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LSU baseball season doomed by high walk rate and poor defense
TL;DR
LSU baseball's 2026 season has been disappointing, with a high walk rate and poor defense leading to struggles. The team, once ranked No. 2, now faces an uphill battle to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
Key points
- LSU baseball ranked No. 2 at the start of the season
- High walk rate of 12.5% ranks No. 15 in the SEC
- LSU ranks last in the SEC for defensive conversions
LSU TigersSEC Tournament
LSU baseball's 2026 season did not play out as LSU had hoped. The Tigers began the year ranked No. 2 in the polls, but by early March, it was clear LSU was not a College World Series contender. Poor nonconference losses only previewed the struggles to come in conference play.
LSU faces Florida this weekend before heading to the SEC Tournament in Hoover. It would take a near miracle for LSU to make the NCAA Tournament, though it's technically not impossible. Whenever LSU's season officially comes to an end, we'll have months to fully peel back the layers and conduct an autopsy of what went wrong in 2026. But it's not too early to start now.
If you've watched this LSU team, you've probably noticed the pitching staff tends to issue a lot of walks. Walk rates have increased across the sport as hitters have grown more patient and young pitchers prioritize stuff over command, but LSU's walk rate of 12.5% ranks No. 15 in the SEC. That's not going to cut it.
Another issue that's plagued LSU is poor defense. Steven Milam is dynamite at shortstop, yet LSU still ranks dead last in the SEC at converting balls in play to outs.
A pitching staff that issues this many free passes, paired with a defense that struggles to get outs, is a bad combination. That's how innings unravel. LSU walks a batter, then another man reaches on an error, and suddenly the opposing offense is in business without even recording a hit.
LSU is 7th in batting average allowed -- this isn't a staff that allows a ton of hits. The Tigers do a decent job at striking guys out, too. With those average and strikeout numbers, LSU should be able to navigate a high walk rate.
Pitchers can get away with high walk rates if they have the defense to back it up. One walk isn't an issue if the fielders can erase balls put in play, but LSU struggles to do that.
LSU is the only team in the SEC with this poor combination of walks and defense. The Tigers are in the bottom left quadrant of this chart, all alone.
LSU coach Jay Johnson built the best defense in the SEC in 2025, and pitching coach Nate Yeskie is one of the best in the business. This is more likely a blip for LSU than an emerging trend.
Q&A
What factors contributed to LSU baseball's poor performance in 2026?
LSU baseball struggled primarily due to a high walk rate of 12.5% and ranking last in the SEC for defensive conversions.
Can LSU baseball still make the NCAA Tournament in 2026?
While it's technically not impossible for LSU to make the NCAA Tournament, it would require a near miracle given their current performance.
How does LSU's walk rate compare to other SEC teams?
LSU's walk rate of 12.5% ranks No. 15 in the SEC, indicating significant issues with pitching command compared to other teams.
