Tag: Alex Milazzo

Instant Analysis: Gators beat LSU baseball in extra innings to even the series

After leading 4-2 in the eighth inning, LSU gave up four runs and lost to Florida 6-2 in 11 innings.

After leading 4-2 in the eighth inning, LSU gave up four runs and lost to Florida 6-2 in 11 innings on Saturday night.

LSU scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the third when [autotag]Jake Brown[/autotag] scored on a [autotag]Mac Bingham[/autotag] single to make it 1-0 LSU. Florida answered that run with two of their own to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth.

[autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] then tied the game in the bottom of the fourth with a solo shot to left field.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, LSU tacked on two more runs as Bigham hit a solo shot and [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] hit a solo shot to make it 4-2 LSU.

In the top of the eighth inning, Florida had runners on the corners with two outs with [autotag]Nate Ackenhausen[/autotag] on the mound. Ackenhausen struck the hitter out BUT the ball got away from [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] and he was unable to throw the runner out at first therefore a run scored to cut the lead to 4-3.

Everything went downhill after that. With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, the Gators got an RBI single to tie the game and send us to extra innings. The Gators then hit a two-run homer in the top of the 11th to take a 6-4 lead and LSU failed to score any more runs.

Game 3 is Sunday at 2 p.m. CT.

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LSU gets revenge against Stony Brook to close weekend series on Sunday

With the win, LSU moves to 7-1 this season and will be off until facing Rice on Wednesday.

There was no shortage of runs from either side in this one. The most important thing, though, is that the Tigers came out on top with an 18-10 win over Stony Brook on Sunday. LSU dropped their first game of the season to the Seawolves on Friday as the Tigers could not manage many hits.

The offense woke up in this one as the Tigers scored 10 runs in the first two innings. In the bottom of the first, [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] had an RBI single, [autotag]Michael Braswell III[/autotag] had a three RBI triple, and [autotag]Ethan Frey[/autotag] had an RBI single to put the Tigers up 5-0.

In the bottom of the second inning, [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] had an RBI single, Frey had another RBI single, [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] had an RBI single, and White had a two-RBI single to give LSU a 10-0 lead.

Stony Brook finally got on the board with a two-run homer in the top of the third inning to cut the lead to 10-2. LSU got those runs back in the bottom of the inning when Jones hit a two-run homer to extend the lead to 12-2.

The Tigers tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth inning when White hit a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 13-2. In the top of the fifth inning, the Seawolves started making a comeback. Stony Brook scored six runs in the top of the inning to cut the lead to 13-8 as the Seawolves got in striking distance of LSU. Two of the runs were charged to [autotag]Javen Coleman[/autotag] and the other four runs were charged to [autotag]Micah Bucknam[/autotag].

In the bottom of the sixth inning, LSU got four of those runs back after [autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] hit a three-RBI double and [autotag]Stephen Milam[/autotag] hit a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 17-8.

The Seawolves scored two more runs in the top of the seventh inning against [autotag]Cam Johnson[/autotag] to cut the lead to 17-10. The Tigers got one of those runs back in the bottom of the eighth when Milam hit an RBI single up the middle to extend the lead to 18-10.

With the win, LSU moves to 7-1 this season and will be off until facing Rice on Wednesday.

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LSU bats come alive against VMI in Game 3

The Tigers set the school record for most singles in a game (20) and tied for most hits in a game (27). 

LSU scored early and often in Game 3 against VMI. It all started in the bottom of the first inning as the Tigers put up five runs in the first inning. [autotag]Brady Neal[/autotag] got it started with a two-RBI double down the right field line, [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] had an RBI triple, [autotag]Mac Bingham[/autotag] had an RBI single, and [autotag]Jake Brown[/autotag] singled and a run scored on an error to make it 5-0 LSU after one inning.

Over the next two innings, Neal would put on a clinic from behind the dish as he reminded everyone why you should not run on him.

In the bottom of the third inning, LSU would add even more runs to their big lead as the Tigers scored seven more runs. [autotag]Michael Braswell III[/autotag] hit a two-RBI double, [autotag]Stephen Milam[/autotag] hit an RBI double, and Neal hit a grand slam to right field to make it 12-0 Tigers after three innings.

In the top of the fourth inning, we got our first look at [autotag]Cam Johnson[/autotag] as he made his pitching debut. He got a groundout before walking the next three hitters. VMI would then get their first run of the game on a sacrifice fly to make it 12-1. Johnson then struck out the next hitter he faced to escape the jam.

LSU scored three more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as Milam and [autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] both had RBI singles and [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] walked in a run to make it 15-1.

Johnson remained in the game for the top of the fifth inning and he continued to struggle finding the strike zone. He walked three more runners before Will Hellmers was called in out of the bullpen. VMI scored three more runs to cut the game to 15-4 but that is all they could manage.

LSU scored nine more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to extend their lead to 24-4.

