Scouting Report: Analyzing the No. 3 LSU Tigers

The No. 7 Arkansas Razorbacks (40-9, 17-7 SEC) will travel to Baton Rouge (La.) this weekend to take on the No. 3 LSU Tigers (38-11, 15-9 SEC) for a three-game series at Alex Box Stadium that will have big implications for the top of the SEC standings.

The Razorbacks currently sit two games behind first-place Texas after they swept the Longhorns in Fayetteville last weekend, while LSU is right behind the Razorbacks in a third-place tie with Georgia.

LSU, led by fourth-year head coach Jay Johnson who won the 2023 College World Series in his second season with the Tigers, is coming off of a heart-breaking series loss to Texas A&M. The Tigers split with the Aggies in Saturday's doubleheader and had the lead in Sunday's rubber match before Caden Sorrell smashed a two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Aggies escaped with a 6-4 triumph. The Tigers have SEC series victories over Missouri, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Alabama and Tennessee.

Arkansas got back on track last weekend with the sweep of top-ranked Texas to snap a three-series skid. Friday starter Zach Root was named SEC Pitcher of the Week for the second time in 2025, and also earned Player of the Week honors from some national outlets. Gage Wood also had a career night in Saturday's victory over the Longhorns as the junior righty is working to continue getting back to full health.

Below is a comparison of Arkansas and LSU's team stats, as well as projected starters and key players. First pitch for game one is set for Friday at 6:30 p.m. and will stream on SEC Network+.

Friday: Junior LHP Zach Root

6'2", 210 pounds / Fort Myers, Florida / East Carolina

2025 stats: 6-3, 3.95 ERA, 12 GP, 66 IP, 54 H, 29 ER, 24 BB, 92 K

Saturday: Junior RHP Gage Wood

6'0", 205 pounds / Batesville, Arkansas / Batesville HS

2025 stats: 1-0, 3.77 ERA, 5 GP, 14.1 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 28 K

Sunday: Junior LHP Landon Beidelschies

6'3", 230 pounds / Canfield, Ohio / Ohio State

2025 stats: 4-0, 4.65 ERA, 12 GP, 50.1 IP, 49 H, 26 ER, 16 BB, 50 K

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1. Charles Davalan - LF

2025 stats: .351/.437/.590, 49 GP, 205 AB, 72 H, 8 2B, 1 3B, 13 HR, 49 RBI, 27 BB, 19 K, 7 SB

2. Wehiwa Aloy - SS

2025 stats: .376/.464/.718, 49 GP, 202 AB, 76 H, 16 2B, 1 3B, 17 HR, 52 RBI, 25 BB, 42 K, 6 SB

3. Kuhio Aloy - DH

2025 stats: .359/.431/.630, 45 GP, 184 AB, 66 H, 14 2B, 12 HR, 65 RBI, 20 BB, 57 K

4. Cam Kozeal - 1B

2025 stats: .341/.387/.618, 44 GP, 170 AB, 58 H, 14 2B, 11 HR, 52 RBI, 12 BB, 37 K, 2 SB

5. Brent Iredale - 3B

2025 stats: .305/.467/.604, 49 GP, 154 AB, 47 H, 10 2B, 12 HR, 53 RBI, 36 BB, 48 K, 3 SB

6. Carson Boles - RF

2025 stats: .321/.481/.518, 28 GP, 56 AB, 18 H, 5 2B, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 18 BB, 16 K

7. Reese Robinett - 1B

2025 stats: .318/.423/.727, 7 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 4 BB, 5 K

8. Ryder Helfrick - C

2025 stats: .292/.427/.554, 45 GP, 130 AB, 38 H, 6 2B, 2 3B, 8 HR, 22 RBI, 26 BB, 36 K, 1 SB

9. Justin Thomas Jr. - CF

2025 stats: .287/.459/.565, 46 GP, 108 AB, 31 H, 4 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 29 RBI, 29 BB, 35 K, 4 SB

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Friday: Sophomore LHP Kade Anderson

