On paper junior right-hander Gavin Guidry would be LSU’s closer this season. In two seasons, the former Barbe High School standout has six saves and was on the mound when LSU recorded the final out to win the 2023 national championship.
In fact, Guidry was named to the 2024 Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List.
But Coach Jay Johnson went into the season planning on giving Guidry a chance to start and throw multiple innings, taking him out of the closer’s role.
So, who would LSU count on to get the final outs in a game?
How about one of the best shortstops in the country coming out of high school, Casan Evans?
The Houston native was ranked as the 19th best high school shortstop in the country and the ninth best high school player in Texas.
However, he also threw three no-hitters at St. Pius X High School.
Soon after arriving on campus, a conversation involving coach Jay Johnson, pitching coach Nate Yeskie and Evans, the decision was made he should just focus on pitching.
“I’ve hit my whole life, so coming into college I wanted to be a two-way player, it didn’t work out and I wanted to put the bat down and focus on pitching and it’s made life so much easier, being able to focus on one thing and not trying to do both, it’s a lot easier now,” Evans said.
Evans said concentrating on just pitching helps him focus on his mental game and be mentally stronger. It’s also resulted in a velocity jump.
If he can stay healthy, Evans will eventually become a starter at LSU, but he’s been given a chance to close out games.
“I was like that was fine with me, because I wanted to play and I wasn’t worried about starting my freshman year,” Evans said.
Through the first nine games of the season, Evans appeared in three games and earned two saves.
The six-foot-two right-hander entered the game on Wednesday against Dallas Baptist on Wednesday with LSU leading 7-3. But the Patriots had runners on first and second and nobody out.
Evans got out of the inning with a double play and then shut the door in the ninth by striking out two of DBU’s best hitters.
He credits a slider he started throwing last fall for helping him to keep opposing hitters off balance.
“It’s just a weapon we can bring out whenever, we have used it a pretty good amount the past few outings,” Evans said.
Since he threw 22 pitches in Wednesday’s win over DBU, Evans is not expected to pitch Friday against Kansas State in the opening day of the Frisco Classic.
But Evans will be available Saturday or Sunday and could be once again asked to close out another Tiger victory.
