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The late-game heroics continued for LSU baseball on Sunday. After trailing 5-0, LSU roared back for a 16-6 win to win the series at Tennessee. It was LSU's second-straight series victory -- much needed after LSU dropped three straight series in March.
Cade Arrambide played hero on Sunday. Starting at DH, Arrambide blasted four home runs, a single-game LSU record. The headlining shot was a grand slam in the 12th inning to put LSU up five and bust the game open.
It was an eventful day. Along with Arrambide making history, LSU coach Jay Johnson was ejected in the 9th inning after arguing a called strike three. The LSU offense totaled 19 hits, and the Tigers needed them, thanks to a defense that committed four errors.
There are still questions about this LSU squad. The errors, paired with a lineup that remains up and down, make it hard to place LSU among the SEC contenders just yet. But this LSU team is moving in the right direction. Here are five takeaways from LSU's series win at Tennessee.
LSU's pitching depth wasn't there early in the year. Jay Johnson didn't have a deep lineup of relievers he could trust. The result was LSU blowing winnable games late. Now, the pen is starting to round into form.
The remembrance of Zac Cowan is a major story for this baseball club. Cowan was a dominant reliever for much of 2025, but struggled late in the year. Cowan put together a strong outing in the College World Series, but the problems returned early in 2026. In conference play, Cowan has quieted the concerns.
Cowan pitched four innings on Sunday and did not allow an earned run. His season ERA is down to 3.31 and the last team to score an earned run vs. Cowan was Dartmouth on March 2.
Gavin Guidry finished the game for LSU on Sunday, only allowing one run over 5.1 innings of work. That's a promising sign for a guy who was up and down last month.
On Friday, it was Deven Sheerin getting the save, striking out four in two innings. Cowan, Guidry, and Sheerin, along with the likes of Mavrick Rizy, Danny Lachenmayer, and Santiago Garcia have given LSU a formidable bullpen, and one Johnson can trust as LSU gets deeper into conference play.
Cade Arrambide began the year as LSU's starting catcher, but entering the Tennessee series, he faded down the depth chart. Arrambide didn't see a single AB vs Kentucky and was out of the lineup for Game 1 vs Tennessee.
On Sunday, Johnson slotted Arrambide into the DH spot. Arrambide rewarded Johnson's trust with a historic day. Arrambide crushed four home runs, setting an LSU single-game record. He totaled five hits and racked up 17 total bases.
Arrambide's final shot, the grand slam, was the most impressive. Arrambide took a pitch down and outside and drove it the opposite way off the scoreboard. A fine piece of hitting.
It's not clear if this signals a sustained breakout for the LSU sophomore, or if Arrambide's struggles of March are erased, but if Arrambide can give LSU the occasional power boosts, it's a boon for this lineup.
Cooper Moore was sidelined this series again, but Casan Evans and William Schmidt delivered admirable performances in their starts. Evans allowed three earned runs over 5.2 innings of work. He only issued two walks, a positive sign after his chaotic command last week.
Schmidt continued to deliver, tossing 5.2 innings, striking out seven, and allowing two earned runs. Schmidt's season ERA sits at 2.70 -- one of the best marks in the SEC.
The inconsistency of LSU's lineup, defense, and bullpen has put a lot of pressure on Evans and Schmidt this year. It feels as if LSU will only go as far as its sophomore pitching duo takes it. That can be a lot for young starting pitchers to handle, but Evans and Schmidt are answering the call. Both players are uber talented and only expected to improve as they gain more starting experience.
LSU won the series, but the defense did its best to try and lose it. Critical errors in Games 2 and 3 allowed Tennessee to score runs. They were arguably the difference on Saturday, with Tennessee scoring two unearned runs due to LSU's defensive miscues.
On Sunday, Tennessee scored five runs, and only was one was charged as earned to LSU pitchers. The rest were all unearned because of LSU's defensive mistakes.
LSU's fielding percentage now ranks dead last in the SEC. If that continues, the issue will come back to bite LSU again, and the Tigers may not be so lucky next time. Poor defense isn't a formula to win important baseball games. And LSU is about to play a lot of important baseball games.
The series didn't do much to improve LSU's RPI -- the Tigers still sit 81st. That means there's work to do if LSU is to host a regional at Alex Box Stadium. LSU can't afford any more midweek slip-ups, and the Tigers need to continue rolling in conference play.
LSU has a big opportunity this week. The Tigers are set to travel to Oxford for a three-game series. The Rebels rank No. 8 in RPI, meaning a series win for LSU would bring a significant boost to LSU's own ranking. LSU needed late-inning magic to beat Tennessee. That's fine, and the Tigers will take the wins any way they can get them, but it wasn't enough to be confident in LSU's ability to play consistent baseball down the stretch. A series win over Ole Miss would be reason to believe.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Five takeaways from LSU baseball's massive series win over Tennessee
Continue reading...
