Jun 21, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Jay Johnson (2) watches action against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images
The reigning national champions are a terrible baseball club.
LSU (22-14, 6-8) has lost a crucial road series to Ole Miss (25-11, 7-7) in devastating fashion, losing 12-2 in seven innings. The Tigers scored the first two runs of the game before allowing all 12 Rebel runs in the final three innings, including seven in a humiliating sixth inning.
William Schmidt made the start for LSU, pitching a no-hitter for three innings before falling apart in the fourth and failing to complete the inning. Schmidt cruised through the first and third innings, but he ran into trouble in the second due to a couple of walks; Schmidt escaped the first three innings unscathed, but his house of cards collapsed in the fourth.
Schmidt began the fourth by issuing back-to-back walks, then threw a pair of wild pitches, leaving Ole Miss runners on the corners with none out. Hayden Federico hit a sac fly to right field to get Ole Miss on the board, Brayden Randle singled to right field to tie the game, and the floodgates opened when Austin Fawley went deep to left field to give Ole Miss a 4-2 lead.
Schmidt gave up one last double before being replaced by Cooper Williams, who didn’t do much better. Williams walked the first batter he faced, and then began the fifth inning with a single, a hit batter, and an RBI single, increasing Ole Miss’ advantage to 5-2. Williams dismissed the following two hitters before passing the ball to Zion Theophilus.
And then the sixth inning. Oh boy, the sixth inning.
Theophilus led off with a walk, then a single that placed runners on the corners before being pulled for Daniel Lachenmayer, who pitched only six (6) pitches. He hurled a wild pitch, enabling another Rebel run, and then struck Tristan Bissetta. Lachenmayer was replaced by Connor Benge, who did not record an out; Benge compounded Lachenmayer’s ineffectiveness, throwing just four pitches before being pulled. Benge hit a single to Utermark, scoring another Ole Miss run.
Ethan Plog was LSU pitcher No. 4 for this terrible inning, and he at least managed to get a few outs. Plog did allow a two-run single to Will Furniss and then walked two more to fill the bases, prompting Jay Johnson to relieve him with Mavrick Rizy. Rizy inherited a bases loaded problem and, unfortunately, allowed Ole Miss to clear the bases with a three-run double, increasing the Rebels’ lead to 12-2.
In total, LSU pitching gave out 10 free passes today (eight walks, two HBP) and threw three wild pitches.
Trailing 12-2 in the seventh and needing at least one run to keep the game alive, LSU went out miserably: Omar Serna and William Patrick both flew out to right field, and Eddie Yamin struck out looking on three pitches.
There are still 16 conference games to play in 2026; by tomorrow, we will be at the midpoint of league play, so the season is far from over. However, this 2026 LSU team does not appear to have many possibilities on the horizon. This Tiger squad does nothing effectively; they don’t hit, pitch well, defend poorly, and haven’t even played the most difficult portion of their schedule.
Try not to get swept away tomorrow.
