By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU baseball fans are about to have a lot of time on their hands with the Tigers not likely to reach the NCAA postseason this year.
LSU last didn’t reach an NCAA Regional – outside of COVID ending everyone’s season in 2020 – since 2011. This season could be over by next Tuesday, May 19, in the single-elimination Southeastern Conference Tournament in Hoover, Alabama.
My viewing suggestion to you – watch former LSU pitcher, 2025 Cy Young winner and two-time All-Star Game starter Paul Skenes (6-2, 1.98 ERA) of the Pittsburgh Pirates (22-19) on MLB.com.
Skenes next pitches on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. against Philadelphia. LSU (29-24, 9-18 SEC) will be done with its regular season by then as the Tigers host No. 19 Florida (34-18, 15-12 SEC) on Thursday (6:30 p.m., SEC Network+), Friday (6:30 p.m., SEC Network+) and Saturday (2 p.m., SEC Network+).
Paul Skenes (5-2, 2.36 ERA) is effectively NOT wild with zero walks over his last 4 starts going into tonight.https://t.co/bZZTMxxox8
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) May 12, 2026
Skenes is in his third season with Pittsburgh as the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft after leading the Tigers to the national championship that June.
And for the third time in his last four starts on Tuesday night, he flirted with a perfect game and a no-hitter as he beat Colorado, 3-1, at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. It was the third time out of his last four starts that he took a no-hitter into the fifth or later.
“There’s a growing sense that it’s not a matter of ‘if’ Skenes will make history with a no-hitter, but when,” Will Graves of the Associated Press wrote from the game Tuesday night.
Skenes struck out the first six he faced and a season-high 10 on two hits with no runs or walks in eight innings through 98 pitches for the win.
“He volunteered to my surprise that anecdote.” … @chrissmithnymag of Vanity Fair on his @Lane_Kiffin feature to Tiger Rag.https://t.co/SJp76oTCHj
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) May 13, 2026
Skenes retired the first 14 he faced before hitting Troy Johnston on the foot with two outs in the fifth inning. He had a no-hitter going until one out in the seventh when Mickey Moniak singled to left-center field. He has not allowed a run in his last 16 innings.
And he is getting close to the first complete game of his career after lasting through eight innings in his last two starts.
“It’s a long season,” Skenes said after the game and after taking himself out Tuesday. “That was start nine out of 32, 33, and then hopefully eight or nine more after that.”
Is he talking playoffs? PLAY-offs? Pittsburgh has not seen the postseason since 2015 and has had seven straight losing seasons, including five last place finishes in the National League Central.
“So, just got to see the big picture,” Skenes said.
On May 6, Skenes beat Arizona 1-0 with two hits allowed and no walks through eight innings with seven strikeouts. He had a perfect game until there were two outs in the fifth of that one when Lourdes Gurriel Jr. tapped one down the third base line.
In four of his last five starts, Skenes has allowed three hits or less.
“Every start is new. And you can get humbled real quick,” he said.
That has not happened much lately.
“You’re shocked when he gives up a hit,” Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly said. “Paul is on that type of run right now. Just the way that he’s throwing the ball, the command in the zone, and then to be able to mix it up with all of his pitches. Impressive to watch.”
Dayn Perry of CBS Sports wrote after Tuesday’s game that Skenes “continued to make his case for being the best pitcher in the world.”
Note to LSU fans …
Perhaps the most impressive Skenes statistic at the moment is the 35 and a third innings he has put up without a walk – a stretch of 123 batters. LSU fans may really enjoy not seeing Skenes’ opponents trot to first base. LSU leads the SEC with 262 walks.
The last player Skenes walked was James Woods of Washington in the top of the third inning of a 16-5 win over the Nationals on April 13 at PNC Park. He allowed one hit and one run with the one walk and six strikeouts in that win.
He has a ways to go to break the MLB record for consecutive innings without a walk, which is 84 and a third by Bill Fischer of the Kansas City A’s in 1962. The National League record is held by Atlanta’s Greg Maddux, who had a streak of 72 and a third innings in 2001.
And Skenes is only 23. His career ERA is a staggering 1.97 through 64 starts. He is one of only four MLB pitchers since 1901 to pitch eight scoreless innings with two or fewer hits in each while issuing zero walks in back-to-back starts. The other three are Cy Young of Boston in 1905, Billy Pierce of the Chicago White Sox in 1958 and Mat Latos of San Diego in 2010.
“It’s no exaggertion to call the beginning of Skenes’ career one of the best ever,” Perry said.
“It’s amazing to watch,” Kelly said.
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