 Photo By: Da Boot Sports Da Boot Sports 5/29/2023 LSU Sports Communications By: William Franques BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU was announced as the No. 5 national seed for the NCAA Baseball Tournament Monday, and the Tigers will open the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional at 2 p.m. CT Friday when they face Tulane in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field. The No. 5 National Seed marks LSU’s first appearance among the Top 8 seeds since 2017, when the Tigers were No. 4. LSU (43-15) is the No. 1 seed in the Baton Rouge Regional and Tulane (19-40), the American Athletic Conference Tournament champion, is the regional’s No. 4 seed. The LSU-Tulane game will be televised on ESPNU and broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network. No. 2 seed Oregon State will meet No. 3 seed Sam Houston at 7 p.m. Friday in the second game of the Baton Rouge Regional, and the contest will be streamed on ESPN +. The regional continues through the weekend, with the winner advancing to the NCAA Super Regional next weekend versus the winner of the Lexington (Ky.) Regional. 2023 NCAA BATON ROUGE REGIONAL SCHEDULE Friday, June 2 Game 1: (1) LSU vs (4) Tulane – 2 p.m. (ESPNU) Game 2: (2) Oregon State vs (3) Sam Houston – 7 p.m. (ESPN +) Saturday, June 3 Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 – TBD Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 - TBD Sunday, June 4 Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 - TBD Game 6: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 4 - TBD Monday, June 5 Game 7: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 4 – TBD *if necessary
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 Logo By: LSUsports.net Da Boot Sports 5/28/2023 LSU Sports Communications BATON ROUGE, La. – The NCAA announced Sunday night that LSU will serve as one of 16 host sites for an NCAA Baseball Regional. The four-team, double-elimination regional at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field will begin on Friday. The matchups and starting times for the Baton Rouge Regional and the entire 64-team field will be announced at 11 a.m. CT Monday on ESPN2. LSU is playing host to an NCAA Regional for the 27th time and for the first time since 2019. Below is ticket information for the 2023 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional:
NCAA Postseason History at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field NCAA Regional Tournaments (27): 1986, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2023 NCAA Super Regional Series (11): 2000, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019  Photo By: BVM Sports Da Boot Sports 5/26/2023 LSU Sports Communications By: William Franques HOOVER, Ala. – Texas A&M shortstop Hunter Haas launched a three-run homer Friday in the bottom of the seventh inning to erase a 3-2 deficit, as the Aggies posted a 5-4 win over LSU in an SEC Tournament elimination game at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. LSU, which is 43-15 this season, will return to action next Friday in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers are projected to play host to an NCAA Regional in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field. Regional sites will be announced by the NCAA at 7:30 p.m. CT Sunday. The entire 64-team NCAA Tournament field will be announced during a selection show at 11 a.m. CT on Monday on ESPN2. With Friday’s win, Texas A&M improved to 35-24 and will face Arkansas at 12 p.m. CT Saturday in an SEC Tournament semifinal. “There's a lot to be gained from being here, and we'll use that to get ready for the NCAA Tournament,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “I think our team has had a great regular season, to put ourselves in one of those spots where we're going to be one of the eight that have an opportunity to host a regional and then host a super regional if we're able to win the regional. It's a credit to the players. “We'll get back to work when we get home and get ready to go for next Friday.” LSU led 3-1 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Aggies struck for four runs to take a 5-3 lead. Designated hitter Brett Minnich delivered a sacrifice fly to narrow the gap to 3-2, and after a walk to catcher Max Kaufer, Haas launched a three-run homer to give the Aggies their first lead of the game. The Tigers scored a run in the top of the ninth on a wild pitch by Texas A&M reliever Evan Aschenbeck, but with runners and first and third and two