By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU starting pitcher Casan Evans remains questionable for the Tigers’ situation-critical Southeastern Conference series that begins tonight at No. 5 Georgia with arm soreness.
But one of the Tigers’ best hitters of late – freshman catcher/designated hitter Omar Serna Jr. – is off the injury report after missing Tuesday’s win over Tulane with a back injury and is expected to start tonight (5 p.m., SEC Network+) in Athens.
Serna, the No. 28 high school prospect in the country by Perfect Game and No. 4 catcher out of Lutheran South in Houston, is third on the team in hitting with a .319 average and has seven home runs with 34 RBIs in 44 games and 35 starts. In his last six SEC games, Serna is hitting .500 (13-for-26) with four home runs and 10 RBIs.
“We’ve taken the bullets (9 straight SEC Ls). Been dragged through the (Mississippi) mud. Had our head stepped on. There’s literally nothing to be afraid of.” … Jay Johnson.
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) May 7, 2026
-Except maybe Georgia.https://t.co/QtQrokRydE
LSU (29-21, 9-15 SEC) will need every bit of its offense along with careful pitching in the slugger friendly, 3,633-seat Foley Field at Georgia this weekend against the SEC-leading Bulldogs (38-11, 18-6 SEC), who lead the nation in home runs with 131 and in slugging percentage at .622.
Evans (2-2, 5.47 ERA), a sophomore right-hander, has not pitched since April 17 against Texas A&M when he allowed six earned runs on seven hits and three walks in five innings with eight strikeouts in taking the loss. He threw 103 pitches with 68 for strikes. Shortly before his scheduled start the next Friday at Mississippi State, Evans was scratched with arm stiffness and soreness.
“There’s nothing structurally wrong,” Johnson said.
Evans threw a bullpen on Wednesday before the Tigers made the trip to Athens. How his arm recovered from the bullpen on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday will determine if he will start on Sunday or relieve.
Johnson has not commented on Evans since before the bullpen on Wednesday. But he listed Evans as “questionable” on his mandated availability report to the SEC office on Thursday night.
Johnson has listed sophomore right-hander William Schmidt (5-4, 3.90 ERA) as the starter for Friday’s game against Georgia junior right-hander Joey Volchko (7-2, 3.63 ERA). Freshman right-hander Marcos Paz (1-2, 6.08 ERA) is the scheduled Saturday starter against Georgia junior right-hander Dylan Vigue (4-1, 2.35 ERA) at 6 p.m. on the SEC Network.
If Evans is not ready and senior right-hander Zac Cowan doesn’t pitch a lot in relief on Friday or Saturday, Cowan (3-3 3.63 ERA) will likely start on Sunday (2 p.m., SEC Network).
“He seems to be improving by the day,” LSU pitching coach Nate Yeskie said of Evans on Tiger Rag Radio Tuesday night. “It’s kind of a weird deal. He just didn’t feel great (before Mississippi State). We’ve taken the cautious path with him. The doctors said the time off may have been the best medicine. We’re hoping this is behind him.”
Also listed as questionable in LSU’s availability report are starting left fielder Chris Stanfield (hamstring) and backup first baseman Zach Yorke (lower leg).
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