened the scoring in the bottom of the first with a home run to right field from designated hitter Keaton Anthony. The Hawkeyes extended the lead following a walk and two singles and took a 3-0 lead in the first after left-fielder Sam Petersen touched home plate on a double steal.
 
LSU threatened in the bottom half of the first, loading the bases with no outs, but Brecht escaped trouble with three straight strikeouts.
 
“We didn’t slow the game down well enough,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “Maybe if we take just one more good at-bat, the game might have been a little been different. We set the table with the bases loaded and nobody out in the first inning, but you’ve got to give Brecht credit for getting out of it. There weren’t many pitches from him in that sequence that were easy to put in play.”
 
After both teams went scoreless in the second, Iowa added a run in the third with a single and RBI double, making the margin 4-0. The Hawkeyes increased the score to 7-0 with a three-run fourth.
 
In the first four innings, LSU loaded the bases, including the bottom half of the fourth frame. The Tigers got there with three free passes, and centerfielder Dylan Crews came through with a 2-RBI single to make the score 7-2.
 
LSU right-hander Will Hellmers took over in the top of the fifth for fellow reliever Sam Dutton and pitched three consecutive scoreless innings to give the Tiger offense an opportunity. During his outing, he set the order down twice and avoided trouble in the seventh after a leadoff double. He finished with 3.2 IP while giving up four runs on five hits.
 
In the top of the eighth, Iowa scored four two-out runs to increase the margin to 11-2.
 
“We didn’t shut them down, either,” Johnson said. “You’ve got to credit their hitters; they took good at-bats all day long.”
 
LSU continued its attempt to rally and made a move in the bottom of the eighth. Pinch hitter Gavin Guidry reached base via a hit-by-pitch, second baseman Gavin Dugas singled through the left side and Brayden Jobert also wore one. The Tigers added two to their total with a single from Crews and a sac fly courtesy of first baseman Jared Jones. LSU trailed 11-4 headed to the ninth.
 
Iowa hit a home run in the ninth to account for the final margin.
 

Da Boot Sports
​2/24/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: William Franques



  ROUND ROCK, Texas – Pitchers Paul Skenes and Ty Floyd limited Kansas State to four hits, and the LSU offense erupted for seven runs on 10 hits to propel the top-ranked Tigers to a Friday afternoon 7-3 victory in the first game of the Round Rock Classic at Dell Diamond.
 
The Tigers improved their overall record to 5-0, and the Wildcats dropped to 4-2 on the season.
 
LSU’s second game of the tournament pits the Tigers against the Iowa Hawkeyes. The contest is set for a noon CT start Saturday, and it can be streamed on D1Baseball.com via a pay-per-view subscription. The game can also be heard on the LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates.
 
Skenes (2-0) was awarded the second victory of his career in the purple and gold despite the Wildcats’ offensive start.
 
“Paul is a great competitor, so he can work his way out of jams,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “He also has tremendous stuff. You put those two things together and you can minimize big innings. That’s what he did in the first inning, and he just got stronger as the game went along.
 
“I thought the pitching was the story of today, and I was really pleased with both Paul and (reliever) Ty Floyd. Ty came in and did a great job over the last three innings.”
 
Kansas State opened the scoring for the first game of the Round Rock Classic by making Skenes work to find the strike zone. With over 30 pitches under his belt in the first inning, the Wildcats had a couple of hits and free passes, scoring the game’s first run on an RBI single. Kansas State led 1-0 after one inning.
 
Skenes settled into the game in the second, throwing five consecutive scoreless innings. He finished his outing tossing six innings while giving up one run on two hits. Skenes picked up double-digit strikeouts for the second week in a row, picking up 11 strikeouts against Wildcat hitters.
 
Skenes had 12 strikeouts on February 17 when LSU hosted Western Michigan on opening day.
 
“Obviously, I had some adversity early,” Skenes said. ”Kansas State is a good team, and they got some barrels on the ball. I got into a tough situation and made some pitches to get out, which I was happy with. Ultimately, finding my change-up, finding my slider and having four-seam fastball command today was the difference. From the second through the sixth inning, I couldn’t have asked for anything more from an outing.”
 