outs, he retired the final two LSU hitters to end the game. Aschenbeck (8-1) was credited with the win, as he worked the final 3.0 innings and limited LSU to one run on four hits with one walk and four strikeouts. LSU reliever Griffin Herring (3-2) was charged with the loss, as he allowed three runs on one hit in 1.1 innings with two walks and no strikeouts. LSU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on an RBI single by third baseman Brayden Jobert. The Aggies tied the game in the bottom of the second on consecutive doubles by centerfielder Jordan Thompson and by leftfielder Ryan Targac. The Tigers led 2-1 in the fourth after an RBI double by Jobert, and LSU extended the advantage to 3-1 in the fifth on a double by catcher Hayden Travinski. LSU starting pitcher Ty Floyd delivered a solid outing, limiting the Aggies to one run on three hits in 5.0 innings with one walk and seven strikeouts. “We've got to get our health right, and then get the players’ minds right because playoff baseball is one pitch at a time,” Johnson said. “It's not the team with the best players, it's the team that plays the best, which we've done a lot of this year. I trust the guys that we have on the field. I trust them a lot, and I trust their care level and their character. I'm excited to get back to work with them after we get them a day or two off.”  Photo By: NOLA.com Da Boot Sports 5/25/2023 LSU Sports Communications By: William Franques HOOVER, Ala. – A five-run fourth-inning lifted fourth-ranked Arkansas on Thursday to a 5-4 win over fifth-ranked LSU in the SEC Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. LSU, the tournament’s No. 3 seed, is 43-14 on the year and will face No. 10 seed Texas A&M in a tournament elimination game at 3 p.m. CT Friday. The game will be broadcast on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network and televised on the SEC Network. Arkansas (41-15) advances to the tournament semifinal round and will face the LSU-Texas A&M winner at Noon CT on Saturday. Arkansas left-hander Hunter Hollan (8-2) earned the win, working the final 5.1 innings and limiting LSU to two runs on six hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. Razorbacks starting pitcher Hagen Smith pitched the first 3.2 innings and allowed two runs on five hits with one walk and nine strikeouts. Hollan and Smith also combined to defeat LSU in a regular-season meeting on March 24. “In my opinion, at least who we saw, and we didn’t play everybody, Smith and Hollan are the two best guys we saw all year,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “So that’s twice that they’ve used both of them against us to win. “I think that speaks a lot about our team offensively that it takes two pitchers like that to hold us down, and credit to them for doing a good job.” LSU starting pitcher Paul Skenes (10-2) was charged with the loss, as he allowed five runs – only two earned – on four hits in 3.2 innings with two walks and three strikeouts. LSU grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when first baseman Tre’ Morgan delivered an RBI single against Smith. The Tigers added a run in the fourth when designated hitter Hayden Travinski – who was 4-for-4 at the plate – scored from third base on a wild pitch by Hollan. Arkansas, however, struck for five runs in the bottom of the fourth against Skenes to take a 5-2 lead. Third baseman Caleb Cali and second baseman Peyton Holt provided RBI singles to tie the game at 2-2. Arkansas loaded the bases with two outs later in the inning, and LSU reliever Riley Cooper retired designated hitter Kendall Diggs on a pop-up to shortstop, seemingly ending the inning with the 2-2 score. The home plate umpire, however, ruled that LSU catcher Alex Milazzo interfered with Diggs’ swing, allowing him to reach first base and Cali to score from third base. Rightfielder Jace Bohrofen followed with a two-out, two-run single to increase the Arkansas advantage to 5-2. “(Diggs) probably hit his glove, so I’m not saying the umpire is wrong on that,” Johnson said, “but that’s a tough way to give up three runs.” Cooper was brilliant in relief, allowing LSU to narrow the deficit. He worked 4.1 innings, allowing no runs on two hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. “Riley was phenomenal,” Johnson said. “We’re really pleased with him; I thought he looked fresh and rested. He rose to the occasion against one of the better teams in the country. He did a really good job.” The Tigers plated a run in the eighth when shortstop Jordan Thompson lined an RBI single to left field. Centerfielder Dylan Crews blasted a one-out, solo homer in the ninth – his 15th dinger of the season – but Hollan retired the next two LSU hitters to end the game.  