With just over two weeks until opening day for the 2026 LSU baseball season, everyone is wondering how the reigning national champions are going to look this season.
Each team is no stronger than its weakest link, and in college baseball, that tends to be pitching depth. The Reveille has already projected the potential starters, but here’s who to expect to work behind each pitcher.
Friday
Casan Evans is one probability to start on Friday nights. In 2025, he boasted a beautiful sub-three ERA of 2.05. Evans only made two starts last season, but he is easily the most experienced of the staff, tossing several multi-inning games in relief.
Evans loves to change speeds with a split-finger change-up and curve combo from the right side. He also has a slider to play off of his curveball. His best backup movement-wise is Cooper Williams.
The 6-foot-4-inch lefty has a lot to offer from the mound. He has a bit of a junky motion to the plate as of late, and it could eat up a lot of innings of middle relief or finish the Tigers off after a nice outing by Evans.
Cooper Williams is the traditional softer-throwing lefty of the LSU team. Think Riley Cooper of the 2023 LSU baseball team.
He has a beautiful curve-slider combo from the left side, with a lot of glove-side run. He could cause a lot of trouble for hitters settled into Evan’s stuff throughout the game. His junky movement switching between a traditional motion and a three-quarters armslot will also throw off some hitters if one motion gets picked on too much.
Head coach Jay Johnson says he has a lot of faith in Williams after the 2025 season. Williams took the rubber against UCLA in the College World Series. He clinched the victory for the Tigers, and that experience could lead to more confidence in his sophomore season.
“Cooper Williams toed the rubber in the eighth inning of a game we’re winning in the College World Series,” Johnson said on preseason media day. “I think that can be valuable. Now, they all want to take a step forward in their development, and so you put all of the focus on what they need to do to [take that step forward].”
In the 2026 preseason scrimmages, he’s brought a lot to the table early. Williams could be a solid choice for relief in big moments.
Saturday
Potentially, the Saturday starter is senior right-hand pitcher Zac Cowan, another player who stepped up big in the 2025 national championship run.
Cowan utilizes a similar arsenal to Williams, but from the right side, and throws a bit softer with a curve-slider combo for the record books. He only started two games across his 22 appearances in 2025.
LSU has a lot of freshmen who can back up Cowan, but Zion Theophilus looks promising. Sitting a couple of inches taller than Cowan at 6 feet 2 inches, he brings a bit more pop with a beautiful slider for some movement.
His one downfall is a changeup that he has been developing throughout the preseason. In the first week of spring intrasquad scrimmages, he showed a lot of armside run and showcased his attempt to get it done with the offspeed.
Theophilus’ run got him into a bit of trouble with command, but as he settles into the season and knocks off some nerves, his command could be enough to make him elite. As his change-up develops, it could become that much more diabolical.
Johnson said he’s only seen one freshman come in and lock in all three years as a dominant starter, and that player didn’t even go to LSU. He said it’s just that difficult to be dominant across all three years and be successful. That’s why he looks to see more freshmen in these middle and closer roles throughout this season.
Sunday
For the Sunday starting role, right-hand junior pitcher Cooper Moore could be expected on the mound each weekend. After two seasons at Kansas, he brings in a lot of movement and offspeed pitches.
He appears to be a jack of all trades for the Tigers this season, which means whatever he has working that day will call for the reliever needed.
In Moore’s arsenal, he boasts low to mid 90’s with his fastball, a change-up, a curveball and a sinker. He also has solid command from the right side.
Moore’s best match would be 5-foot-10 inch redshirt junior DJ Primeaux. Primeaux brings a similar speed from the left side, creating a different angle for the opposing batters. On top of that, he has a nice slider to play off of Moore’s curveball and sinker. He also developed a change-up in the offseason.
Primeaux was a quieter name from the roster last season, but he has crucial experience closing out games that lead him to be a well-suited reliever for Moore. He was consistent in 2025 for the Tigers, and with his newfound offspeed, he could really up his game further than anyone expects.
Midweek
There may be a hodgepodge of pitching in the midweek games. These games are where you build your depth for the postseason, and where many relief pitchers find themselves on the mound for the season.
Gavin Guidry is looking to make a promising comeback for the 2026 season after an injury left him sidelined in 2025. Guidry brought to the table average speed from the right side, but his prize winner was Uncle Charlie. It was the pitch that secured the 2023 national championship.
William Schmidt and Jaden Noot are both promising candidates to fill the middle reliever and closing roles for LSU in the 2026 midweek games, much like they did in the 2025 season. This will be where the freshmen gain most of their postseason experience.
Current freshmen Regan Ricken and Jonah Aase will gain most of their experience accordingly in the midweek matchups. With Guidry trying to make his comeback in 2026, the rest of the staff will have to match his determination.
Schmidt brings in mid to high 90 mph speeds with a true hammer-curve in the low 80s. He’ll bring the speed Guidry doesn’t quite pull, with a strong curve to throw the hitters off. Noot plays a similar game to Schmidt with great command that helps him deceive hitters.
Both of these upperclassmen are looking to solidify their role in the Tigers’ attempt to return to Omaha.
Both Rickens and Aase bring the big three to the table: fastball, changeup and curveball. In addition, they use good mixes of speed and movement to back whoever they go into relieve. Both guys bring in a slider, but Rickens has a little more faith in his, setting him apart from Aase.
Aase is a more traditional soft-tossing lefty, whereas Rickens throws from a more average speed.
Depth is the biggest question mark each collegiate baseball team focuses on entering the next season. With LSU losing its starters from 2025, there is a lot up in the air entering the season. Johnson said time is of the essence in the preseason, and nothing can be sure yet.
“Two and a half weeks is a lifetime, and Game 10 is a lifetime from Game 1,” Johnson said.
With still over two weeks until Game 1 of 2026, combinations will be tested to see which will work best.
