Preview: LSU vs. Little Rock In The NCAA Baton Rouge Regional

NCAA Baton Rouge Regional

#4 Seed Little Rock Trojans (24-32) vs. #1 Seed LSU Tigers (43-14)

DATE/TIME
Friday, May 30 @ 2 p.m. CT

STADIUM
Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field in Baton Rouge, La. (10,718)

RANKINGS
LSU – No. 6 NCAA Tournament National Seed, No. 1 Seed in Baton Rouge Regional
Little Rock – No. 243 NCAA RPI; No. 4 Seed in Baton Rouge Regional

RADIO
·LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates
·Live audio at www.LSUsports.net/live; Live stats at www.LSUstats.com

TV/ONLINE
Friday’s game will be televised on SEC Network and streamed on SEC Network +

LSU HISTORY IN NCAA TOURNAMENT

-LSU is in the NCAA Tournament for the 13th straight season and for the 37th time overall .... LSU has won seven baseball national championships (1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2009, 2023), the second-most in NCAA history ... the Tigers were an NCAA Tournament Top 8 National Seed for an NCAA-record six straight seasons (2012-17) and this season marks LSU's second Top 8 seed in the past three seasons ... LSU was the No. 5 National Seed in 2023 and claimed the school's seventh CWS title ... LSU has the second-highest all-time NCAA Tournament winning percentage (.705, 177-74).

-This weekend marks the 28th NCAA Regional at Alex Box Stadium - LSU has a 111-29 (.793) all-time record in NCAA Regional games, including an 89-17 (.840) mark in home regional games and a 22-12 (.647) record in regional games on the road ... the Tigers have a total of 26 NCAA Regional titles, and LSU has won its home regional on 23 occasions: 1986, '90, '91, '93, '94, '96, '97, '98, '99, 2000, '01, '02, '03, '04, '08, '09, '12, '13, '15, '16, '17, '19, '23 ... the Tigers have won road regionals three times - in 1987 (at New Orleans), in 1989 (at Texas A&M) and in 2021 (at Oregon).

LSU SERIES HISTORY VS. NCAA BATON ROUGE REGIONAL TEAMS

• No. 2 Seed Dallas Baptist - LSU and DBU met for the first time earlier this season (Feb. 26) at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, and the Tigers posted a 7-3 victory over the Patriots.

• No. 3 Seed Rhode Island - there have been no prior baseball meetings between LSU and Rhode Island.

• No. 4 Seed Little Rock - LSU and Little Rock played a three-game regular-season series Feb. 18-20, 2025, in the original Alex Box Stadium, and the Tigers won all three games by scores of 4-2, 11-8 and 15-9.

QUOTING COACH JAY JOHNSON

“It’s a privilege to be playing baseball at this time of the season. I’m very excited to be playing here in Baton Rouge and coaching our guys. We’ve had a great season, and this is an awesome opportunity. Our team has played very well at home this season, and our players are excited to be back here. We’ve been on the road for the past two weekends, so we’re looking forward to taking advantage of playing at home.”

ABOUT THE TIGERS

-LSU is 43-14 overall and ranked No. 1 in the nation this week by Baseball America, and No. 3 by D1 Baseball and USA Today ... the Tigers posted a 19-11 SEC regular-season record and finished in third place in the 2025 conference standings … LSU won at least 19 league games for the 19th time in school history and for the second time in the past three seasons.

-The LSU pitching staff enters the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional ranked in the Top 10 in the nation in three major statistical categories – the Tigers are No. 2 in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (11.9), No. 6 in hits allowed per nine innings (7.34) and No. 7 in team ERA (3.72)

-LSU enters the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional No. 5 in the SEC in team batting average (.301), and the Tigers are No. 3 in the league in on-base percentage (.412), No. 4 in runs scored (450), No. 4 in hits (566) and No. 4 in doubles (116) … the LSU pitching staff is No. 2 in the SEC in team ERA (3.72), and the Tigers are No. 3 in the league with 641 strikeouts … LSU is No. 3 in the SEC in opponent batting average (.221).

-LSU junior first baseman Jared Jones, a semifinalist for the 2025 Dick Howser Trophy, has moved into sole possession of third place on the LSU career homers list – he has 61 homers in three seasons, trailing only catcher Brad Cresse (78 HR, 1997-2000) and first baseman Eddy Furniss (80 HR, 1995-98).

-LSU pitchers Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson combined for 16 strikeouts last Friday night as the top-ranked Tigers defeated Texas A&M, 4-3, in the quarterfinal round of the SEC Tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. Anderson (8-1) worked the first six innings Friday night, limiting the Aggies to three runs on four hits with one walk and 12 strikeouts. Eyanson, making his first relief appearance of the season, blanked Texas A&M over the final three innings to earn his first save. He allowed two hits while recording one walk and four strikeouts.

-LSU designated hitter Ethan Frey paced the Tigers’ offense last Friday night in the SEC Tournament win over Texas A&M, as he was 2-for-3 with a double, a two-run homer and three RBI. Frey enters the NCAA Regional as LSU's leading hitter, batting .358 (49-for-137) on the year with 10 doubles, 12 homers, 43 RBI and 29 runs.

-Sophomore left-hander Kade Anderson, a 2025 Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist is No. 1 in the nation in strikeouts this season with 145. He is also No. 3 in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (14.66) and No. 12 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.04)

-Kade Anderson's total of 145 Ks this season is No. 10 on the LSU single-season strikeouts list. He is No. 1 in the SEC in strikeouts, No. 2 in the league in innings pitched (89.0) and No. 8 in opponent batting average (.220)

-Junior right-hander Anthony Eyanson, a semifinalist for the College Baseball Foundation National Pitcher of the Year Award, is No. 4 in the nation in strikeouts with 125, and he is No. 7 in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (13.34).He is No. 3 in the SEC in strikeouts, and No. 3 in the league in innings pitched (84.1), No. 4 in ERA (2.77) and No. 7 in opponent batting average (.212).

-Junior first baseman Jared Jones is No. 3 in the SEC in RBI (66), No. 3 in total bases (147), No. 4 in home runs (19), No. 5 in hits (76) and No. 8 in slugging percentage (.645) … freshman outfielder Derek Curiel is No. 7 in the SEC in walks (41) and No. 8 in doubles (16) ... junior second baseman Daniel Dickinson is No. 5 in the SEC in on-base percentage (.474).


ABOUT LITTLE ROCK

-Little Rock captured the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title last week to earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament … the Trojans have a .271 team batting average and have collected 93 doubles, eight triples, 46 homers and 55 steals in 81 attempts … Little Rock’s pitching staff has a 6.33 cumulative ERA and has logged a .282 opponent batting average.

-The Trojans are led at the plate by infielder Cooper Chaplain, who is hitting .321 with six doubles, one triple, seven homers and 37 RBI … utility player Ryan Geck is hitting .301 with six homers and team-highs of 15 doubles and 48 RBI, and utility player Ty Rhoades is batting .296 with 13 doubles, a team-high eight homers and 38 RBI.

-Senior right-hander Jackson Wells posted a 1.65 ERA in 2023 to lead the nation in that category … in 15 starts this season, he is 3-6 with a 5.24 ERA, and he has recorded 90 strikeouts in 79.0 innings.

(Release via LSU Athletics)