LSU Baseball remains scorching hot and has improved its record to 27-3 this season, marking the best start through 30 games since 2013. Fueled by tremendous offensive production from what is considered one of the most talented lineups in the nation, the Tigers emerged victorious in dominating fashion against in-state rival Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, with a final score of 12-3.
Capitalizing on scoring opportunities during the first innings of play has been a strength for this team, which has contributed to the purple and gold capturing considerable leads early and not having to worry about any potential opportunities for a comeback.
Following back-to-back leadoff walks from freshman phenom left fielder Derek Cuirel and first baseman Jared Jones (which both came on a full-count pitch), the first two base runners were on with zero outs captured.
Approaching the plate, cleanup hitter junior second baseman Daniel Dickinson, who entered this matchup riding a seven-game hitting streak and notching a hit in 13 of the last 14 games, looked to continue his impressive performance from the batter’s box.
With the count being 1-1, Dickinson roped the next delivery down the left field line and base runner Derek Cuirel would score standing up.
Securing his 10th double of the season (tied with Jared Jones for the most on the team), Dickinson successfully gave the Tigers an early 1-0 lead.
However, the fireworks of this first-inning offensive explosion were far from over.
Upon scoring another run from a sacrifice fly off the bat of designated hitter Ethan Frey, the Tigers found themselves in another opportune scenario following a wild pitch that advanced both sophomore Steven Milam and Jake Brown into scoring position.
Freshman catcher Cade Arrambide made the most of this opportunity, driving a hit just past the glove of the Louisiana Tech diving shortstop and both runners would score with ease.
After the first inning ended, the LSU Tigers held a commanding 4-0 lead against the Bulldogs.
Passing the halfway mark of the season, the first stretch of in-conference play has placed an emphasis on how dangerous the batting lineup can be for the Tigers. In terms of the potential damage that red-hot bats can inflict, second baseman Daniel Dickinson remains confident in his approach at the plate due to his unwavering support system.
“I like having protection with Jared [Jones], Steven [Milam], [Ethan] Frey, Jake Brown, and Josh Pearson… all those guys are good hitters,” Dickinson said. “If they’re scared to throw to them, they’ll throw to me [and] I’m always ready… if they’re scared to throw to me, they [have] to face them. It’s definitely the best of both worlds.”
The rivalry between the LSU Tigers and Louisiana Tech Bulldogs sparked after its first matchup in 1902, as LSU entered this matchup leading the all-time series against LA Tech 46-20. Additionally, winning 16 of its last 18 meetings against the Bulldogs, the Battle of Louisiana has seemed to have consistent, favorable outcomes for the purple and gold.
Notably, three players in the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs’ batting order are previous transfers from LSU who provided noticeable sparks during their return to Alex Box Stadium.
Leading off the second inning, sophomore left fielder Zeb Ruddell, who transferred from LSU to Louisiana Tech this previous offseason, launched a 2-0 pitch from freshman starting pitcher William Schmidt deep into the left field bleachers and plated the Bulldogs’ first run of the game.
Redshirt senior right fielder Brody Drost, who was a member of the historic 2022-23 LSU Baseball roster that won the program’s seventh national championship, also launched a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning and took his time rounding the bases in the stadium that he once called home.
When approaching an in-state rivalry that fosters heightened competitiveness, LSU Baseball Head Coach Jay Johnson acknowledges the significance of the stakes and treats this historic matchup no differently than prior contests this season.
“It’s great to play [Louisiana Tech]. They’re going to win games and have a good record coming in,” Head Coach Jay Johnson said. “Commitment to make every game important is a strength of this team… stealing an old Coach Bertman line,’ All you can do is all you can do,’ and that’s usually enough if you’re playing [at LSU].”
Boasting such a commanding lead early comes with its perks, especially for the starting pitcher who takes the mound and navigates the opponent’s batting order with heightened confidence.
Freshman starting pitcher William Schmidt entered this matchup as his fourth start of the season, with his longest outing being 4.2 innings pitched against Nicholls earlier this season.
Aiming to maintain high confidence levels on the mound, Schmidt firmly believes that operating behind such an explosive batting lineup makes his job more manageable and seamless.
“Pitching with a 4-0 lead is a lot easier, especially as a freshman [who’s] not wanting to blow the game,” Schmidt said. “Sometimes, I wish they wouldn’t score as much [because] I haven’t been able to work on [a] long-inning routine… running into 20 to 25-minute innings in between.”
The final line for Schmidt was 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, and two strikeouts.
From the plate, junior designated hitter Ethan Frey finished with three hits (two of which were extra-base hits), a team-high four RBIs, and scored two runs.
Most notably, Frey blasted a 1-1 pitch to the deepest part of left-center field in the bottom of the fifth inning for a solo home run, which marked his sixth home run of the season.
No. 5-ranked LSU Baseball now looks to embark on a tedious seven-game road trip, with the first stop of the trip coming against the No. 10-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. The series’ first game will be played on Thursday, April 3, at 6:00 p.m. CST.
This matchup will be nationally televised and can be found on ESPN2.