Photo By: Charlotte Observer Da Boot Sports 5/24/2023 By: David Penn HOOVER, AL - Thatcher Hurd got the call for #5 LSU (43-13) in their first game of the SEC tournament and turned in a quality start that limited South Carolina to 3 runs on 4 hits through 5.1 innings, Hurd only walked 2 hitters and earned 4 Ks. The offense backed the pitching with 12 hits that produced 10 runs for LSU which was highlighted by a two run blast by Brayden Jobert that started the scoring in the second inning. “It was a really good performance by our team,” Coach Jay Johnson said. “It starts with Thatcher. Great start. Had command of all his pitches. Really got himself reset when he got into any type of trouble, whether it was the count or runners on base, and he did a terrific job. We played a very clean game defensively, and when your pitcher pitches like that, it makes it much easier to do that.” Hurd had been producing for LSU as a closer his last few outings, showing good command of the strike zone and shutting down the opposition, which earned him the start vs the Gamecocks. Hurd (4-2) had limited the Gamecocks to 1 run until the sixth inning when he issued a bases-loaded walk that accounted for South Carolina’s second run of the game. Sam Dutton walked the only batter he faced in the sixth inning with the bases loaded that accounted for the Gamecocks final run of the game and cut the LSU lead 6-3. Coach Jay Johnson went back to the bullpen to bring in Nate Ackenhausen, who would come on for LSU and go the rest of the distance, not allowing South Carolina another run. Ackenhausen notched 6 Ks in the 3.2 innings he worked and earned his second save. The Tigers saw the ball well from the batter’s box throughout the game hitting .363 as a team and 8 different Tigers accounted for the 12 hits. Jobert launched his 2 run shot over the right field wall in the second inning. The Tigers would add four more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning when Josh Pearson and Tommy White drew bases loaded walks that scored Jobert and Gavin Dugas. Tre’ Morgan hit a sac fly that scored Dylan Crews, followed by another sac fly from Hayden Travinski that scored Josh Pearson, which gave LSU a 6-1 lead through five innings. LSU would add a pair of runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Morgan and Travisnski hit RBI singles in the sixth that scored Crews and Pearson, and in the seventh inning Crews and White hit RBI singles that scored Paxton Kling and Dugas. Crews, Pearson, White, and Jobert had 2 hits each. White, Morgan, Hayden Travinski, and Jobert each collected 2 RBIs. The lone long ball for the Tigers came off the bat of Brayden Jobert. Ethan Petry homered off Hurd in the 5th inning to put South Carolina on the board before a pair of bases loaded walks scratched across in the sixth. Eli Jones got the start for South Carolina and was charged with the loss, giving him a 4-4 record on the year. LSU moves on in the winner’s bracket and will face Arkansas for the fourth time this season tomorrow at 5:30pm, Arkansas walked off TA&M 6-5 in extra innings. Coach Jay Johnson picked up the 400th win of his career.  Photo By: LSUsports.net Da Boot Sports 5/20/2023 LSU Sports Communications By: William Franques ATHENS, Ga. – Centerfielder Ben Anderson and first baseman Charlie Condon combined for four RBI Saturday to lead Georgia to a 9-5 win over fourth-ranked LSU in Foley Field. LSU, which will be the No. 3 seed in next week’s SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala., completed the regular season 42-13 overall and 19-10 in conference play. The No. 3 SEC Tournament seed is LSU’s highest since the 2017 Tigers were the No. 1 seed in the event. The 2023 SEC Tournament bracket, including all seedings and matchups, will be released Saturday evening. LSU will play Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. CT against the winner of Tuesday’s game between the winner of the No. 6 seed and the No. 11 seed. The Tigers, the SEC’s No. 4 seed last season, have finished in the Top 4 in the overall SEC standings in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2014 and 2015. LSU’s second-place finish in the SEC Western Division is its best since the Tigers won the Western Division in 2017. LSU in 2023 has its most SEC regular-season wins since the 2017 club won 21 SEC games, and