After being stymied by Kansas State starter Owen Boerema in the bottom half of the first, the Tigers broke through in the second with three straight singles. Freshman catcher Brady Neal poked a single through the middle of the field scoring left fielder Tre’ Morgan from second. LSU tied the ballgame at one.
 
Both teams remained scoreless until the sixth frame.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, LSU centerfielder Dylan Crews and designated hitter Tommy White both picked up a single before the Wildcat reliever Ty Ruhl balked, which gave the Tigers two runners in scoring position. LSU broke a 1-1 tie when Ruhl tossed a wild pitch.
 
Ruhl (1-1) was charged with the loss, firing two innings, while giving up six runs on six hits.
 
The Tigers extended the lead to 3-1 with White beating out a throw home from Kansas State first baseman Roberto Pena on a sharp ground ball.
 
Floyd relieved Skenes in the top of the seventh and quickly picked up two strikeouts before Pena’s home run decreased the margin to 3-2. Floyd struck out the side to end the inning, all three strikeouts looking.
 
The Tiger offense further extended its lead in the bottom of the seventh that began with a walk and three straight singles. With pinch hitter Brayden Jobert occupying second base and third baseman Ben Nippolt on first base, second baseman Gavin Dugas roped a single up the middle to make the margin 4-2.
 
LSU added three more runs after a single from Crews and a double from first baseman Jared Jones torching a ball to the right-centerfield wall. The Tigers led 7-2 headed to the final two frames. The Wildcats would score their final run in the top of the ninth to account for the final margin, 7-3.
 
Floyd closed the final two innings and earned his first save of the season. Floyd’s final line consisted of 3.0 IP, two runs, two hits, and five strikeouts.

Da Boot Sports
2/22/2023
By: David Penn


   BATON ROUGE, LA - The #1 LSU Tigers (4-0) played host to the previously undefeated Southern Jaguars (3-1) on Tuesday in what was a perfect day to skip Mardi Gras festivities to catch a college baseball game.

   Both teams entered into the contest with 3-0 records, and over the course of the first two and a half innings Southern was patient at the plate and scored four runs to take a 4-0 lead heading into the home half of the third inning.

   Southern was able to get to Thatcher Hurd in Hurd’s first start of the season. Christian Little would take the bump in the third inning to limit the damage and get Tigers out of a bind.

   The Tigers answered the Jaguars with a five run third inning taking a 5-4 lead that they would only add to as the game continued.
    
   Down 4-0, Gavin Dugas picked up where he left off in the first three games of the season and fire a double that would score All-American Dylan Crews.

   Tre Morgan, who hit for the cycle over the course of the game, would send a double into left field that scored Dugas and Brayden Jobert.

   The Tigers took the lead when freshman designated hitter Jared Jones sent a two run shot over the left field wall that also scored Morgan.
    
   Brayden Jobert would add three more for the Tigers in the fourth inning when he blasted a homerun to left field that scored Crews and Josh Pearson, giving LSU an 8-4 lead.

   LSU would add another five runs in the fifth frame, the first occurring when Jordan Thompson scored on a wild pitch. Tre Morgan, who at this point had already singled and then doubled, would smash a three RBI triple to the center left gap that scored Dugas, Jobert, and Crews. Jones then singled to score Morgan giving the Tigers a 13-4 edge through five innings.
    
   The final margin happened in the sixth inning as the Tigers scored five runs in an inning for the third time in the game.

   Thompson scored again on an Ethan Frey sacrifice before freshman Gavin Guidry singled to left to scored
Josh Stevenson. Morgan would then complete the cycle in order when he sent his final offering into the right field bleachers that scored Cade Beloso and Guidry, giving the Tigers the 18-4 lead.

   LSU coach Jay Johnson said “A cycle and eight RBI, that’s a pretty nice day,”  about Morgan’s effort. “Tre’ hit into a lot of tough luck over the weekend (vs. Western Michigan), but the numbers didn’t reflect the quality of his plate appearances. The numbers from the weekend didn’t tell the whole story, but the numbers certainly did tell the story today.” The game would end on the run rule after seven innings.
    
