LSU Drops Second-Straight Midweek Game

As LSU looked to redeem a loss against Northeastern on Monday night, with a fresh lineup and redshirt junior Gavin Guidry taking the bump, the challenge wasn’t going to be a simple one. A Wednesday night road game against long-standing rival Louisiana never is.

The start of the game began looking like a repeat of Monday’s falter against Northeastern, with the Cajuns plating three in only the first inning and LSU scoreless, trying to manufacture swings yet again and reaching outside the plate.

The pitching, well, it’s seen better days.

Guidry, the redshirt junior who had been projected to anchor the team on the weekends, took his start on the bump and delivered a subpar performance. The right-hander gave up his first walk of the season prior to allowing two early Cajun runs.

The early deficit wasn’t all on Guidry, though. The Tiger defense continued to struggle, this time in the form of passed balls behind the plate. The defensive miscues plaguing the club appear to be a far cry from the defensive prowess of the 2025 Tigers, who rode defensive ability to a national championship.

Since going 2-1 in the Jacksonville Classic, the message from Head Coach Jay Johnson has been consistent — the defense will need to get better and play cleaner baseball. Headed into 2026, the program held confidence in this group’s ability, and March 5, when the Tigers still hold a top-five ranking, is too early to prove the contrary.

Down three through the first four innings, one smack of the ball from transfer Trent Caraway would bring two runs up on the board for the Tigers. After freshman Ethan Plog toed the rubber for an inning, returner Connor Benge took to the bump to attempt to slow down the pace of these Cajuns, who just kept seeing the ball.

Concerns have been identified, but this Tiger team hasn’t faced the easiest draw. After competing in Jacksonville, returning to Baton Rouge, and traveling to Lafayette, Johnson admits he may have crafted a more top-heavy schedule than intended. Still, the Tiger program wasn’t built on easing their way to Omaha; it takes grit and victory against all levels of competition to meet the standard set at LSU.

The skipper can see the vision for future success, though. “Tough to have some lessons in losses, and sometimes it grabs the team’s attention, and I’m ready to get into a routine now,” Jay Johnson said.

As the schedule turns, LSU will compete with traditional four-game weeks. Ideally, a routine with additional time off will help the uber-talented Tigers mesh. With more rest, the pitching staff will feel less pressure and defensive consistency can be pursued.

LSU is a national brand, with arguably more eyeballs on the program than any other in the country. The Tigers will look to forget contests against Northeastern and Louisiana when they host Sacramento State this weekend. A 3-2 week will do well to blanket national and local concern.

Still, as the Tigers ramp up for SEC play beginning March 13 at Vanderbilt, LSU will look to address the reasons for their defeats against favorable competition. Despite the concerns and presses of panic buttons in LSU circles, Johnson sees the potential and isn’t joining anyone in the public discourse. The weeks ahead will determine the proximity of that panic button for those inside the walls of Alex Box Stadium.