By LSU Athletics
By Hunt Palmer
OMAHA, Neb — The Southeastern Conference has ruled Omaha for half a decade.
The anticipation was that this year would be no different, but 11 SEC squads faltered in the regionals and super regionals leaving just two—LSU and Arkansas—in Omaha.
They meet Saturday night.
Friday’s two thrilling contests were played in front of largely local crowds. The city always comes out to support its prized event. Many of those locals will be watching from home Saturday as Charles Schwab Field is flooded with red and purple and gold.
LSU fans know The Road to Omaha well after 20 trips in 40 years. They own sweet memories of seven championships across the two venues. All Arkansas fans know is heartbreak, none more impactful than a foul pop up that fell between a trio of defenders in 2018. Had it been caught, Dave Van Horn and the Hogs would have their hardware. Instead, Oregon State stole it, and the search continues.
Saturday’s matchup cannot be overstated in terms of importance. The winner of the game controls the bracket. The loser must win four games in four days beginning Monday at 1:00 pm.
The waiting is over.
SECOND SOUTHPAW SHOWDOWN
Zach Root has been Arkansas’ ace for the second half of the season. Kade Anderson has worn that label since Opening Day.
Anderson’s sophomore season has been marked by consistency. LSU has won 15 of his 17 starts including the game against Arkansas on May 9. Anderson’s second strikeout Saturday will lock up the national lead.
His outing in the regional against Dallas Baptist was masterful. He worked seven shutout innings with 11 strikeouts and only two walks. The following week in the super regional he pitched excellently early and then surrendered four runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to cap a season-high of seven runs allowed.
It could have been the lopsided 10-1 scoreboard or the lengthy dugout waits as LSU hit in the fifth and sixth. It could have been the temperatures nearing 100 degrees. It could have been some poor execution. Whatever it was, Anderson didn’t like it. He was in no mood to do postgame interviews after a 16-9 LSU win.
Arkansas hits left-handers better than any team in the field. They swatted seven hits off Anderson in May. He also struck out 10. The Hogs figure to hit the ball hard some against the Tiger ace. They’ll get baserunners. Can Anderson get timely strikeouts to wiggle out of trouble? That’s likely the key.
On the other side, Root is coming off of probably his best collegiate outing. He fired seven one-hit innings last week against Tennessee in the super regional. The Vols did tally two runs on that one hit, only one was earned.
Root uses his windup for some deception. He rocks at the top of his delivery and pats the ball into his glove before coming home. He has generally sat around 94 mph with his fastball but reached back for 98 last week. His changeup is probably his best pitch, and he uses a looping curveball to change speeds, as well.
His last two SEC outings, one in the regular season and one in Hoover, weren’t great. Tennessee got him for four earned runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings in Fayetteville, and the Ole Miss Rebels scored five runs, only one earned, in four innings at the SEC Tournament. They used seven hits to do it.
The NCAA tournament has been a different story. He’s dominated Creighton and Tennessee.
The long ball wasn’t really in play on Friday in Omaha, and these two guys can really get it rolling on the mound. The offense that creates traffic early in innings and executes fundamental offense will be the team to scratch some runs. Sitting back and waiting on a pair of walks in front of the three-run homer probably won’t work.
These two faced off in the Baton Rouge series opener, and the game was decided late by the bullpens. Both will be early draft picks, Anderson a little before Root. It’s as good a matchup as well see in the entire College World Series.
GET THE GAEK
LSU’s at bats against Root won’t be a lot of fun, but that won’t change when he comes out of the game. Assuming the outcome is in doubt, Van Horn will almost undoubtedly go to Gabe Gaeckle first out of the bullpen.
In 2024, as a freshman, Gaeckle was a dynamic bullpen option with his upper 90s fastball and vanishing slider. The performance earned him the Friday night starter role to open this season, his sophomore campaign. He couldn’t hold onto it. Charlotte clubbed 10 hits and scored nine earned runs against him in week three.
By the time SEC play rolled around, Root was in the leadoff spot, and Gaeckle was moved to Saturday. Ultimately, he settled back in the bullpen where he’s shined again.
He struck out five in 3.1 innings in relief of Root in Baton Rouge. Over his last three outings, he’s worked eight innings of one-run ball with 13 strikeouts and one walk.
Expect the talented righty to be warming if Root finds any trouble in the middle innings.
SIR CHARLES
Wehiwa Aloy is the SEC Player of the Year. His brother Kuhio has had a monster year. Logan Maxwell leads the Hogs in hitting, and Omaha native Cam Kozeal is garnering all the attention in his homecoming. To me, the guy that makes Arkansas go is Charles Davalan.
Definition of sitting dead-red 🔴 pic.twitter.com/k3iIaxfO8H
— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) June 8, 2025
He hits leadoff and mashes left-handed pitching. He took Liam Doyle deep last week and is Arkansas’ leader in hits on the year. When he gets on base in front of Aloy, Maxwell and Ryder Helfrick, Arkansas is off and running.
For Anderson and the Tiger pitchers, keeping Davalan in check is going to be crucial, and that will literally start from the first pitch Anderson throws.
CLOSING QUESTIONS
If LSU leads entering the eighth, who is getting the ball? I can make the case for Zac Cowan who has held that role for 14 weeks and shut Arkansas down over three innings five weeks ago. I can make the case for Chase Shores who electrified Alex Box Stadium last week with 101 mph fastballs to finish the super regional. I can make the case for Casan Evans whose regional outing saved the season.
Make that EIGHT STRAIGHT STRIKEOUTS 🔥@CasanEvans | ESPN pic.twitter.com/kRTtJC9oEf
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) June 3, 2025
I can also make a case against all of them.
Four of Cowan’s last five outings have been poor, including his regional start against Little Rock. He’s allowed 11 earned runs in his last 6.2 innings.
Shores couldn’t find the strike zone in the regional. He walked the bases loaded and was tagged with four earned runs on just one hit in an inning.
Evans got rocked by the Hogs in Baton Rouge. He allowed seven hits and three walks which resulted in four earned runs over 3.2 in that Mothers’ Day start.
Jay Johnson is certainly hopeful that he has a lead to protect late in the game. Who takes on that role will be a massive decision.
My opinion? He goes to Evans.
ESSENTIAL OPENER
It’s been said and written multiple times. Only four game one losers have come back to win the College World Series in 45 years. That’s why Coastal Carolina threw two-thirds of its weekend rotation at Arizona on Friday. Winning game one is paramount.
That’s what is at stake between these two programs which are giants in the sport.
Saturday night one will have visions of a title. The other will be crestfallen for a day before trying to save the season Monday.
The stakes are massive.
LISTEN UP
I will be broadcasting from 2-4 central on Eagle 98.1 and 104.5 ESPN Baton Rouge. It will also be streamed on the 1045 ESPN YouTube page.
The LSU Sports Radio Network pregame show will fire up at 5:30 from Charles Schwab Field. Baton Rouge listeners can find it on Eagle 98.1, the flagship home for LSU Athletics.
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