The 2nd ranked LSU Tigers are off to a 7-1 start, but they get their first test of the 2025 season when they take on 19th ranked Dallas Baptist at Globe Life Field, the home of the 2023 World Series Champion Texas Rangers.
It’s the start of four games in Texas against teams that aspire to make the NCAA Tournament. This weekend in Frisco, LSU will play Kansas State, Nebraska and Sam Houston State.
But Wednesday night’s opponent, DBU, has the most talent of the four teams the Tigers will play this week. Throw away the COVID shortened season, and the Patriots have been in the NCAA Tournament every year since 2014.
“I always like to have a team like DBU on our schedule, because you can just book them for 45 wins every year, and that helps our RPI,” said LSU Coach Jay Johnson. “They’re a team that’s really well-coached, and it’s a team that hopefully we will play in a super-regional type atmosphere, or in Omaha. We want to get tested that way – they have big arms and big bats, and they will present a huge challenge for us.”
The first arm LSU will face on Wednesday night is junior college transfer Ryan Borburg. The right-hander put up good numbers at Johnson County Community College last year as he went 10-2 with a 4.34 ERA. His 91 strikeouts ranked 31st in the nation.
In his only appearance this season, Borburg allowed one run in three innings against Texas Rio Grande Valley.
The Patriots are off to a 6-1 start. They swept weekend series against North Dakota State and SIU Edwardsville and lost a midweek game to UTRGV.
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DBU’s strength is its infield. Four starters return that earned All-Conference USA honors last year. It’s led by catcher Grant Jay the Conference USA preseason player of the year. The junior from Semmes, Alabama, hit .300 with 21 home runs and 57 RBIs last season.
Jay is already off to a fantastic start this season as he’s 12 of 21 at the plate with four doubles and three home runs and has driven in 13 runs.
Outfielder Tom Poole is also off to a great start. The senior from Canada is hitting .500 with one home runs and 6 RBIs.
After a poor offensive performance on Saturday afternoon, where LSU was held without a hit until the 8th inning in its only loss of the season, the Tigers are also swinging the bats well.
They’ve scored 25 runs in last two games and shortstop Steven Milam is leading the way. “Monster Milam” only had four hits in the first six games, but has five hits in his last two games and on Monday night he drove in a career-high five runs.
Johnson knew it was only a matter of time before Milam would get going.
“He hadn’t struggled a whole lot here, to be honest with you, I think his swing got really tight, really fast, he’s a baseball dude man, it’s his life that’s why we mesh very, very well, not a whole lot of stuff going on for him, he’s not going to stay down for very long that’s his attitude and that’s what I about him.”
LSU will start junior left-hander Conner Ware on the mound. Ware started against Southern last week and threw three shutout innings. He’ll go up against a line-up that brings back 67% of its run production from last year.
Where’s Gavin Guidry?
One of LSU’s most experienced and better relievers has been MIA this season. Guidry was expected to pitch, possibly start, last week against Nicholls. The game was postponed because of the cold weather and the next day Guidry woke up with a mid-body injury, or a back injury to keep it simple.
Coach Jay Johnson said on Monday that Guidry will not pitch this week and hopes he’ll be ready the following week.