No. 6 LSU Upsets No. 3 Arkansas

Saturday night, the biggest stage in college baseball is set for a prime-time game between the LSU Tigers and the Arkansas Razorbacks. The anticipation luring over not only the teams but with the 25,464 fans that packed into the infamous Charles Schwab Field didn’t disappoint in the slightest.

The game started as a tough SEC matchup typically does, with three up and three down, and zeros on the board with no errors, driven by pure determination. The team that wins this game could very well be the 2025 World Series Champions.

The first inning goes by with zeros hung on the top and bottom of the board, in the second inning with Arkansas pitcher Zach Root started to struggle with his pitching at only 38 total pitches. In the top of the second, Daniel Dickinson laid down a perfect bunt to load the bases with two other guys on base.

“Maturity is the best way to describe it, the way they were able to all work and Luis Hernandez behind the plate. I mean he is one of the unsung heroes of this whole thing,” says Jay Johnson.

This began the three-run rally for the Tigers in the second inning, all of this happening with two outs. With the bases loaded twice, each scoring one run after two separate plays that Arkansas was just not prepared for.

After just one inning, head coach Dave Van Horn pulled ace pitcher Zach Root with a final stat line of 38 pitch count, three runs and 10 batters faced. He was then replaced by Gabe Gaeckle, who was then the pitcher for the next six innings.

Kade Anderson on the mound, delivered seven innings in what could be potentially his last time representing LSU and only gave up one run in the form of a solo homer in the bottom of the six from Reece Robinett.

After 100 pitches, he was then replaced by Chase Shores for one inning with 10 pitches and two strikeouts, then to finish off the game freshman phenom Casan Evans comes in for 13 pitches and secures the win for LSU with a final score of 4-1.

For Arkansas the team ranked No. 4 in the tournament, seemed to be struggling with playing the game of baseball that goes back to Razorback fundamentals. Although holding LSU to only four runs, all of which were due to playing small ball.

Now next up for the Tigers is playing UCLA Bruins on Monday night at 6 p.m., in the spotlight again after silencing the stadium once packed in red will now go into the losers bracket and play Murray State on Monday afternoon.