A late-inning pitching collapse spoiled senior day in Baton Rouge, capping a disappointing regular season and sending the struggling LSU Tigers into the SEC tournament as a bottom seed.
The LSU Tigers played their final game of the regular season on Saturday afternoon, and a late pitching collapse doomed them as they fell 15-11 to the Florida Gators. The Tigers got it as close as 9-8, but the Gators plated six in the ninth to put it away.
LSU will end the year with a 29-27 record, which ties their most losses since 2018. Before that, it goes back to 1981, when they didn't have that many. It was truly a year to forget for Jay Johnson's squad.
This loss really encapsulated everything that went wrong with this season. The offenses responded with too little, too late and the pitching made their job nearly impossible.
It was especially brutal to watch the pitching struggles in this game because it was mostly seniors and Tigers making their final appearances in Alex Box, and most of them got punished. Only Grant Fontenot, out of the eight pitchers who appeared, will finish the season with an ERA under 5.00.
Jake Brown, who has been injured for the last month, got the chance to "pinch hit" in celebration of this being his final game in Tiger Stadium. He didn't actually have an at-bat, but he came out for a standing ovation.
Cade Arrambide made the most of the moment with two home runs and four RBI. He's just a sophomore, though, and will have another year before entering the draft. This won't be his last ride in Baton Rouge.
Mason Braun is another LSU player who made a good last impression in front of the home fans to end his freshman campaign at home. He went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI.
Steven Milam is someone who at least got to go out on top, hitting a three-run shot in what is likely his final at-bat in front of the home fans.
This season certainly feels over, but the Tigers do have the SEC tournament to take care of before this thing officially ends. They'll have their first game on Tuesday night and will enter as the No. 14 seed.