The second ranked LSU baseball team will have an entirely new weekend rotation this year as the Tigers top three starters from last year, Gage Jump, Luke Holman and Griffin Herrin, are in professional baseball.
But LSU has several pitchers who could start on the weekend and a potential Friday night starter is 6-foot-8 right-hander Chase Shores. The Midland, Texas, native is back after missing all of 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2023.
Shores made four starts as a weekend starter as a freshman in 2023, until his elbow gave out.
LSU Coach Jay Johnson says they missed Shores last year and is glad he’s back.
“His arm looks great, he’s really throwing strikes, really like where the mind set is at,” Johnson said.
Junior college transfer Conner Ware is also a candidate to be a weekend starter. Johnson says Ware was their best pitcher during fall practice.
Sophomore left-hander Kade Anderson from Madisonville appeared in 18 games last year, started half of them, and went 4-and-2 with a 3.99 ERA. Anderson would be honored to be the Friday night starter, but also recognizes Johnson is looking for pitchers to close out games
“Growing up in Louisiana it’s kind of my dream (to be a Friday night starter) being the guy Coach Johnson can go to right out the gate would be really special, but I think that you got to win every game, I truly mean that.” Anderson said. “If I have to close out the Tuesday night game, I’ll be up for it.”
Freshman Casan Evans, Wofford transfer Zac Cowen and UC San Diego transfer Anthony Eyanson are also being stretched during preseason practice to have the opportunity to start.
Junior right hander Gavin Guidry made 44 appearances out of the bullpen in his first two seasons at LSU and has six career saves. But Johnson is giving Guidry an opportunity to start this year.
Guidry wants to be versatile for the Tigers.
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“If you’re built up and you have the stamina of pitching seven innings, it’s very easy to peel back and kind of go back into a closer role where I’m throwing an inning or two a weekend,” Guidry said. “Not trying to limit myself this year.”
It’s hard for a true freshman to be a weekend starter at the beginning of the season, but William Schmidt has that potential. The former Catholic High star was one of the best right-handed high school pitchers in baseball last year and shocked the baseball world when he decided to take his name out of draft consideration at LSU.
Johnson is very excited about Schmidt’s potential and likes his mindset.
“You’ll obviously see him sooner rather than later in terms of the course of the season,” Johnson said.