By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU coach Jay Johnson was asked on the Tiger Rag Radio show Tuesday to give five or six candidates for his three-man weekend rotation that he will unveil on Thursday before the No. 1 Tigers open the 2026 season on Friday against Milwaukee at Alex Box Stadium (2 p.m., SEC Network+).
He gave 10.
The problem with this guy when it comes to lineup questions is he recruits too darn well.
Returning sophomore Casan Evans is expected to be the Friday starter or a lock for one of the three days as the defending national champion Tigers play Milwaukee at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
LSU closer, long reliever, middle reliever, starter Casan Evans also wanted to bat and play shortstop last season. And Jay Johnson let him try it.https://t.co/GTd4UJVe3C
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) January 27, 2026
A first team freshman All-American last season, Evans was 5-1 with a 2.05 earned run average and seven saves through 19 appearances. He struck out 71 in 52 and two-thirds innings with just 19 walks and a .228 batting average allowed.
So pencil him in.
“They looked like Rocky Balboa after fighting Ivan Drago.”
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) February 9, 2026
-LSU coach Jay Johnson on his young hitters facing a plethora of dominant Tiger pitchers. Season starts Friday:https://t.co/48KGCaShVn
After that, it gets interesting with sophomore William Schmidt (7-0, 4.73 ERA, 41 strikeouts, 32 and a third innings last year), junior Kansas transfer Cooper Moore (7-3, 3.96 ERA, 85 strikeouts, 88 and two-thirds innings) and sophomore left-hander Cooper Williams (0-1, 1.80 ERA, 21 strikeouts, 20 innings) in the mix for the other two spots.
Schmidt pitched mainly in non-conference games last season and needs to show he can graduate, as former LSU coach Skip Bertman liked to say, to SEC games. He was 0-0 with a 27.00 ERA in two innings over five relief appearances in the league in 2025. He gave up six runs on three hits with two home runs, 11 walks and a .375 batting average with one strikeout. But he has showed some promise in recent scrimmages.
“Evans and Schmidt and Moore and Cooper Williams,” Johnson began. “And Jaden Noot, Marcus Paz, Reagan Ricken, Zac Cowan obviously, Gavin Guidry.”
Noot is a junior who was 2-1 with a 4.13 ERA and a save last year with 44 strikeouts in 32 and two-thirds innings. He came on late last season, striking out 22 in final 14 and a third innings over seven appearances from April 29 through June 18. At the College World Series, he threw a scoreless and hitless inning of relief with a strikeout against Arkansas.
Listen to complete interview with LSU baseball coach Jay Johnson here as he discusses season that opens Friday. And we talk Kim Mulkey and Dawn Staley before huge tilt Saturday night.https://t.co/CyQLqw2voh
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) February 11, 2026
A freshman, Paz is the No. 22 right-hander in the country by Perfect Game from Hebron High in Carrollton, Texas. Ricken is also a freshman and Perfect Game’s No. 13 right-hander who throws 97 mph from Great Oak High in Temecula, California.”
Cowan is a senior with the “obviously” by Johnson above coming from his 2025 season when he went 3-3 with a 2.94 ERA and six saves with five of those in the SEC. He struck out 60 with a mere 12 walks and a 2.26 batting average given up in 52 innings. He is a pre-season All-American and first team SEC preseason choice who is also on the 2026 Stopper of the Year Watch List by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
Guidry, a redshirt junior closer, is being converted into possible starting and relief duties after missing all of 2025 with a core injury. He was 2-0 with a 2.59 ERA with three saves last season in 24 and a third innings in 22 appearances with 36 strikeouts and 18 walks. He was 3-0 with a 3.77 ERA and three saves in 2023 with 42 strikeouts and 12 walks in 28 and two-thirds innings.
“All those guys got their pitching counts up above 60,” Johnson said. “There’s your grouping. You asked for five. I just gave you seven or eight.”
Actually nine, coach. And then he added one when asked about the two freshman.
“I will definitely go on record and say that Marcos Paz and Reagan Ricken and Zion Theophilus – all three of those guys and our only three freshman pitchers – have a chance to start here some day,” he said.
And apparently at least one of them has a chance to be in the weekend rotation. Theophilus has been one of the stars of preseason practices as he has struck out some of the Tigers’ best veteran hitters. He is Perfect Game’s No. 32 right-hander from Moeller High in Cincinnati and No. 1 right-hander from Ohio. He struck out 245 in 164 innings of his prep career.
“We should be able to announce the three on Thursday is my hope. We’re trying to get some intelligence on our opponent. And generally don’t want it out there until we know what we’ve got there,” Johnson said. “We love that sophomore class with Cooper Williams and Schmidt and Evans. Really excited that most of the heavy load of our pitchers have been in the program. That’s something that helps me sleep better at night time.”
The first weekend rotation is obviously subject to change. And LSU plays five games in the first six days of the season.
“So, there’s going to be five different starters,” Johnson said. “We did have a good spring leading up to where we were able to elevate a bunch of pitch counts.”
LSU will not open SEC play until March 13 at No. 19 Vanderbilt, so Johnson and pitching coach Nate Yeskie will have a lot of time to sort out the weekend rotation and other roles among many candidates.
“I’m talking about 15 guys,” Johnson said.
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