LSU baseball played a scrimmage doubleheader with Troy on Sunday at Alex Box Stadium, winning 10-9 in the first scrimmage before earning a 9-3 victory in Game 2.

Here are five takeaways from the Tigers’ scrimmages with the Trojans.

Logan Schmidt’s debut

LSU fans have been looking forward to seeing Schmidt in an LSU uniform since July, when the LSU commit came to school despite getting drafted by the Cleveland Guardians in the second round of the MLB Draft. But it wasn’t a perfect first appearance for the left-hander, who used the first five weeks of the fall to ramp up before pitching in Game 1 on Sunday.

Schmidt gave up four runs in less than an inning of work, hitting two batters, walking another and allowing a two-run double. He struck out the fourth batter he faced and induced a groundout to shortstop, but Jay Johnson ended the inning prematurely before Schmidt could finish the frame.

“I am so optimistic about how good a pitcher he is and is going to be,” Johnson said. “We accomplished what I wanted to do today, which was go to the mound.”

One outing in a fall scrimmage doesn’t bear much weight, especially since it was the first time Schmidt had faced hitters since the spring. And though he struggled to find the strike zone, Schmidt flashed his potential. His fastball reached 94 mph (despite being rusty), he threw a few good sliders and his 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame stands out, especially given how effortlessly he delivers the ball to the plate.

The strikes will likely come in time. He was known for puncturing the zone coming out of high school, and his delivery is easily repeatable.

If Sunday was a reminder of anything (other than patience), it’s that relying on a freshman immediately — even one as talented as Schmidt — can be a slippery slope. They take time to develop, especially when they’re thrown into the best conference in college baseball.

“We want to make sure we get this right,” Johnson said. “He’ll be an impact pitcher on this team. I have no question about that.”

Bino Watters’ first game

Watters, despite missing the first five weeks of the fall with an upper body injury, shined in his first scrimmage with the Tigers on Sunday. The Notre Dame transfer went 3 for 5 in Game 1, hitting a walk-off single for his third single of the scrimmage.

He didn’t play the field and was pinch-ran for each time he reached base (Johnson wants to protect his hamstrings), but Watters showed on Sunday that he may already be in midseason form.

“I thought he showed great poise and it allowed him to do what he does,” Johnson said. “And he stays on the ball, and he’s incredibly strong.”

Starting lineup preview?

Johnson’s lineup in the first game (and the start of the second) resembled a starting group LSU could turn to when the Tigers open the season against Long Island on Feb. 19.

Cade Arrambide started at catcher, Steven Milam was at shortstop and Mason Braun manned first base. Texas State transfer Dawson Park played third base, and Florida transfer Cade Kurland was at second, while LSU started freshman Dominic Santarelli in left field, Tulane transfer Jason Wachs in center and Oregon transfer Angel Laya in right.

Watters and freshman Lucas Nawrocki were the designated hitters. The only projected starter who didn’t play in the first game was Omar Serna.

Johnson won’t be able to list 10 hitters on his lineup card when the real games start, but Sunday offered a good peek at which players are in contention for starting time. Santarelli and Nawrocki’s strong fall performances have moved them up the pecking order, while Wachs is an option to start in center field, even though he was primarily a right fielder at Tulane.

Lucas Nawrocki’s busy day

Nawrocki continued his strong fall campaign with another impressive showing on Sunday.

He was up to 97 mph on the mound, striking out the side in the ninth inning and stranding runners on the corners. He kept LSU’s deficit at just a run before Watters’ walk-off single.

At the plate, he hit a triple in the first game before blasting a home run and driving in another run on a single in the second scrimmage.

“He'll probably be at the forefront of our team in (pitching) appearances,” Johnson said, “and be right in the thick of the position player thing.”

The freshman is on track to buck a trend Johnson has mostly followed since he arrived in Baton Rouge. Dalton Beck is LSU’s lone two-way player in 2025 under Johnson, who has tended to keep his two-way talents on one side of the ball.

But Nawrocki has become an exception to the rule. Even as a freshman, his impact on both sides of the ball could be immense.

“I think he’s going to be one of the best players that have ever played here,” Johnson said. “And I say that with great confidence because of the person, the confidence in himself.”

Casan Evans and William Schmidt’s fall prep

Schmidt and Evans combined to toss four shutout innings on Sunday. Schmidt started Game 1 before Evans took the ball to start Game 2.

Both starters needed to get stronger after injuries derailed their sophomore seasons. Although both right-handers have emphasized adding strength this fall, LSU has approached their buildups differently.

LSU made slight mechanical adjustments to Evans’ throwing motion, which pushed his fall start back to November. Schmidt, meanwhile, has been pitching since the first week of fall, but Sunday was his final outing before the new year.

“For William, I thought it was going to benefit him more to have the two weeks (toward the end) of the fall,” Johnson said. “For Casan, I thought it was more beneficial to have (him ramp up) right now.”