Tiger Rag News Services
LSU outfielder Derek Curiel was named a first team preseason All-American by Perfect Game Wednesday, and pitchers Casan Evans and Zac Cowan made the second and third teams, respectively.
Curiel, a sophomore from West Covina, California, won the 2025 national Freshman of the Year award by D1Baseball.com after helping lead the Tigers to their second national championship in three seasons under coach Jay Johnson.
A second team All-America, first team freshman All-America and second team All-Southeastern Conference selection, Curiel hit a team high .345 with 20 doubles, two triples, seven homers, 55 RBIs and scored 67 runs last season. He was named to the College World Series All-Tournament Team after collecting six hits, three RBIs and three runs scored in LSU’s five CWS games. He hit a team high .571 in the NCAA Super Regional sweep of West Virginia with one double, one homer, five RBIs and six runs scored.
Evans, a right-hander from Houston, Texas, was a third team All-America and first team freshman All-America in 2025 as he went 5-1 mark with a 2.05 ERA and seven saves in 19 appearances and three starts. He worked 52 and two-thirds innings, striking out 71 with 19 walks and a .228 opponent batting average allowed.
He posted and excellent relief outing versus UCLA in the College World Series, earning the win and limiting the Bruins to two runs on four hits in four and a third innings with no walks and five strikeouts. Evans earned the save against Arkansas in LSU’s CWS opener, working an inning with no runs on one hit and one strikeout.
Evans delivered one of the best postseason outings in LSU history on June 2 in the NCAA Regional championship win over Arkansas-Little Rock, allowing one run on four hits in six innings with three walks and a career-best 12 strikeouts.
Cowan, a right-hander from Blythewood, South Carolina, who transferred from Wofford, was a first team All-SEC selection in 2025 as he went 3-3 with six saves and a 2.94 ERA in 22 appearances and two starts. He pitched 52 innings with 12 walks, 60 strikeouts and a .226 opponent batting average given up.
Five of Cowan’s six saves came in SEC regular season games, and he had eight walks and 34 strikeouts in 30.2 league innings. He pitched brilliantly as a starter against Arkansas in Omaha on June 16, working five and a third innings and allowing one run on four hits with no walks and six strikeouts.
LSU opens the 2026 season on Friday, February 13, against Milwaukee in Alex Box Stadium.
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