LSU Country

The Final Prediction: LSU Baseball vs. UCLA Bruins in College World Series on Monday

Jay Johnson and Co. return to Charles Schwab Field, square off against a fiery UCLA squad in Omaha.

Zack Nagy

Courtesy of LSU Tigers Baseball.

Jay Johnson and the LSU Tigers will square off against the UCLA Bruins on Monday night with a College World Series showdown locked in at Charles Schwab Field.

The Tigers are fresh off of a victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday to open College World Series play in the win column.

LSU ace Kade Anderson led the Tigers to victory after a masterclass performance on the mound for the Tigers to move into the winner's bracket.

Anderson (11-1) worked 7.0 innings and limited the Razorbacks to one run on three hits with two walks and seven strikeouts, firing 100 pitches.

“An outstanding performance by Kade,” Johnson said. "It’s what we’ve been accustomed to on the opening night of every weekend this year. I thought he got stronger as the game went along. I thought he executed pitches at a really high level, which you have to do against that offense.

“Kade has got tremendous stuff. It’s four pitches for strikes. He’s never boxed into having to throw a certain way, which as a hitting coach makes it tough to plan against him because he can always pivot.

"He’s got a plan for any type of hitter, left, right, power, good bat-to-ball type guys, I thought he just executed. He’s such a tremendous competitor.”

Now, LSU will fall back on starter Anthony Eyanson to lead the Tigers on the mound on Monday night against a fiery UCLA squad.

A look into the College World Series Monday schedule, updated title odds and the final prediction for LSU versus UCLA in Omaha.

The Monday Schedule:

Game 7: Murray State vs. (3) Arkansas | 1 p.m. CT | ESPN (ESPN+)
Game 8: (15) UCLA vs. (6) LSU | 6 p.m. CT | ESPN (ESPN+)

Updated National Championship Odds:

- LSU Tigers: +120
- Coastal Carolina: +195
- Arkansas Razorbacks: +600
- UCLA Bruins: +650
- Oregon State: +1300
- Louisville Cardinals: +3500
- Murray State Racers: +30000

The Players' Takes: Anthony Eyanson and Derek Curiel Weigh In

Eyanson... “They’re good hitters. They’ll lay off pitches just outside the zone and be selective. They’ll work the infield defense, so you have to expect everything situationally. It’ll be fun to pitch against them.”

Curiel..."Baseball is a game of failure. Just trying to my best to stay there on the lefties. I got to work on keeping my shoulder in there and trying to stay on balls. And just having fun and learning from my mistakes and just getting better every day. That's what baseball's about."

The Final Prediction: Anthony Eyanson Sets the Tone

LSU will send right-hander, Anthony Eyanson, to the mound on Monday night with the UC-San Diego transfer preparing to make his College World Series debut.

Eyanson, a semifinalist for the College Baseball Foundation National Pitcher of the Year Award, is No. 3 in the nation in strikeouts with 142, and he is No. 9 in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (12.95).

He is No. 3 in the SEC in ERA (2.74), No. 1 in wins (11), No. 3 in strikeouts (135), No. 2 in innings pitched (98.2) and No. 7 in opponent batting average (.211).

Eyanson's presence on the mound paired with the Tigers' stellar defense as of late will be a critical piece come Monday night at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha (Neb.).

LSU's defense has been impactful this postseason with the infield play of Jared Jones, Steven Milam and Daniel Dickinson paving the way. It's imperative the group once again provides the program a boost defensively.

At the plate, consistent hitting and timely at-bats will once again be the X-factor with Milam, Derek Curiel, Josh Pearson and Chris Stanfield looking to lead the way.

UCLA will send right-hander Landon Stump (6-1, 4.54 ERA, 73.1 IP, 37 BB, 62 SO) to the mound with the talented pitcher looking to make an impact.

With a talented lineup 1-9, the Tigers will once again be presented with an opportunity to capture a win at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, but the UCLA Bruins will be a tremendous challenge.

Timely at-bats, consistent hitting and riding the arm of Eyanson will put LSU in position to punch a ticket to the College World Seres semifinals.

The Final Prediction: LSU 5, UCLA 3

More LSU News:

LSU Football Wide Receiver Donating NIL Money Back to High School for Title Rings

LSU Football Holds Commitments From a Pair of Top-10 Wide Receivers in America

Brian Kelly's Take: LSU Football Searching for Ideal Starting Offensive Line Rotation

Join the Community:

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU Tigers.

Published |Modified
Zack Nagy
ZACK NAGY

Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of LSU Country, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Tiger Football, Basketball, Baseball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving LSU athletics. 

Home/Baseball