It’s been a rough month for LSU baseball. In the past 12 games played, the team has only managed to win half.
Additionally, they have not been ranked in over two weeks and have a 2-4 record in conference play.
Yikes.
But there’s no time to sit around and sulk about it. The Tigers are staring down another challenge. A big one.
The No. 19 Kentucky Wildcats will visit Baton Rouge this weekend, kicking off the series Friday night in Alex Box. It’s not just another series — it’s an opportunity. A chance to reset the tone and redeem their identity against a conference opponent.
If LSU wants a rebirth, it starts with the details.
At the plate, the hitting consistency has to improve. In the Friday night loss against Oklahoma, the lineup produced seven hits across 31 at-bats. Only two of those crossed home plate.
Saturday’s loss featured four hits, three of them making it up on the scoreboard.
The low runs are a result, however, not a root problem. LSU managed to get some runners around the bases on hits, but with 10 runners left on base across 59 at-bats, there were missed opportunities that could have turned into momentum. Momentum that could have won the ballgame.
I’ll give it to them; the hitting is there. They have yet to walk away with a loss and zero runs. Their offense is just ineffective when they need it most.
Some of the most talented players in NCAA baseball are a part of this offense. It’s time for that talent to carry LSU into the top 25.
For outfielder Derek Curiel, who often sits at the second or third spot in the batting lineup, offense has long been a strength. This season, he seems to be finding his rhythm still, with only 34 hits through 101 at-bats. At the end of last season, he had put up 67 runs off of 89 hits, with an on-base percentage of .990. Once he finds momentum for this season, he is sure to put up similar, if not better, numbers.
Infielder Steven Milam, who also sits high in the batting order, appears to be in the same warmup period. He delivered 11 home runs last season in 71 hits. In week six of the season, he has 25 hits and one home run, suggesting he’s building towards the impact fans know he can make, once the consistency hits.
But this isn’t about singling players out. The reality is, LSU’s offensive production as a whole hasn’t matched its potential. But the top of the lineup is a reward for hitting talent, which both Milam and Curiel have proven they have. Week after week, they seem to leave fans waiting to see them come alive.
Over on the mound, the talent is certainly there. With five new additions to the rotation and sophomores Casan Evans, Mavrick Rizy and William Schmidt returning this year, the pitching staff is a full-blown weapon.
Jay Johnson and his staff have taken the early weeks of the season to allow each pitcher to showcase their talent, often rotating multiple pitchers in a game, as any coach would. But for the struggling Tigers, that might be the problem.
As the ace for the 2026 season, Evans opens the weekend rotations. For five out of those six starts, the Tigers have won the ballgame. Not to say that Evans is the key to a Tiger win, but he has proven his consistency and efficient pitching skills.
In a perfect world, Evans’ consistency can rub off on the other starters. So far, Schmidt, with six starts, has allowed 11 runs from 23 hits with a solid 3.00 ERA. Rizy’s right there with him. He’s only pitched 14 innings this season, but in those innings, he’s struck out 20, allowed 9 hits and four runs, all good for a 2.57 ERA.
But one newcomer, a transfer from Kansas, Cooper Moore, has six starts under his belt, allowing 13 runs and 30 hits. Moore has already sent opposing hitters back to the dugout 39 times this season, almost half of the strikeouts he had last season with the Jayhawks.
It looked like he was just warming up before an injury against Oklahoma will sideline him for two-three weeks.
But at an overall level, these pitchers can better define the game. Moore’s six starts have resulted in three losses, while Schmidt has seen two. But of course, there are multiple factors that produce a win or loss; the pitching staff alone shouldn’t be the one to blame.
The wins or losses for the Tigers shouldn’t be a question heading into any matchup. Up until they dropped from the top 25, they were No. 2 for four weeks. That title is reclaimable — if every part of the field steps up and puts all their talent on the field every outing.
The warmup period is over, and so should the sloppy mistakes.
Fans want to pack Alex Box, especially during a conference matchup, and be excited for the good baseball they are about to watch, not wondering if this game is going to be the Tigers’ 10th loss of the season.
