LSU Closer In The Making? Casan Evans Wins SEC Co-Freshman Of Week

GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

LSU baseball coach Jay Johnson is a man with options.

That was clear as the No. 1 Tigers swept four games in Texas last week.

Freshman right-hander Casan Evans of St. Pius High in Houston looked like a possible closer. He earned a save Dallas Baptist last Wednesday as he pitched the eighth and the ninth, striking out two and allowing no runs, hits or walks in 22 pitches.

Then two days later, he again closed by pitching the ninth and 10th and got an 8-5 win over Kansas State. Evans allowed three hits with one walk, but he allowed no runs and struck out three on 33 pitches. He is 1-0 on the season with a 0.00 ERA through four appearances and eight innings and has struck out 14 with two walks.

And Evans has just been named the Southeastern Conference co-freshman of the week along with Auburn second baseman Chris Rembert, who hit .385 in four wins last week.

Evans, like fellow highly recruited freshman William Schmidt of Catholic High in Baton Rouge, might be in the starting rotation at other programs. But Johnson is looking at each in key relief roles now and some spot starting.

Schmidt is 1-0 on the season with a 1.08 ERA through three appearances and eight and a third innings with one start. He has eight strikeouts and one walk on the season. Schmidt’s start came against Nicholls State on Monday, Feb. 24. He allowed five hits and one earned run through four and two-thirds innings on 60 pitches with three strikeouts and no walks. Schmidt last pitched on Saturday in the 11-6 win over Nebraska. He threw a hitless ninth inning on 15 pitches, striking out one and walking one.

“Those two will do it (start on the weekend) at some point here,” Johnson said before the season. “I just don’t know the timetable. One may be a mid-week starter or high-leverage bullpen this year. One of our best guys is always going to be looming in the pen. I’ll be praying for their health because they might be two top 15 picks in 2027. Evans is up to 99 with a big-time changeup. Schmidt’s like 97 or 98.”

LSU (11-1) is scheduled to play North Dakota State (1-9) at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, weather permitting, and again on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.