LSU played its first weekend of Southeastern Conference baseball, losing the series 2-1 against Mississippi State.
Friday, the Tigers weren’t able to keep up with the consistent runs they were allowing, losing 10-4. After a hot start on Saturday, LSU bent but didn’t break, winning 9-8. Sunday, LSU got run-ruled, 15-5.

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Friday, LSU allowed 10 runs on 16 hits. The previously unstoppable starter, Luke Holman allowed 10 hits and five runs, two of them earned. He had five strikeouts.
The offense wasn’t much help, only producing one multi-hit inning all game.
Tommy White and Josh Pearson’s home runs in the third were the only productive hits for most of the night. The two accounted for every run batted in of the game.
Mississippi State reliever Nolan Stevens came in for the fourth inning after LSU put up three runs. He struck out eight and allowed just one hit in nearly six innings on the mound.
LSU relievers Justin Loer and Gavin Guidry allowed six hits and five runs between them, including a three-run home run allowed by Loer in the eighth.
Ultimately, bats gone cold and an inability to limit opposing offense amounted to the loss Friday night.
That cold streak ended the following day in a home run derby of an offensive showcase.
White and Jared Jones hit homeruns in the first inning to get things started with a 3-0 lead. Mac Bingham would homer in the second and Travinski in the third. LSU was up 9-1 entering the fourth.
Despite an underwhelming performance from starter Gage Jump, Johnson was able to go into his bag of relievers and hold off the comeback. By the end of the night, seven pitchers had taken the mound for LSU.
Jump struggled with control walking three batters and hitting two with just three strikeouts. He allowed four runs.
Herring earned the win, despite a rocky start. He pitched 2.1 innings, striking out three and allowing just one run despite entering the game with two runners on.
Between six relievers, LSU was able to maintain the lead, though not comfortably.
The third out of the seventh came at the plate in a throw from Steven Milam. The tag was the tying run and would’ve been the third run of the inning.
Sunday continued the trend of allowing many hits and many runs.
Thatcher Hurd got the start and allowed seven runs on seven hits through five innings.
Back-to-back doubles in the first put LSU behind early. Hurd had back-to-back-to-back hitless innings following, until consecutive home runs in the fifth got Mississippi State to seven runs.
In less than an inning, Christian Little allowed five runs, the Bulldogs reached 12 runs.
LSU scored its five runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
The three in the fifth were less earned and more given. Five walks and a Michael Braswell double scored the first runs of the game.

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In the sixth, White hit a home run to score two. Ashton Larson had previously doubled.
Mississippi State added three more runs in the eighth inning to close out the run-rule win, LSU’s first run-rule loss of the season.
The series provided LSU its toughest competition so far this season and allowed for a more informed perspective on the Tigers strengths and weaknesses.
A focus of the season thus far has been dominant starters and depth in the bullpen, a priority head coach Jay Johnson set in the offseason. This standard came down to earth over the weekend.
Across the series, LSU allowed 33 runs and 41 hits, including five home runs. All three starters underperformed expectations. The flexibility offered by a deep bullpen proved valuable but not unhittable.
Highlight performances over the weekend primarily come from hitting.
An expected name on that list is White. His series numbers were 5-for-13, three home runs, seven RBI and three walks. White homered in each game of the series.
After being limited by injury at times last season, White was finally able to prove his defensive ability, and did so numerous times against Mississippi State.
Pearson provided a constant offensive spark. He was 5-for-13 with a home run in the three games. He went 3-for-4 Sunday.
LSU out errored Mississippi State 6-1 through the weekend and finished the series with 24 runners left on base.