LSU Baseball Players, Pitcher Cooper Moore and Outfielder Jake Brown spoke with reporters ahead of the 2026 Season Valentines Home Opening weekend series.
Friday’s Home Opener will mark the first time for Cooper Moore as an LSU Tiger. The Junior transfer from the University of Kansas will suit up in the Purple and Gold for the time and is set to pitch for the Tigers Saturday.
Jake Brown is returning for his third season as an outfielder for the Tigers after serving as a key hitter for LSU in their previous championship season. Brown is expected to serve as a major team leader this season after formerly being teammates with LSU greats.
“I’ve been able to learn from great leaders and learn how to pass that down to some of the younger guys,” spoke Brown on the importance of leadership within the team culture.
With a team consisting of majority freshman and transfers, veterans from the previous season must set the tone for the expected standard. Meaning leadership plays a key role year after year in the team’s motto and values for the season.
Brown also commented on the feeling of taking the field on the first opening day after a long preparation “You spend I think it’s about six months, just training hard, going at each other, and just really working…finally getting to hear the empire say play ball against another team is something special.”
Cooper Moore, who is set to debut and pitch for game two of this weekend’s Valentine’s series, shared how he maintains focus within high-pressure environments when both at home and away.
“I have a focal point at every ballpark. I’ll get one and I’ll take the mound and I’ll take a step back, look at it, reset, take a deep breath, and get ready to go.”
Though Moore is not on the lineup for Friday, it still will mark his first game as a Tiger as he stated, “I don’t really get too nervous about it, more just excited and excited to take the field with a new team and some new guys.”
With Head Coach Jay Johnson still finding the correct fit when it comes to the lineup, Moore commented on what fans should expect in the bullpen, “You’ve got to take it pitch by pitch, but our pitching is definitely going to be tested in the eight games we play in ten games or whatever,”
Tiger fans can catch Cooper Moore and Jake Brown in action for the first time of the 2026 season Friday afternoon for the team’s home opener. The Tigers will face off at home against Milwaukee, and first pitch is set for 2 p.m. CT at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