   Thatcher Hurd earned the start for LSU and pitched into the third inning. Hurd faced 15 batters, striking out 3, walking 3, and allowing 4 runs on 6 hits. Christian Little entered the game in the third inning and earned the win for the Tigers, Little faced 12 batters, fanned 6, walked 1, and gave up 1 hit. Garrett Edwards would close out the affair for SU, facing the final three Jaguar batters and striking out two of them.
    
   LSU will head to play in the Round Rock Classic this weekend and take on Kansas State, Iowa, and
​Sam Houston State. The games can be streamed via PPV subscription on D1Baseball.com.

Photos Below By: Michael Bacigalupi

Photos Below By: Jonathan Mailhes

​*John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

​A huge Thank You to Cardio Health Solutions owned by Ron Sancho for sponsoring our publication!

​Da Boot Sports supports Autism Awareness

Da Boot Sports
2/19/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: William Franques


   BATON ROUGE, La. – Top-ranked LSU broke a 1-1 tie with a five-run fifth inning Sunday, and junior right-hand Ty Floyd pitched brilliantly in relief as the Tigers posted a 9-2 win over Western Michigan in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
 
LSU improved to 3-0 as it completed a three-game series sweep to open the 2023 season. Western Michigan dropped to 0-3 on the year.
 
LSU returns to action at 2 p.m. CT Tuesday when the Tigers play host to Southern University in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field. The game will be broadcast on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network, and it will be streamed on SEC Network +.
 
“I thought the entire weekend was great, a really good model for what we want to establish going forward,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “We had really good starting pitching, really good defense and we were excellent in situational hitting. I really liked the amount guys that contributed to winning as well.”
 
Floyd (1-0) entered the game to start the fifth inning with the score tied 1-1, and he fired three perfect innings with no walks and four strikeouts.
 
“Ty came in with the game tied, and he got the momentum back in our dugout, and we rolled from there,” Johnson said. “He did a great job; he is one of the best pitchers on our staff, and you have to have a guy like Ty that you have confidence in to come into a tough spot.”
 
LSU collected 10 hits in the contest, including home runs by centerfielder Dylan Crews, shortstop Jordan Thompson and second baseman Gavin Dugas, who was 3-for-3 on the day with the homer and two runs scored. Thompson recorded a team-high three RBI with the homer and an RBI single.
 
Crews’ two-run blast in the fifth inning broke a 1-1 tied and sparked the Tigers’ five-run outburst. The rally also featured an RBI single by catcher Brady Neal and Thompson’s two-run homer that gave LSU a 6-1 lead.
 
The Tigers added a run in the sixth on Dugas’ lead-off dinger, as he homered for the second consecutive game. LSU scored two more runs in the seventh on Thompson’s RBI single and a run-scoring groundout by pinch hitter Ethan Frey.
 
Dugas was 6-for-8 at the plate in the weekend series with two homers, two RBI and three runs scored.
 
“Gavin has faced adversity with injuries, but he has persevered and got himself right,” Johnson said. “I think the best is yet to come for him.”
 
Luke Thelen (0-1), the second of seven WMU pitchers, was charged with the loss as he surrendered three runs on one hit in 0.2 inning with two walks and one strikeout.
  

Da Boot Sports
2/18/2023
LSU Sports Communications
By: William Franques


   BATON ROUGE, La. – Junior left-hander Riley Cooper recorded 5.1 hitless innings Saturday in his second career LSU start, as the top-ranked Tigers posted a 5-3 win over Western Michigan in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
 
LSU improved to 2-0 on the year, while Western Michigan dropped to 0-2.
 
The teams conclude the series at 12:30 pm. CT Sunday in a game that will be broadcast on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network and streamed on SEC Network +.
 
Cooper (1-0) did not allow a hit in 5.1 scoreless innings, and he logged two walks and seven strikeouts while throwing 71 pitches.
 
