LSU baseball is scheduled to face Arkansas on Saturday night in the Tigers’ 2025 College World Series opener. It’s Game 4 of the tournament and one of two games on the Saturday slate. The winner moves on to face the UCLA or Murray State.
Arkansas and LSU rank No. 1 and No. 2 on the national championship odds board, making this a tough draw for both squads. The Razorbacks and Tigers are the caliber of teams you expect to see in the CWS final, not an opener. The winner will be the sole favorite to claim the trophy, while the loser is forced to fight its way out of the losers’ bracket.
LSU and Arkansas already met once this year when the Tigers took two of three from the Razorbacks in Tiger Stadium.
Saturday’s game will feature two of the best starting pitchers in the country. LSU’s Kade Anderson is slated to face Arkansas’ Zach Root — both are projected first-round picks in next month’s MLB Draft.
Here’s a preview and prediction for Saturday’s LSU vs. Arkansas game.
Battle of Aces: Kade Anderson vs. Zach Root
Kade Anderson and Zach Root are two of the best pitchers in the country. Anderson is in the discussion to be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Root ranks No. 43 on MLB.com’s prospect board, but will rise with a good CWS performance.
When Anderson faced Arkansas in May, he pitched 5.2 innings and allowed three earned runs. Anderson struck out 10 and walked one. Two of the Razorbacks’ three runs vs. Anderson came on solo home runs. Root was equally impressive that day, allowing two earned runs over six innings. LSU won the game in extra innings.
When Root is on the mound
Root has a deep four-pitch mix, something you don’t often see at the college level. The fastball isn’t overpowering, but the lefty keeps hitters off balance. He’ll use it to set up the changeup; that’s where Root makes his money. The curveball is good, too.
Root’s stuff is swing and miss. The only pitchers in the CWS with more K’s this year are Anderson and LSU’s Anthony Eyanson.
LSU needs to be patient vs. Root. If the Tigers can force Root to use all his pitches early, the Tigers can get a good look. LSU is already familiar after seeing him last month. Root’s command is good, but its not elite, and if LSU can work counts, the Tigers can draw walks.
When Anderson is on the mound
Anderson’s stuff is the best in college baseball. He averages 14.2 strikeouts per nine innings — an elite number. He doesn’t walk guys either with just 2.4 walks per nine.
Anderson’s fastball/changeup mix is near impossible to hit when he’s rolling. This Arkansas lineup is arguably the most talented in the country, and Anderson notched 10 strikeouts in 5.2 innings when they met in May.
When Anderson runs into trouble, it’s usually because of the home run. The key is limiting the damage. If Anderson’s command is on, LSU can afford to allow the occasional solo home run. But if there’s traffic on the base paths and the swing comes at the wrong time, LSU is in trouble.
The Arkansas Lineup
With 8.75 runs per game, Arkansas led the SEC in 2025. The Razorbacks also led the conference in batting average, on-base percentage, and OPS.
Seven players in this lineup have double-digit home runs, six players on the roster have an OPS over 1.000, and seven players hit over .300.
Shortstop Wehiwa Aloy is the headliner. Aloy is expected to be one of the top position players in the MLB Draft, ranking No. 22 on MLB.com’s prospect list. He leads the team with 20 homers and a .668 slugging.
Logan Maxwell and Charles Davalan hit .360 and .355, respectively, while combining for 27 homers.
This lineup has power, takes walks, and puts the ball in play. It’s deep and they do it all.
The LSU Lineup
The LSU lineup isn’t the slam dunk Arkansas has, but the Tigers are hot after scoring 28 runs vs. West Virginia in the Super Regional.
LSU was getting contributions from everyone. Josh Pearson barely saw the field in May, but stepped into a leadoff role in Game 1 of the super regional. All Pearson did was hit a double and smash a grand slam.
Steven Milam was scorching after an up-and-down regular season, and Jared Jones looked to emerge from his slump. If that continues, LSU has a strong chance to win a title.
But at times, LSU’s lineup has gone quiet when facing quality opponents. LSU’s .414 on-base percentage ranks No. 2 in the SEC, but the power isn’t always there. LSU’s .515 slugging ranks No. 5 in the conference. LSU can’t rely on stringing walks and singles together vs. Root. The Tigers will need a few big swings to win this one.
The Arkansas Bullpen
Arkansas has an edge when it comes to the bullpen. Dylan Carter is one of the top relievers in Omaha, posting a 2.18 ERA in 33 innings. Then there’s Aidan Jimenez with a 3.66 ERA in 39.1 innings.
Six Razorback pitchers own sub-four ERAs while pitching 20+ innings. That’s the type of depth needed to win in Omaha.
Arkansas will count on Root to pitch deep into the game before handing it off to a high-leverage arm, but even if Root gets knocked out early, Arkansas has the bullpen to recover.
The LSU Bullpen
This area is a concern for LSU. Few relievers in the Tiger bullpen are trusted right now.
Casan Evans is LSU’s best option. The true freshman has a 1.9 ERA in 47.1 innings. He wasn’t needed in the super regional, but was dynamite the last time we saw him in the regional. At one point vs. Little Rock, Evans struck out nine straight batters. The stuff is electric.
Evans can provide length out of the pen. Ideally, Anderson pitches seven innings and Evans gets the last six outs. But things don’t always go as planned.
If LSU has to go deeper into the pen, expect to see Zac Cowan or Cooper Williams.
Cowan, a Wofford transfer, was one of the SEC’s top relievers for most of the year but has struggled over the last month. Williams, a true freshman, is rolling after solid outings in the regional and super regional.
Prediction
LSU is the underdog in this one, but there’s something about Jay Johnson’s squad that gives me belief. LSU already took one series from Arkansas this year, and I think LSU gets the best of the Razorbacks again today. LSU wins 7-4.
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