LSU Baseball May Be Near NCAA Elimination, But It’s Still Standing Entering Critical Georgia Series

By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

Sure, No. 5-ranked Georgia (38-11) leads the nation in home runs with 131 and 2.6 a game and is in first place in the Southeastern Conference by two games at 18-6 and has double the amount of league wins as LSU at 9-15.

But LSU coach Jay Johnson has been dodging landmines and talking to doctors about his wounded all season. And just when he likely needs four wins over his final six SEC regular season games to have a chance to reach the NCAA postseason, he and his team have touched down in Athens, Georgia, to play easily the best team on his schedule.

First pitch Friday is at 5 p.m. on SEC Network+ with the Saturday and Sunday games at 6 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively, on the SEC Network.

LSU Finally Stopped Playing Scared. That Is Why The Tigers Still Have A Shot

So when asked why he thinks his team can seize this RPI opportunity the way the Union burned Atlanta in the Civil War in 1864, his attitude was basically … bring it. Or light it. LSU enters the series with a 55 RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) to Georgia’s 16.

“I think we’ve taken the bullets,” Johnson said Wednesday less than a week after finally ending a spray of nine straight SEC losses. “Been dragged through the mud.”

Of Mississippi. The first trilogy of losses was in Oxford – the last in Starkville with an invasion of Aggies in between.

“Had our head stepped on – all of those things,” Johnson continued like a general. “And we’re still alive. Who is the best soldier? The best soldier is the one who’s not afraid to be killed.”

OK, hold on now. As Skip Bertman liked to say, “It’s just a baseball game.”

“There are not many programs that could withstand all of that and have important baseball with six to play.”
– Jay Johnson:https://t.co/2mn6XfdAfy

— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) May 6, 2026

What Johnson means is his team has been through just about everything and has lost its best player in power hitter Jake Brown. And its best pitcher from last season – Casan Evans – has missed his last two starts and is questionable for this weekend. The Tigers’ No. 2 starter this season – Cooper Moore – was lost for the season in March. And another top player from last season – outfielder Chris Stanfield – has battled injuries all season.

So amidst the scars comes hardened skin long removed from that pristine No. 1 ranking and 8-0 and 11-1 starts from more than two months ago.

“We’ve been a little banged up,” said LSU sophomore catcher Cade Arrambide, who has 15 home runs on the season with 41 RBIs and is second on the team in batting average at .333 behind Derek Curiel’s .338.

Two freshman have emerged just in the last few weeks amid the injuries to be third and fifth in average in Omar Serna Jr. at .319 with seven home runs, nine doubles and 34 RBIs and Mason Braun at .300 with three homers, seven doubles and 19 RBIs.

“There’s no pressure on them,” Arrambide said of the youth movement.

LSU youth movement went Fab-U-Lously in nightcap for doubleheader sweep.https://t.co/1KDLWcrA9M

— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) May 3, 2026

“We’ve actually played better after some of the injuries with the new pieces in there,” Johnson said. “There’s literally nothing to be afraid of.”

Well, the pitchers may be a little afraid. Foley Field tends to give up a lot of mortar shots. And even though Georgia just lost slugger Henry Allen (.321, 13 homers, 41 RBIs, .635 slugging percentage, .443 on-base average) to a knee injury last week, the Bulldogs still have five guys with 15 or more home runs.

Those are Daniel Jackson with 23 homers and 67 RBIs, Tre Phelps with 17 and 47 RBIs, Brennan Hudson with 16 and 38, Michael O’Shaughnessy with 15 and 42 and Kolby Branch with 15 and 46.

“So, go in there with guns blazing and a lot of confidence and play,” Johnson said. “And if it’s good enough, it’ll be good enough. If it’s not, it’s won’t. You have no choice. We’re playing good right now. Teams playing the best usually win.”

LSU has won five straight.

But Georgia has won six straight.

And if LSU just survives this weekend with one win very valuable RPI win out of three, it will still be standing, but still needing a sweep of No. 21 Florida next weekend in Alex Box to finish 13-17 in the SEC and improve the RPI.

“There are not many programs that can withstand all of that and have important baseball with six to play,” Johnson said. “They should be complimented for that, regardless of how this ends.”

WEEKEND STARTING PITCHERS

FRIDAY – Sophomore right-hander William Schmidt (5-4, 3.90 ERA, 60 innings, 26 walks, 79 strikeouts), LSU, vs. junior right-hander Joey Volchko (7-2, 3.63 ERA, 62 innings, 32 walks, 76 strikeouts).

SATURDAY – Freshman right-hander Marcos Paz (1-2, 6.08 ERA, 23.2 innings, 19 walks, 34 strikeouts), LSU, vs. junior right-hander Dylan Vigue (4-1, 2.35 ERA, 46 innings, 25 walks, 56 strikeouts).

SUNDAY – If healthy, sophomore right-hander Casan Evans (2-2, 5.47 ERA, 52.2 innings, 26 walks, 76 strikeouts) vs. To Be Announced. Or if not used a lot in relief on Friday and/or Saturday, senior right-hander Zac Cowan (3-3, 3.63 ERA, 34.2 innings, 9 walks, 44 strikeouts), LSU.