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The LSU Tigers started the 2025 baseball season the right way as they welcomed Purdue-Fort Wayne to Baton Rouge. Daniel Dickinson drove in five while Kade Anderson pitched five scoreless innings in a 14-0 season opener.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
LSU got things rolling defensively with a quick 1-2-3 inning from Kade Anderson to give way to the potent Tigers’ batting order. True freshman Chris Stanfield led off with a triple to left center after the center fielder misplayed the ball. After a strikeout from Derek Curiel, Jared Jones took his first at-bat of 2025 and got an RBI single before reaching on a second missed ball from the center fielder to give LSU the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
The next batter was Josh Pearson, who was walked before standout newcomer Daniel Dickinson hit a two-run single to left field to make it a 3-0 game. Then, Jake Brown singled to right field moving Dickinson to third before he came around to score on a throwing error and increased the LSU lead to 4-0. Later in the frame, Steven “Monster” Milan singled in the gap between 1st and 2nd base to score Brown and further extend the lead to 5-0.
Dickinson continued to add to the run party as “Danny Doubles” got two runs in on a double to left field, scoring Curiel and Pearson.
Kade Anderson continued to make easy work of the Mastodons, striking out eight in four full innings of work while giving up just three hits.
In the bottom of the fourth, both Stanfield and Curiel reached base to set up Jared Jones with a prime RBI chance, but he fouled out on a 3-1 count. Then, Pearson came up and got the RBI sacrifice to first base and increased the lead to 8-0.
In the fifth, Luis Hernandez was hit by a pitch and then advanced to third on a passed ball and wild pitch. Next, Michael Braswell III doubled to right field to score Hernandez as the game was now 9-0 in favor of the Tigers.
Pearson got another RBI with a double down the right field line to score Jones and make it 10-0 Tigers. Casan Evans relieved Kade Anderson in the inning prior as one of the top freshmen in college baseball got his first action at LSU. Dickinson then got his fifth RBI of the afternoon to score pinch runner Ethan Frey and add yet another run to the tally.
Jones added another RBI to his day as the Tigers went up 12-0 in the bottom of the seventh.
In the bottom of the eighth, the bases were loaded with one out for freshman Ryan Costello, who would’ve launched a grand slam to the Diamond Deck if it weren’t for the wind keeping it in. Nonetheless, Costello got his first RBI as a Tiger.
Cooper Williams came on in the ninth inning and shut the door on Purdue Fort-Wayne in a 14-0 final score.
BIG NUMBER: 14
The LSU offense had 14 runs on 14 base hits in the season opener while 17 different batters came to the plate.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Daniel Dickinson
Dickinson had a great LSU debut as the Utah Valley transfer went 3-4 at the plate with five runs batted in.
UP NEXT: The LSU Tigers host Purdue-Fort Wayne with an 11 a.m. first pitch. The action can be heard on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette and 104.1 Lake Charles.