By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
The LSU baseball team has never lost 19 games in a Southeastern Conference regular season, which began in 1933.
But that could happen when the Tigers (29-24, 9-18 SEC) host No. 19 Florida (34-18, 15-12 SEC) on Thursday through Sunday at Alex Box Stadium to end the 2026 regular season. The series opens at 6:30 p.m. Thursday with game two Friday at 6:30 p.m. and the finale at 2 p.m. Saturday all on SEC Network+.
LSU ties school record for SEC losses in a season with 18 set by 12-34, 6-18 Tigers of 1978. Tigers drop to 29-24, 9-18 w/12-1 loss at Georgia for 4th sweep in last 5 weekends. Goodbye NCAA postseason.https://t.co/BhYmSnNask
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) May 10, 2026
The Tigers tied the school record of 18 SEC losses when they lost their third in a row at No. 5 Georgia on Sunday, 12-1, via the mercy rule after only seven innings. The loss likely sealed the fact that the Tigers will not make the NCAA postseason for the first time since 2011 when they finished 36-20 and 13-17 in the SEC. LSU could still grab the NCAA automatic bid by winning the SEC Tournament on May 19-24 in Hoover, Alabama.
Mercy, would that be a surprise?
Are there mercy rules for a season, by any chance? Because the Tigers have been swept in three-game SEC series an unprecedented four times over the last five weekends.
The last time LSU lost 18 SEC games was in their worst-ever season, based on winning percentage, in 1978. That LSU team finished 12-34 (.282) overall and 6-18 in the SEC in the last year of coach Jim Smith, whose main job was as the football team’s equipment manager. Just three years before, Smith led LSU to the SEC regular season title at 40-16 overall and 19-3 in the league, setting the LSU mark for fewest SEC losses that still stands.
LSU was like Mice against Georgia’s Men. Column:https://t.co/ywDOcGeSLb
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) May 11, 2026
A loss to Florida will give LSU its second dubious record of 2026, a year that began with the Tigers ranked No. 1 in multiple preseason polls after winning the 2025 national championship – the second in three years under Jay Johnson.
The previous record set in this lost season for the Tigers has much to do with why LSU has suffered. The 2026 pitching staff holds the record for wild pitches in a season with 82, which it broke weeks ago, and could still grow with three more games and still at least one more in the SEC Tournament. The previous wild pitch LSU record was 69 set in 2018 and 1999.
Speaking of pitching, unless LSU starter William Schmidt (5-4, 4.22 ERA) wins his start on Thursday or Friday, he will have the least amount of wins for the wins leader on an LSU staff since 2019 when four pitchers tied for the lead with five victories – Eric Walker, Devin Fontenot, Todd Peterson and Landon Marceaux.
Other season records LSU would like to avoid matching or breaking as this season mercifully comes to a close are:
-Worst Earned Run Average – 6.08 in 1981. … 2026 Tigers – 5.49.
-Most Walks Allowed – 292 in 1988. … 2026 Tigers – 262.
-Most Walks Allowed Per Game – 5.22 in 1982. … 2026 Tigers – 4.9.
-Most Runs Allowed Per Game – 6.92 in 1981. … 2026 Tigers – 6.00.
-Most Strikeouts Per Game by LSU hitters – 8.54 in 2021. … 2026 Tigers – 7.84.
-Most Wild Pitches by a Pitcher – 20 by Kurt Ainsworth in 1999 in 130 and a third innings. … 2026 – William Schmidt has 11 in 64 innings.
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