the Tigers recorded their most overall regular-season wins since the 2015 club ended the regular season with 46 victories. “We have very good players who compete very hard; they care about each other, and they care about winning,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “They’ve done a great job to put themselves in this position, and I think we’ll be prepared to play well from this point forward.” Georgia, which earned the SEC Tournament’s final berth with Saturday’s victory, completed the regular season with a 29-26 overall record, 11-19 in the SEC. Georgia starting pitcher Liam Sullivan (5-2) earned the win, as he worked 5.1 innings and limited the Tigers to three runs on three hits with four walks and five strikeouts. LSU starting pitcher Javen Coleman (1-2), was charged with the loss as he allowed four runs – three earned – on four hits in 3.0 innings with two walks and two strikeouts. Georgia reliever Nolan Crisp picked up his second save of the season, retiring LSU shortstop Jordan Thompson on a fly ball to center field with the bases loaded to end the game. “We’ve played our way into a great position to play all of our NCAA postseason games at home,” Johnson said. “We’re disappointed about the loss today, but we’ve put ourselves in great position to achieve our goals, and we’re excited about that. “Playoff baseball is about being mentally strong and defaulting to your fundamentals and training. Today’s game will help us do that as we prepare for the postseason.” LSU opened the scoring in the top of the first inning when leftfielder Tre’ Morgan launched a two-run homer, his seventh dinger of the season. The Bulldogs tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the second inning when designated hitter Fernando Gonzalez provided an RBI single, and Georgia scored an unearned run on an LSU infield error. Georgia took a 3-2 lead in the third when Connor Tate hit a solo homer, his 16th of the year. The Bulldogs struck for three runs in the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly by Anderson and a two-run homer by Condon, his 25th of the season. LSU narrowed the deficit to 6-4 in the sixth when first baseman Cade Beloso’s unloaded his 11th homer of the year, and the Tigers executed a double steal with rightfielder Brayden Jobert scoring from third base. The Bulldogs responded in the bottom of the frame with a bases-loaded walk to third baseman Parks Harber before LSU reduced the margin to 7-5 in the top of the seventh on third baseman Tommy White’s home run, his 20th of the year. Georgia, however, scored two more runs in the seventh on a fielder’s choice grounder by rightfielder Dwight Allen and an RBI double by Anderson. SEC TOURNAMENT INFO BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU is the No. 3 seed in next week’s SEC Baseball Tournament in Hoover, Ala., and will play its first game at 9:30 a.m. CT Wednesday against either No. 6 seed South Carolina or No. 11 seed Georgia. The No. 3 SEC Tournament seed is LSU’s highest since the 2017 Tigers were the No. 1 seed in the event. The Tigers completed the 2023 regular season 42-13 overall and 19-10 in conference play. LSU recorded its most SEC regular-season wins since the 2017 club won 21 SEC games, and the Tigers posted their most overall regular-season wins since the 2015 squad ended the regular season with 46 victories. The Tigers, the SEC’s No. 4 seed last season, have finished in the Top 4 in the overall SEC standings in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2014 and 2015. LSU’s second-place finish in the SEC Western Division is its best since the Tigers won the Western Division in 2017. South Carolina and Georgia will meet at 9:30 a.m. CT Tuesday in a single-elimination contest, and the winners advances to meet LSU at 9:30 a.m. CT Wednesday in the first day of double-elimination play. Wednesday’s LSU game vs. South Carolina or Georgia will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network and televised by the SEC Network. LSU leads the SEC with 12 league tournament titles, with the most recent one coming in 2017. Below is the entire 2023 SEC Tournament Bracket: 2023 SEC Baseball Tournament Bracket (PDF) 2023 SEC Tournament Tuesday-Sunday, May 23-28 Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, Hoover, Ala. Tuesday, May 23 Game 1 (9:30 a.m.) - #6 South Carolina vs. #11 Georgia [SEC Network] Game 2 (TBD) - #7 Tennessee vs. #10 Texas A&M [SEC Network] Game 3 (4:30 p.m.) - #8 Kentucky vs. #9 Alabama [SEC Network] Game 4 (TBD) - #5 Auburn vs. #12 