LSU baseball hosted its First Pitch Banquet on Thursday, an annual kickoff to the baseball season. The event gives fans a chance to hear what the Tigers themselves have to say about their goals for the upcoming season.
Over 1,000 fans turned out to hear head coach Jay Johnson and players talk about the team. Johnson expressed a sense of optimism for the season ahead and thanked the fans for their support, a theme of the evening.
“Our team is completely all in on what’s happening right now,” Johnson said. “You will not see any type of complacency by any player or coach.”
“Really excited for 2026,” Johnson later said, ending his speech by encouraging the Alex Box faithful to continue their turnout. “Keep being the best fanbase in college baseball by a mile.”
Alumni of the program were also in attendance. Legendary head coach Skip Bertman, who won five championships on the top step of the LSU dugout, spoke to fans and was joined by 1989 Golden Spikes Award winner Ben McDonald.
McDonald asked some current Tigers questions about seasons past and what lies ahead for the team in 2026. The panel included junior outfielder Jake Brown, senior outfielder Chris Stanfield, junior shortstop Steven Milam and senior pitcher Zac Cowan.
Expected to take a step forward and be a leader for a championship-caliber roster in 2026, Brown discussed his mindset going into the season.
“My goal is to try to lead the team both on and off the field, and to help our younger guys become grown men,” Brown said. “Not only are we a team of great baseball players, we’re going to be a team of great men, too.”
The event raised north of $500,000 for the LSU baseball program, a record for the event. The funds were raised through donations to the Tiger Athletic Foundation and an auction.
Some members of the team spoke to the media after the banquet concluded to dive further into what they said and the importance of the event for the team.
“People are going to want to come support you,” Brown remarked about the turnout for the event. “There’s no better place in the country to play than here. Look around at the fan support, this thing’s over, and the place is still packed shoulder to shoulder.”
“I think it’s great for [the players],” Johnson said of the festivities. “Especially for the new players to see what this is like and what they’re a part of.”
While the banquet signals the start of a new season for the Tigers, who are ranked as one of the top teams in the country in the preseason, Opening Day still sits a few weeks away. LSU will begin its title defense on Feb. 13, hosting Milwaukee at Alex Box Stadium.
