Da Boot Sports
3/9/2022
By: David Penn


   BATON ROUGE, LA - The LSU Tigers took on the McNeese Cowboys at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field on a chilly Wednesday night after inclement weather postponed the game originally scheduled for the previous day. 

   LSU posted a 6-3 victory over the Cowboys to improve their record to 10-3, while McNeese falls to 8-5.
   
   Will Hellmers started for the Tigers and earned his second win of the season, while Jacob Berry continues to pace the team in the homerun department lifting his sixth dinger of the season into the seats.

   Hellmers pitched the first three innings of the contest, striking out three and walking two. Grant Taylor, Sam Dutton, and Paul Gervase would pull the middle relief work for the Tigers. Taylor and Dutton struck out two batters a piece, and Gervase would earn four Ks. Trent Vietmeier would close the game out for LSU after retiring the final two batters of the ninth inning.

   Gavin Dugas would kick off the scoring for LSU by sending a two run shot into the right field seats that would score Jordan Thompson.

   The bats would simmer down for LSU until the seventh inning when Jacob Berry hit a ball that was curling towards the foul pole but managed to stay fair giving him his team leading sixth homerun of the season.

   In the eight inning Dylan Crews would reach on a field’s choice but score Drew Bianco. Berry would come back up and smack a double down the right field line that would score Tyler McManus and Crews but Berry was thrown out at third base trying to stretch the double into a triple. Dugas went 3-3 at the plate to lead the Tigers on offense.

   Coach Johnson had this to say about McNeese and his own Tigers, “We have a lot of respect for McNeese and their program, and they have a really good pitching staff, so this is a good win for us. We’re going to play in a lot of games like this during the season where you need significant pitches and at-bats at key moments in the game. I was really pleased with how this game unfolded and how our players responded in challenging situations.”

   Christian Vega (1-1) started on the mound for the Cowboys and went two innings for McNeese.

   The Cowboys got on the board in the fourth inning when Julian Gonzales would cross home plate on a wild pitch.
Brayden Duhon would knock a double into left field in the ninth inning that scored teammates Reid Bourque and Peyton Johnson which would cap the scoring off for the contest.

   Next LSU will play Bethune-Cookman in its final weekend series before SEC play begins against Texas A&M. First Pitch against Bethune-Cookman will be Friday March 11, 6:30pm, Saturday March 12, 2:00pm, and Sunday March 13, 1:00pm, all games times are Central Time.

Da Boot Sports
3/8/2022
LSU Sports Communications
By: William Franques


   BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU-McNeese baseball game scheduled for Tuesday night has been postponed due to the forecast of significant rainfall in the Baton Rouge area.
 
The game will be played on Wednesday, March 9, at 6:30 p.m. CT in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
 
Sixth-ranked LSU enters Wednesday’s contest with a 9-3 record, while McNeese has an 8-4 mark. The game may be heard on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network, and it may be viewed on SEC Network +

Da Boot Sports
3/6/2022
LSU Sports Communications
By: William Franques


​HOUSTON – A two-run homer by shortstop Jack Pineda in the bottom of the sixth inning Sunday night broke a 5-5 tie and lifted Baylor to a 9-6 win over LSU  in the final game of the Shriners College Classic at Minute Maid Park.
 
The win allowed Baylor to improve to 6-5 on the year, while LSU dropped to 9-3.
 
The Tigers return to action at 6:30 p.m. CT Tuesday when they play host to McNeese in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
 
Trailing 5-4 entering the bottom of the sixth inning, the Bears grabbed the lead when catcher Cortlan Castle delivered an RBI groundout Pineda followed with a two-run homer, his first of the season.
 
Baylor added two more in the eighth on an RBI single by second baseman Tre Richardson and rightfielder Kyle Nevin’s sacrifice fly.
 
The Tigers rallied in the ninth, as third baseman Jacob Berry launched a solo homer, and LSU brought the tying run to the plate with one out. However, Baylor reliever Mason Marriott struck out the next two hitters to end the game and earn his second save of the season.
 
“I expect to win every game, and we didn’t do that, but I like the fight our team showed all weekend,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “We had some very good performances on the mound, which we’re going to need. Because of the way we’re set up right now, we’re going to have to use a lot of guys. We do have to play better defense, I don’t know any other way to say it, and we’ll continue to work on that.”
 
Matt Voelker (1-1), the second of five Baylor pitchers, earned the win, as he fired 2.1 scoreless innings and allowed one hit with one walk and two strikeouts.
 
