LSU Defeats Samford, 23-1, On Saturday In Fall Baseball Exhibition

BILOXI, Miss. – LSU defeated Samford, 23-1, in a 14-inning baseball exhibition scrimmage Saturday at Keesler Federal Park, the home of the Milwaukee Brewers’ Double-A affiliate, the Biloxi Shuckers.

The scrimmage consisted of two seven-inning games, and the Tigers outscored Samford 11-0 in the first game and 12-1 in the second game.

The teams are scheduled to play two more seven-inning games beginning at 1 p.m. CT Sunday at Keesler Federal Park.

The Tigers’ offense in the first game on Saturday was highlighted by a two-run homer by outfielder Jason Wachs and a grand slam by outfielder Angel Laya.

Wachs is a transfer from Tulane, where he was named a 2026 First-Team American Conference selection, batting .327 with 48 runs, 66 hits, 21 doubles, one triple, nine home runs and 54 RBI.

Laya was a 2026 First-Team Freshman All-Big 10 selection at Oregon, where he batted .296 (66-for-223) with 10 doubles, one triple, 14 homers, 47 RBI and 49 runs.

The second game on Saturday featured a three-run homer by freshman Dominic Santarelli and a grand slam by freshman Dylan Minnatee.

Santarelli, a product of Pleasant Prairie, Wisc., was rated as the nation’s No. 12 high school outfielder and the No. 1 player in the state of Wisconsin by Perfect Game. Minnatee, a native of Elk Grove, Calif., was ranked by Perfect Game as the No. 8 high school first baseman in the nation and the No. 3 first baseman in the state of California.

LSU opens the 2027 season on Friday, February 19, when the Tigers play host to Long Island in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.

STATS FROM GAME 1 WIN VS SAMFORD

Jason Wachs 2-2, HR, 2 RBI, HBP
Cade Kurland 1-1, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB
Angel Laya 1-3, HR, 5 RBI

William Schmidt 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 Ks
Landon Hood 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 Ks
Lucas Nawrocki 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 Ks

STATS FROM GAME 2 WIN VS SAMFORD
Dylan Minnatee 1-2, HR, 4 RBI, BB
Dominic Santarelli 1-2, HR, 3 RBI, BB
Lucas Nawrocki 1-3, 3B, 2 RBI, BB

Cooper Sides 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 Ks
Danny Lachenmayer 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 5 Ks
Cooper Williams 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K

(Release via LSU Athletics)