By Hunt Palmer
THE STORY
Jay Johnson was looking for strikes. Casan Evans finally obliged.
The freshman closer ended a dreadful stretch of control, or lack thereof, from LSU’s bullpen to nail down a 7-6 win over Missouri at Alex Box Stadium Saturday night.
GEAUX TIGERS pic.twitter.com/SJpjWB1jIF
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) March 16, 2025
LSU’s bullpen completely lost the strike zone in the seventh. William Schmidt allowed Keegan Knutson’s second homer of the game and season to open the inning, and he walked the next two Tiger hitters to create more trouble. DJ Primeaux hit Cayden Nicoletto to load the bases with LSU leading 7-5.
To Primeaux’s credit, he got the ground ball double play which plated a run but stalled the rally. After Primeaux issued another walk, LSU’s fourth free base allowed in the inning, Johnson went to Evans to put out the fire.
He did by inducing a chopper to third. LSU led 7-6 at stretch time.
Evans was nearly bitten by the walks in the eighth. He issued bases on balls to the first two hitters of the inning. Knutson, whose slugging kept Missouri in the game, dropped down a sac bunt to move the runners into scoring position. Another walk followed to load the bases.
Evans responded by getting Mateo Serna and Nicoletto swinging on three pitches. The last was a devastating slider that vanished beneath the left-handed hitting Nicoletto’s bat. Alex Box erupted in approval, and Evans let out a roar of his own.
It was the biggest moment of his young career.
Evans got a pair of strikeouts to open the ninth and bring the home crowd to its feet, after a two-out single, Evans got a ground ball right back to him to cement the win and his spot as LSU’s highest leverage reliever.
For the second straight day, Missouri took an early lead. For second straight day, LSU immediately responded.
After Knutson’s three run shot gave Missouri a 4-3 advantage in the top of the fourth inning and chased LSU starter Anthony Eyanson from the game.
LSU roared back for three of its own in the bottom half to regain control, 6-4. Missouri starter Wil Libbert charitably walked Steven Milam and hit Jake Brown to put the first two Tigers on. Luis Hernandez was retired on a hard lineout to left that chased Milam to third. Michael Braswell dropped down a perfect safety squeeze that plated a run and resulted in a single.
With two out, Jared Jones smoked a high fastball into the gap in right center for a two-run single that gave the Tigers the lead.
Braswell would add to that lead in the fifth when he worked a nine-pitch at bat and lined a two-out RBI single into left to make it 7-4.
LSU would hold on for dear life after that. Eight Tigers were set down in a row to finish the game.
Josh Pearson kick started the scoring with a towering two-run homer into the right field seats in the first.
Eyanson’s outing was shaky if sometimes effective. He got five strikeouts early, but the last two swings were a laced double to left and Knutson’s line drive home run. The Missouri contact was louder than you’d like from your Saturday starter, but Johnson can trust him to throw strikes. That was an issue for the next four pitchers to follow.
THE SCORECARD
- Casan Evans’s line: 2.1IP, 2H, 0R, 2H, 2BB, 4K, 44 pitches (season-high), 25 strikes.
- Anthony Eyanson’s line: 3.2IP, 7H, 4R, 4ER, 1BB, 5K, 68 pitches, 42 strikes
- Chris Stanfield: 2-for-4, 2B, 1 R
- Michael Braswell: 2-for-3, 3 RBI, 1 R
- Josh Pearson: 1-for-4 2R HR,
- Jared Jones: 1-for-5, 2 RBI
- Missouri outhit LSU 10-to-8
- LSU only struck out three times and has only struck out eight times in two games in the series
- Brock Lucas and Kaden Jacobi combined for 4.1 scoreless relief innings for Missouri
THE QUOTES
Casan Evans on how he calms down on the mound…
“Usually. the “Skip Bertman” at the top of the press box, I focus on the inside of the “P”, and then I’ll do three seconds in, three seconds out. It’s proven to calm your body down. You have less stress that way. So, I kind of do that before the first pitch of every inning and if I’m in a situation like that.”
Jay Johnson on Anthony Eyanson’s start…
“I thought he competed really well. I thought he got off to a great start in the first inning. That’s a positive. I thought he mowed through the second. I thought the third keeping that at a one was awesome. Again, we were in the middle of their best hitters. So, keeping that at a one was great. So, he was almost there. As I was looking at the lineup and the game in my mind, I wanted him to go through (the lineup) twice. Then we were going to go to Conner (Ware) tonight. That was the plan. Adn we almost got there. He was literally two strikes or one hitter away from getting the job done.”
Michael Braswell on Casan Evans closing as a freshman…
“He’s one of our guys. Freshman or not, y’all see the stuff. He can get anybody out. Talking to him in the dugout, I just wanted him to stay confident. ‘Hey man, you have the stuff to get anybody out no matter who is up there.’ He’s a great player, great pitcher.”
WHAT’S NEXT
LSU and Missouri will conclude their three-game series on Sunday at 1:00.
LSU will go to sophomore right hander Chase Shores. Evans will not be available, but Mavrick Rizy, Zac Cowan and Connor Benge will be ready among others. Johnson suggested Primeaux is likely available as well.
