LSU baseball vs. UCLA in College World Series: Key storylines as Tigers look to go 2-0

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LSU baseball vs. UCLA in College World Series: Key storylines as Tigers look to go 2-0
After opening the College World Series with a win over Arkansas, LSU baseball is set to face UCLA on Monday night. LSU is two wins away from punching a ticket to the CWS final.
74% of CWS final teams begin bracket play 2-0. If LSU can take that step on Monday, the Tigers are right on track for a national title.
LSU head coach Jay Johnson and the Tigers are looking for their second national title in three years. LSU won the CWS in 2023 behind star performances from Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews. LSU's current roster isn't quite as talented as the 23 roster, but it's still filled with future pros.
The Tigers are led by an elite starting pitching duo of Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson. At the plate, superstar freshman Derek Curiel continues to be one of the sport's most consistent hitters.
Here's everything you need to know before LSU baseball meets UCLA on Monday night.
Anthony Eyanson looks to follow up Kade Anderson
LSU ace went seven innings vs. Arkansas, allowing just one run and three hits. Anderson struck out seven and walked two. Eyanson looks to pull off a similar feat on Monday.
All year, Anderson and Eyanson have been ace 1A and 1B. Anderson leads the country with 170 strikeouts. Eyanson ranks No. 3 with 142. Eyanson has a 2.74 ERA in 98.2 innings and keeps the ball in the park, only allowing six home runs in 2025.
Eyanson has a four-pitch mix. That's something you don't often see at the college level. The fastball sits mid-90s, paired with a power slider and a strong curveball. He'll throw a change-up, too, but he relies on the fastball-slider-curveball mix.
Eyanson's first month as a Tiger was up and down, but he found a different gear in late March. Eyanson has not surrendered an earned run in six of his last 12 appearances. Going back to March 28, Eyanson's ERA is 1.89.
He was a tad shaky in the super regional, allowing four runs over five innings, but most of that came from home runs.
This is the biggest moment of Eyanson's career, but he's delivered in the clutch when called upon. Expect Eyanson to have his best stuff on Monday.
UCLA will start Landon Stump
Taking the ball for UCLA is sophomore Landon Stump.
Stump has a 4.54 ERA in 73.1 innings. His strikeout to walk ratio is just 1.1, which ranked 43rd among College World Series pitchers with 30+ innings pitched. The stuff is there, but the consistency isn't. Stump has only pitched 8.1 innings in his last three outings and due to UCLA's light schedule in the Big Ten, he's not used to facing a lineup like LSU's.
The best offense Stump saw in 2025 was Oregon, where the Ducks tagged on six earned runs in 3.2 innings. Stump had just one strikeout.
That doesn't paint a pretty picture, but don't write him off. Stump pitched four innings in the super regional vs. UTSA and didn't allow a run. The Bruins don't need a dazzling, eight-inning performance from the righty. They just need Stump to keep the game under control for a few innings.
If Stump is throwing strikes, that's possible. If the command struggles early, he could unravel vs. this LSU lineup that has been opportunistic of late.
Is there concern about LSU's lineup?
Speaking of that LSU lineup, there are a few questions. The Tigers got the job done vs. Arkansas, but the first three hitters in the order went a combined 0-13. That included a 0-5 night from Jared Jones.
LSU's three-run second inning knocked Arkansas ace Zach Root out of the game, but only one ball left the infield. On the night, LSU had one extra base hit. Thanks to Kade Anderson and the LSU pitching staff, four runs were enough. But there's going to be a time when LSU needs more.
LSU won't face the same quality of arm vs. UCLA that it saw with Arkansas. If LSU continues to struggle to find power on Monday, it's a bad sign.
Derek Curiel and Steven Milam have been clutch throughout the postseason, but LSU is at its best when guys like Ethan Frey and Jared Jones are getting in on the party.
LSU matches up well with the UCLA starter. The Tigers hit righties and know how to take walks. When UCLA hands LSU free passes, the Tigers need to find the big swing and cash in.
What shape is the LSU bullpen in?
After Anderson's seven innings, LSU turned to Chase Shores and Casan Evans out of the pen. Shores threw 10 pitches and Evans threw 13. That should leave them both available on Monday.
Evans and Shores would both be considered to start LSU's next game, win or lose. With that in mind, we could see Jay Johnson turn to Cooper Williams or Zac Cowan on Monday.
Williams, a true freshman, delivered for LSU in the regional and super regional. Cowan, a Wofford transfer, was the SEC's top closer for much of the year but struggled as of late. If LSU is going to get where it wants to go, it probably involves Cowan figuring some things out.