By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU will not play a ranked team in baseball until it opens Southeastern Conference play on March 13 at No. 22 Vanderbilt.
But against mostly questionable competition, the No. 1 Tigers look very much in College World Series form and are off to their best start at 8-0 since the same mark in the 2019 season – three years before coach Jay Johnson’s arrival.
LSU has remained No. 1 in the Perfect Game and NCBWA (Nation Collegiate Baseball Writers Association) polls and stayed No. 2 behind UCLA (6-1, 3-0 vs. top 25) in the D1 and Baseball America polls. The Bruins swept No. 8 TCU over the weekend, 10-1, 5-1 and 15-5.
So, the LSU baseball team enjoyed spring break in Jacksonville:https://t.co/fe7RxKUqYv
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) February 23, 2026
Considering the lighter fare ahead, the Tigers could get within range of the school record for consecutive wins to start a season, which was 19 in the 1997 season when LSU won the national championship and the SEC at 57-13 and 22-7.
The Tigers host McNeese State at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, followed by Dartmouth, Northeastern (an NCAA Regional team last year), Dartmouth again and Northeastern again Friday through Monday, then they play at Louisiana on Wednesday, March 4, before hosting Sacramento State, March 6-8, and Creighton (an NCAA Regional team last year) on March 10 before going to Vanderbilt.
If LSU wins all those non-conference games, it will be 18-0 headed into Nashville. With back-to-back wins over the Commodores, the Tigers would break the record at 20-0.
The Tigers have been playing well in all areas so far as they are No. 5 in the nation in hitting at .367 and are No. 31 in strikeout-walk ration with 104 to 31.
Notre Dame coach Shawn Stiffler blown away by LSU’s bat discipline Saturday. “They don’t swing. They don’t chase. It’s funny – by doing nothing, they create so much pressure by just standing there.”https://t.co/JU8pk2UvzV
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) February 21, 2026
“We have great offense one through nine, and even the guys who come in later in the game,” said LSU center fielder Derek Curiel, who is hitting .333 (11 of 33) on the season. “I’m honored to be a part of this lineup. It’s great that we can not only hit home runs, but we can bunt, hit-and-run, we can execute with two strikes, get the guy in with runners on second and third. We know how to do our job. That’s a credit to our coaches – great plan. And we’re executing perfectly right now.”
Twelve LSU players are hitting .333 or better. Jake Brown leads the team in average at .449 (17 of 37) and with four home runs, 16 RBIs and 12 runs.
Sophomore starter William Schmidt (2-0, 3.00 ERA, 16 strikeouts, 4 walks, 9 innings) had one of the best games of his career Sunday, limiting Central Florida to three hits and one walk in a five-inning shutout with seven strikeouts.
“I guess you could say that,” he said, but he pointed out some superb defense by second baseman Seth Dardar.
“He made a few breathtaking plays,” Schmidt said. “That’s what it takes to win championships. If they keep doing that, and our bats keep performing, watch out!”
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