PALMER: A look back at four ‘Bold Preseason Predictions’
05/21/2025
(Photo by LSU Athletics)
By Hunt Palmer
Fourteen playing weeks have come and gone for LSU in 2025. The hope is that there are about five more. But only two are guaranteed.
Back in February, I penned a column including “Four Bold Predictions”. I had gotten a pretty good look at the team in the fall and had some conversations with sources inside the program to try to get a read on things.
I didn’t want to sound stupid, you know.
Let’s give those four predictions a look and grade them, shall we? I’ve graded them in italics below each prediction.
LSU will not be swept this season
The Tigers were swept twice last season, once in Knoxville and once in Fayetteville. In 2023, LSU was the only team in the SEC that wasn’t swept. Bad weekends happen to just about everyone. I think LSU’s depth is going to prevent the team from prolonged swoons. There is a lot of balance in the lineup and plenty of arms to turn to if someone doesn’t have it. The toughest two road trips of the season are to Texas A&M and Texas. The Aggies will be really tough, but the goal will be getting one that weekend. And I don’t see these Tigers getting swept at The Box.
THE GRADE: F
Well, it was close. Everyone in the league was swept outside of Arkansas and Tennessee. LSU lost all three games at Auburn. Still, this one feels like a pass/fail grade. I failed. My apologies for not having the foresight to see a Sam Dutton-led staff throwing the clamps on LSU for three days.
Steven Milam will hit 10 home runs
This doesn’t seem that crazy considering Milam hit eight last year. The point I’m making is that Milam has more pop than you’d think for such a small frame. And ‘I think he will hit for power as his LSU career progresses. He showed that power in the SEC Tournament and regional after hitting just three homers in SEC play.
Jared Jones will be the most feared power hitter in the lineup. Luis Hernandez and Daniel Dickinson profile as power bats. Don’t be surprised if Milam hits the second most on the team.
THE GRADE: A-
Milam did hit 10 home runs in the regular season, and he actually finished tied with Hernandez and Jones for LSU’s SEC home runs lead. He’s tied for third in home runs for the season overall. That part of the prediction piece was solidly conveyed. I did not see Milam hitting a shade over .200 in SEC play and manning the eight hole in the offense. So, not perfect but on track.
Anthony Eyanson will lead LSU in strikeouts
The right hander from UC San Diego has been excellent in the preseason. He’s got a fastball in the mid-90s and a really good breaking ball. He struck out 85 last season, and I expect that number to rise this year. I think Kade Anderson would probably be the betting favorite to lead LSU in strikeouts, but I like Eyanson’s track record as a proven college starter. I believe he’ll be a real innings eater for the Tigers.
GRADE: B
Anderson has outpaced Eyanson, so the prediction is wrong to this point. That said, I gave myself the wiggle room that Anderson would be the betting favorite. Eyanson sits third in the SEC and fourth in the country in strikeouts currently, and he’s had a phenomenal year. I saw some of that in his final two preseason outings, specifically that sharp slider that has been so effective.
Gavin Guidry and Conner Ware will both finish with at least five saves
Griffin Herring had to do it all out of the bullpen last year. I think Ware and Guidry will share closer duties based on availability and matchups. Guidry has already proven he’s got the chops to do it, and I think Ware might be the best pitcher on the roster.
Plus, I think LSU is going to win a lot of games. That creates a lot of chances for saves.
THE GRADE: C-
You might be thinking, C-?? You weren’t even close! Neither guy had a single save! And that is true. However, LSU did get to that dual-closer role. LSU won a ton of games, and Casan Evans and Zac Cowan both had six. My thought was that they had enough depth to have a pair of guys split Griffin Herring’s workload. I just whiffed on Ware’s ability, and Guidry got hurt.
I wasn’t alone on Ware. He was unhittable in the fall and plenty good in the pre-season. It just never translated. Guidry’s loss still feels important. He was never a dominant arm, but you could trust him to throw strikes, and that breaking ball could get strikeouts and ground balls to get out of trouble.