Freshmen pitchers stepping up for LSU

LSU got two impressive debuts by new starting pitchers over the weekend, but only one of them could be the SEC freshman of the week.

Jaden Hill, who said there were more people in the stands for his first college start at Alex Box Stadium than live in his hometown of Ashdown, Ark., picked up the honor after allowing just one run on four hits as the No. 1-ranked Tigers completed the opening weekend 3-0 with wins against three different teams.

LSU needed a comeback to beat UL-Monroe 12-7 on Friday and a walk-off to shock Army 6-5 on Saturday before backing up Hill with 20 hits in a 17-5 rout of Air Force on Sunday.

LSU will pitch another freshman today when it hosts Southeastern Louisiana with Cole Henry on the mound.

Game time for today was moved up to 4 p.m. due the threat of nasty weather later tonight.

The Tigers will travel to Natchitoches on Wednesday to face Northwestern State with Eric Walker on the mound,

Walker, who emerged as one of the Tigers top starters two years ago, missed all of last season following Tommy John surgery. He pitched 2.1 scoreless innings in relief in Friday night’s win over UL-M. Henry also threw a scoreless inning in that game.

Hill, a 6-foot-4 former high school quarterback, struck out eight with only one walk in his first five innings of college ball. He struck out the first three faced in the top of the first and LSU batted around in the bottom of the inning while staking him to a 7-0 lead the was 10-0 after three innings. He threw 44 of his 71 pitches for strikes.

Another freshman, Landon Marceaux, didn’t get the decision in Saturday’s win over Army — the Tigers were down 5-3 in the ninth before freshman first baseman Cade Beloso’s 3-run walk-off homer — but was equally impressive.

He allowed just one run on two hits in 5.2 innings with five strike outs and one walk.

The only starting pitcher who struggled was projected ace Zack Hess, who gave up five runs on six hits in 3.2 innings of Friday’s game before the Tigers rallied back to beat ULM.

Veterans Antoine Duplantis and Daniel Cabrera keyed the comeback with a pair of home runs each, including Duplantis’ grand slam in the bottom of the eighth that put it away.

The two combined to go 5-for-9 with 11 RBIs.

For the weekend, however, shortstop Josh Smith, who missed virtually all of last season with a back injury, had the hottest bat from the leadoff spot, going 8-for-12 (.667) with two doubles and six runs scored.

For the weekend, LSU hit .349 with six home runs while scoring 35 runs.

SE Louisiana at LSU, 4 p.m.

””

Jaden Hill, LSU freshman pitcher, has been named SEC Freshman of the Week.

LSU Baseball Twitter

SportsPlus

Local News

Delta Airlines flight flips over on landing at Toronto’s Pearson Airport and 8 people are hurt

Local News

School Board looks to make up lost time due to snow days

Local News

Jennings councilman wants to change rules for hiring, firing attorney

life

Preserving history for future generations: Exhibit examinins role Black churches play in communities

Local News

Trump administration tries to bring back fired nuclear weapons workers in DOGE reversal

Crime

2/17: Calcasieu Parish Sheriff announces arrest list

life

Vote now for the People’s Choice Mardi Gras of SW La.

Local News

Trump begins firings of FAA air traffic control staff just weeks after fatal DC plane crash

McNeese Sports

Showdown in Hammond

McNeese Sports

Diamond roundup: Cowboys fall, Cowgirls win

Local News

US eggs prices hit a record high of $4.95 and are likely to keep climbing

Local News

Several Louisiana public university athletic programs — including McNeese — face financial deficits

Local News

Getting back on par: The long and short of the National Golf Club of Louisiana

Local News

NASA sending DeRidder students’ experiment into stratosphere

Local News

Shady Lane man found unresponsive has died

McNeese Sports

Richards shoots Cowboys by UNO

McNeese Sports

Cowgirls end skid at UNO

McNeese Sports

Late power lifts Pokes

McNeese Sports

Record win for Landreneau

Jim Beam

Jim Beam column:Movie highlights injustice

Informer

The Informer: LC was almost the home of a US naval base

McNeese Sports

Roundup: Cowboys win opener, Cowgirls fall to Tennessee

Business

Trump grants conditional export authorization for Commonwealth LNG project

Local News

Weekend thunderstorms followed by a mid-week cold front in the forecast