Besides a national championship, what measures of success exist for LSU baseball in 2026?

By Alex Sheesley, Reveille Sports Reporter

February 7, 2026

LSU baseball freshman outfielder Derek Curiel (6) holds up an “L” after LSU’s 5-3 win over Coastal Carolina in the Men’s College World Series Championship Sunday, June 22, 2025, at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Ne.

Following national championships, the barometer of success is hard to calibrate. So is the case for LSU baseball.

The Tigers will undoubtedly have championship number nine in their crosshairs in the 2026 season, but whether or not LSU reaches the pinnacle in Omaha this summer won’t stand as the only metric in the season’s report card.

Certain individual performances and team-wide accolades will serve as an indicator of the strength of the program in the present and the sustainability of the future. Here are a few to look out for.

Derek Curiel gets picked in the top 5 in the MLB Draft

The reigning national Freshman of the Year enters his sophomore season, set to be draft eligible at its end, carrying serious top pick buzz. MLB Pipeline has Curiel projected as the sixth overall draft-eligible prospect in the country, while Baseball America has him slotted at number eight.

A move to center field in 2026, along with a second season in a deep SEC, gives Curiel the opportunity to push his stock up even further than where he sits currently with a strong sophomore season.

Curiel pushing the needle and having his name be one of the first five called in the MLB Draft would bolster LSU’s reputation as a premier MLB pipeline. It would make it two straight, and three of the last four drafts have featured an LSU player selected in the top five.

That reputation is critical, as rumors swell that the MLB will require players to play in college in order to earn draft-eligible status as a part of the league’s new collective bargaining agreement in 2027.

Pitching staff leads the country in strikeouts, again

Strikeouts have become a key indicator of pitching success. In most cases, as the strikeout rate goes, so does the pitcher quality. Since pitching coach Nate Yeskie took the reins in Baton Rouge two seasons ago, the Tigers’ pitching staff has simply overwhelmed their opponents.

LSU’s pitching staff led the country in strikeouts in each of the last two years, and a Tiger topped the individual strikeout leaderboard in 2025 as well; Kade Anderson picked up 180 strikeouts in his final collegiate campaign.

The Tigers have the staff to earn the top spot in 2026. Increased innings for sophomore Casan Evans, who fanned 12 Little Rock batters in relief during the Baton Rouge Regional last season, should get the LSU strikeout tally to skyrocket. High power relievers like sophomore Mavrick Rizy and the returning Gavin Guidry will pad strikeout totals as well.

LSU wins the SEC championship, both in the regular season and the tournament

While LSU’s Polaris is winning it all in Omaha, some extra hardware in Hoover would certainly flatter the Tigers.

LSU has not won the SEC, in either the regular season standings or the tournament, since 2017. The Tigers have had their fair share of close calls under head coach Jay Johnson, finishing runner-up to Tennessee as the 11th seed in the 2024 tournament, and were semi-finalists in 2025.

The team finished a half-game back of a three-way tie for the SEC’s best record in the 2023 regular season, behind Arkansas and Florida.

Coaches around the SEC appear bullish on LSU getting over this hump in 2026. LSU was voted to be the best team in the SEC by its coaches on Thursday, receiving nine of a possible 16 first-place votes.

Lineup manufactures more runs through more consistent hitting

LSU’s offense stood to improve in 2025 with an improvement in consistency. Standouts and struggles are a part of any baseball game, but when LSU fell short in games last season, it was because the offense had chunks of the lineup go cold at a time.

Shortcomings in Games 1 and 3 against Texas A&M last season came from quiet days for the middle and top of the lineup, respectively. The middle of the order struggled when Little Rock upset them last postseason, and similar struggles existed when Auburn swept LSU in the regular season.

The Tigers found a groove in Omaha last June and found an uptick in consistent hitting one through nine, which is part of the reason they managed to go through the College World Series undefeated.

Thanks to that upward trend paired with an incredibly well-rounded LSU lineup, consistency may come easier than anticipated for Tiger batters in 2026.

About the Contributors

Alex Sheesley, Reveille Sports Reporter

Why did you join the Reveille?

The Reveille presented me with an opportunity to showcase my passion for sports. Through that work, it allows me to get involved and sharpen my craft as a storyteller.

What do you hope to do after graduation?

I’m hoping to remain involved in sports media after I graduate. I’d love to end up working as a writer or in sports radio, covering baseball or motorsports.

Payton Prichard, Reveille Multimedia Editor

Why did you join the Reveille?

I joined to have a creative outlet and explore sides of photography I never had before. I’m glad I did because I found my passion (and changed my major to Journalism).

What positions have you held at the Reveille?

I was a photographer for one year and I’m now the Multimedia Editor!

What’s your favorite thing about working at the Reveille?

Traveling with our Sports staff for away games. Not only have I gotten to make lasting friendships with my coworkers, I’ve also had the chance to see an LSU championship or two!

What’s your favorite story that you’ve worked on so far?

My favorite assignment was when I covered the 2025 Men’s College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. I was there for a little shy of two weeks and had the chance to shoot eight strong teams fighting for a championship title. I’m very proud of the content I produced from my time there and very happy the Tigers finished on top!

What do you hope to do after graduation?

If I get my way, I’ll be a Creative Content Producer or Team Photographer for a National Hockey League (NHL) team! Traveling with the Carolina Hurricanes or the New Jersey Devils for a literal job would be a dream come true.