LSU baseball’s lineups in late April are looking different than what was expected a few months ago, as injuries and poor play have flung freshmen into starting roles.
They’ve been the energetic bunch that LSU needs to ride the rest of the way. Freshmen Mason Braun, William Patrick, Omar Serna Jr. and Jack Ruckert started all three games in the series against Mississippi State last weekend.
Though the team came up short in all three games, the freshman have helped lead a resurgence.
“The last five games offensively is the best that we’ve played in a long, long time,” head coach Jay Johnson said.
The freshmen need to keep playing their game for the team to be able to have a sharp turn around and make the NCAA tournament. In particular, Braun and Serna keeping their bats hot is imperative.
The two combined for eight RBI over the weekend, and Serna maintains a five game RBI streak. They also combined to bat .555 in those three games at Mississippi State.
If they can keep their bats hot in the last three SEC series of the year, there’s a chance LSU makes an unforgettable comeback and gets into the tournament. Help needs to come from more than just those two, though.
Patrick is someone who has shown he’s ready to step up. He’s an athletic beast with elite speed on the basepaths and in the field, and his bat is catching the heat too, knocking four RBI in the last five games.
Ruckert came alive Tuesday against Southeastern, hitting two doubles that went for two RBI and he also drew a walk. The pieces are coming together for the young guys at the same time.
“We’re kind of just building off each other and being super happy for other guys’ success,” Ruckert said. “It’s been awesome to see Omar and Mason and William — I mean, the list goes on and on — do great.”
While much of the success is already being looked at as something to build on for next year, no one in the building is overlooking the final 10 games of the year and the chance to run the table.
“We don’t feel good about our record and where we’re at in the immediate in the 2026 season,” Johnson said. “But it’s not over yet.”
The young guys on the pitching staff are living that message as well.
Marcos Paz will be making his second SEC start Saturday. His first came in the finale of the Mississippi State series, where he put up zeroes in the first and third, but gave up a three-run home run to a red-hot Ace Reese in the second.
Johnson talked Tuesday about how happy he was with Paz bouncing back from the two-out homer. He said Paz took accountability and recognized what went wrong with the pitch execution before Johnson or pitching coach Nate Yeskie could say anything.
Paz is sporting a confidence that is not found everywhere on the team. That’s part of what is setting these freshmen apart from the crowd.
Reagan Ricken is having a lot of volatility in his starts, but earned one Tuesday from his best SEC performance yet, which took place on Sunday.
“He started the game tonight because he got Ace Reese and [Noah] Sullivan out, which nobody did all weekend,” Johnson said. “I promised him, if he got ‘em out when I put him in the game, that I would start him tonight.”
That Tuesday start didn’t go well, but there’s now precedent for positive showings in high leverage situations.
The future is now. The freshmen seeing 27 innings of action a weekend are putting every ounce of energy into making something of this season. That success is all they want.
“When I put this logo on my chest, it just means everything to me,” Ruckert said. “It makes it that much easier going out there for however long and just trying to get better, because ultimately, I want to bring a title back here.”
