LSU stays unbeaten with 9-4 win over Notre Dame in Jacksonville
Published 5:21 pm Saturday, February 21, 2026
By Scooter Hobbs
American Press
LSU wasted little time Saturday.
After having to come alive late on Friday to win their opener in Jacksonville’s Live Like Lou Jax Classic, the Tigers jumped on Notre Dame early to beat the Irish 9-4 and stay perfect on the season at 7-0.
The Tigers’ 12 hits included three doubles to score two runs in the second inning, then they had four singles to push three across in the third and added two more in the fourth on Cade Arrambide’s 2-out, 2-run homer to dead center field for an early 7-0 lead.
“That was great to see today,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “I think the offense approach for two days has been great here, and I think we’ve left some things on the table. That’s how good it’s been. When you score 23 runs and there’s still something out there for us, but credit to the hitters.
“I thought we did a great job with runners in scoring position.”
LSU’s 12 hits gave them 30 for the first two games of the tournament and five of the Tigers’ nine runs Saturday came on two-out RBIs.
“We were one pitch away from getting away from all those innings with a zero,” Notre Dame coach Shawn Stiffler said.
LSU had other ideas.
“We trained to be good at that and they know it’s a premium,” Johnson said. “We don’t want to kick field goals in the red zone, is what we say. We want to score touchdowns. And the team did that today.”
Jake Brown bounced back from his first hitless game of the season on Friday to go 4-for-5 with three runs scored, raising his season average to .514.
Omar Serna and Brayden Simpson had a pair or RBIs each.
LSU will put its unbeaten streak on the line again Sunday against Central Florida in the final game of the tournament. They’ll start sophomore righthander William Schmidt (1-0, 6.75).
Saturday’s starter Cooper Moore (2-0) dominated the Irish for the first four innings before giving up a lone run in the fifth and a 2-run homer to Jayce Lee in the sixth.
“I thought Cooper, obviously was excellent again,” said Johnson said, adding that Moore pitched better than his stats suggested. “Filling up the strike zone set a great tempo for us, allowed the offense to settle in.”
Moore left after 5 2/3 innings after striking out six but giving up eight hits with his first walk of the season.
Three relievers — Ethan Plog, Devin Sheerin and Dax Dathe — combined to hold Notre Dame to more run while striking out eight over the final 3 1/3 innings.
“Another good effort out of our bullpen,” Johnson said. “I think it will be a strength of our team.”
But they made it interesting.
Sheerin had the most drama after he entered with two outs and runners on first and second in the seventh.
He didn’t come close to the strike zone in walking the first two batters he faced.
Johnson appeared to be stalling for time to get him out of the game during the second walk, which forced in a run.
But Johnson left him in with the bases still loaded and — out of nowhere — he responded by striking the next two batters to wiggle out of the jam.
He retired the Irish in order in the eighth inning — all on strikeouts —and Dathe struck out two of the three he faced in pitching a perfect ninth.
“Devin kind of created his own problems,” Johnson said. “But he got himself out of it and really rolled. That was an impressive eighth inning there.
“So I’m proud of those guys. We need those guys … the ceiling of our team completely changes if those guys can do what they did at their best today.”
The LSU pitching staff, which leads the nation in strikeouts, had 14 for the game, giving them 23 for the tournament.
Live Like Lou Jax College Classic
Saturday’s Game
LSU 9, Notre Dame 4
Sunday’s Game
LSU vs. Central Florida (2 p.m.)
