LSU Opens 2025 with a 14-0 Win

A two touchdown win in the season opener

The 2025 baseball season began about as perfectly as one could have hoped for as the Tigers opened the year with a 14-0 win over Purdue Fort Wayne Friday afternoon.

Sophomore lefty Kade Anderson assumed the role as the Friday starter and his first outing was virtually perfect. Anderson went five innings and only gave up four hits while striking out versus one walk. Anderson threw 83 total pitches and lived in the strike zone, with 53 of the 83 going for strikes.

“Kade performed exactly as you would want your Friday night starter to pitch,” Jay Johnson said. “He threw strikes and executed his pitches and we were able to keep his pitch load at a manageable level.”

The LSU staff as a whole was excellent Friday, as the unit combined for 17 strikeouts which is the most on record for an Opening Day. Relievers Kasan Evans, Jacob Mayers, and Cooper Williams pitched the final four innings of the game and the trio was perfect, retiring all 18 batters they faced.

LSU scored in all but one inning, including putting up five runs in the first. Auburn transfer/starting centerfielder Chris Stanfield got the Tiger offense going in a big way with a leadoff triple and was brought home thanks to a throwing error by Purdue Fort Wayne during Jared Jones’ first AB of the season.

Stanfield also made a great play in center in the top of the fifth inning to erase what could have been a scoring opportunity for Purdue Fort Wayne.

Utah Valley transfer Daniel Dickinson’s first two hits as an LSU Tiger scored four total runs and the projected first round pick went 3-4 with a double and five RBI in his debut.

Speaking of debuts, true freshman Derek Curiel got the start in left field and batted second in the lineup. He went 2-4 in his first ever collegiate baseball game highlighted by a beautiful bunt single for his first hit.

Josh Pearson got the start at DH and reached base three times—a double and two walks—while his younger brother John replaced Michael Braswell at third late in the game and hit an RBI double in his first ever collegiate at bat. The Pearson brothers combined to drive in three runs.

Jay Johnson is known to tinker with the lineup early on in the season, and with the opener being so lopsided he was able to use a total of 20 different position players, including three different catchers. Luis Hernandez got the start behind the plate and was swapped for true freshman Cade Arrambide in the sixth inning; Arramabide would then be replaced by Blaise Priester in the ninth.

“I am very pleased with the effort and energy of out team today,” Johnson said. “They have put in a tremendous amount of work in order to get ready for this season, and it was evident today.”

First pitch for game two of the Purdue Fort Wayne series was moved up to 11 A.M. due to projected storms in the area. The game may be streamed via SEC Network+.