By Hunt Palmer
Kade Anderson will likely remember his Opening Day start at Alex Box Stadium forever.
That’s more than he can say about his first trip to LSU’s home ballpark.
“The first time I don’t necessarily remember,” Anderson said. “I was that young. But it’s been a dream of mine really, and I’ll be excited.”
That dream is realized Friday as the sophomore left hander from Madisonville takes the ball for the Tigers against Purdue-Fort Wayne.
Like most, Anderson had to earn his way to the front of the pitching staff with some early growing pains and months of improvement. Very few take the Alex Lange route–immediately to the rotation as a freshman, never to leave.
Anderson started midweek games early in his college career, dominating foes like Rice and Southeastern Louisiana from lesser conferences. Then came SEC action and some humble pie served warm.
Florida tagged Anderson for three runs in one inning of work. Tennessee plated a pair of runs in an inning. Auburn knocked him around for five runs in just 2/3 of an inning.
While he was a heralded recruit, SEC baseball can be unforgiving for any one especially a freshman coming off of an arm injury.
“I think experience helped a lot,” Anderson said. “Obviously, I had some ups and downs last year, and that helped. Learning from those experiences. Ultimately, I think picking up slider has been a big help of mine. At the end of spring I actually was throwing it, but it wasn’t really there. It was kind of more like a slurve.”
That slurve and his mid-90s fastball were enough to allow Anderson to work the last four innings of his season without allowing a run. He struck out nine batters over those four frames and entered the offseason with a renewed confidence.
“The story is what he did from the end of last season,” LSU Head Coach Jay Johnson said. “He finished the season great in the postseason, SEC tournament and the NCAA Tournament. And then really devoted himself in the weight room in the summer time. Transformed his body, elevated the pitchability. (Pitching) Coach (Nate) Yeskie has done a really good job with him. It’s no surprise that that pairing of Coach Yeskie and Kade has gone well.”
Yeskie helped Anderson shape that now sharp slider that has helped bring his game to a new level.
But the sophomore hurler didn’t stop there lauding the LSU staff. Head strength and conditioning coach Chris Martin has helped with a body transformation Anderson.
“I think that all goes to Chris Martin,” Anderson said. “I would say that was really my main goal this offseason to kind of put on a little weight and ultimately get stronger. Shout out to him for pushing me. My freshman year I came in at 167, and I’m 190 now.”
Nearly 25 extra pounds has helped Anderson increase fastball velocity and overall endurance, something that will be vital to LSU’s Friday night starter. Not only does the series-opening arm have a responsibility to hold the opposing offense down, but he’s also charged with eating up outs and keeping his bullpen fresh for the rest of the weekend.
Paulk Skenes, Luke Holman and Gage Jump did a fantastic job of that in 2023 and 2024. Johnson trusts his newest front-line starter to do more of the same.
“Whoever you open with and who pitches at the end of the game, you have to really trust the makeup of the pitcher,” Johnson said. “I trust him with my life. He’s one of the leaders on the team. If I really wanted to get something done, I would go to him.”
Johnson will do just that at 2:00 on Friday.
