LSU is ranked No. 7 in the 2022 USA Today preseason Top 25, marking the Tigers’ fifth Top 10 appearance in a preseason poll.
LSU’s previously released preseason rankings are No. 3 by Collegiate Baseball, No. 4 by Perfect Game, No. 8 by D1 Baseball and No. 10 by Baseball America.
The Tigers have been engaged in preseason training and scrimmages since January 28, and the 2022 season begins at 6:30 p.m. CT on Friday, February 18, when LSU plays host to Maine in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
LSU is one of eight Southeastern Conference teams appearing in the USA Today 2022 preseason Top 25, along with No. 2 Vanderbilt, No. 3 Mississippi State, No. 4 Arkansas, No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 10 Florida, No. 16 Tennessee and No. 17 Georgia.
Texas, who will face LSU on March 5 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, is No. 1 in the USA Today ranking.
2022 USA Today Preseason Top 25
(2021 records in parentheses)
1. Texas (50-17)
2. Vanderbilt (49-18)
3. Mississippi State (50-18)
4. Arkansas (50-13)
5. Stanford (39-17)
6. Mississippi (45-22)
7. LSU (38-25)
8. Oklahoma State (36-19-1)
9. North Carolina State (37-19)
10. Florida (38-22)
11. Notre Dame (34-13)
12. Texas Tech (39-17)
13. East Carolina (44-17)
14. Florida State (31-24)
15. Arizona (45-18)
16. Tennessee (50-18)
17. Georgia (31-25)
18. TCU (41-19)
19. UC Irvine (43-18)
20. Oregon State (37-24)
21. Virginia (36-27)
22. Dallas Baptist (41-18)
23. Georgia Tech (31-25)
24. UCLA (37-20)
25. Duke (33-22)
This poll has 4 SEC and 3 SEC West opponents ranked ahead of LSU, just goes to show you that they didn’t do any homework ranking these teams. Although pitching will be the question mark for this LSU team, the offense should be uber-productive and score enough runs to provide the pitching staff room to grow. LSU will return to the CWS and be a main stay for years to come!