Tigers sweep Frisco Classic with slugfest win over Sam Houston
03/02/2025
(Photo Credit: @LSUbaseball on X)
By Hunt Palmer
THE STORY
LSU won games three different ways this weekend.
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) March 3, 2025
After a back-and-forth, extra innings affair Friday and a come-from-behind victory Saturday, LSU erupted early and held on late to beat Sam Houston State Sunday and sweep the weekend at the Frisco College Classic.
The Tigers hung a six-spot in the second and added two more in both the third and fourth innings to take a commanding 11-3 lead. Sam Houston hung in there and scored four in the sixth to make it interesting, down just 11-8.
LSU pitching stepped up and shut the Bearkats out the last three innings to seal the deal. A single run in the bottom of the sixth provided the final score of 12-8.
LSU’s offense did a little bit of everything.
The Tigers hit a pair of homers. Steven Milam and Ethan Frey used the jet stream out to left field. When Jay Johnson put the sacrifice bunt on, it worked. Michael Braswell executed it well twice, once in the second and once in the third. Both times Chris Stanfield paid it off with an RBI groundout.
Five Tigers drove in multiple runs, and LSU rolled up 13 hits.
Chase Shores’s outing was uneven. He had to throw 89 pitches over five innings against an inferior opponent. However, he was spotted a big lead and gave up six singles and a lone double. It wasn’t like Sam Houston was teeing off.
The fastball was up to 98, and when he executes that slider, it’s really good. He just didn’t quite command his stuff like he would like.
Sunday, like much of the weekend, was more about the Tiger offense really executing at a high level in a lot of different respects. LSU needs to beat teams with balance and depth, and this weekend was a success from that perspective.
Allowing eight runs on nine hits on the mound is not ideal, but LSU made pitches late when they needed to slam the door.
Mavrick Rizy issued a pair of walks in the ninth to make things interesting as the rain fell, but Jaden Noot came on to finish things with a pair of outs on eight pitches.
THE SCORECARD
Luis Hernandez had a really nice day at the plate. He went 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI.
Derek Curiel, Jared Jones and Daniel Dickinson hit 1-2-3 in the Tiger order. All three got two hits including a double.
Josh Pearson had as single and three walks. He scored three times.
LSU pitching issued 10 walks. Shores (3), Kade Woods (2), Cooper Williams (1), Connor Benge (2), D.J. Primeaux (0), Rizy (2), Jaden Noot (0). Three of those scored.
Shores’s final line: 5IP, 7H, 4R, 4ER, 3BB, 5K, 89 pitches, 57 strikes
LSU:
- Scored in four of eight innings. Sam Houston scored in four of nine innings
- 7-for-15 (.467) with two outs
- 9-for-23 (.351) with runners on base
- 7-for-16 (.438) with runners in scoring position
WHAT’S NEXT
LSU will play five more games this week, the final stretch before conference play cranks up. North Dakota State comes to Alex Box Stadium for night games on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Bison are 1-9 on the season and were swept at Alabama over the weekend.
North Alabama comes to Baton Rouge next weekend. The Lions are 3-6 this season and have already lost a pair of SEC games to Auburn and Tennessee in the midweek.
Check out more of our LSU Baseball coverage here.