Depth is a big buzzword with the 2026 LSU baseball team, and that holds for the number of pitchers that could start. Now that’s not to say that LSU may struggle to settle on a Sunday starter, which most college baseball teams do, but at least at the start of the season, head coach Jay Johnson and pitching coach Nate Yeskie have identified nine players who could start.
Johnson said these nine pitchers have been able to elevate their pitch count beyond 60 pitches, which means they could be called to start.
LSU starts the season by playing five games in six days, so several of these guys will get their chance.
Casan Evans, sophomore, RHP
Evans had an excellent freshman campaign, pitching mostly out of the bullpen. The Houston native made 19 appearances and went 5-1, with a 2.05 ERA, and had 71 strikeouts in 52.2 innings. Evans was named a Third-Team All-American by D1 Baseball. He followed last season’s Friday night starter, Kade Anderson, around the ballpark, watching how he prepared for his starts. Johnson has called Evans one of his most important recruits, even missing a friend’s wedding to be on campus for his recruiting visit. It’s time for Evans to be the ace of the team, like Anderson was last year.
William Schmidt, sophomore, RHP
There was a lot of hype around Schmidt going into his freshman season, but it turned out Evans had the better freshman campaign. Schmidt showed flashes of dominance, but struggled against SEC hitters. After an up-and-down first year at LSU, the next step for the Baton Rouge native is to find consistency and be a part of the weekend rotation. Schmidt threw five hitless innings and struck out 11 in his final intra-squad scrimmage start. The potential first-round pick appears ready for a big season.
Cooper Moore, junior, RHP
LSU has had success with transfer pitchers. Paul Skenes, Luke Holman, Anthony Eyanson, and Gage Jump, just to name a few. Cooper Moore could be the next one to find success as an LSU Tiger.
The transfer from Kansas is expected to be in the weekend rotation after earning All-Big 12 second team honors last season as the Oklahoma native went 7-3 with a 3.96 ERA in 88.2 innings. Moore will not light up the radar gun, but he’s a strike thrower, walking just 19 hitters last season. Yeskie likes Moore’s competitive edge, which should allow him to adjust to the higher expectations in Baton Rouge.
Cooper Williams, sophomore, LHP
If you want to have a left-hander in your weekend rotation, Williams might be that guy. The Texas native was really good out of the bullpen for the Tigers last season, finishing with a 1.80 ERA in 20 innings. From April 26th to June 7th, Williams did not allow an earned run. Yeskie said Williams’ secondary pitches continue to get better. He’s another one who learned a lot from Kade Anderson last season. Because he’s a left-hander, Williams could also be used out of the bullpen in short relief to get a couple of left-handed hitters out late in the game. Expect to see him pitch in a variety or roles.
Jaden Noot, redshirt junior, RHP
Coming out of high school, Noot was ranked as the number one right-handed pitcher in California for the Class of 2022.
But 2023 and 2024 were lost seasons for Noot after undergoing Tommy John Surgery. He finally pitched a full season in 2025 and did well, recording a 2-1 record with a 4.13 ERA and a save. He’s another one who pitched very well down the stretch, including a four-inning performance against Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament, where he allowed one earned run and struck out seven.
Marcos Paz, freshman, RHP
I talked about Paz in the last article I wrote on how he could be one of the top newcomers on the team. He’s someone who probably should not be at LSU, but he missed his senior season of high school because of Tommy John Surgery. As he gets ready to pitch in a game for the first time since the 2024 season, don’t be surprised if Johnson gives Paz some midweek starts at the beginning of the season to see what he’s got. Paz would have been drafted by a Major League team if he hadn’t needed elbow surgery.
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Regan Ricken, freshman, RHP
Ricken is a big, talented freshman, standing at 6-5, 218 pounds. He’s from the San Diego area, and his parents were both college athletes at Michigan. His mom was a volleyball player, and his Dad pitched for the Wolverines and ended up playing in nine minor-league seasons. He’s a hard thrower with a fastball in the upper 90s. Ricken will certainly get some action during the mid-week, excited to see how he develops.
Zac Cowan, senior, RHP
Cowan was a very good starting pitcher at Wofford, but last season he was outstanding out of the Tigers' best bullpen. He went 3-3, with a 2.94 ERA. Cowan had his worst performance of the season in the NCAA Regional, giving up five runs in 1.1 innings against Little Rock. But he came back in the College World Series with one of his best performances, allowing one run in 5.1 innings in a wild victory over Arkansas. He could certainly be a weekend starter, but he was so good in his role last year. Coming out of the bullpen and giving you two to three innings of relief in SEC games.
Gavin Guildry Redshirt, junior, RHP
Guidry recorded the last out in the College World Series in 2023. He had a decent season in 2024, but a back injury forced him to miss all of 2025. Remember, he was going to be given the opportunity to start for LSU last season. The Lake Charles native might get that chance again this season, but I still think you’ll see him at the end of the games rather than at the beginning. You have to love his fearless attitude, and Yeskie says Guidry is pitching as well as he’s ever had at LSU.