LSU Baseball Picked To Win SEC And Lands Most Players On All-SEC 1st Team With 3

TIGER RAG NEWS SERVICES

The defending national champion LSU baseball team was picked to win the Southeastern Conference regular season title in 2026, and the Tigers put the most players on the All-SEC preseason first team with three, according to the 16 league coaches’ poll released Thursday by the SEC office.

LSU received nine first place votes to win the league crown, which the Tigers have not done since 2017 when then-coach Paul Mainieri won his third in six years. LSU finished tied for third in the SEC last season at 19-11 with Vanderbilt behind league champion Texas (22-8) and Arkansas (20-10).

“I will never say anything about the last staff and how they did things, because it doesn’t mean our way’s better or worse. #Itsjustdifferent.” … Lane Kiffin yesterday. https://t.co/iAnLxb9gJT

— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) February 5, 2026

Texas was predicted to finish second overall in the standings, followed by Mississippi State, Arkansas, Auburn, Tennessee, Florida, Vanderbilt, Georgia, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Alabama, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Missouri.

The Tigers, who return a solid nucleus from their 53-15 that won the national title for the second time in three years under coach Jay Johnson last season, put sophomore center fielder Derek Curiel, sophomore pitcher Casan Evans and senior pitcher Zac Cowan on the All-SEC first team.

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LSU junior right fielder Jake Brown and junior shortstop Steven Milam made the All-SEC second team, giving LSU five preseason All-Conference players. Texas also had five.

Curiel, a product of West Covina, Calif., was voted the 2025 National Freshman of the Year by D1Baseball.com after a superb rookie season in which he helped lead LSU to the NCAA National Championship. A 2025 second team All-American, first team Freshman All-America, second team All-SEC selection and first-year SEC Academic Honor Roll member, he hit a team-high .345 with 20 doubles, two triples, seven homers, 55 RBI and 67 runs. Curiel was named to the College World Series All-Tournament Team after collecting six hits, three RBIs and three runs in LSU’s five CWS games. He hit a team-high .571 in the Tigers’ NCAA Super Regional sweep of West Virginia with one double, one homer, five RBIs and six runs.

Did You Know LSU Pitcher Casan Evans Wanted To Be A 2-Way Player With The Tigers?

Evans, a native of Houston, earned 2025 third team All-America and first team freshman All-America recognition, as he posted a 5-1 mark with 2.05 ERA and seven saves in 19 appearances (3 starts). He worked 52.2 innings, recording 19 walks, 71 strikeouts and a .228 opponent batting average.

Cowan, a native of Blythewood, South Carolina, was a 2025 first team All-SEC selection, as he recorded a 3-3 mark, six saves and a 2.94 ERA in 22 appearances (two starts). He worked 52 innings with 12 walks, 60 strikeouts and a .226 opponent batting average.

Milam, who is from Las Cruces, New Mexico, was named to the 2025 College World Series All-Tournament Team, hitting .350 (7-for-20) in five games with two doubles, two RBI and four runs.

Brown, a native of Sulphur, played in 64 games last season, hitting .320 (57-for-178) with nine doubles, two triples, eight homers, 48 RBIs and 45 runs. He was named to 2025 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team with a 3.68 GPA as a sport administration major.

2026 SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. LSU (9 first place votes) – 231
2. Texas (1) – 214
3. Mississippi State (4) – 205
4. Arkansas (2) – 203
5. Auburn – 175
6. Tennessee – 162
7. Florida – 156
8. Vanderbilt – 151
9. Georgia – 133
10. Ole Miss – 110
11. Kentucky – 99
12. Alabama – 87
13. Texas A&M – 86
14. Oklahoma – 84
15. South Carolina – 49
16. Missouri – 31

2026 Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team
First Team
C: Ryder Helfrick, Arkansas
1B: Gavin Grahovac, Texas A&M
2B: Chris Rembert, Auburn
2B: Camden Kozeal, Arkansas
3B: Ace Reese, Mississippi State
SS: Justin Lebron, Alabama
SS: Tyler Bell, Kentucky
OF: Derek Curiel, LSU
OF: Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M
OF: Henry Ford, Tennessee
DH/Util.: Noah Sullivan, Mississippi State
SP: Hunter Elliott, Ole Miss
SP: Casan Evans, LSU
SP: Liam Peterson, Florida
SP: Dylan Volantis, Texas
RP: Zac Cowan, LSU
RP: Brandon Arvidson, Tennessee
RP: Luke McNeillie, Florida

Second Team
C: Chase Fralick, Auburn
C: Carson Tinney, Texas
1B: Levi Clark, Tennessee
1B: Will Furniss, Ole Miss
2B: Ethan Mendoza, Texas
3B: Brendan Lawson, Florida
SS: Steven Milam, LSU
OF: Kuhio Aloy, Arkansas
OF: Bub Terrell, Auburn
OF: Jake Brown, LSU
DH/Util: Braden Holcomb, Vanderbilt
SP: Gabe Gaeckle, Arkansas
SP: Connor Fennell, Vanderbilt
SP: Ben Cleaver, Kentucky
SP: Aidan King, Florida