In the top of the sixth inning, [autotag]Kade Woods[/autotag] made his LSU debut. He allowed one run on two walks and one strikeout. In the bottom of the inning, LSU tacked on three more runs to extend the lead to 27-5. The Tigers also set the school record for most singles in a game (20) and tied for most hits in a game (27).

[autotag]Aiden Moffett[/autotag] made his first appearance on the mound in the top of the seventh as he sat down the VMI batters in order and LSU won 27-5.

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LSU baseball lands commitment from 2025 catcher

Landon Hodge is one of the best baseball players in the 2025 recruiting class.

Whenever LSU baseball coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] tweets out a Tiger emoji, something great has happened. This time it was for the commitment of a 2025 catcher from Agua Dulce, California.

[autotag]Landon Hodge[/autotag] is one of the best baseball players in the 2025 recruiting class and on Saturday, he decided to commit to the program that will be defending its National Championship in 2024. The Tigers currently have 18 commitments for the 2025 recruiting class and two of those are catchers. Hodge and Omar Serna are the two catchers in the class.

Last season, the Tigers were led by strong play behind the plate from [autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag]. Both of them fought through injuries and slumps during parts of the season to help the Tigers come out on top in Omaha.

LSU starts the 2024 season on Feb. 16 against VMI at Alex Box Stadium. The Tigers will play VMI and Central Arkansas for the first four games of the year.

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Two Tigers make Perfect Game’s Top 50 seniors list

Hayden Travinski and Mac Bingham both find themselves inside the top 20 of the list.

Perfect Game has released its list of the top 50 seniors as we enter the 2024 baseball season and two LSU Tigers made the list. [autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] and [autotag]Mac Bingham[/autotag] both find themselves inside the top 20 of the list.

Travinski had a phenomenal season in 2023. He finished the year with a .356 batting average with five doubles, 10 homers and 30 RBI. He split time behind the dish with [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] and always came in clutch when LSU needed him the most.

Bingham is new to the bayou. He transfers to LSU after spending four seasons at Arizona. Last season he finished with a .360 batting average as he scored 68 runs and had 20 doubles, two triples, 10 homers, and 51 RBI.

LSU baseball starts practice on Monday and their first game will be on Feb. 16 as it opens the season at Alex Box Stadium against VMI. The Tigers will take on VMI and Central Arkansas for the first four games of the year.

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Undrafted catcher Alex Milazzo returning to LSU in 2024

Both of LSU’s primary catchers in Alex Milazzo and Hayden Travinski are returning in 2024.

After getting the news that [autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] would be returning for another season in 2024, the LSU Tigers got another boost at the catcher position as another veteran in [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] will reportedly return to the Tigers, according to the Advocate’s Leah Vann.

Milazzo wasn’t selected in the 2023 MLB draft, and though he had several offers to join organizations as an undrafted free agent, he ultimately spurned them all to be a part of the defending championship team next spring.

After starting 47 games in 2021, Milazzo was limited to just 12 games due to injury in 2022. This spring, he began the year as a backup but ultimately played in 53 games with 25 starts at catcher, playing in place of Travinski while he battled injuries down the stretch.

He had his best season at the plate in 2023, batting .289 with a double, 15 RBI and 21 runs scored. With both Milazzo and Travinski on board after neither was selected in the draft, the catcher position looks like a strength in 2024.

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LSU signee Blake Mitchell drafted by Kansas City Royals with 8th pick

Blake Mitchell is one of the top players in LSU’s 2023 recruiting class.

LSU signee [autotag]Blake Mitchell[/autotag] likely isn’t making it to campus.

On Sunday night, the Kansas City Royals made Mitchell the eighth overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft, joining [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] and [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag], who went first and second overall.

Mitchell is a class of 2023 commit for [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag]. He is ranked as the No. 1 catcher in the country and the No. 8 prospect in the country by Perfect Game.

This is one of those deals where you recruit the best players in the country and let them decide whether to go to school or to go pro. The ball is now in Mitchell’s court.

Mitchell was taken as the No. 8 overall pick by the Kansas City Royals. Mitchell was presumed to be the Royals’ No. 1 target on their draft board and they believe they can sign him even if they give him over his slot value of $5,980,100.

If Mitchell signs with the Royals, LSU should be okay at catcher. The Tigers still have [autotag]Brady Neal[/autotag] and [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] behind the plate. Plus, we don’t know if [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] or [autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] will come back for another year.

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Alex Milazzo reveals Jay Johnson’s message to him about staying at LSU in 2023

If you are going to win a national championship, it will take some unsung heroes to get the job done.

If you are going to win a national championship, it will take some unsung heroes to get the job done. [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] is a guy that fits that mold.

Milazzo thought about transferring out of LSU after only playing in 12 games in 2022 and only hitting .227 in 22 at-bats. Instead, [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] convinced him to stay, and the Tigers could not have won a championship without him.

[autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] was used as the main catcher for most of the year and he was on a hot streak entering Omaha, but then he suffered an injury. Milazzo had to step up on the biggest stage of them all, and he did just that. He was 4-for-15 (.267) with two RBI. He scored two runs in the winner-take-all Game 3 against Florida.

