Tigers Sweep North Alabama

And now: conference play

Over the weekend the LSU baseball team (16-1) did what any national title contender would do and comfortably swept a clearly overmatched North Alabama team in the final weekend before SEC play begins.

Friday

LSU blasted six home runs in the series opener to run rule the Lions 13-2. Luis Hernandez, Daniel Dickinson, Steven Milam, Tanner Reaves and both Pearson brothers all went deep in Friday night’s game. It was the most home runs LSU’s hit in a single game since the opening game against Kentucky in the 2023 Baton Rouge Super Regional.

“We had some really good quality baseball swings tonight,” Jay Johnson said. “We’ve got some strong guys that are seeing the ball well; they’re staying in a good plan right now and hitting the ball really hard, which is awesome to see.”

Kade Anderson once again got the Friday night start and had his best outing to date. Anderson pitched a career-best six innings and limited North Alabama to one run on four hits and had 11 strikeouts versus no walks.

“Kade is just very reliable in terms of strikes, in terms of competitive nature, in terms of keeping things on the rails,” Johnson said. “He just keeps getting better every time; he had a good night, and I thought his stuff was really sharp.”

Saturday

After a rough first inning, Anthony Eyanson ended up channeling his inner Ty Floyd and struck out 15 Lions in Saturday’s game two win. LSU won 6-2.

“I’m really proud of Anthony; he had some adversity in the first inning, but I felt like he started the game over from the sixth hitter on,” Johnson said. “It was impossible to deal with if you’re an offense, because he was throwing four pitches for strikes, throwing what he wanted to when he wanted to, and changing speeds.

“I’m really proud of him for hanging in there and minimizing the damage in the first inning.”

Eyanson gave up two runs in the first inning but responded in a big way by striking out seven straight batters. The final line on Eyanson read: 7 IP, 15 Ks, two runs, two hits, and two walks.

Zac Cowan was credited with the six-out save, his first of the season. Cowan pitched the final two innings of Saturday’s game and struck out five of the seven batters he faced. If you’re keeping score, that adds up to 20 combined strikeouts by Eyanson and Cowan.

Jared Jones missed out on Friday night’s’ home run derby, so instead he had a solo show at the plate going 3-4 with a pair of doubles and a two-run shot to left in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Sunday

Chase Shores improved to 4-0 on the year as the sophomore pitched five innings, giving up a pair of earned runs, nine hits, and four strikeouts against two walks as the Tigers completed the sweep 11-5.

After Shores exited the game in the fifth inning, LSU used Connor Benge, Jaden Noot, Cooper Williams, and Chandler Dorsey who all each pitched an inning. Their combined effort was more good than bad. On the one hand, North Alabama wouldn’t get a base hit until the ninth inning, but on the other all the relievers aside from Noot issued at least one walk. As a whole, LSU pitching on Sunday had a 2:1 ratio of strikeouts to walks: 12 Ks versus 6 BBs.

Josh Pearson had the highlight of the day as the senior, starting in left field, launched LSU’s first grand slam of the 2025 season in the sixth inning. It was Pearson’s second homer of the weekend and, more importantly, launched the grand slam with two outs.

Pearson’s granny was one of three home runs launched by LSU in Sunday’s series finale. Bear Jones went deep for the sixth time this season, and Steven Milam homered in the fourth inning.

Derek Curiel got the nod at DH on Sunday and while he was officially 0-1 at the plate, the freshman sensation drew three walks, scored a pair of runs, and drove in another. Jake Brown also had a good day at the plate going 2-3 with an RBI and scored a run.

A pair of errors late in the contest made Sunday’s game closer than it ought to have been. Mikey Ryan was inserted into the game at shortstop in the eighth inning and committed a fielding error that eventually led to North Alabama’s third run of the game; then, in the ninth inning, Michael Braswell subbed in for Ryan and he also committed an error that North Alabama was able to convert into its fourth run of the game.

Chandler Dorsey, who pitched the ninth inning, threw a wild pitch that advanced a UNA runner to third base, and that runner came home on a single to left field. Neither of the two runs given up by Dorsey were charged to him.

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Aside from one off day against Omaha, LSU’s gotten through its non-conference schedule unscathed. The Tigers, winners of 11 straight games, have its longest win streak since the 2023 national championship season, but now the real season begins. SEC kicks off this weekend and LSU, after a midweek game against Xavier this Tuesday, will open league play at home against Missouri. All four games this week may be streamed via SEC Network+.