GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
The reason pitcher Anthony Eyanson left the sunny days and cool nights of the University of California at San Diego for the muggy, humid, swamp heat of Baton Rouge was for weekends like this.
No. 6 national seed LSU (43-14) hosts Arkansas-Little Rock (24-32) at 2 p.m. Friday to open NCAA Regional play at Alex Box Stadium on the SEC Network. Games continue through Sunday or Monday in the four-team, double-elimination format. Should the Tigers advance, they will host a best-of-three, two-team Super Regional next weekend.
LSU PINCH-HITTING PROWESS – A DEEP DIVE
UC-San Diego never reached the NCAA postseason when Eyanson was there in 2023 and ’24, compiling a record of 8-3 with 119 strikeouts in 111 innings. He signed with LSU as the No. 4 overall transfer in the country by Baseball America.
“I heard it’s electric,” Eyanson said of the Box at postseason. “I mean, it’s probably been electric all year, but postseason means a little bit more here. Really excited to experience that.”
SEC COMMISH GREG SANKEY SOUNDS MAD THAT MORE SEC TEAMS DIDN’T REACH CFP LAST YEAR
Eyanson (9-2, 2.77 ERA, 1 save) has answered his potential and billing as he enters the postseason with 125 strikeouts for fourth in the nation against 31 walks. He has allowed a .212 batting average and only four home runs. The junior from Lakewood, California, near Los Angeles is a semifinalist for National Pitcher of the Year by the College Baseball Foundation.
He could start Friday’s game or the second game Saturday, which is what he did throughout the 2025 regular season before a relief appearance in the Southeastern Conference Tournament last weekend against Texas A&M. LSU coach Jay Johnson will not say until Friday who will start against Arkansas-Little Rock – Eyanson or sophomore left-hander Kade Anderson (8-1, 3.54 ERA). Anderson leads the nation with 145 strikeouts against 24 walks with a .220 batting average allowed, albeit with 14 home runs.
Eyanson has won his last three starts and displayed a closer flair against the Aggies as he threw a three-inning shutout on two hits and one walk with four strikeouts and earned the save in a 4-3 win.
LSU COACH JAY JOHNSON BORROWS PAGE FROM SKIP BERTMAN BOOK ON PITCHING
“It was fun. I loved it,” Eyanson said of his first relief appearance since five of those last season at UC-San Diego with a save. “I loved going in at that moment. Just pitching whenever my name is called is all I care about.”
Johnson told Eyanson the previous week that he would be coming on in relief after Anderson last week so he and Anderson would have the same amount of rest going into the NCAA Regional. That way, Johnson could start either one on equal rest, depending on the match-up.
“I started smiling as soon as he told me,” he said. “I was excited. Just a different opportunity.”
Eyanson did so well at it, do not be surprised if it happens again at some point this season.
“He’s a competitor, and he’s very confident,” Johnson said. “He’s the best pitcher at getting out of jams that I’ve ever seen in my entire life. That’s just mental toughness and ability. He’s been electric.”
Eyanson allowed a lead-off triple to his first A&M batter in the seventh, but got out of it with a runner’s interference call, a ground out and a strike out. And it was smooth the rest of the way. For a better start this weekend, he will just have to make sure he does not get overly pumped up.
“Just really excited,” he said. “I’ve said that like three times now. But that’s all I can say, honestly. Just really excited for the opportunity. It’s the same game, whether the stakes or higher or not.”
That may be easier said than done, but if Eyanson gets off to a rough start as he has been prone to do, it likely will not last very long.
“That dude, I’m telling you, he’s the best at a few things,” Johnson said. “Number one, he’s the best at getting better as the game goes along. And he is the best pitcher in the country at wiggling his way out of trouble. He’s the man.”
Be the first to comment