Almost 15 hours after LSU and UCLA were taking off the field with rain and lightning coming down in Omaha, the Tigers and Bruins would take the field again Tuesday morning looking to start their College World Series campaign 2-0, but it would be an LSU freshman to step up and deliver for the Tigers.

“I love the tempo that Casan set today,” Jay Johnson said. “I thought he was outstanding as he always is.”

Right-Hander Casan Evans would get the ball Tuesday morning and would fire 4.1 innings of two-run relief, holding down a UCLA offense that scratched three runs across LSU starter Anthony Eyanson.

“The mindset stays the same no matter when I come in the game, if I start or if I close,” Evans said. “I was just going out there and doing my best to help my team win.”

Evans’s five strikeouts would give the Tiger offense a chance to shine, and the Tigers would deliver when it matters most, with two outs.
“Just gotta stay locked in, dialed in,” LSU Shortstop Steven Milam said. “Coach Johnson does a good job with the whole team getting us dialed in on that.”

The Tigers would score five of their nine runs in the game with two outs, four of which coming after the game was restarted.

“Trying to do too much is not a plan; it’s immaturity,” Jay Johnson said. “And those guys have really grown and matured as hitters and players.”

The big blast of the game would come in the first inning however, as Jared Jones, who struck out five times Saturday, hit a three-run home run to give the Tigers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

“That’s how the game works sometimes. And we just kind of stuck with it, got off to a good start, took quality at-bats all game long,” Jared Jones said. “And it led to a lot of success and a lot of runs on the board.”

LSU now will rest up and watch Tuesday as UCLA and Arkansas play Tuesday night, with either team having to beat LSU twice in order to advance to the Championship series.