Missouri [SEC Network] Wednesday, May 24 Game 5 (9:30 a.m.) - #3 LSU vs. Winner Game 1 [SEC Network] Game 6 (TBD) - #2 Arkansas vs. Winner Game 2 [SEC Network] Game 7 (4:30 p.m.) - #1 Florida vs. Winner Game 3 [SEC Network] Game 8 (TBD) - #4 Vanderbilt vs. Winner Game 4 [SEC Network] Thursday, May 25 Game 9 (9:30 a.m.) - Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6 [SEC Network] Game 10 (TBD) - Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8 [SEC Network] Game 11 (4:30 p.m.) - Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 [SEC Network] Game 12 (TBD) - Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 [SEC Network] Friday, May 26 Game 13 (3 p.m.) - Winner Game 9 vs. Loser Game 11 [SEC Network] Game 14 (TBD) - Winner Game 10 vs. Loser 12 [SEC Network] Saturday, May 27 Game 15 (Noon) - Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 11 [SEC Network] Game 16 ( TBD) - Winner Game 14 vs. Winner Game 12 [SEC Network] Sunday, May 28 Game 17 (2 p.m.) - Winner Game 15 vs. Winner Game 16 [ESPN2] All Times Central The second game of each session will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.  Photo By: LSUsports.net Da Boot Sports 5/19/2023 By: David Penn ATHENS, GA - #5 LSU (42-12, 19-9) bounced back to win its final SEC series on the road against the Georgia Bulldogs (28-26, 10-19), on Friday, 8-4 in an important series for both teams. LSU is playing for a chance to win the regular season SEC title and UGA is playing for a spot in the SEC tournament, the series will also play a factor for the seeding in the SEC tournament as well as LSU’s national seed, The Tigers are currently projected to be the fifth seed, which would allow the Tigers to host a regional and super regional at Alex Box Stadium. Ty Floyd took the mound for the Tigers in game two of the series and worked seven innings, allowing four runs on five hits. Floyd fanned seven Bulldogs and only issued one base on balls and has looked solid in his last several starts for the Tigers, which will bode well for postseason play as the Tigers have been looking for consistency behind Friday night ace Paul Skenes. Gavin Guidry took the mound for the final two frames and only gave up one hit, not allowing the UGA to score, Guidry didn’t walk any of the seven batters faced and struck out three Dawgs. After delivering big for the Tigers on Thursday night, Josh Pearson was inserted into the starting lineup on Friday and again came up big for LSU. Pearson went 2-3 at the plate and drove in three runs for LSU. Tommy White added to his league-leading RBI total with a pair of hits which included a sac fly in the fourth frame and a solo shot in the sixth inning giving him 86 RBIs on the season, good for second in the NCAA. UGA started the Scoring with a two run homer in the first inning when Parks Harber slammed a two run shot in the first inning. LSU got on the board with a three run fourth inning to give the Tigers their first lead. Pearson earned his first RBI by drawing a bases-loaded walk that scored Cade Beloso. Dylan Crews would then single and score Brayden Jobert, White then scored Jordan Thompson on a sac fly. The Tigers added three more runs in the fifth when Thompson hit a sac fly that scored Beloso followed by Pearson hitting a 2 RBI single that scored Jobert and Gavin Dugas. White and Hayden Travinski would cap off the scoring with a pair of solo home runs in the visitor half of the sixth frame. The final margin was provided in the bottom of the seventh when Sebastian Murillo lifted a two run shot over the wall to cut the LSU lead in half 8-4. The series will conclude in Athens on Saturday at 12:00pm CST, The Tigers will look to earn the sweep and a possible one seed in the SEC tournament. For that to happen Vanderbilt will have to beat Arkansas in the Commodores final home game of the season. Up next for the Tigers will be the SEC Tournament in Hoover, AL before returning home to open up regional play on Skip Bertman Field.  