“Riley can throw four pitches for strikes” said LSU coach Jay Johnson, “and when you’re a hitter, that’s a lot to deal with. I don’t think they really took a good swing on him all day, and that’s a credit to his location, his movement and his changing speeds.”
 
LSU second baseman Gavin Dugas led off the bottom of the first inning with the Tigers’ first homer of the season, and designated hitter Jared Jones later provided an RBI single to increase the lead to 2-0.
 
“Gavin is a great player when he’s healthy,” Johnson said, “and it’s nice that he’s healthy and seeing the ball well. He plays hard, his teammates love him, and it’s great to see him at his best.”
 
The Tigers struck for two more runs in the fourth, as rightfielder Paxton Kling smashed a run-scoring triple, and he scored on third baseman Ben Nippolt’s groundout to second base.
 
WMU narrowed the gap to 4-2 in the sixth as third baseman Gavin Doyle delivered an run-scoring single and first baseman Cade Sullivan contributed an RBI groundout.
 
LSU left-hander Nate Ackenhausen entered the game in the sixth in relief of Bryce Collins, and he pitched the final 3.1 innings to earn the save. Ackenhausen limited the Broncos to one run on one hit in 3.1 innings with one walk and two strikeouts.
 
“Nate’s performance was not a surprise to us,” Johnson said. “He’s poised, much like Riley, and he throws every pitch where he wants to. He threw strikes that weren’t easy to hit, and I’m really proud of his performance today.”
 
The Tigers added an insurance run in the eighth when leftfielder Brayden Jobert led off the inning with a double, and Josh Stevenson, running for Jobert, later scored on pinch hitter Josh Pearson’s RBI groundout.
 
Sullivan belted a solo homer in the ninth for the Broncos to account for the final margin.
 

Da Boot Sports
​2/17/2023
By: Terrill J. Weil


   BATON ROUGE, LA - It was opening day for college baseball on Friday and the #1 ranked LSU Fighting Tigers started the 2023 season with a 10-0 shutout win over the Western Michigan Broncos at a chilly Alex Box Stadium. 

   The shutout victory was led by great pitching and a solid defensive performance by the Tigers. 

   Paul Skenes (1-0) started on the bump for the Tigers and the transfer from the Air Force Academy
didn't disappoint going six innings, giving up zero runs, only three hits, while striking out 12 batters and only issuing one base on balls. 

   Chistian Little had a solid outing, working two innings with three strikeouts, while freshman Micah Bucknam did a great job pitching the final inning of the contest.

   The Tigers wasted little time getting on the board in the bottom first inning. True freshman Paxton Kling lead off and was hit by a pitch. Dylan Crews then singled to left field advancing Kling to second. New comer Tommy White stepped to the plate and drove a single up the middle, scoring Kling and advancing Crews to third base. Tre' Morgan collected his first RBI of the season as his sacrifice fly to left field sent Crews to the plate as LSU led 2-0 after one. 

   LSU plated another run in the second to take a 3-0 lead. True freshman catcher Brady Neal led off with a triple before Ben Nippolt picked up the RBI, grounding out to second base to bring Neal home. 

   The Tigers increased their lead to 8-0 in the bottom of the sixth plating five runs. The inning began with back-to-back walks (to Dylan Crews and Josh Pearson) and a hit batter (Tre' Morgan), loading the bases with no outs. Jared Jones doubled to left field scoring Crews and Pearson before Brady Neal flied out to right field scoring Morgan from third. Nippolt registered his second RBI of the game bringing Jones home with a sacrifice fly to right field. The Tigers' final run of the inning came when Jordan Thompson was able to score from third on a pass ball. 

   LSU would plate two more runs in the eighth for the final margin,

   Game two of the series will be Saturday afternoon at the Box. First pitch is set for 1:30pm CT.

Photos Below By: Jonathan Mailhes

​*John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)

​A huge Thank You to Cardio Health Solutions owned by Ron Sancho for sponsoring our publication!

​Da Boot Sports supports Autism Awareness