The unanimous top team in college baseball took to Skip Bertman Field at Alex Box Stadium today for the 2023 season opener as the LSU Tigers hosted Western Michigan. Paul Skenes struck out 12 batters and the Tigers had a five-run sixth to cruise to a 10-0 victory over the Broncos in the season opener.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
LSU worked around the Western Michigan offense in the first inning, only allowing a two-out work. In the bottom half, Paxton Kling was hit by a pitch, advanced on a bloop single by Dylan Crews, and then scored on a Tommy White RBI single to make it 1-0. White had to leave the game with an arm injury after a slide back into first. The lead extended with the next at-bat, as Tre Morgan hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Crews and make it 2-0 Tigers.
Paul Skenes continued dominating by striking out the side in the second inning, getting his fourth strikeout on just his seventh batter faced.
Brady Neal stepped up and delivered a triple in his first plate appearance in Baton Rouge. Then, Ben Nippolt grounded out to second to score Neal and increase the lead to 3-0.
In the sixth, Crews, Josh Pearson, and Tre Morgan were all walked to load the bases with nobody out. Jared Jones then delivered a two-run double to left field to extend the LSU advantage to 5-0 in the sixth.
Brady Neal then got one all the way to the warning track, but it was caught at the track, scoring Tre Morgan to make it 6-0 for the Tigers. A second sacrifice fly in the inning by Ben Nippolt scored Jared Jones before a passed ball at the plate scored Thompson to push the lead to 8-0.
After a leadoff walk for Jared Jones, back-to-back singles by Gavin Dugas and Jordan Thompson scored Jones to make it 9-0 Tigers in the bottom of the eighth. Ethan Frey stepped up and scored Thompson on an RBI single up the middle to make it 10-0.
Micah Buckman came in for the ninth and finished the job as LSU took down Western Michigan 10-0 in the season opener.
BIG NUMBER: 12
Paul Skenes was electric in his debut, going six complete innings, allowing three hits, and striking out 12 on 98 pitches.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Paul Skenes
Skenes made his LSU debut and did it in style, striking out 12 in six innings. His fastball consistently stayed in the upper 90s and delivered with nice control.
UP NEXT: LSU (1-0) will return to Alex Box Stadium tomorrow for Game 2 of the opening series against Western Michigan. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.