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Derek Curiel (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images)
The 2026 college baseball season is almost here. As such, we’re breaking down every preseason Top 25 team in greater detail. Check out LSU’s 2026 season preview below.
Quick Hits
Last Season: 53-15 (19-11 SEC); Won College World Series
Final 2025 Ranking: No. 1
Coach (Record at school): Jay Johnson (190-77, 5th season)
College Baseball Top 25 Skinny
LSU enters the season operating from familiar ground under Jay Johnson, whose program has converted elite talent and institutional advantage into sustained postseason success. A second national championship in three years reaffirmed that foundation in 2025 and extended a run that has created gaudy expectations in Baton Rouge.
While roster turnover is a constant at LSU, the Tigers once again bring back key contributors from a title-winning team while supplementing aggressively through the transfer portal. Outfielder Derek Curiel, righthander Casan Evans and shortstop Steven Milam return as central pieces, providing continuity at premium positions. LSU also added impact talent from outside the program, including former Kansas righty Cooper Moore and former Grand Canyon first baseman Zach Yorke. The result is a roster that blends proven championship experience with new pieces positioned to step immediately into meaningful roles.
LSU Baseball Strengths
LSU’s greatest advantage remains its ability to reload without resetting. Program resources, recruiting reach and recent success allow the Tigers to retain top-end talent while replenishing annually through both the high school ranks and the transfer portal. That model has produced rosters capable of sustaining pressure deep into the postseason, and the current group follows that same template. Curiel is viewed internally and externally as one of the top offensive players in the country and sets the tone for a lineup that again features impact bats.
Catcher Cade Arrambide tracked closely with Curiel throughout the fall, giving LSU a strong offensive presence at a premium defensive position. Milam enters the season as a top-100 prospect and brings stability to the middle infield. On the mound, Evans returns after earning Freshman All-America status as a reliever in 2025 and is expected to transition into a rotation role. Moore adds another experienced arm, while the remainder of the pitching staff offers significant raw ability. Though roles beyond Evans and Moore are still taking shape, the overall talent profile mirrors that of LSU’s recent championship-caliber staffs.
LSU Baseball Weaknesses
Roster turnover remains the natural counterweight to LSU’s talent pipeline. Nine players from the 2025 championship team were drafted, along with several high school signees who never reached campus. Among those departures were Pitcher of the Year Kade Anderson, Saturday starter Anthony Eyanson, outfielder Ethan Frey and first baseman Jared Jones, whose leadership presence loomed large within the clubhouse. Those exits create openings across both the lineup and rotation, placing immediate responsibility on newcomers and younger returners. Several players will be asked to fill high-leverage roles with little or no SEC experience. That transition phase is familiar territory for LSU, but it remains a significant variable until roles solidify.
LSU Baseball Player To Know
Curiel was one of the nation’s most productive freshmen in 2025, hitting .345/.470/.519 with 29 extra-base hits while posting nearly as many walks as strikeouts. The lefthanded-hitting outfielder pairs an understated, efficient swing with elite bat-to-ball skill, reflected in a 94% in-zone contact rate and a remarkable 97% mark against fastballs. Curiel shifts to center field for his draft-eligible sophomore season and profiles as a steady middle-of-the-order presence built on contact quality, strike-zone control and consistency.
LSU Baseball 2026 Projected Lineup, Rotation
PosPlayerYearAVGOBPSLGABHRRBINote/Previous schoolCCade ArrambideSo..242.351.484624141BZach YorkeSr..339.447.6321741346Grand Canyon2BTanner ReavesSr..262.372.446653123BTrent CarawayJr..267.350.4702511247Oregon StateSSSteven MilamJr..295.398.5062411157OFDerek CurielSo..345.470.519258755OFJake BrownJr..272.390.560178848OFChris StanfieldSr..298.414.404208131DHSeth DardarG-Sr..326.429.6361841345Kansas statePosYearGSIPERAWHIPSO%BB%SPCasan EvansSo.352.22.051.2031.78.5SPCooper MooreJr.1488.23.961.2422.85.1KansasSPWilliam SchmidtSo.632.14.731.5527.014.5RPZac CowanSr.252.02.941.0828.05.6RPMavrick RizySo.024.24.741.6624.616.1RPDeven SheerinR-So.Mt. St. Mary’s (injured)