Station Survey: ESPN staff gives keys, picks for Super Regional
06/06/2025
LSU and West Virginia duel for a College World Series berth beginning Saturday. The winner of the three-game series is headed for Omaha.
We asked the crew at 104.5 ESPN Baton Rouge for a key player in the Super Regional and a pick. Here’s what they had to say.
Taylor Sharp, Video Producer, Off the Bench:
Key Players: Jared Jones and Steven Milam. Need Milam to continue to get quality at bats. And If Jones can get out of his slump, then this lineup can be dangerous 1-9.
Result: I think LSU wins the series, but it’ll take three games.
Alondra Villarreal, Audio Producer, Off the Bench
I think the key player for LSU for the remainder of the season is Daniel Dickinson. He’s got the ability to hit doubles and home runs hitting around, often after, Derek Curiel and Jared Jones. After his two-home run game in the regional opener, he was quiet, and LSU slumped. Plus he’s an excellent defensive player despite his misplay on Monday in that disastrous second inning. The combination of his bat and glove, I think is key for LSU at this point in the season. I think LSU will win in 3 games.
Jacob Hester, Co-Host, Off the Bench:
It’s not just one key player. LSU boasts the best 1A/1B combo in the country with Anthony Eyanson and Kade Anderson. Eyanson delivers steady dominance with a sub-3.00 ERA and poise in pressure spots. Anderson leads the nation in strikeouts and just shoved in a shutout win over Dallas Baptist. Together, they form a backbone of a staff built to win in June.
Prediction: LSU 2-0.
Matt Flynn, Co-Host, Off the Bench:
Derek Curiel, hands down. Get on base and force West Virginia to throw strikes to Ethan Frey.
LSU wins it in 2. Casan Evans comes in and closes it out with 3 Ks in the 9th.
Charles Hanagriff, Co-Host, Live at Lunch
Steven Milam. The Tigers second baseman had five hits, six walks and was hit by a pitch in the Regional. He scored five runs. The Tiger offense followed right along, averaging just over eight runs per game. This is two postseasons in a row that Milam has hit well, and putting a hot Monster near the top of the order makes a difference.
Last year the Tigers came up just short on the road. This year the games are at Alex Box Stadium. I like LSU in two.
Jacob Beck, Audio Producer, Hunt Palmer Show
Key player for LSU: Zac Cowan. You know what you’re going to get with Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson. Two quality starts. The question is, what will LSU get from Zac Cowan this weekend? Cowan has issued just twelve walks on the season, but five of those came in his last three outings. Eleven of the sixteen earned runs he’s allowed came in his last five outings. There’s no getting around it, Cowan is struggling to find the zone and get outs. Jay Johnson said this week he hasn’t lost his trust in Cowan, so when LSU needs three to nine outs in a tight one, Cowan will be getting the call. The question is, can he revert to the form he was in for the first three-fourths of the season.
Result of Regional: LSU 2-0 sweep. Eyanson and Anderson are too much, and the bats pick up where they left off on Monday.
Hunt Palmer, Host, Hunt Palmer Show:
Zac Cowan and Chase Shores are the keys. At some point, LSU is going to need those two for big outs. It may be in a closing role on Saturday if Casan Evans needs another day. It may be in a closing role on Sunday if Evans is burned. It may be in any role, starting or relief on Monday depending how the games have gone. Kade Anderson, Anthony Eyanson and Evans can’t get every out. Shores and Cowan are next up. They have to be better than they were last week.
Give me LSU in two.
Matthew Musso, Audio Producer, After Further Review
Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson are the key players for LSU this weekend. Starting with the Tennessee series (11 combined starts) LSU’s 1-2 punch have pitched to a combined 1.82 ERA. They have walked 23 and struck out 110 in 74 innings pitched. LSU is 9-2 in those games. West Virginia is not a team that strings together hits to score their runs. They string together innings via death by a thousand paper cuts. Stringing anything together against Anderson and Eyanson is tough. Both have thrown shutout ball in the NCAA Tournament so far. The Tigers need to Anderson and Eyanson to get the deep into the games allowing them more options out of the bullpen for the final few innings. I like the chances of that happening. LSU wins the Super Regional 2-0.
Paul O’Neill, Video Producer, After Further Review:
The player to watch for me is Derek Curiel. He is easily the best all-around player on this LSU roster. He sets the tone each game from the leadoff spot. He had a “quiet” regional compared to other players who stepped up in the clutch moments. Curiel should have plenty of opportunities to cement his place in LSU history this weekend against West Virginia.
Tigers win series in two games
Matt Moscona, Host, After Further Review
Anthony Eyanson. LSU hasn’t lost a home game behind Kade Anderson all season and I don’t think that starts now. Eyanson needs to end this thing is two because nobody in purple and gold wants a repeat of Sunday against Little Rock with a trip to Omaha on the line.
LSU in 2