LSU reliever Paul Gervase (1-1) was charged with the loss after surrendering three runs on three hits in 2.1 innings with no walks and four strikeouts.
 
LSU scored two runs in the top of the first inning as Berry provided an run-scoring double and second baseman Cade Doughty lifted a sacrifice fly.
 
Baylor responded with a run in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly by Nevin, and the Bears took the lead with two runs in the third, as Nevin delivered an RBI single and designated hitter Antonio Valdez contributed a sacrifice fly.
 
The Tigers regained the lead with three runs in the fourth when leftfielder Gavin Dugas ripped a two-out, two-run single, and after catcher Tyler McManus drew a walk, first baseman Tre’ Morgan lined an RBI single.
 
Baylor narrowed the deficit to 5-4 in the fourth on a run-scoring triple by Castle.
 
“I’m glad we’re home for the next couple of weeks,” said Johnson, “mostly for the ability to practice and train, maximize that time and be the type of team that we want to be. I think this weekend will help us going forward, and the next time we’re in a game like we were tonight, we’ll do what we need to do to be successful.”
 

Da Boot Sports
3/5/2022
LSU Sports Communications
By: LSU Staff


   HOUSTON — Top-ranked Texas scored four runs in the top of the second inning and its way to snapping the LSU Baseball team’s six-game winning steak, 6-1, on Saturday night in the Shriners College Classic at Minute Maid Park.
   LSU (9-2) will face Baylor (5-5) at 7 p.m. CT Sunday in the final game of the weekend of games in Houston. The game will be broadcast on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network and on www.LSUsport.net/live beginning at 6:30 p.m.
   Fans in Louisiana can see the game on TV on AT&T SportsNet Southwest, or they can stream it on Astros.com, the
Astros Twitter, Facebook and YouTube accounts, and the MLB app. Additionally, subscribers to AT&T SportsNet SW can also stream the games live on the AT&T SportsNet app.
   Outside of Louisiana and the Astros’ five-state viewing area, the game will also be televised on the MLB Network.
   Starting pitcher Ty Floyd (2-1) took the loss for the Tigers, allowing four runs on five hits with four walks and four strikeouts. A three-run home run by Texas leadoff batter Douglas Hodo III was the deciding play of the contest.
   LSU relievers Samuel Dutton, Trent Vietmeier and Cale Lansville held the Longhorns to one earned run on three hits with five strikeouts in the final four innings.
   Offensively, Dylan Crews, Cade Doughty and Jacob Berry recorded two hits apiece, as the Tigers equaled Texas with eight hits.
Trailing 6-0 in the bottom of the eighth, LSU loaded the bases by virtue of a fielding error, a walk and a base hit. However, the Tigers managed only a sacrifice fly in the frame and left the bases loaded trailing 6-1. LSU finished with 12 runners left on base.
Texas starter Tristan Stevens (3-0) earned the victory, tossing seven innings while allowing no runs on five hits with seven strikeouts.

Da Boot Sports
3/4/2022
LSU Sports Communications
By: William Franques


   HOUSTON – Shortstop Jordan Thompson launched a home run to lead off the bottom of the 11th inning Friday, lifting third-ranked LSU to a 5-4 win over Oklahoma in the Shriners College Classic at Minute Maid Park.
 
LSU improved to 9-1 with its sixth straight win, while Oklahoma dropped to 5-3.
 
LSU will face top-ranked Texas at 7 p.m. CT Saturday in Minute Maid Park. The game will be broadcast on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network.
 
Leading off the bottom of the 11th against Oklahoma reliever Griffin Miller (0-1), Thompson blasted the fourth pitcher of the inning into the left-field box seats to give the Tigers the victory. The dinger was Thompson’s first of the season and the second walk-off homer of his career. He also hit a 13th inning walk-off homer last season to defeat UT San Antonio, 10-9.
 
Bryce Collins (1-0), the seventh LSU pitcher of the game, was credited with the win Friday after he retired the final OU hitter in the top of the 11th with the go-ahead run on second base.
 
“I can’t say enough about the toughness of our at-bats and the way our players competed,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “There is plenty of talent in our lineup, but tonight I think it was our character makeup and competitive at-bats that did it for us.
 
“We have good players, but they’re tough too. You can’t win games like that unless you have a competitive character and makeup. These types of wins are really valuable because they demonstrate who our players really are as people as much as it does their baseball talent.”
 