6'2", 186 pounds / Madisonville, Louisiana / St Paul's HS

2025 stats: 6-1, 3.57 ERA, 12 GP, 70.2 IP, 57 H, 28 ER, 19 BB, 114 K

Saturday: Junior RHP Anthony Eyanson

6'2", 208 pounds / Lakewood, California / Lakewood HS

2025 stats: 7-2, 3.16 ERA, 12 GP, 68.1 IP, 54 H, 24 ER, 26 BB, 105 K

Sunday: Freshman RHP Casan Evans

6'2", 194 pounds / Houston, Texas / St. Pius X HS

2025 stats: 3-0, 1.24 ERA, 14 GP, 36.1 IP, 27 H, 5 ER, 12 BB, 49 K

*Jaden Noot and Connor Ware are also options to start on Sunday, per sources.

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- Redshirt Sophomore RHP Chase Shores

6'8", 252 pounds / Midland, Texas / Lee HS

2025 stats: 5-2, 5.48 ERA, 12 GP, 44.1 IP, 50 H, 27 ER, 23 BB, 48 K

- Junior RHP Zac Cowan

5'11", 203 pounds / Blythewood, South Carolina / Blythewood HS

2025 stats: 2-2, 1.99 ERA, 18 GP, 40.2 IP, 31 H, 9 ER, 7 BB, 49 K

- Freshman RHP William Schmidt

6'4", 188 pounds / Baton Rouge, La. / Catholic HS

2025 stats: 7-0, 4.11 ERA, 14 GP, 30.2 IP, 27 H, 14 ER, 18 BB, 38 K

- Redshirt Sophomore RHP Jaden Noot

6'4", 228 pounds / Oak Park, California / Sierra Canyon HS

2025 stats: 2-0, 4.22 ERA, 15 GP, 21.1 IP, 20 H, 10 ER, 11 BB, 28 K

- Freshman RHP Mavrick Rizy

6'9", 253 pounds / Fiskdale, Massachusetts / Worcester Academy

2025 stats: 0-0, 4.22 ERA, 18 GP, 21.1 IP, 17 H, 10 ER, 16 BB, 26 K

- Junior LHP Connor Ware

6'4", 221 pounds / Madison, Mississippi / Germantown HS

2025 stats: 4-1, 4.87 ERA, 14 GP, 20.1 IP, 13 H, 11 ER, 13 BB, 23 K

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1. Derek Curiel - LF

2025 stats: .361/.482/.563, 49 GP, 183 AB, 66 H, 15 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 39 BB, 35 K, 2 SB

2. Jared Jones - 1B

2025 stats: .349/.446/.667, 49 GP, 195 AB, 52 R, 68 H, 14 2B, 16 HR, 60 RBI, 31 BB, 51 K, 5 SB

3. Daniel Dickenson - 2B

2025 stats: .327/.479/.542, 49 GP, 168 AB, 47 R, 55 H, 12 2B, 8 HR, 40 RBI, 31 BB, 27 K, 6 SB

4. Ethan Frey - DH

2025 stats: .355/.417/.654, 43 GP, 107 AB, 38 H, 8 2B, 8 HR, 32 RBI, 12 BB, 27 K, 4 SB

5. Jake Brown - RF

2025 stats: .293/.379/.472, 45 GP, 123 AB, 36 H, 6 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 33 RBI, 17 BB, 19 K, 8 SB

6. Steven Milam - SS

2025 stats: .286/.370/.514, 49 GP, 175 AB, 50 H, 9 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, 41 RBI, 24 BB, 18 K, 1 SB

7. Luis Hernandez - C

2025 stats: .269/.338/.513, 38 GP, 119 AB, 32 H, 9 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 9 BB, 27 K , 4 SB

8. Michael Braswell III - 3B

2025 stats: .235/.361/.337, 46 GP, 98 AB, 23 H, 4 2B, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 16 BB, 21 K

2025 stats:

9. Chris Stanfield - CF

2025 stats: .320/.433/.440, 49 GP, .320/.433/.440, 48 H, 14 2B, 2 3B, 19 RBI, 24 BB, 41 K, 3 SB

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