Photot By: 247 Sports Da Boot Sports 5/18/2023 LSU Sports Communications ATHENS, Ga. – Leftfielder Josh Pearson blasted a two-run homer – his first of the season – in the top of the 12th inning Thursday night to break a 5-5 tie and lift fourth-ranked LSU to an 8-5 win over Georgia at Foley Field. LSU improved to 41-12 overall and 18-9 in the SEC, while Georgia dropped to 28-25 overall and 10-18 in conference play. The Tigers hit six home runs in Thursday night’s game, their most since collecting six dingers on March 14, 2021, versus UT San Antonio in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field. The teams resume the series at 5 p.m. CT Friday in a game that will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network and streamed on SEC Network +. With the game tied 5-5 entering the 12th inning, LSU designated hitter Hayden Travinski lined a lead-off double, and Pearson followed with a blast over the right-centerfield wall. LSU extended the lead to 8-5 when shortstop Jordan Thompson unloaded his second homer of the game and his 11th of the season. “Hayden gave us a great lead-off at-bat in the 12th, and that was a great swing by Josh,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “We had good at-bats throughout the night, and it started paying off with the results late in the game. LSU reliever Thatcher Hurd (4-2) earned the win, working 5.0 innings and limiting Georgia to two runs on three hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Hurd retired eight straight batters over the final 2.2 innings to secure the victory. “Thatcher was great, he competed, he was sound and produced a great tempo,” Johnson said. “He really pitched well tonight.” Georgia reliever Chandler Marsh (1-3) was charged with the loss, as he surrendered two runs on two hits in 2.0 innings with two walks and four strikeouts. LSU starting pitcher Paul Skenes worked seven innings, limiting Georgia to two runs on four hits with one walk and 12 strikeouts. Skenes has a nation’s-leading 164 strikeouts this season, which ranks No. 2 on the all-time LSU single-season list. Ben McDonald holds the LSU single-season mark with 202 Ks in 1989. LSU grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning when rightfielder Brayden Jobert launched a two-run homer – his ninth of the year -- after Thompson had walked and stole second and third base. The Bulldogs tied the game in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run homer by catcher Will David, his sixth dinger of the season. Solo home runs by Travinski and by Thompson in the top of the eighth allowed the Tigers to take a 4-2 lead before Georgia narrowed the gap to 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth when LSU misplayed a two-out grounder by designated hitter Fernando Gonzalez, allowing centerfielder Ben Anderson to score from third. LSU centerfielder Dylan Crews unloaded his 14th homer of the season in the top of the ninth to increase the margin to 5-3, but Georgia tied the contest in the bottom of the frame on solo homers by shortstop Sebastian Murillo and by Anderson.  Photo By: BR Proud.com Da Boot Sports 6/16/2023 LSU Sports Communications By: William Franques BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU designated hitter Cade Beloso and first baseman Hayden Travinski both blasted solo home runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to propel the fourth-ranked Tigers to a 7-4 victory over McNeese Tuesday night inside Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field. With the win, LSU improved to 40-12 on the season, while the Cowboys dropped to 32-19. The Tigers return to action Thursday for the final SEC series of the season when they take on the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens. The Thursday-Saturday series begins at 5 p.m. CT Thursday, and it WILL be streamed on SEC Network+. The matchup may also be heard on the LSU Sports Radio Network. LSU left-hander Griffin Herring (3-1) was credited with the victory after relieving starter Blake Money in the top of the fourth. Herring tossed 3.0 innings, allowing only one run on one hit with two strikeouts. LSU reliever Thatcher Hurd entered the game to record the final out and earned his third save of the season. He induced the final out of the game with a slow chopper to first base. The Tigers have posted back-to-back seasons with at least 40 wins for the first time since the 2016 and 2017 seasons. LSU finished last season with a 40-22 mark. “Winning 40 games is a real credit to our players,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “We’ve got a lot more baseball ahead of us, but I want to pause for a second and appreciate our players for getting to that 40-win mark. It’s a big deal.” LSU got the scoring started in the bottom of the first with an RBI double from third baseman Tommy White. The frame began with two straight outs before centerfielder Dylan Crews reached on an error and White delivered the run-scoring hit to break the score and make the score 1-0. The Tigers added to its lead in the second inning without recording a hit. First baseman Hayden