(Photo Credit: @LSUbaseball on X)
By Hunt Palmer
THE STORY
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) March 8, 2025
Kade Anderson’s final dress rehearsal for the role of “SEC Ace” went excellently.
As he has in every start this year, Anderson mowed down the opposition through five innings. He powered through one more to earn the win in LSU’s 13-2, seven-inning triumph over North Alabama.
Anderson had struggled the third time through the lineup in his previous two outings. No such issues on Friday night. He worked a scoreless sixth inning for the first time, recording a pair of strikeouts in the frame.
My favorite inning Anderson worked was the fourth. LSU had just hit three homers and taken a 5-0 lead. He immediately got ahead of the leadoff man 0-2, wasted a fastball and then got the punchout. He got ahead of the second hitter 0-1 and got a foul pop up. Then got ahead of the third hitter 0-2 and got a strikeout. On the heels of LSU taking the momentum, he got the Lions out in order with 11 pitches, nine of which were strikes.
Anderson got his pitch count up to 92 and held his velocity around 94 mph for the duration of the outing. The sophomore lefty is going to be a huge key to LSU’s season, and he gave his best effort of the year as the dawn of SEC play approaches.
Offensively, LSU broke out the long ball in a big way. The Tigers hammered six home runs.
John Pearson, Luis Hernandez, and Tanner Reaves launched their first as Tigers. Steven Milam hit his first from the left side of the plate, third on the year. Daniel Dickinson claimed the team lead with his fifth of the year, and Pearson got things started with a towering blast in the third. Reaves and Milam followed in the same five-run frame.
LSU may not have a handful of players with 20-plus home run potential, but Friday was a reminder that there is some pop up and down the lineup outside of Jones.
The Tigers have now scored seven or more runs in 13 of 15 games and nine in a row.
Mavrick Rizy relieved Anderson in the seventh. He allowed the first two men to reach via a single and a walk. He retired the next three, two of which came on hard contact and produced North Alabama’s second run.
THE SCORECARD
- Anderson’s final line read: 6IP, 4H, 1R, 1ER, 11K, 0BB, 92 pitches, 66 strikes
- Daniel Dickinson: 2-for-3, HR, BB
- Luis Hernandez: 2-for-3, HR, 2R
- Tanner Reaves: 3-for-3, 3RBI, HR
- Steven Milam: 2-for-3, HR, 2R
- Jared Jones: 0-for-5
- LSU bashed 13 hits in six innings
- LSU played error-free baseball.
- North Alabama made three errors.
WHAT’S NEXT
LSU and North Alabama will play Game 2 of the series at noon on Saturday. First pitch has been moved up from 6:00 due to weather concerns. LSU will give the ball to right hander Anthony Eyanson. Thanks to Anderson’s sparkling performance, the entire bullpen will be available to Jay Johnson.
North Alabama is scheduled to throw left hander Tripp Patterson. Last week the Lions’ southpaw limited UAB to one run on two hits in eight innings.
Check out more of our LSU coverage here.
