NCAA Regional Profile: #6 National Seed LSU hosts in Baton Rouge, LA

(NCAA photo/CBC image)

By College Baseball Central writers Micah Beutell, Bo Carter, Noah Darling, Caleb Donnelley, Mark Garland, Andrew Kube, Doug Kyle, Jake Mastroianni, Jake McKeever, Andrew Riedell, and Colton Watson

Host: LSU Tigers (Alex Box Stadium/Skip Bertman Field)

1. LSU (43-14, 19-11 Southeastern Conference)

2. DBU (40-16, 21-6 Conference USA)

3. Rhode Island (38-20, 22-8 Atlantic Ten Conference)

4. Little Rock (24-32, 8-16 Ohio Valley Conference)

#1 LSU

RPI* 10  SOS 36  Record vs Q1: 13-11 Q2: 8-1

It was another great year for Jay Johnson at LSU with only one slip-up throughout SEC play when they were swept by Auburn. Otherwise, LSU was pretty consistent from beginning to end.

They were consistent on the mound and at the plate as well, finishing 3rd in offense and second in pitching in the SEC through the entire season. However, during conference play, it was the pitching staff that carried the team.

Kade Anderson (3.54 ERA, national-leading 145 strikeouts), Anthony Eyanson (2.77 ERA with 125 strikeouts), Casan Evans (1.96 ERA), Jaden Noot (3.86 ERA), and Zac Cowan (2.38 ERA) form one of the better pitching staffs in the country.

In SEC play, they finished second only to Texas with a 4.15 ERA and led the conference with 330 strikeouts. Their 28 home runs allowed were the fewest given up in conference games.

There was plenty of depth in the lineup as well with Derek Curiel (.966 OPS), Jared Jones (1.076 OPS), Daniel Dickinson (1.022 OPS), Jake Brown (.947 OPS), and Ethan Frey (1.120 OPS). Frey has gotten hot in the back half of this year slashing a .358 batting average while Jared Jones leads the team in home runs and RBIs with 19 HRs and 66 RBIs.

LSU getting to host a regional, where they were 30-5 this year, has historically boded well for a super regional as a national seed. Their pitching is more than good enough to take them to Omaha, but the question is whether or not the offense can score enough against other top pitching staffs, such as Ole Miss at Hoover in the SEC Tournament.

While their offensive numbers during SEC play were still really good compared to the rest of the league, it’s the only thing that could hold them back from winning it all. They didn’t have a single hitter finish in the top 25 during SEC play in batting average. And in their only three series losses this year they scored a combined 31 runs in nine games.

#2 DBU

RPI* 20  SOS 44  Record vs Q1: 7-4 Q2: 8-7

Dallas Baptist comes into the Baton Rouge regional as the two seed after a 40-16 season with a 21-6 conference record as well. They were the favorites to win the Conference USA Tournament but ended up losing in the semifinals. Even then, the Patriots' high RPI rank made them an NCAA lock.

DBU has always had success under coach Dan Heefner, and this year was no different, with wins over Oklahoma, Louisiana-Lafayette, Oklahoma State, and UTSA.

The Patriots are offensively led by Nathan Humphreys, who has hit .360 with 66 RBI and 17 HRs. They also have a true slugger in Grant Jay, who has hit 19 home runs and set a new career home runs record at DBU.

Pitching for the Patriots is led by Ryan Borberg, who recorded a 3.36 ERA while striking out 73 hitters. The Patriots also have James Ellwanger, who has struck out 90.

#3 Rhode Island

RPI* 68  SOS 172  Record vs Q1: 1-4 Q2: 2-2

Another underdog in the loaded Baton Rouge Regional, the Rhode Island Rams are dancing for just the third time in program history—and the first since 2016. Despite sweeping both the Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament titles, URI arrived on the national stage with limited expectations.

Their 22-8 regular-season conference record set the tone, and the Rams solidified their dominance by going 3-0 in the A-10 Championship They dispatched No. 4 Davidson (5–3), No. 3 Saint Louis (8–2), and capped it with a decisive 4–1 win over No. 2 George Mason to claim the tournament crown.