Oklahoma led 3-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, when LSU leftfielder Gavin Dugas delivered an RBI single against reliever Devin Michael for the Tigers’ first run of the game.
 
The Tigers tied the game eighth when first baseman Tre’ Morgan doubled and second baseman Cade Doughty drilled a two-run homer to right field.
 
The Sooners, however, reclaimed the lead in the top of the 10th when centerfielder Tanner Tredaway singled and scored on catcher Jimmy Crooks’ double.
 
Morgan and Doughty combined again to tie the contest in the bottom of the 10th against reliever Jaret Godman. Morgan lifted a one-out double to left field, and after centerfielder Dylan Crews fouled out, Doughty smacked a double down the left-field line to drive in the tying run.
 
Trent Vietmeier and Collins combined to pitch a scoreless 11th, setting the stage for Thompson heroics.
 
Both starting pitchers turned in effective outings – LSU right-hander Blake Money worked 6.2 innings, allowing just one earned run on eight hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. Oklahoma starter Jake Bennett also pitched 6.2 innings and limited the Tigers to one run on three hits with one walk and four strikeouts.
 
“Blake was outstanding, he gave us a great performance,” Johnson said. “His conditioning was great, his stuff was great; that’s a good Oklahoma lineup he got through, and we can’t win this game in extra innings if he doesn’t pitch as long as he did.”

Da Boot Sports
3/2/2022
By: David Penn


   BATON ROUGE, LA - Temperatures in the upper 60s and clear skies made for a picture perfect night at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field as the second ranked LSU Tigers took on the Privateers of UNO.
   After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first inning, the Tigers responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame and never looked back as they defeated the Privateers, 11-3.

   “We’re trying to instill mental discipline in our team, focusing on what is directly in front of you,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “I just felt like we were really ready to play. Pitching was really the story of the night; we got eight innings out of the bullpen with no earned runs on the board.”

   The Tigers would win decisively in their second midweek matchup, limiting UNO to a run in each of the first two innings before the pitching and defense would shut down the privateers until they would add their third in the top half of the eighth inning.     
   Garret Edwards started on the mound for LSU and pitched into the second inning before Grant Taylor would come in to start the rounds of middle relief. Edwards finished giving up the two Privateer runs on three hits and two walks.
   Taylor, Riley Cooper, Bryce Collins, Paul Gervase would finish the middle relief assignments. Taylor would walk two and
strikeout two, earning his first ever college win. Cooper and Collins would strikeout a batter a piece, while Gervase would allow one run, one hit, and punch out two. 
   Eric Reyzleman would close the affair for the Tigers, pitching the ninth inning and striking out two.
    
   Cade Doughty would start the scoring for the Tigers in the first inning when he cracked a double down the left field line which scored Tre’ Morgan. Dylan Crews would then score on a passed ball at home plate. Jordan Thompson grounded into a 5-4-1 double play but Doughty would come across home plate to make it 3-1 at the end of the first inning.
    
   In the second inning Morgan would double to left field moving Alex Milazzo to third and scoring Gavin Dugas. Crews stepped up to the plate next and singled to score Milazzo. Doughty would hit into a fielder’s choice scoring Morgan to make it 6-2 at the end of two frames.

   Jacob Berry added a solo shot in the fifth inning to increase the LSU lead to 7-2.
    
   Doughty kicked off a four run seventh inning with a solo jack to left center. Later Thompson would rope a double down the left field line scoring Berry. Then with the bases loaded, Tyler McManus would send a sacrifice fly to the warning track to score Collier Cranford. Morgan then hit a single to score Drew Bianco, finishing out the scoring for the Tigers.

   “Tonight was one of those nights offensively where we executed very well,” Johnson said. “The top of the order was doing their thing and was outstanding for us throughout the game.”
    
   No pitcher would last more than an inning for the Privateers. Starter Kyle Khachadourian was pulled in the first inning and nine more Privateers would walk out to the mound before the final out was recorded.

   Anthony Herron Jr would get the Privateers on the board first when he hit a single that scored Kasten Furr. In the second inning Jeissy De La Cruz grounded out but scored teammate Isaac Williams. The final score of the game happened when Miguel Useche reached on a fielding error that scored Amani Larry.

   With the win LSU has won their fifth straight game and is now 8-1 on the season, while UNO falls to 5-2. 

   Next up for the Tigers is a trip to Houston to play in the 'Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic' where LSU will face
​the Oklahoma Sooners on Friday, the top ranked Texas Longhorns on Saturday, and finish off the weekend against the Baylor Bears on Sunday.