LSU Athletics
BATON ROUGE, La. – The 2026 LSU baseball squad opens its six-week fall practice period at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
LSU’s fall baseball intra-squad scrimmages throughout October and November are open to the public. The Tigers will scrimmage this week at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, 4 p.m. Friday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
Gates to the stadium will open approximately 15 minutes prior to the start of each scrimmage, and fans will be admitted through the Gate 2 home plate entrance.
Admission and parking are free for all intra-squad scrimmages this fall. Dates and times for subsequent scrimmages will be announced in October and November as the fall practice period progresses.
Head coach Jay Johnson, who has directed the Tigers to the 2023 and 2025 National Championships in his four-season LSU tenure, begins preparation for his fifth season with a very talented squad that has 19 returning players and 20 newcomers on its roster.
The Tigers feature seven returning position players with starting experience at LSU, including senior outfielder Chris Stanfield, senior infielder Tanner Reaves, junior shortstop Steven Milam, junior outfielder Jake Brown, sophomore outfielder Derek Curiel, sophomore catcher Cade Arrambide and sophomore infielder John Pearson.
The pitching staff contains 10 hurlers who have recorded innings at LSU, including senior right-hander Zac Cowan, senior right-hander Connor Benge, senior right-hander Grant Fontenot, junior right-hander Gavin Guidry, junior right-hander Jaden Noot, junior left-hander DJ Primeaux, sophomore right-hander Casan Evans, sophomore left-hander Cooper Williams, sophomore right-hander Mavrick Rizy and sophomore right-hander William Schmidt.
“We’re always very intentional about what we do, how we do it, and then helping players take the next step forward,” Johnson explained. “What I like so far is how our returning players, like Derek Curiel, Jake Brown, Steven Milam, those guys are leading this team. Zac Cowan, Casan Evans, Cade Arrambide – there are so many guys returning that played a part in the 2025 National Championship, and it’s given us a really good foundation of how to work, and how we roll.
“To see them take pride in that without me having to say a whole lot, that makes me feel really good.”
The 20-player class of newcomers is composed of eight NCAA Division I transfers, one NCAA Division II transfer, two JUCO transfers and nine high school signees. Five LSU rookies have been ranked among the Prep Baseball Report Top 100 College Freshmen, and another six of the Tigers’ newcomers appear on the Baseball America list of the Top 100 College Transfers.
“Our program focuses upon taking pride in our performance and striving to be the best at what we do,” Johnson said. “Can we build the best infrastructure for a college baseball program, can we recruit better than anybody else, can our player development operation be a machine?
“Can we continue to bring in talented players and be the best at making them a team, and get them to buy into the team over themselves? I’m energized by those challenges, and I want LSU Baseball to continue to be the biggest source of pride in LSU Athletics.”
The Tigers have engaged in individual drills and strength training for the past six weeks prior to beginning their first full-squad fall workout and scrimmage on Thursday.
In addition to its intra-squad scrimmages, LSU will play two exhibition games this fall against other schools. The Tigers meet Samford on Sunday, November 2, at Keesler Federal Park in Biloxi, Miss., the home of the Milwaukee Brewers’ Double-A affiliate, the Biloxi Shuckers. LSU will face Southeastern Louisiana on Sunday, November 9, at Alumni Field in Hammond, La.
LSU opens the 2026 season on Friday, February 13, when the Tigers play host to Milwaukee in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
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