The LSU Baseball program is set to open the new season on Friday with an afternoon matchup against Milwaukee at Alex Box Stadium. The Tigers and Panthers will play three consecutive days over the weekend, with the series wrapping up on Sunday.
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With first pitch closing in on the new season, Jay Johnson has revealed which Tiger pitchers will get the starting nods on the mound for opening weekend.
Speaking with the media on Thursday morning, Johnson stated that Casan Evans, Cooper Moore, and William Schmidt will be the opening weekend pitching rotation for the purple and gold. Evans will start the opener on Friday, Moore will start on Saturday, and Schmidt will start the series finale on Sunday afternoon.
Casan Evans, Cooper Moore and William Schmidt is @LSUbaseball opening weekend pitching rotation per #LSU head coach Jay Johnson. pic.twitter.com/YVG2ddnCOI
— Jacques Doucet (@JacquesDoucet) February 12, 2026
Casan Evans earns Opening Day start for LSU
It's not surprising to see Evans earn the Opening Day starting nod. It's an honor he has earned after putting together an impressive freshman campaign in 2025. The 6'2" right-hander tossed 52.2 innings for the Tigers last season, which is the most among any returning pitcher for LSU. Evans posted a strong 2.05 ERA to go along with 71 strikeouts and just 19 walks in his 52.2 innings of work.
Evans mostly appeared out of the bullpen last season, as just three of his 19 appearances came in the form of starts. However, that is expected to change in 2026, as the talented sophomore is expected to take on the bulk of starts and innings for LSU after losing Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson to the MLB Draft.
Moore is a junior transfer from Kansas. He made 44 appearances and 14 starts over two seasons with the Jayhawks, posting a 3.98 ERA and 116 strikeouts with 32 walks over 122.0 innings. The 6'1" right-hander earned Second-Team All-Big 12 honors as a sophomore last season after going 7-3 with a 3.96 ERA and racking up 85 strikeouts over 88.2 innings of work. Tiger fans are excited to see what he can do in his Tiger debut on Saturday.
Schmidt could very well be LSU's next breakout star on the mound. The right-handed sophomore got his feet wet last year by tossing 32.1 innings across 17 appearances and six starts, and is primed to take on a much larger role in 2026. He was dealing during intrasquad scrimmages earlier this month, and if he can maintain his control and limit walks, he has the potential to be a serious contributor in 2026.
First pitch between LSU and Milwaukee is slated for 2:00 p.m. CT. on Friday afternoon.