By Hunt Palmer
LSU’s season with begin with Casan Evans‘s right arm.
Jay Johnson is generally reluctant to announce pitching plans in advance, but he was willing to name his weekend rotation on Thursday. Evans will get the first chance to earn the ace role for the 2026 Tigers after a sensational freshman season for the 2025 national title team.
Evans posted a 5-1 record with a 2.05 ERA striking out 71 hitters in 52.2 innings. He also nailed down a team-high seven saves.
A pair of right handers will round out the weekend. Kansas transfer Cooper Moore will start on Saturday, and sophomore flamethrower William Schmidt will start Sunday.
Moore was a Second-Team All-Big 12 performer for the Jayhawks in 2025. He went 7-3 with a 3.96 ERA striking out 85 against just 19 walks in 88.2 innings.
Schmidt posted a perfect 7-0 record as a freshman a season ago primarily pitching in the midweek. His fastball reaches the high 90s, and he features a devastating breaking ball.
First pitch Friday is set for 2:00 from Alex Box Stadium. Saturday’s game will begin at 1:00, and the series concludes with a 1:00 first pitch Sunday.
All the games can be streamed on ESPN+.
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