GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
So much for LSU not being battled tested enough against strong competition going into its series at No. 5 Texas.
The No. 2 Tigers, whose schedule was ranked 290th in the nation this week while its RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) was at No. 53, dominated No. 17 RPI Texas, 8-2, Friday night on 13 hits after the Longhorns came in with the No. 141 schedule.
The Tigers (22-1, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) now have wins over three teams with winning records – No. 15 Dallas Baptist, Kansas State and Texas – of the 14 they played so far, including the SEC’s Missouri (8-12, 0-4) last week. LSU did have two 2025 non-conference opponents – a power five school and a top flight mid-major program – beg out of games with the Tigers last fall.
It doesn’t matter now, as LSU plays in the nation’s best conference the rest of this weekend and eight more before the post season. The SEC currently has 11 of its 16 teams ranked in the D1Baseball poll with five LSU foes after Texas – No. 10 Oklahoma (April 3-5 away), No. 20 Auburn (April 11-13 away), No. 12 Alabama (April 17-19 home), No. 1 Tennessee (April 25-27 home) and No. 3 Arkansas (May 9-11 home).
The Tigers and Longhorns play the second game of the series at 6 p.m. Saturday with the series finale at 2 p.m. Sunday. Both will be on SEC Network+.
LSU won their 17th in a row and made it look easy in front of 6,838 at Disch-Falk Field. LSU also won for just the fourth time in history in Austin after coming in with a 3-17-1 record.
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“The guys did a great job setting the table, and they did a good job executing,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “So I think it was just a really, very well played game by our team. It was a good game between two great teams in a great environment. I thought our offense did a good job early in the game competing, and then we were able to bust it open in the seventh inning.”
After spotting the Longhorns (17-3, 3-1 SEC) a 1-0 lead in the third, the Tigers responded with a two-run home run by Luis Hernandez in the top of the fourth for a 2-1 lead off Texas starter Jared Spencer, who was a teammate of Hernandez at Indiana State.
Josh Pearson walked to lead off the fourth against Spencer, who took the loss to fall to 2-1 on the season. It was Hernandez’ second home run this year, and he finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs. All Tiger starters hit safely.
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After the Tigers upped their lead to 3-1 lead in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Josh Pearson, Hernandez struck again with a two-out RBI single for a 4-1 advantage. Daniel Dickinson led off the fifth with a single, and Ethan Frey followed with a single. Steven Milam bunt sacrificed each up a base.
Ryan Galvin homered off LSU starter Kade Anderson to cut the Tigers’ lead to 4-2 in the sixth, but the Longhorns would never get closer.
The Tigers scored four in the seventh off reliever Andre Duplantier II for an 8-2 lead to put the game away. Milam started the rally with a lead-off single. After one out, Hernandez singled Milam to third. Michael Braswell III’s bunt single put LSU up 5-2. Chris Stanfield’s double down the left-field line pushed it to 6-2. Jared Jones two-RBI single to right field made it 8-2.
Anderson allowed seven hits, but just two earned runs and zero walks with eight strikeouts for the win to go to 5-0. He threw a career-high 101 pitches.
LSU reliever Zac Cowan roared through the final three innings, allowing one hit and no walks in three innings with three strikeouts for his second save of the season.
“Kade and Zac both did a great job of pounding the zone with all of their pitches,” Johnson said. “They’re hard to deal with because they change speeds so well, and they locate. They really know what they’re doing, and they both did a great job tonight.”
WEEKEND STARTING PITCHERS
SATURDAY – Junior right-hander Anthony Eyanson (3-0, 3.90 ERA, 27 and two-thirds innings, 40 strikeouts, 6 walks), LSU, vs. junior left-hander Luke Harrison (2-0, 2.08 ERA, 21 and two-thirds innings, 24 strikeouts, 10 walks).
SUNDAY – Sophomore right-hander Chase Shores (4-0, 3.80 ERA, 23 and two-thirds innings, 27 strikeouts, 20 walks), LSU, vs. To Be Announced.
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