LSU baseball opens 2026 season Friday vs. Milwaukee; Evans set for Opening Day start
The reigning national champions begin their 2026 campaign at home this weekend, hosting Milwaukee for a three-game series that kicks off a five-game homestand at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field. Right-hander Casan Evans draws the Opening Day start as LSU looks to extend its season-opening win streak to 25.
First pitch times and homestand outlook
LSU and Milwaukee will play Friday, February 13 at 3 p. m. ET, followed by Saturday, February 14 at 2 p. m. ET, and Sunday, February 15 at 2 p. m. ET. The Tigers’ opening homestand continues next week with matchups against Kent State on Monday and Nicholls on Wednesday.
Pre-game festivities include the LSU Baseball Opening Day Fan Fest outside Alex Box Stadium from 12 p. m. ET to 3 p. m. ET on Friday, a free, family-friendly event that leads right into first pitch. The ballpark’s listed capacity is 10, 718.
Jay Johnson names the weekend rotation
LSU coach Jay Johnson confirmed a three-deep weekend staff for the opening series: Evans on Friday, Kansas transfer Cooper Moore on Saturday, and sophomore William Schmidt on Sunday. Evans was a pivotal arm during last season’s title run, going 5-1 with a 2. 05 ERA and 71 strikeouts over 52. 2 innings in 2025, while also securing a team-high seven saves. Moore arrives from the Big 12 after a 7-3, 3. 96 mark with 85 strikeouts against just 19 walks in 88. 2 innings last spring. Schmidt posted a 7-0 record as a freshman, pairing a high-90s fastball with a sharp breaking ball.
“We have eight games in the first 10 days of the season. That’s a heavy lift, so we have to be smart about doing what we need to do to win the first game, and then put this whole picture together, ” Johnson said this week. “Our goal is to win every single game that we can, and figure out our best team as we go. Our guys are ready to compete; they want to play an opponent. I think we would have a mutiny if I told them they had to scrimmage themselves again this weekend. ”
Matchup history and pitching probables
This weekend marks the first-ever meeting between LSU and Milwaukee on the diamond. The Panthers are a Horizon League program; the Tigers have previously faced only one current baseball member of that league, sweeping two from Youngstown State in 2021.
Probable pitching matchups list Evans opposite Milwaukee left-hander Matthew Mueller (1-2, 5. 23 ERA, 55 K in 41. 1 IP last season) on Friday. Saturday features Moore against right-hander Aric Ehmke (1-6, 8. 70 ERA in 60. 0 IP), and Sunday pairs Schmidt with left-hander Riley Peterson (3-2, 1. 84 ERA in 29. 1 IP). Milwaukee enters unranked.
Rankings, standards and streaks
LSU opens 2026 slotted No. 1 in multiple national polls and No. 2 in others after claiming the 2025 national championship, the program’s eighth overall. The Tigers own the second-most titles in NCAA history and boast the highest all-time NCAA Tournament winning percentage (. 714; 187-75).
The program has not dropped a season opener since February 10, 2001, stacking 24 straight Opening Day wins heading into Friday. Johnson, a two-time national coach of the year in his current tenure, begins his fifth season at LSU with a 190-77 record at the school and 507-249 overall as a collegiate head coach.
What to watch for as the title defense begins
The rotation structure gives Evans the first shot at an ace role, with Moore’s strike-throwing profile and Schmidt’s power arsenal backing the weekend. With eight games in 10 days to launch the schedule, early-season depth will be tested on the mound and in the field. Expect matchup-driven decisions across the lineup as LSU blends a strong returning core with impact newcomers.
Positionally, second base and designated hitter appear the most fluid as competition carries over from preseason work. A balanced mix of left- and right-handed bats gives the staff multiple pathways to tailor the order game to game. In the bullpen, power right-handers and several left-handed options provide leverage flexibility behind the starters as the staff calibrates roles during the first two weeks.
