GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU baseball coach Jay Johnson is prone to a little hyperbole when discussing his players.
On Sunday after his No. 4 Tigers 10-run ruled defending national champion and No. 5 Tennessee, 12-2 in eight innings, in their biggest win of the season to take the three-game series, 2-1, Johnson was basically in an “I LOVE YOU, MAN,” mood, right out of “Wayne’s World.”
The series win did move LSU (36-9, 14-7 Southeastern Conference) to No. 2 in the nation on Monday in the D1 Baseball and Baseball America polls behind only SEC leader Texas (37-5, 19-2 SEC). The Tigers, who host Southeastern Louisiana (33-11, 18-6 Southland Conference) at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, also moved into a tie for second place in the SEC with Arkansas (37-9, 14-7), which will be at LSU on May 9-11.
When Voice of LSU Baseball Chris Blair asked Johnson on the postgame radio show about his Sunday pitchers Casan Evans and Zac Cowan, Johnson beamed, “Outside of Maureen Johnson, who is my wife, probably the two most important people in my life.”
Wow! And both just got here. Evans is a freshman from St. Pius X High in Houston, and Cowan transferred in from Wofford in Spartanburg, South Carolina. They have easily been LSU’s best two relievers this season, and Evans showed he can be a starter as well on Sunday.
CASAN EVANS WILL START AND RELIEVE FROM NOW ON THIS SEASON
And if you have seen the rest of LSU’s bullpen pitchers and their propensity to walk batters and give up runs, you may understand Johnson’s love.
Freshman William Schmidt, who was more highly touted coming in than Evans, has walked 17 in all over 27 and a third innings, for example, and has a 22.50 ERA in SEC games. Freshman Mavrick Rizy has walked 15 in 19 and two-thirds innings and has a 5.40 ERA in the SEC. Jacob Mayers has walked 15 in just nine and two-thirds innings and has a 10.12 SEC ERA.
Connor Benge has walked 13 in 16 innings with an 11.81 SEC ERA. Conner Ware has walked 13 in 19 and a third innings with a 4.66 ERA in all games. Cooper Williams has walked eight in 11 and a third innings with a 7.71 SEC ERA. And DJ Primeaux has walked six in 11 and a third innings with 5.79 SEC ERA.
WHY DID JAY JOHNSON SUDDENLY START CASAN EVANS?
Evans (3-0, 1.09 ERA, 6 saves) got the win Sunday in his first collegiate start as he held one of the best offenses in the nation in Tennessee to two runs on six hits over six innings with six strikeouts and zero walks. He has walked only nine in 33 innings with 47 strikeouts and has held opponents to a .203 batting average.
“He’s going to pitch on Friday nights, no question about that,” Johnson continued on with Blair on the postgame show.
Now, he wasn’t talking about this Friday night when LSU plays at Texas A&M (24-19, 8-13 SEC) at 6 p.m. to open a three-game series. Sophomore left-hander Kade Anderson (6-1, 3.76 ERA, 102 strikeouts, 16 walks, 64 and two-thirds innings, .224 opponent batting average) will remain the ace.
Johnson was talking about Evans’ future as a Friday night starter, which might not happen until 2027, but who knows? Maybe later this season or next.
Evans’ immediate future will feature him continuing to be a short reliever and a starter. In other words, if he is not needed in the first two games of a weekend series or only throws a small number of pitches in one or both, then he will start Sunday.
“We’ll see,” Johnson said. “Where we’re at on the schedule changes things.”
Pitchers can be extended into games more now.
If Evans relieves a lot in the first one or two games, he will not start Sunday. In that situation, the left-handed Ware (4-1, 4.66 ERA, 22 strikeouts, 13 walks, 19 and a third innings, .159 opponent batting average) will likely start game three. In SEC games, Ware is 3-1 with a 2.84 ERA along with five walks, seven strikeouts and a .136 opponent batting average.
ZAC COWAN IS JAY JOHNSON’S SERENDIPITOUS PITCHER
Cowan (2-0, 1.12 ERA, 6 saves) replaced Evans in the seventh Sunday and shut out the vaunted Vols over two innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out two. He has only seven walks in 40 innings with 49 strikeouts and has limited opponents to a .179 average.
When Evans met with reporters after Sunday’s game, one told him what Johnson had just said about his importance ranking in Johnson’s life next to his wife.
“I mean, it’s pretty cool that he says that,” Evans said amid laughs. “I don’t know how true that is. But the fact that he said that puts a lot of love in my heart for him.”
Asked where Johnson ranks with Evans, who is not married, said, “He’s up there. He’s probably top three. I got God, my family and then him.”
When told where he ranks on Evans’ importance barometer, Johnson said, “That makes me feel very good. Those two are special. They’re really special. I know there has been some great players that have come through this place. At least for the starting points of their career, they’re up there.”
But Johnson was not done spreading the love. When he noticed old friend Eric Sorenson of D1 Baseball in the media audience when Sorenson tried to ask a question, Johnson didn’t say, “I love you, man,” but almost. Sorenson covered Johnson in his previous coaching jobs at Arizona and Nevada and as an associate head coach at the University of San Diego
“Eric Sorenson! Give me a hug! What’s going on? Crazy Californian,” Johnson said before Sorenson could get his question out. And they did hug.
After an offensive slump and bullpen woes that contributed to six losses in 10 games before Sunday, LSU and Johnson now appear to be on their way.
Or as Sorenson said after the hug, “Caught you on a good day, I guess.”
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