Latest news with #Milam
USA Today
30-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
LSU football head coach Brian Kelly throws first pitch at Baton Rouge summer league game
LSU football head coach Brian Kelly threw out one of two ceremonial first pitches at the Baton Rouge Rougarou's home playoff game on Tuesday. The Rougarou is a summer collegiate baseball league team in the Texas Collegiate League. They recorded the first playoff win in team history with a 5-4 victory over the Acadiana Can Cutters in the Louisiana Division championship at Baton Rouge's Pete Goldsby Field. Kelly, alongside LSU baseball infielder Steven Milam, each hurled pitches to home plate ahead of the postseason contest. Former LSU catcher Blaise Presenter, who plays for the Rougarou, caught the pitches from Kelly and Milam behind the plate. The appearance of Kelly comes ahead of the first day of fall camp for the 2025 college football season. The Tigers reported to Baton Rouge on Tuesday for Wednesday's opening day. Milam played a pivotal role in the Tigers bringing home their second national championship in two seasons. He started every game at shortstop in the College World Series finals against Coastal Carolina.
USA Today
22-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Three takeaways: LSU baseball beats Coastal Carolina in Game 1 of the CWS final
LSU baseball earned a slim 1-0 victory over Coastal Carolina on Saturday to open the best-of-three College World Series finals on Saturday night. Inside Omaha's Charles Schwab Stadium, left-handed pitcher Kade Anderson led the Tigers to victory with his second complete game shutout of 2025. Using 130 pitches, he racked up 10 strikeouts. The game's lone run game in the bottom of the first inning. Steven Milam roped an RBI single to center field with one out to score Derek Curiel. It was one of six hits for LSU, but pitching from both dugouts dominated the rest of the way. Coastal Carolina got runners on base often early but couldn't take advantage of three hits and five free passes issued by Anderson. The southpaw remained strong throughout his final game for the Tigers, sticking with his breaking pitches when his fastball couldn't find the strike zone. LSU baseball will return to action in Game 2 on Sunday, looking to clinch the national title. Here are three takeaways from LSU's win over Coastal Carolina in game one of the College World Series finals. Bullpen gets much-needed rest day Anderson's complete game shutout kept the entire bullpen available for Sunday's contest. Relievers such as Chase Shores, Cooper Williams, and Jacob Mayers will have another day of rest heading into what could be the final game of the season. Top relief arms Casan Evans and Zac Cowan also get another day of rest after getting starter-level work in the College World Series. Outside of Anderson and Anthony Eyanson, Evans and Cowan are LSU's best arms. Getting another full day of rest was key for both and puts LSU in a great position for Game 2, and if needed, a Game 3. LSU could use Evans or Cowan out of the pen on Saturday and still have one left to start Game 3 if needed. Milam's clutch-hitting continues Milam racked up 13 RBI throughout the 2025 NCAA Tournament, including the lone run of Saturday's contest. The shortstop also batted in four runs apiece in each game of the Baton Rouge Super Regional against West Virginia. Much of LSU's lineup has been inconsistent this postseason, but Milam continues to deliver quality at-bats, come through in the clutch, and be the glue that holds this group together. The sophomore has peaked at the best time possible and will look to replicate that success on Sunday. Defense plays large role In a game decided by the thinnest margin, LSU made no errors while dealing with nine ground balls off the bats of Chanticleers' hitters. On a windy evening in Omaha, the Tigers caught seven fly balls. Michael Braswell flashed the leather multiple times at the hot corner, firing across the diamond to Jared Jones at first base. Daniel Dickinson made tough grabs at second base as well. There was also this key moment in the top of the third. With two runners on, Coastal Sebastian Alexander tried to steal third. He beat the throw, but Braswell kept the glove on and nailed Alexander off the bag to end the inning and the CCU rally.
USA Today
22-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Instant recap: LSU baseball beats Coastal Carolina in CWS Game 1 Final
Tigers Strike First@Monster_Milam99 | ESPN For the second time in three years, LSU is back in the College World Series finals. This year, the Tigers and Jay Johnson look to get revenge for the 2016 season. Kade Anderson would throw nine full innings and allow zero runs on three hits, 10 strikeouts, and five walks as he led the Tigers to a 1-0 win in Game 1. For the final time, Kade Anderson would trot out onto the mound to give it his all for LSU. He was fully rested and ready to give LSU a shot at starting this series 1-0. Two Chanticleer runners reached base in the top of the first, but neither of them was able to score. In the bottom of the first inning, LSU would draw first blood as Derek Curiel walked and Steven Milam hit an RBI single to bring him around to score and give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. In the top of the third inning, Coastal Carolina would get a runner in scoring position with two outs. They attempted a double steal, and Luis Hernandez made a great throw to Michael Braswell III, and the runner slid off the bag as Braswell secured the tag for the third out. Got 'Em@_lh_13 x @brazzy_11 | ESPN In the bottom of the third inning, Milam hit a double and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Jake Brown struck out with two outs to strand him at third and keep the game 1-0. In the bottom of the sixth inning, LSU had another chance to score as Milam walked, and then an errant throw to first on a pick-off attempt almost resulted in extra bases for Milam, but the ball hit the umpire, so Milam was unable to advance. That proved costly as Hernandez hit a single that would have scored Milam had he been able to advance. Instead, LSU had runners on the corners with two outs, and Chris Stanfield grounded out to end the inning. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Daniel Dickinson was hit by a pitch on a 3-2 count, but after review, he was called out as it was determined that he leaned into the pitch for out number one. Braswell would ground out, Curiel reached on an infield single, and Ethan Frey was called out on a check swing for out number three. WhewLSU's Daniel Dickinson is called out after umpires reviewed this say he did it intentionally #CWS As we headed to the top of the ninth inning, LSU still led 1-0, and Kade Anderson once again went out on the mound to pitch. After a strikeout and a groundout, Coastal Carolina would get a walk to put a runner on first base with two outs. Anderson would get a flyout to right field for out number three! Anderson hurled the first complete game shutout since 2018 in Omaha! Game two of the series will be played tomorrow at 1 p.m. CT.
