By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
The LSU baseball team hit well enough to win Thursday night against No. 19 Florida as it put up 12 hits to eight in front of 10,553 at Alex Box Stadium.
That included eight hits and four runs in five and a third innings off Florida ace Aidan King, who still improved to 8-2 on the season as he walked zero and struck out seven.
But offense is only part of the game, and the Tigers lost, 11-8, as six of LSU’s seven pitchers walked 13 batters, hit two other batters and threw two wild pitches.
“Yeah, I’m counting it up, 13 walks, and two hit batsman and two wild pitches,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “They’re a good offense. They have good players, and you can’t give them an equivalent of four runs by never swinging the bat with 17 free bases.”
LSU has been playing baseball in the SEC since 1933 and just lost its 19th league game – the most in school history.https://t.co/A8t8DsqPoz
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) May 15, 2026
LSU (29-25, 9-19 Southeastern Conference) lost its fourth straight game and set a school record for SEC losses in a season with the 19th.
The good news is Johnson and pitching coach Nate Yeskie treated this game much like a mid-week game as they used only one of their top shelf pitchers. Danny Lachenmayer (2-1) took the loss after allowing a grand slam in the first inning to Ethan Surowiec and giving up six runs in all on four hits with three walks in his first weekend start of the season.
Freshman Reagan Ricken threw for the first time since April 28 and was the only pitcher not to walk anyone, and he struck out five in four and a third innings. But he allowed two runs on four hits. Cooper Williams pitched for the first time since May 5 and walked two in a third of an inning.
Connor Benge pitched for the first time since April 25 and allowed two runs and a walk in an inning and a third. DJ Primeaux pitched for the first time since March 31 and only the fourth time this season, and he walked two in a third of an inning.
Mavrick Rizy was the only pitcher usually used on weekends who pitched Thursday, and he did the worst, walking four in one inning and allowing a run. Dax Dathe pitched for the first time since April 26 and walked one in an inning.
“Pleased with the offense,” Johnson said as Steven Milam went 3-for-5 with three RBIs, and Mason Braun, Omar Serna Jr. and Cade Arrambide each had two hits. Milam and Serna each homered.
“If we can just hold people down a little bit, we’re going to win,” Johnson said. “And we’ll eventually get back to doing that at some point.”
That may be next year.
LSU has only two chances left to do that this regular season with the Tigers hosting Florida (35-18, 16-12 SEC) at 6:30 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday.
And the season could be over Tuesday when the Tigers open play in the single-elimination SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama. The only chance LSU has to reach the NCAA postseason is through getting the automatic bid by winning the SEC Tournament. That would mean five wins in six days.
Regular weekend starter William Schmidt (5-4, 4.22 ERA) is expected to start the Tuesday game in Hoover. Freshman right-hander Marcos Paz (1-2, 8.28 ERA) will start Friday against Florida junior right-hander Liam Peterson (1-5, 4.28 ERA). Senior right-hander Zac Cowan (3-3, 4.97 ERA) is LSU’s scheduled starter Saturday against junior right-hander Russell Sandefer (3-2, 4.30 ERA).
Johnson said he plans to get some of his top relievers some work over the next two days – Grant Fontenot (0-2, 3.90 ERA, 3 saves) and Deven Sheerin (3-2, 4.02 ERA, 4 saves) – in addition to starter Casan Evans (2-3, 5.96 ERA, 7 saves last year), who is slated for relief work this weekend before a possible start in Hoover.
“Obviously, some of our better guys did not pitch in the game tonight because we were chasing runs the whole game,” Johnson said. “We’ll look to get them in tomorrow (Friday). I’m talking about Fontenot and Sheerin and Casan obviously. We feel like we have a good plan for these next two days to be able to maybe pitch a little bit better and suppress runs.”
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