Travinski stole home on a suicide squeeze after the pitch got away from the McNeese catcher. With a runner on third, catcher Alex Milazzo drove in a third run on an RBI groundout. The Cowboys tied the ballgame at three in the third inning during a stretch of five straight singles. McNeese took its first lead of the night in the six following two scoreless innings. The visitors scratched the go-ahead run across on an RBI fielder’s choice from designated hitter Tre’ Obregon III. LSU retook the lead in the sixth with back-to-back dingers from designated Beloso and Travinski to make the score 5-4. Beloso launched his 10th of the season, and Travinski hit his sixth of the year. “We needed to get back in the win column tonight, and our older players like Cade and Hayden have been through the battles,” Johnson said. “They know how to work their way through obstacles. Cade didn’t have a good at-bat earlier in the game with a runner in scoring position, but he put it behind him, he competed, fouled off several two-strike pitches, got to a 3-2 count, and then blasted the baseball.” The Tigers extended their lead in the bottom of the eighth on a throwing error by McNeese and a sac fly provided by White. Milazzo reached on an infield single and Morgan walked before Crews picked up his first hit of the night, which led to the throwing error. LSU led 7-4 after eight innings. The Cowboys threatened in the ninth by loading the bases but Hurd was able to stave off the rally to close out the game.  Phoho by: On3.com Da Boot Sports 5/9/2023 LSU Sports Communications By: William Franques BATON ROUGE, La. – Second-ranked LSU blasted four home runs Tuesday night as the Tigers defeated Northwestern State, 14-4, in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field. The game ended after the top of the seventh inning due to the NCAA 10-run rule, and it marked LSU’s 13th run-rule victory this season. LSU improved to 38-10 on the year, while Northwestern State dropped to 25-21. The Tigers return to action at 7:30 p.m. CT Friday in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field, when they play host to Mississippi State in Game 1 of a three-game SEC series. Friday’s contest will be televised on the SEC Network, and it will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network. Trailing 1-0 entering the bottom of the second inning on Tuesday night, LSU launched three home runs in three straight plate appearances – one dinger each by third baseman Tommy White, designated hitter Cade Beloso and catcher Hayden Travinski. The power surge marked the first time LSU hit back-to-back-to-back home runs since May 5, 2019, when the Tigers accomplished the feat versus Ole Miss with consecutive dingers by Antoine Duplantis, Beloso and Josh Smith. After Northwestern State’s Michael Dattalo unloaded a solo homer in the top of the third inning, the Tigers responded with a seven-run outburst to stretch their lead to 10-2. The Tigers’ third-inning uprising was highlighted by a three-run homer from shortstop Jordan Thompson, a two-run single by rightfielder Brayden Jobert and White’s RBI single. Jobert provided an RBI groundout in the fifth, and White and Travinski provided a two-run double and an RBI double, respectively, in the sixth inning. “We played really in character tonight,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “We got some free bases, and had some extra-base hits, obviously, with those home runs.” White finished 3-for-4 on the night with a double, a home run – his 18th – and four RBI, and Travinski was 3-for-3 with a homer – his fourth – and three RBI. Jobert collected two hits and three RBI, Thompson’s three-run homer was his eighth of the year, and Beloso’s homer was his ninth this season. LSU starting pitcher Thatcher Hurd (3-1) earned the win, as he worked the first 2.1 innings and allowed one run on one hit with two walks and five strikeouts. Relievers Blake Money and Micah Bucknam combined to limit the Demons to two earned runs on three hits over the final 4.2 innings with no walks and five strikeouts. “I’m really proud of the pitching; they all experienced a speed bump, overcame it, and found their rhythm,” Johnson said. “They don’t have to be perfect, they just need to execute. The three guys who pitched tonight executed really well.” Northwestern State reliever Ethan Francis (1-1) was charged with the loss, as he started the second inning and gave up three runs on four hits in 1.0 inning with no walks and one strikeout. |
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