This year’s Rams are driven by a potent offense. Four URI players earned spots on the Atlantic 10 All-Championship Team, led by DJ Perron, who was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

Perhaps no player exemplifies this lineup’s firepower more than Anthony DePino. The senior slugger has compiled a season for the ages, batting .359 with 19 home runs, 20 doubles, 60 RBIs, 21 stolen bases, and 55 walks. A pillar of the program for four years, DePino now holds the school record with 64 career home runs, alongside 178 RBIs and a 1.062 OPS over 204 games—numbers that speak to his consistency, versatility, and elite production.

On the mound, Rhode Island will likely turn to redshirt senior Trystan Levesque in their opener against DBU. After missing nearly all of 2024 due to injury, Levesque has returned as a steady presence in the rotation, logging 88.2 innings with a 3.25 ERA and 90 strikeouts. His early-season masterpiece—a 10-inning shutout gem against Oregon in which he allowed just three hits—remains a defining moment in URI’s campaign and a testament to his resilience and command.

In a regional dominated by perennial powers, Rhode Island represents more than just a feel-good story. With a lineup capable of inflicting serious damage and a staff anchored by a seasoned arm, the Rams arrive in Baton Rouge as a program not merely happy to be here—but one intent on proving it belongs.

#4 Little Rock

RPI* 243  SOS 243  Record vs Q1: 1-2 Q2: 0-0

Underdogs often find their moment in the postseason spotlight, and history may well be repeating itself in Baton Rouge. Much like the last time LSU hosted a regional, a surging, sub-.500 team arrives intent on toppling a national powerhouse. This year, that role belongs to the Little Rock Trojans.

At first glance, Little Rock seemed an unlikely candidate for the NCAA Tournament. Entering the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament with a 9–18 conference record and two cancellations against top-seeded Eastern Illinois, the Trojans (24–32) had dropped 13 of their final 14 regular-season games. Expectations were understandably modest. And yet, what followed was a remarkable five-game surge that epitomized resilience and grit.

The Trojans opened with decisive victories over Southern Indiana (10–1) and Southeast Missouri (9–7) during Wednesday’s single-elimination round. On Thursday, they stunned the regular-season champion, Eastern Illinois, in extra innings, then dispatched Lindenwood in the semifinals on Friday.

The championship game offered the final flourish: Jack Cline, who had thrown 70 pitches just three days prior, delivered a complete-game performance to secure Little Rock's first NCAA Tournament berth since joining the Ohio Valley Conference—a historic milestone for the program.

Perhaps the most compelling individual story is that of Cade Martin, the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. A walk-on catcher pressed into duty following an injury to veteran Trey Hill, Martin rose to the occasion. He led the team offensively with a .309 batting average, five home runs, and 31 RBIs. In the OVC title game, it was Martin who delivered the go-ahead RBI in the ninth inning against Eastern Illinois. Over the course of the tournament, he hit .500 and garnered both MVP honors and All-OVC recognition, an extraordinary feat for a player who began the season as a freshman walk on.

Another standout for the Trojans is Cooper Chaplain, who earned All-Tournament honors following a stellar run in the OVC Tournament. Chaplain, the team’s leader in batting average, has been a model of consistency, starting every game this season and anchoring the lineup with his steady presence at the plate.

Joining him is veteran shortstop Alex Seguine, a redshirt senior affectionately referred to as “the old man” of the team. As the Trojans’ leadoff hitter and defensive cornerstone, Seguine brings both leadership and poise. His refined glove work and strong arm provide crucial stability up the middle, making him a key figure in Little Rock’s postseason aspirations.

Statistically, Little Rock enters the regional with the lowest RPI in the field, but this is a team that thrives in the margins, fueled by doubt and driven by defiance. They are a gritty, cohesive group. Underdogs by designation, but competitors by nature.

*****

*-Warren Nolan RPI