BATON ROUGE, La. – In a thrilling showdown on Monday night, designated hitter Ethan Frey showcased his talent by driving in four crucial runs, while right-hander Casan Evans delivered an impressive 6.0 innings of relief. This stellar performance led the top-ranked LSU Tigers to a 10-6 victory against Little Rock, securing the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional title at the iconic Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field. With this win, LSU improved their season record to 45-16, marking the 27th NCAA Regional title in the school's storied history. Little Rock concluded their season with a record of 27-34.
The Tigers are set to advance to the NCAA Super Regional round where they will face West Virginia in a best-of-three series starting either Friday or Saturday at Alex Box Stadium. The winner of the LSU-West Virginia series will secure a coveted spot in the College World Series held in Omaha, Nebraska. Detailed game dates and times for all eight Super Regionals will be announced by the NCAA at 9 a.m. CT on Tuesday.
Despite facing an early 5-1 deficit after three innings, the LSU Tigers rallied back to clinch the regional championship. Coach Jay Johnson expressed his pride in the team's performance, stating, “Tonight is one of the best wins of my entire career because of what they had to do to earn it.” This victory also marked Johnson's milestone 500th career win in his 13 seasons as a collegiate coach. “We obviously have great talent and great players, but also some of the best human beings on the planet,” he added.
Frey was a standout player for the Tigers, going 4-for-4 at the plate with a home run, two doubles, two walks, and four RBIs, leading LSU’s offense, which totaled 11 hits. Catcher Luis Hernandez also made headlines by hitting two solo home runs and driving in three RBIs, while first baseman Jared Jones contributed with a two-run homer, marking his 20th of the season. “You look at the offensive performance by Ethan,” Johnson remarked, “that’s arguably the best game I’ve ever seen any one of my players ever play, considering the situation.”
On the pitching front, Evans (4-1) entered the game in the second inning and demonstrated remarkable control, yielding just one run on four hits over 6.0 innings, complemented by three walks and a career-high 12 strikeouts. He threw a total of 109 pitches, with an impressive 71 of those for strikes. Johnson praised Evans, stating, “This dude is a superstar, and there haven’t been very many better performances on that pitching mound in championship games than what you saw tonight from Casan.”
Right-hander Anthony Eyanson earned his second save of the season for the Tigers, shutting down Little Rock over the final 1.2 innings, allowing just one hit while striking out three. Conversely, Little Rock’s reliever Jackson Wells (3-8) was charged with the loss after giving up three runs on four hits in 3.1 innings.
Frey initially gave LSU a 1-0 lead with his 13th homer of the season, but Little Rock quickly countered, scoring five runs in the bottom of the second inning. Frey’s pivotal three-run double in the fourth inning narrowed the gap to 5-4. The Tigers tied the game in the sixth when Hernandez hit his first homer of the night and eighth of the season. LSU took the lead in the seventh inning, thanks to Frey’s double followed by a wild pitch that allowed him to score on a groundout by shortstop Steven Milam.
Hernandez’s second homer of the night in the eighth inning extended LSU’s lead to 7-5, although the Trojans responded with a run-scoring single from shortstop Alex Seguine. In the top of the ninth, Jones hit a two-run homer and Hernandez followed with a run-scoring single, ultimately sealing the Tigers’ 10-6 victory. “I’m super proud of these guys,” Johnson said, “and I couldn’t be more excited to dive into Super Regional week and get ready for West Virginia.”
MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER: Angel Cano, Little Rock
P: Anthony Eyanson, LSUP: Kade Anderson, LSUC: Luis Hernandez, LSU1B: Angel Cano, Little Rock2B: Keaton Grady, Dallas BaptistSS: Steven Milam, LSU3B: Ty Rhoades, Little RockOF: Chris Stanfield, LSUOF: Zach Henry, Little RockOF: Derek Curiel, LSUDH: Ethan Frey, LSU