Cade Arrambide played hero on Sunday. Starting at DH, Arrambide blasted four home runs, a single-game LSU record. The headlining shot was a grand slam in the 12th inning to put LSU up five and bust the game open.
It was an eventful day. Along with Arrambide making history, LSU coach Jay Johnson was ejected in the 9th inning after arguing a called strike three. The LSU offense totaled 19 hits, and the Tigers needed them, thanks to a defense that committed four errors.
There are still questions about this LSU squad. The errors, paired with a lineup that remains up and down, make it hard to place LSU among the SEC contenders just yet. But this LSU team is moving in the right direction. Here are five takeaways from LSU's series win at Tennessee.
LSU is finding pitching depth
LSU's pitching depth wasn't there early in the year. Jay Johnson didn't have a deep lineup of relievers he could trust. The result was LSU blowing winnable games late. Now, the pen is starting to round into form.
The remembrance of Zac Cowan is a major story for this baseball club. Cowan was a dominant reliever for much of 2025, but struggled late in the year. Cowan put together a strong outing in the College World Series, but the problems returned early in 2026. In conference play, Cowan has quieted the concerns.
Cowan pitched four innings on Sunday and did not allow an earned run. His season ERA is down to 3.31 and the last team to score an earned run vs. Cowan was Dartmouth on March 2.
Gavin Guidry finished the game for LSU on Sunday, only allowing one run over 5.1 innings of work. That's a promising sign for a guy who was up and down last month.
On Friday, it was Deven Sheerin getting the save, striking out four in two innings. Cowan, Guidry, and Sheerin, along with the likes of Mavrick Rizy, Danny Lachenmayer, and Santiago Garcia have given LSU a formidable bullpen, and one Johnson can trust as LSU gets deeper into conference play.
Cade Arrambide emerges for legacy game
Cade Arrambide began the year as LSU's starting catcher, but entering the Tennessee series, he faded down the depth chart. Arrambide didn't see a single AB vs Kentucky and was out of the lineup for Game 1 vs Tennessee.
On Sunday, Johnson slotted Arrambide into the DH spot. Arrambide rewarded Johnson's trust with a historic day. Arrambide crushed four home runs, setting an LSU single-game record. He totaled five hits and racked up 17 total bases.
Arrambide's final shot, the grand slam, was the most impressive. Arrambide took a pitch down and outside and drove it the opposite way off the scoreboard. A fine piece of hitting.
It's not clear if this signals a sustained breakout for the LSU sophomore, or if Arrambide's struggles of March are erased, but if Arrambide can give LSU the occasional power boosts, it's a boon for this lineup.
LSU can trust its starting pitchers
Cooper Moore was sidelined this series again, but Casan Evans and William Schmidt delivered admirable performances in their starts. Evans allowed three earned runs over 5.2 innings of work. He only issued two walks, a positive sign after his chaotic command last week.
Schmidt continued to deliver, tossing 5.2 innings, striking out seven, and allowing two earned runs. Schmidt's season ERA sits at 2.70 -- one of the best marks in the SEC.
The inconsistency of LSU's lineup, defense, and bullpen has put a lot of pressure on Evans and Schmidt this year. It feels as if LSU will only go as far as its sophomore pitching duo takes it. That can be a lot for young starting pitchers to handle, but Evans and Schmidt are answering the call. Both players are uber talented and only expected to improve as they gain more starting experience.
LSU's defense remains a major concern
LSU won the series, but the defense did its best to try and lose it. Critical errors in Games 2 and 3 allowed Tennessee to score runs. They were arguably the difference on Saturday, with Tennessee scoring two unearned runs due to LSU's defensive miscues.
On Sunday, Tennessee scored five runs, and only was one was charged as earned to LSU pitchers. The rest were all unearned because of LSU's defensive mistakes.
LSU's fielding percentage now ranks dead last in the SEC. If that continues, the issue will come back to bite LSU again, and the Tigers may not be so lucky next time. Poor defense isn't a formula to win important baseball games. And LSU is about to play a lot of important baseball games.
What did the win mean for LSU's RPI?
The series didn't do much to improve LSU's RPI -- the Tigers still sit 81st. That means there's work to do if LSU is to host a regional at Alex Box Stadium. LSU can't afford any more midweek slip-ups, and the Tigers need to continue rolling in conference play.
LSU has a big opportunity this week. The Tigers are set to travel to Oxford for a three-game series. The Rebels rank No. 8 in RPI, meaning a series win for LSU would bring a significant boost to LSU's own ranking. LSU needed late-inning magic to beat Tennessee. That's fine, and the Tigers will take the wins any way they can get them, but it wasn't enough to be confident in LSU's ability to play consistent baseball down the stretch. A series win over Ole Miss would be reason to believe.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Five takeaways from LSU baseball's massive series win over Tennessee
Continue reading...
