Tag: Alex Milazzo

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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LSU baseball gets back in the win column against McNeese

LSU rebounded after a series loss to Mississippi State on Tuesday night.

LSU was looking to rebound after losing a series to Mississippi State last weekend while McNeese wanted to keep the Tigers’ losing streak going. Ultimately, coach Jay Johnson’s team prevailed to get back in the win column with a 7-4 win.

LSU scored three runs in the first two innings as [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] hit an RBI double, a run scored on a wild pitch, and [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] hit an RBI groundout to make it 3-0 LSU after two innings.

In the top of the third, the Cowboys roped their way back into the game with three runs of their own to tie the game. In the top of the sixth, McNeese took its first lead of the ballgame when a run scored on a fielder’s choice to make it 4-3 Cowboys headed to the bottom of the inning.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Tigers took the lead back with back-to-back solo homers from [autotag]Cade Beloso[/autotag] and [autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] to make it 5-4 LSU.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Milazzo scored on a single from [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] and White hit a sacrifice fly to make it 7-4 LSU after eight innings.

[autotag]Sam Dutton[/autotag] stayed in the game to pitch the ninth inning to try to close out the win. The first two hitters in the inning reached on back-to-back singles so [autotag]Gavin Guidry[/autotag] came in. He retired the first two batters he faced before walking the third guy to load the bases.

[autotag]Thatcher Hurd[/autotag] was then called on to close it out. Hurd got the first hitter to ground out and the Tigers won 7-4.

LSU’s final series of the regular season starts on Thursday as the Tigers travel to Athens to play the Georgia Bulldogs. The first pitch for Game 1 is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT.

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LSU drops back-to-back SEC series with Sunday’s Game 3 collapse against Mississippi State

The Tigers led 13-4 in the sixth, but a Bulldogs rally erased that lead as LSU lost another conference series.

After blowing a lead late in Game 2, LSU looked to rebound and take the series against Mississippi State in Game 3. Instead, the Tigers saw a similar result as they squandered a 13-4 lead in the sixth inning to fall to the Bulldogs 14-13 in extras.

[autotag]Brayden Jobert[/autotag] got the game started off right as he hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the second inning to give LSU a 3-0 lead.

Mississippi State got one of those runs back in the top of the third inning as the Bulldogs hit an RBI single to cut the lead to 3-1. LSU got that run back plus one more in the bottom of the inning as [autotag]Tre Morgan[/autotag] hit a solo homer and [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] hit an RBI double to give LSU a 5-1 lead after three innings.

Things started to unravel in the top of the fourth, though, as the Bulldogs scored three runs against [autotag]Gavin Guidry[/autotag] to cut the lead to 5-4. Once again, the Tigers answered. It all started with an error to score [autotag]Jordan Thompson[/autotag]. After that, things went downhill fast for Mississippi State. [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] hit an RBI single, [autotag]Cade Beloso[/autotag] reached on a fielder’s choice but got an RBI, and Jobert hit a two-RBI single to make it 10-4 LSU.

Mississippi State loaded the bases in the top of the fifth inning against [autotag]Griffin Herring[/autotag] but [autotag]Christian Little[/autotag] came in and got the Tigers out of the jam without allowing any runs. After a Gavin Dugas double to start the bottom of the fifth, Morgan hit a two-run homer to increase the Tiger lead to 12-4. Hayden Travinski followed that with an RBI single to make it 13-4.

In the top of the sixth inning, the Bulldogs clawed their way back into the game as an RBI single and a three-run homer cut the lead to 13-8. In the top of the seventh inning, the Tiger lead came crashing down as Mississippi State scored five runs against three different pitchers to tie the game at 13.

What once looked as if it would be another run-rule victory had now become a tie game.

In the top of the eighth inning, the Bulldogs loaded the bases before [autotag]Riley Cooper[/autotag] got LSU out of the threat unscathed. In the bottom of the ninth inning, [autotag]Josh Pearson[/autotag] drew a walk to put the winning run on first base. [autotag]Paxton Kling[/autotag] came into run for Pearson.

Kling advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and he advanced to third on a flyout by Morgan. Crews and White were intentionally walked to load the bases as [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] stepped into the box. He fouled out, and we headed to extras.

In the top of the 10th, the Bulldogs took the lead on a fielder’s choice to give them a 14-13 lead. Jones, Jobert, and Thompson were LSU’s final hope. Jones struck out swinging for out No. 1. Jobert walked to put the winning run at first. Thompson hit a fly ball into a double play and the game ended in a 14-13 Mississippi State victory.

With the loss, LSU drops to 39-12 and 17-9 in conference play. LSU has now lost two straight conference series. The next game will be on Tuesday against McNeese.

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LSU sweeps Alabama with win in offense-heavy Game 3

The Tigers prevailed to secure a weekend sweep in a Game that featured 22 combined runs.

LSU entered Sunday’s matchup against Alabama with a chance to sweep the Tide. The Tigers did just that with a 13-11 win in Game 3.

Alabama started off strong in the top of the first as they scored a run on a fielding error before [autotag]Christian Little[/autotag] got the Tigers out of the inning. In the bottom of the second, [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] hit a two-run bomb to give LSU its first lead of the ballgame at 2-1.

[autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] extended the lead to 3-1 with a “Crews Missile” in the bottom of the third inning.

The Tide came back strong as they scored three runs in the top of the fourth and fifth innings to give them a 7-3 lead thanks to some good hits and a couple of errors by LSU. In the bottom of the fifth, the Tigers came roaring back with some runs of their own as Crews and [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] both hit RBI singles with the bases loaded before [autotag]Cade Beloso[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Thompson[/autotag] walked in runs with bases loaded to tie the game.

Jones then hit a sacrifice fly to give the Tigers an 8-7 lead. [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] then hit an RBI single to extend the LSU lead to 9-7 after five innings.

The Crimson Tide scored a run in the sixth and the seventh inning to tie the game 9-9 heading into the bottom of the seventh. Milazzo gave the Tigers the lead again when he hit an RBI single to score [autotag]Paxton Kling[/autotag] to make it 10-9 LSU. Crews then walked with the bases loaded to make it 11-9 Tigers.

In the bottom of the eighth, Thompson and Kling both hit solo homers to make it 13-9 Tigers.

Alabama hit a two-run homer with two outs in the top of the ninth as it attempted to make a comeback, but that is as close as the Tide would get. With the win, LSU moves to 35-8 overall 15-5 in conference play.

Its next game will be Tuesday night at Southeastern Louisiana. The first pitch for that game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.

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