logo
If UCLA meets LSU in College World Series, Tigers' star pitcher might not pitch

If UCLA meets LSU in College World Series, Tigers' star pitcher might not pitch

USA Todaya day ago

If UCLA meets LSU in College World Series, Tigers' star pitcher might not pitch
UCLA baseball could play the LSU Tigers at the 2025 College World Series. The Bruins hope they play LSU in a winners' bracket game, not a losers' bracket game. We asked LSU Wire's Will Rosenblatt about LSU's best player. The answer was swift and direct: Kade Anderson.
"The draft-eligible sophomore was mocked as the No. 1 overall pick in MLB. com's last mock. The lefty ranks No. 2 nationally with 103 strikeouts," Rosenblatt told us.
Rosenblatt Wrote at LSU Wire that "Anderson worked as a reliever as a true freshman in 2024, but took over LSU's ace role in 2025. He's thrown 103 innings and owns a 3.76 ERA. In his last appearance vs. West Virginia in the super regional, the Mountaineers tagged Anderson for some runs, but the LSU ace made it through seven innings.
"LSU will begin its 2025 College World Series on Saturday vs. Arkansas. Anderson is likely to get the nod. If LSU wants an eighth national title, it needs Anderson to be dynamite in Omaha."
This point -- specifically, that Anderson should pitch against Arkansas -- means UCLA would probably miss Anderson in a potential second game (on Monday, June 16). If UCLA faces the LSU pitcher, it might be in a semifinal game next week. It would be a good problem for the Bruins to have.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Everything LSU pitcher Kade Anderson said after stifling Arkansas in College World Series
Everything LSU pitcher Kade Anderson said after stifling Arkansas in College World Series

USA Today

time42 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Everything LSU pitcher Kade Anderson said after stifling Arkansas in College World Series

Everything LSU pitcher Kade Anderson said after stifling Arkansas in College World Series LSU ace Kade Anderson dazzled in LSU baseball's College World Series win vs. Arkansas on Saturday. The lefty went seven innings, allowing just three hits and one run. Anderson struck out seven and walked two. The Razorbacks' lineup is arguably the best in college baseball. It's filled with power and MLB talent from top to bottom. Apart from a sixth-inning solo home run, Arkansas had no answer for Anderson. Anderson threw 100 pitches, 60 of them strikes. Anderson was aggressive, throwing first pitch strikes to 15 of the 24 batters he faced. When hitters get behind vs. Anderson, it's tough to recover vs. his fastball/changeup combo. Anderson's performance continued to make a case as to why Anderson should be the top pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. Anderson has watched his draft stock skyrocket in recent months, and Saturday's outing will only add to the hype. LSU advances to play UCLA at 6 p.m. CT on Monday. But first, here's everything Kade Anderson said after the win. On bouncing back from last week Anderson pitched seven innings vs. West Virginia in the super regional, but he didn't have his best stuff, allowing seven runs. Here's what he said about his response. "Yeah, I think that's part of the game. And you don't take those for granted. It's a learning lesson. And to have that experience and to learn from that outing was huge because Coach Yeskie and I went through it and found out what was the plan for next week to be better. And just taking it all in. And it was a really cool moment, but just excited to win. That's all that really matters." Embracing the big moment in Omaha "Yeah, I think just taking it all in. And that's why you come here. And really just proud of our team. And at the end of the day, that's all you need to do is win. And it doesn't matter the stat line and kind of how this paper lines up. But we won the game. And that's really all I care about." Anderson and LSU take a business-like approach "Yeah, I think Coach Johnson does a really good job in preparing our team. And when you treat every game like a playoff, you get used to it. And LSUs used to being in Omaha. And that's something that we do often. We're proud to say that. But we're meant for these kind of games. And we're excited to keep going." Did Anderson look at his first game vs. Arkansas in May? "Yeah, I take every outing with a grain of salt. And just looking to prepare for the next one. Obviously, you look back a little bit, but every week's different. And kind of how they prepare as well is different. So just continuing to live in a classroom. And that's the best part of it." It's just another game "Yeah, I think, like I said earlier, we treat every game like a playoff and we'll be ready to go. We've faced them four times and I like the results of what we had. And just continuing to go out there and battle and we're not, like Coach Johnson said all the time, we're not playing Arkansas, we're playing the game. And when you take that kind of note at it, it's just another game. And I think that that playoff mindset has really helped us a lot."

Where LSU football's 2026 recruiting class ranks after latest four-star addition?
Where LSU football's 2026 recruiting class ranks after latest four-star addition?

USA Today

time2 hours ago

  • USA Today

Where LSU football's 2026 recruiting class ranks after latest four-star addition?

LSU picked up a top prospect in its region with four-star offensive tackle Emanuel Tucker, who announced his commitment last week. The top offensive lineman out of Mississippi in 2026, Tucker, adds to the best recruiting class under head coach Brian Kelly. The group ranks atop the SEC and second nationally behind USC, according to On3's Industry Rankings. The Trojans' class contains 28 prospects, which is why they lead the country in the 2026 cycle. Should the Tigers add a few more four or five-star commitments, they could pull ahead once again. LSU has yet to add a quarterback to the group and it's pursuing Bowe Bentley hard. The four-star passer out of Celina, TX ranks No. 7 at his position and listed the Tigers, Oklahoma and Georgia as his top three. He takes official visits to each over the summer. Led by five-star prospects Tristen Keys and Richard Anderson, the Tigers built their 2026 class on keeping the best homegrown talents in the state. Seven of its commits hail from Louisiana, meaning they're less likely to listen to other programs. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle

Should we be concerned about LSU baseball's lineup after struggles vs. Arkansas?
Should we be concerned about LSU baseball's lineup after struggles vs. Arkansas?

USA Today

time2 hours ago

  • USA Today

Should we be concerned about LSU baseball's lineup after struggles vs. Arkansas?

Should we be concerned about LSU baseball's lineup after struggles vs. Arkansas? LSU baseball beat Arkansas to open its College World Series on Saturday. It was a 4-1 pitchers' duel, but the game didn't follow the script many thought it would. With LSU throwing Kade Anderson and Arkansas giving the ball to Zach Root, two of the nation's best pitchers went toe-to-toe. But Root didn't make it out of the second inning. LSU tagged Root for three runs, prompting Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn to call Gabe Gaeckle out of the bullpen. Gaeckle was dynamite, throwing six innings and striking out 10. He allowed just one run. LSU's lineup did enough. The three runs vs. Root were enough to win the game, and the run in the eighth vs. Gaeckle gave the bullpen insurance, but there are some questions. LSU's first three hitters were a combined 0-13 on the night. Jared Jones, who emerged from a slump vs. West Virginia, posted a 0-5 at the plate. LSU's lineup struck out 16 times and tallied just six hits. Two of those hits didn't leave the infield, and the Tigers had just one extra base hit all night. It's not what you wanted to see from the LSU lineup. This is a group that has struggled vs. quality pitching at points this year, and the issue reared its head again on Saturday. When Kade Anderson is dealing for seven innings, it doesn't matter. But there will be a point where LSU is asked to win a high-scoring affair vs. a good team in Omaha. When that time comes, does this offense have the firepower to get it done? LSU combined to score 28 runs in the super regional. We know this offense is capable of erupting at a moment's notice, but LSU needs Ethan Frey and Jones to produce at the top of the order. LSU's next College World Series game is vs. UCLA on Monday at 6 p.m. CT.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store