USA Today
09-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
LSU baseball's Steven Milam talks West Virginia win: 'I love the big moment'
LSU baseball's Steven Milam talks West Virginia win: 'I love the big moment' Steven Milam put LSU baseball on his back during the Baton Rouge Super Regional against West Virginia. Saturday and Sunday against the Mountaineers, the sophomore infielder made his plate appearances count. With a mix of power and patience at the plate, Milam finished the series with eight RBI and credits "getting back to the basics" for his success. "I love the big moment," Milam said. "I didn't play or help my team as much as I wanted to during the year and I had to step up to take pressure off the other guys. I feel like I've been able to do that." Milam put the Tigers up big with a grand slam in Saturday's fifth inning then stroked two doubles on Sunday. He finished with two walks in each game, bringing his on-base percentage to .395 for the year. "He went out there and competed his tail off and really did a good job," LSU first baseman Jared Jones said. "He was just himself this weekend and he did a great job for us and go the momentum in our dugout." The Tigers only hope Milam's success continues now that they claimed a berth in the College World Series and learned they will open against No. 3 seed Arkansas. "Our whole team is running great at bats one through nine," Milam said. "You can punch in 15 different guys, and we're going to beat you," Milam said. This wasn't Milam's first time appearing in a big moment. In the 2024 SEC Tournament, Milam delivered a big home run that was instrumental in LSU securing an NCAA Tournament appearance. "This is why you come to LSU."
Dominion Post
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Dominion Post
END OF THE ROAD: LSU sweeps WVU in super regional
BATAN ROUGE, La. — West Virginia baseball's quest to kick down the Omaha, Neb. door will have to wait another year. For the second straight season, the Mountaineers dropped both games of a road super regional and ended the season one round shy of their first College World Series in program history. This one was a relentless onslaught at the hands of arguably the best team in the country, a 12-5 loss to LSU following Saturday's 16-9 defeat. BOX SCORE 'We never focus on other teams and what they do,' West Virginia head coach Steve Sabins said. 'Couldn't be more proud of our guys.' West Virginia (44-16) hung in for as long as it could, even bringing the tying run to the plate as late as the sixth inning on Sunday night. But LSU (48-15) just had too much offense, too many power arms and made far fewer mistakes as it secured its 20th CWS appearance in the last 39 years. Just like in Game 1, a pair of big innings made the difference. LSU blew the game open early with five runs in the second inning, all after West Virginia starter Jack Kartsonas retired the first two batters on nine pitches. Three consecutive walks loaded the bases, and Steven Milam delivered a three-run double down the right field line. Milam came around to score on Jake Brown's RBI single and after Brown advanced on a wild pitch, a misplayed infield pop-up allowed him to trot home with the fifth run of the frame and sixth of the game. After West Virginia put up four runs in the middle innings and knocked LSU starter Anthony Eyanson out, the visitors had legitimate traction for the only time all weekend. Sam White hit a solo homer, Ben Lumsden popped up with the unlikeliest of homers — just his second all season — to make it 6-3 and White delivered an RBI single in his next at-bat. 'I have great hitters in front of me and great hitters behind me,' White said. 'My job is just to pass it to the next guy.' Just in time for another costly dropped pop-up. The second aerial miscue of the night was the first of three errors in a nightmare seventh inning, allowing LSU to score six times and put the game out of reach, finally delivering the knockout punch after a heroic Chase Meyer relief performance kept the Mountaineers in the game. Chris Stanfield's two-run insurance created initial separation, Milam added another RBI single and Jake Brown belted a two-run home run off the batter's eye to complete the inning. Tally it up for the series and you get galling numbers. West Virginia pitchers issued 17 walks, hit eight batters and committed four errors, far too much help for an LSU team with more than enough talent to win without the lifelines. 'When you give great teams and great offenses additional opportunities or free passes, they answer,' Sabins said. 'We had more walks than what a championship team can do. The walks and hit-by-pitches allowed for baserunners to get on. Our pitchers were consistently in stressful situations.' Stack it up in total for year one of the Sabins era, and the total body of work was unquestionably positive. It was arguably the greatest season in West Virginia baseball history, even building on from last year's success of winning a regional for the first time ever. 'We broke the all-time win record at WVU,' Sabins said. 'We won the first outright Big 12 title in football, basketball or baseball at our university, and this program has never been in back-to-back super regionals. Those were big milestones, and that was something that we're proud of.' But at this moment, the pain was still there. West Virginia just had no answers across two games. Not for the heat, the intimidating away environment and definitely not for an LSU team which showed why it spent a chunk of the season ranked No. 1 nationally. It is on to reflection, transfer portal work and the long countdown to February 2026, as the Mountaineers will begin the Omaha chase again. 'I don't get sad about baseball results,' Sabins said. 'I get sad about the group of people that you work with for a year straight to try to build something special — which this group did — won't ever get to be together again. There is some sort of finality with that final out, that you're not going to get to be with that same group of kids.' If West Virginia ever crosses over those pearly gates of Omaha into college baseball heaven, teams like this one will be responsible for laying the foundation. Not this year, though.
