Defending National Champion LSU Baseball Picked No. 1 In Nation By Perfect Game

Tiger Rag News Services

LSU was ranked No. 1 in the 2026 Perfect Game Baseball preseason poll released Thursday, representing the second time in four seasons the Tigers appeared at the top of a preseason poll.

LSU also began the 2023 season ranked No. 1, and the Tigers went on the claim the national championship – the first under coach Jay Johnson and seventh overall. The 2025 Tigers won LSU’s second national championship in three seasons under Johnson and eighth overall after beginning the season ranked No. 2.

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LSU won five national championships under coach Skip Bertman in 1991, ’93, ’96, ’97, and 2000. And Paul Mainieri won the national crown in the 2009 season.

The ’26 season starts on Friday, February 13, when LSU hosts Milwaukee in Alex Box Stadium.

Johnson enters his fifth season with a very talented squad that has 19 returning players and 20 newcomers on its roster.

The Tigers feature seven returning position players with starting experience at LSU, including senior outfielder Chris Stanfield, senior infielder Tanner Reaves, junior shortstop Steven Milam, junior outfielder Jake Brown, sophomore outfielder Derek Curiel, sophomore catcher Cade Arrambide and sophomore infielder John Pearson.

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LSU returns 10 pitchers who threw last year – senior right-hander Zac Cowan, senior right-hander Connor Benge, senior right-hander Grant Fontenot, junior right-hander Gavin Guidry, junior right-hander Jaden Noot, junior left-hander DJ Primeaux, sophomore right-hander Casan Evans, sophomore left-hander Cooper Williams, sophomore right-hander Mavrick Rizy and sophomore right-hander William Schmidt.

“We’re always very intentional about what we do, how we do it, and then helping players take the next step forward,” Johnson said. “What I like so far is how our returning players, like Derek Curiel, Jake Brown, Steven Milam, Chris Stanfield – those guys are leading this team. Zac Cowan, Casan Evans, Cade Arrambide, William Schmidt – there are so many guys returning who played a part in the national championship. And it’s given us a really good foundation of how to work, and how we roll. To see them take pride in that without me having to say a whole lot, that makes me feel really good.”

The 20-player class of newcomers is composed of eight NCAA Division I transfers, one NCAA Division II transfer, two junior college transfers and nine high school signees. Five LSU rookies have been ranked among the Prep Baseball Report Top 100 College Freshmen, and another six appear on the Baseball America list of Top 100 transfers.

LSU is one of nine Southeastern Conference teams in the Perfect Game poll with No. 3 Tennessee, No. 4 Arkansas, No. 6 Mississippi State, No. 8 Texas, No. 10 Auburn, No. 12 Florida, No. 15 Georgia and No. 19 Vanderbilt.

2026 Perfect Game Baseball Preseason Poll

1 LSU
2 Georgia Tech
3 Tennessee
4 Arkansas
5 UCLA
6 Mississippi State
7 Oregon State
8 Texas
9 Florida State
10 Auburn
11 TCU
12 Florida
13 Oregon
14 Virginia
15 Georgia
16 Louisville
17 Coastal Carolina
18 North Carolina
19 Vanderbilt
20 Clemson
21 UC Santa Barbara
22 NC State
23 Southern Miss
24 Miami
25 East Carolina