Brown’s three HRs snaps LSU out of its slump in 15-4 bombing of Sacramento State
Published 11:35 pm Friday, March 6, 2026
By Scooter Hobbs
Hitting slump? What hitting slump?
LSU broke out of its offensive doldrums in a big way Friday, jumping on Sacramento State for six home runs in a 15-4 victory that required only the minimum seven innings for the mercy rule to kick in.
Jake Brown had three home runs and LSU had all 15 of its runs before Sacramento State got its first base runner.
“They’re good players,” head coach Jay Johnson said after the Tigers, who had double-digit hits only once in their last six games, had 14 on this night. “They’re good hitters, and a lot of them showed that tonight.”
“The offense was closer to our potential. I’m not going to say we’re capable of scoring 15 (runs) every game, but that was a pretty electric performance. I believe we’re far closer to that than a couple of struggle games here lately.”
There was one constant — Brown led the way. The Sulphur native tied a school record with three home runs and starting pitcher Casan Evans was perfect for his first five innings on the mound.
Numerous LSU players have three home runs in a game, but Brown’s three bombs came in the game’s first three innings in his first three at-bats. He was the first Tiger to do that since Eddy Furniss in 1998 against Auburn.
It gave Brown a team-high eight for the season and he finished the night 4-for-5 with six RBIs.
Johnson was most impressed that Brown’s first homer was to left field, the second to straight-away center and the third to right-center.
“Then maybe the coaching highlight is that he doesn’t try to do too much in the fourth at-bat and hits a single up the middle,” Johnson said. “Really good piece of hitting.”
The Tigers (12-3) will be back in action again Saturday, although the game, originally scheduled for 6 p.m., will start at 2 p.m. in an effort to avoid predicted inclement weather.
Cade Arrambide hit his fourth home run and Steven Milam and Derek Curiel both hit their first of the year.
It was classic overkill with Cowan retiring the first 15 batters he faced before giving up a lead off single in the sixth.
It came on a play that could have been made, but an out later, Sacramento got a no-doubt single and both runners scored on a Erek Dessens’ triple.
Evans (1-0) struck out nine while giving up three hits in 5 2/3 innings with no walks.
“He’s one of the best pitchers in the country and one of the best people in our program,” Johnson said of Evans’ performance. “And I have as much confidence in him as anybody we could ever roll out there.
“I love to see that he’s showing the athleticism, the aptitude that he is, the improvement here through four weeks. Couldn’t be in a better spot to help the Tigers win as we enter SEC play next week.”
The Tigers open SEC play next Friday at Vanderbilt.
*
Friday’s Game
LSU 15, Sacramento State 4
(7 innings)
Saturday’s Game
2 p.m. / SECN+ (streaming)
