LSU Dominates Dallas Baptist 12-0 to Reach NCAA Regional Final

BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU sophomore left-hander Kade Anderson delivered a stellar pitching performance on Saturday night, leading the top-ranked Tigers to a commanding 12-0 victory over Dallas Baptist in the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.

Anderson (9-1) fired 7.0 scoreless innings, allowing only four hits while striking out 11 batters and walking two. With this victory, he not only helped his team advance but also climbed to sixth place on LSU’s all-time single-season strikeouts list with 156.

Centerfielder Chris Stanfield played a pivotal role in the offensive explosion for LSU, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and his first home run of the season. The Tigers’ offense was relentless, scoring in six of the eight innings played.

“It was a good night for our team,” said LSU head coach Jay Johnson. “I thought we played outstanding baseball tonight. Obviously, it starts and ends on the mound, and Kade was the best pitcher on the planet tonight.”

LSU (45-14) jumped out to a quick lead in the first inning when designated hitter Ethan Frey drove in two runs with a single. Stanfield followed up with a solo home run in the second, making it 3-0.

In the third inning, the Tigers scored three more runs, highlighted by a sacrifice from catcher Luis Hernandez and an RBI single by Stanfield. The game continued to spiral away for DBU, with added runs coming in the fifth and sixth innings from Stanfield’s RBI groundout and a steal of home by shortstop Steven Milam.

DBU starting pitcher Micah Bucknam (6-2) struggled, allowing six runs (three earned) in just 2.2 innings. Despite his team’s lack of offense, the Patriots (41-17) put together a few scoring opportunities but couldn’t capitalize.

In the eighth inning, Frey showcased his agility, hitting a triple before scoring on an error in the outfield, extending the lead to double digits. Pinch hitters added further runs late, securing the comfortable win for LSU.

“We executed well tonight both offensively and defensively,” said Johnson. “Our defense was flawless again, which is huge in postseason play.”

With this victory, LSU advances to the regional championship game on Sunday at 8 p.m. CT, where they will face either Dallas Baptist or Little Rock, who play in an elimination match earlier in the day. Johnson expressed excitement about the potential of his team heading into the regional final.