He gave his all for LSU as he fractured his shin scoring to extend the Tigers’ lead.

Yet another story of a guy that took a bet on himself and is now a national champion forever.

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LSU heads to losers’ bracket after SEC tournament loss to Arkansas

LSU will play Texas A&M in an elimination game Friday at 3 p.m. CT.

[autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Hagan Smith[/autotag], the No. 2 seed facing the No. 3 seed, [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] and [autotag]Peyton Holt[/autotag] facing each other the storylines wrote themselves ahead of Thursday’s SEC tournament game against Arkansas for LSU.

Ultimately, the Razorbacks will have Friday off while LSU will have to face Texas A&M in an elimination game after the Hogs won 5-4.

[autotag]Tre Morgan[/autotag] got the scoring started with an RBI single in the top of the first to draw first blood. The Tigers scored again in the fourth inning when [autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0 LSU.

The Razorbacks flipped the script in the bottom of the fourth inning as they plated five runs (only two earned) against Skenes. That chased him from the mound. He finished the day after going 3.2 innings and allowing 5 runs on four hits, three strikeouts, and two walks.

[autotag]Riley Cooper[/autotag] stepped in to try and finish the inning. With the game tied 2-2, Cooper appeared to have gotten the third out, BUT [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] was called for catcher’s interference with bases loaded and that scored a run. They scored two more after that to make it 5-2 Arkansas after four innings.

In the top of the eighth inning, [autotag]Jordan Thompson[/autotag] hit an RBI single to score Travinski to cut the lead to 5-3 as we headed to the bottom of the eighth. The top of the order was due up in the ninth for the Tigers but could they make a comeback?

[autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] popped out for out number one. Crews then hit a solo homer to cut the lead to 5-4 as [autotag]Paxton Kling[/autotag] came into pinch-hit. Kling struck out for out number two. White grounded out for out number three and Arkansas won 5-4.

With the loss, LSU will play Texas A&M on Friday in an elimination game at 3 p.m. CT.

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LSU survives extra innings against Georgia to take Game 1

LSU got a much-needed win in Game 1 and will look to clinch the series against the Bulldogs on Friday.

LSU has lost two conference series in a row and they are at risk of losing their super regional hosting rights. A good showing this weekend would prevent that, and LSU took care of business in Game 1 with an 8-5 win over Georgia, though it took 12 innings to get there.

[autotag]Brayden Jobert[/autotag] got the party started in the top of the second inning when he hit a two-run blast over the scoreboard in right field to give LSU a 2-0 lead.

With [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] on the mound, a two-run lead is usually enough to win the game. Not this time. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Georgia tied the game with a solo homer and an RBI single to tie the game 2-2 as we headed into the sixth inning.

In the top of the eighth inning, [autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] broke the tie with a solo homer and [autotag]Jordan Thompson[/autotag] followed that up with a solo shot of his own to make it 4-2 LSU heading into the bottom of the inning.

[autotag]Riley Cooper[/autotag] took over for Skenes on the mound to start the bottom of the eighth. Skenes finished the game after pitching seven innings and allowing two runs on four hits, a walk and 12 strikeouts.

Cooper walked the first batter he faced and he was pulled for [autotag]Thatcher Hurd[/autotag]. Hurd struck out the first batter he faced, walked the next one and got out No. 2 on a fielder’s choice. Hurd got the next batter to pop up to short, but Thompson dropped the ball and a run scored to make it 4-3.

Hurd got the next hitter to pop up for out No. 3.

[autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] hit his first “Crews Missile” in a while to extend the LSU lead to 5-3 as we headed to the bottom of the ninth.

The first batter in the bottom of the ninth hit a solo shot, and just like that, it was a one-run game again. Hurd would stay in the game to try and finish the job. He got the next two hitters out quickly, but with only one out remaining, Georgia hit a solo shot to tie the game 5-5. The next hitter grounded out and we headed to extra innings.

Neither team could score a run in the top of the 10th so we headed to the 11th. Jobert was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] advanced him with a sacrifice bunt. [autotag]Ben Nippolt[/autotag] came in to pinch-hit for [autotag]Gavin Dugas[/autotag], and he drew a walk to put runners on first and second with only one out.

The bases were loaded for Crews and White, but the Tigers failed to score after Crews struck out and White grounded into a fielder’s choice. Hurd retired all three Georgia hitters in short order and we headed to the 12th inning.

Travinski started the 12th inning with a double and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. [autotag]Josh Pearson[/autotag] then hit a two-run homer to give the Tigers a 7-5 lead. Thompson followed that with a homer of his own to make it 8-5 as we headed to the bottom of the 12th.

Hurd retired all three batters he faced in the bottom of the 12th and LSU survived Game 1 against Georgia with an 8-5 win. The Tigers will go for the series win at 5 p.m. CT on Friday.

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