LSU Baseball Pulls Off Major 7-0 Win Over Kentucky Wildcats to Even SEC Series

BATON ROUGE, La. – William Schmidt seized his first Southeastern Conference victory and Mason Braun produced a career-tying four-RBI performance Saturday, spearheading LSU to a commanding 7-0 shutout of No. 19 Kentucky at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.

The triumph lifts the Tigers to 18-10 overall and 3-5 in league play while the Wildcats slip to 21-5, 5-3 in the SEC. With the series now knotted at one game apiece, the clubs will meet in Sunday’s rubber match at noon CT, airing on the LSU Sports Radio Network and streaming on SEC Network+.

Schmidt, a right-hander, stifled Kentucky for 5.1 innings, scattering six hits, walking two and striking out three. The outing improved his record to 4-1 and marked LSU’s first SEC shutout since a 2-0 blanking of Oklahoma on April 3, 2025.

“I believe William is emerging into one of the best pitchers in the country,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “He’s had three really good starts now in the league. I thought he was excellent today.”

Zac Cowan slammed the door over the final 3.2 frames, permitting one hit, one walk and fanning seven to secure his first save of the season. Johnson praised the veteran reliever’s impact: “We don’t win the national championship last season without Zac Cowan. He’s really got it going now that we’ve gotten into league play.”

Kentucky starter Nate Harris (3-2) absorbed the loss, surrendering five runs on five hits and five walks in 4.2 innings.

Braun supplied the offensive fireworks, going 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and a run-scoring double. His fourth-inning blast, his second of the year, stretched the Tigers’ lead to 5-0.

“Mason gave us two really good at-bats,” Johnson noted. “He laid off some borderline pitches, got himself into some good counts and put some good swings on the ball.”

LSU jumped ahead 2-0 in the second when Zach Yorke lifted a sacrifice fly and Braun doubled down the right-field line. Steve Milam added insurance with a two-run double in the sixth, capping the scoring at 7-0.

The decisive victory sets up a pivotal Sunday showdown for both squads as they jockey for early-season SEC positioning.