LSU is ranked No. 7 in the 2022 USA TODAY Sports preseason coaches poll, marking the Tigers’ fifth Top 10 appearance in a preseason poll.
LSU’s previously released preseason rankings are No. 3 by Collegiate Baseball, No. 4 by Perfect Game, No. 8 by D1 Baseball, and No. 10 by Baseball America.
The Tigers start the first season of Jay Johnson’s tenure with high rankings and high expectations. This is understandable because a young LSU team made the Super Regionals last year and new head coach Jay Johnson led the Arizona Wildcats to a Pac-12 Championship and the College World Series. With a ton of returning talent and some new talent, expect the Tigers to make some noise in “The Box” this season.
The Tigers have been engaged in preseason training and scrimmages since January 28, and the 2022 season begins at 6:30 p.m. CT on Friday, February 18, when LSU plays host to Maine in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
LSU is one of eight Southeastern Conference teams appearing in the USA Today 2022 preseason Top 25, along with No. 2 Vanderbilt, No. 3 Mississippi State, No. 4 Arkansas, No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 10 Florida, No. 16 Tennessee, and No. 17 Georgia.
Texas, which will face LSU on March 5 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, is No. 1 in the USA Today ranking.
2022 USA Today Preseason Top 25
*(2021 records in parentheses)
1. Texas (50-17)
2. Vanderbilt (49-18)
3. Mississippi State (50-18)
4. Arkansas (50-13)
5. Stanford (39-17)
6. Mississippi (45-22)
7. LSU (38-25)
8. Oklahoma State (36-19-1)
9. North Carolina State (37-19)
10. Florida (38-22)
11. Notre Dame (34-13)
12. Texas Tech (39-17)
13. East Carolina (44-17)
14. Florida State (31-24)
15. Arizona (45-18)
16. Tennessee (50-18)
17. Georgia (31-25)
18. TCU (41-19)
19. UC Irvine (43-18)
20. Oregon State (37-24)
21. Virginia (36-27)
22. Dallas Baptist (41-18)
23. Georgia Tech (31-25)
24. UCLA (37-20)
25. Duke (33-22)