Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., had some trappings of a summer showdown Saturday with gold uniforms and high 80s weather, but for LSU it was just a final tune-up six days ahead of Opening Day.
Chase Shores, pitching at nearly 100 mph, appeared poised a possible starter, while right-hander William Schmidt, clocking up to 95 mph for two innings, looked more like a bullpen prospect. Both pitchers, whose stuff would have been rare a decade ago, faced some early challenges.
Shores opened the game and encountered a steady stream of quality at-bats. Tanner Reaves put a two-strike single down the right side, followed by Cade Arrambide drawing a walk. Ethan Frey then hammered a double high off the wall in right center before Ashton Larson singled with two strikes. Shores maintained impressive velocity throughout but only managed to quiet the lineup by retiring Ryan Costello on a fastball and then John Pearson on his best slider of the night.
Kade Anderson appears slated for Friday’s starting role with Shores likely on the mound Saturday.
Schmidt, meanwhile, gave up consecutive homers—one by Derek Curiel, a liner into the right-field third row on a 94 mph fastball, and another by Jared Jones, a towering shot over the left-field bleachers. The talented freshman battled command issues, issuing multiple walks and allowing runners to advance on wild pitches. He also hit Josh Pearson in the foot with a slider, though his bright spot came when he fanned Jones on a fastball at strike three.
Despite Schmidt’s raw talent, his role isn’t being rushed into the starting rotation or bullpen due to the depth present on the LSU staff, giving Nate Yeskie and Jay Johnson ample opportunity to ease him in.
In the scrimmage, Jones accounted for two homers while Jake Brown added another.
Brown, now getting his first-team reps in right field alongside Chris Stanfield and Curiel, is emerging as an intriguing piece for the 2025 roster. With his athleticism now devoted solely to hitting and defense -after a challenging season at the plate last year – there’s optimism he’ll make significant strides. Last season he batted .143, connecting in only three of 21 at bats, but increased strength and power suggest improvements on the horizon.
STATS FROM TODAY'S SCRIMMAGE:
— LSU Baseball Data (@LSUBaseballData) February 8, 2025
Jake Brown 3-4, HR, 2 RBI
Ethan Frey 2-3, 3B, 3 RBI
Jared Jones 2-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI
Derek Curiel 1-3, HR, 2 BB
Chandler Dorsey 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Grant Fontenot 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Cooper Williams 1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 2 K's
Defensively, catcher showed some growing pains. Arrambide, known for his offensive ability, has room for improvement in blocking and deadening balls in front of him. Even though the catchers now face fastballs in the mid-to-upper 90s and crisp sliders – a far cry from high school levels – Arrambide has a month to refine his technique before SEC play begins. He is expected to handle catching duties in some SEC games. On the infield, while a final decision hasn’t been made for the left side, both Michael Braswell and Steven Milam have impressed defensively. Experts lean toward Milam retaining the shortstop job on Opening Day unless his performance declines significantly.
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