Editor's Update: The 2020 baseball season was canceled due to the spread of COVID-19 and coronavirus outbreak. LSU finished the shortened season with a 12-5 record.
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It's impossible to tell the story of Division I college baseball without the LSU Tigers. Obviously, the greatest home run in history belongs to LSU's Warren Morris, who won 1996 College World Series with a walk-off shot facing two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning — It's the only home run in collegiate or MLB history to have won a championship in that scenario.
Pull up the D-I record book, and "LSU" appears 172 times, including the most doubles in one inning (8), most consecutive games with a home run (77), and most home runs in a season (188 in 70 games). Thanks to single-season performances and star-studded rosters, Louisiana State University is tied with Texas for the second-most national championships (6) in NCAA history.
Despite that resume, the story of LSU's 2019 season was about coming up short.
Last year's Tigers won 40 games, finished third in the SEC West, and entered the SEC Tournament as the five-seed. LSU ultimately lost twice to Mississippi State in double-elimination format. Then, winning the Baton Rouge Regional of the NCAA Tournament earned LSU a three-game series against Florida State in the Super Regional. This time, the Tigers were swept and their season was over.
The 2020 season, however, might be the year LSU returns to Omaha and reaches the College World Series for the first time since a national runner-up finish back in 2017.
LSU OF @Daniel2cabrera Receives All-America Recognition from @CBNewspaper!https://t.co/3D8XlJKd0X pic.twitter.com/nI5wBc5djG
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) December 17, 2019
Entering his 14th season at the helm, head coach Paul Mainieri hasn't lost momentum with the program. Since taking over in 2007, LSU has reached the NCAA Tournament every season except for 2011, including the team's eighth-straight appearance last year.
Despite LSU losing its top three hitters to the MLB Draft — Josh Smith, Zach Watson, and the program's all-time hits leader Antoine Duplantis — the Tigers return what might be the most electric pitching staff in the country. Sophomore Cole Henry was Freshmen All-SEC a year ago after posting a 4-2 record with a 3.39 ERA and 72 strikeouts over 58.1 innings. Alongside Henry will be fellow sophomores Jaden Hill and Landon Marceaux, all of whom have legitimate high-draft-pick potential when their time comes.
All told, there are 10 arms returning from last season's pitching staff. The addition of true freshman southpaw Jacob Hasty, who allowed 18 hits to 183 batters during his All-State senior season in Texas, isn't too shabby either.
The name to watch in the lineup is junior Daniel Cabrera, who's billed to be LSU's everyday right fielder in 2020. In his first two seasons (one of which was a Freshman All-American campaign), the Baton Rouge native had 20 home runs and 104 RBIs with a .300/.382/.520 slash line. Catcher Saul Garza and first baseman Cade Beloso return solid power from the right and left side of the plate, respectively.
You'll find talent up and down this roster, and LSU is ready to compete with any SEC team this year.
More good news for LSU fans? The Tigers host 37 of their 56 regular season games at home in Alex Box Stadium at Skip Bertman Field.
LSU Baseball Schedule 2020
Get your tickets now for the @shrinershosp
College Classic Feb. 28-March 1 in Minute Maid Park! @LSUbaseball will face Texas, Baylor and Oklahoma!
Purchase tickets at https://t.co/af2RfIeeC8 #GeauxTigershttps://t.co/XRrMUUh0X4 pic.twitter.com/CZU0B6qMwB— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) November 20, 2019
Feb. 14-16: INDIANA
Feb. 18: SOUTHERN
Feb. 19: at Nicholls State
Feb. 21-23: EASTERN KENTUCKY
Feb. 26: LOUISIANA TECH
Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic (Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX)
Feb. 28: Texas
Feb. 29: Baylor
Mar. 1: Oklahoma
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Mar. 3: SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
Mar. 4: GRAMBLING
Mar. 6-8: UMASS LOWELL
Mar. 11: SOUTH ALABAMA
Mar. 13-15: at Ole Miss*
Mar. 18: ST. THOMAS
Mar. 20-22: MISSISSIPPI STATE*
Mar. 24: TULANE — Wally Pontiff Jr. Foundation Classic
Mar. 26-28: at Tennessee*
Mar. 31: ULM
Apr. 2-4: VANDERBILT*
Apr. 7: UL-LAFAYETTE
Apr. 9-11: at Kentucky*
Apr. 14: MCNEESE STATE
Apr. 17-19: ARKANSAS*
Apr. 21: LAMAR
Apr. 24-26: SOUTH CAROLINA*
Apr. 28: NORTHWESTERN STATE
May 1-3: at Texas A&M*
May 8-10: ALABAMA*
May 12: NEW ORLEANS
May 14-16: at Auburn*
May 19-24: Southeastern Conference Tournament (Hoover, AL)
May 29-June 1: NCAA Regional
June 5-8: NCAA Super Regional
June 13-24: College World Series (Omaha, NE)
* — Denotes SEC game
ALL CAPS — Denotes home games
