LSU Baseball Set To Begin SEC Tournament in Hoover on Friday

Hoover, Alabama (KNGT-FM) - For College Baseball fans, it is finally time for the best part of the year... The POSTSEASON! No more school, no more homework, just baseball. After finishing the regular season as the No. 1 team in the country, LSU now turns its attention to the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama.

The Tigers will take the field on Friday night at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, They will take on Texas A&M after the Aggies defeated Auburn on Friday Afternoon in Hoover. A&M got out to an early 3-0 lead in the 3rd inning on a 3-run home run from Kaeden Kent.

It has been a pretty up-and-down season for Texas A&M, and during the win on Thursday over Auburn, the Aggies suffered a tough blow as Jace LaViolette appeared to bang up his hand and left the game. LaViolette is Top-5 in Texas A&M Baseball history in HR's, walks, RBI's, and career runs scored during his three years in College Station.

A&M Coach Michael Earley announced on the SEC Network postgame show that LaViolette would be out for the remainder of the SEC Tournament.

Now, the Tigers of LSU will set their sights on Texas A&M after the Aggies took 2 of 3 from LSU in College Station earlier in the month.

LSU likely already has a top-8 national seed locked up, and with the NCAA regionals next week, the real question is how much LSU will actually push itself to win the SEC Tournament? With an automatic bye to the Friday Night Quarterfinals game, LSU will likely treat the weekend as a typical SEC series.

LSU head coach Jay Johnson isn’t changing anything heading into the tournament. “For us, that’s where the thought of the 56-game playoff comes in,” Johnson said this week when speaking with the media. “Because we approach it the way that we do, you don’t have to change anything this time of year.”

Johnson has confidence in how his team starts postseason play. LSU usually has a top pitcher ready to go, a rested bullpen, and a strong defense. The Tigers didn’t commit a single error in their final weekend series of the regular season.

Two LSU pitchers are also standing out on the national stage. Sophomore Kade Anderson, a semifinalist for the 2025 Dick Howser Trophy, holds a 7-1 record with a 3.47 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 83 innings. Meanwhile, junior Anthony Eyanson is 9-2 with a 2.88 ERA and 121 strikeouts over 81.1 innings. Both rank in the top 3 in the SEC in strikeouts and innings pitched.

At the plate, junior first baseman Jared Jones continues to impress. He’s also a Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist and just moved into 3rd place on LSU’s all-time home run list with 61 career homers. Jones is among SEC leaders in multiple categories, including: 3rd in RBI (66), 3rd in total bases (147), 4th in home runs (19), and 8th in slugging percentage (.665).

Though LSU hasn't officially announced a starter for the Friday Night game, it is expected to be the Tiger Ace Kade Anderson.

WHAT TO KNOW/HOW TO WATCH LSU IN THE SEC TOURNAMENT

MATCHUP: LSU vs Texas A&M
DATE: Friday, May 23rd
TIME: 30 minutes after conclusion of Game 11 (3 PM)
TV: SEC Network