LSU Baseball Takes 4-Game Texas Trip For Big Competition In Prime Recruiting Spot

GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

Coach Jay Johnson loves to play in Texas, a state he recruited in his old job at Arizona and his present one at LSU.

The Tigers have eight players on their roster from Texas, including four highly recruited freshmen – catcher Cade Arrambide of Tomball, pitcher Casan Evans of Houston, left-handed pitcher Cooper Williams of Alvin (Nolan Ryan’s hometown) and infielder David Hogg II of Mansfield.

There are are also three transfers in junior infielder Tanner Reaves of Bonham via Blinn College in Brenham, senior infielder/outfielder/left-handed pitcher Dalton Beck of Frisco via Incarnate Word in San Antonio, and junior pitcher Connor Benge of Montgomery via Dallas Baptist

The other Texas transplant is redshirt sophomore and weekend starting pitcher Chase Shores of Midland.

LSU PITCHER GAVIN GUIDRY SIDELINED

The No. 2 Tigers (7-1) play No. 17 Dallas Baptist (6-1) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Arlington’s 40,300-seat Globe Life Field, home of the 2023 world champion Texas Rangers and former LSU infielder Josh Smith of Baton Rouge. The game will be streamed on FloSports.

LSU junior left-hander Connor Ware (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 innings, 2 strikeouts, 1 walk) will start against junior right-hander Ryan Borberg (0-0, 3.00 ERA, 3 innings, 4 strikeouts, 0 walks) in the first-ever LSU-Dallas Baptist meeting.

“Just looking at our roster, we recruit really well in the state of Texas,” Johnson said. “And I want to continue to do that. I think playing in Texas helps us do that.”

LSU will play three games this weekend at 7,748-seat Riders Field in Frisco, which is 42 miles north of Arlington and home of the Double-A Texas League Frisco Rough Riders. LSU plays Kansas State at 2 p.m. Friday at Riders, then Nebraska at 4 p.m. Saturday and Sam Houston State at 4 p.m. Sunday.

“It’s a good trip for our team,” Johnson said. “DBU is always a good team on the schedule to help RPI (Ratings Percentage Index). Book ’em for 45 wins. That’s a team that hopefully we’ll play in a Super Regional-type atmosphere or Omaha. We wanted to get tested that way. They have big arms. They have big bats.”

The Patriots have reached the NCAA postseason 13 times from 2008-24 and advanced to Super Regionals in 2011 and ’21.

LSU freshman left fielder Derek Curiel leads the Tigers with a .414 batting average and has seven RBIs and one home run. Junior first baseman Jared Jones is hitting .400 with two home runs and 12 RBIs.