LSU Baseball Drops Out of Top 10 After Surprising Series Loss to Sacramento State

Defending College World Series champions struggle with consistency ahead of SEC play

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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The LSU Baseball team, ranked No. 2 in the country entering the weekend, dropped four of their last five games including a surprising series loss to Sacramento State. The Tigers fell to No. 13 in the D1 Baseball Top 25 rankings as they head into SEC play, with head coach Jay Johnson emphasizing the need for better execution and urgency from his talented roster.

Why it matters

LSU has been one of the top college baseball programs in the country, winning back-to-back College World Series titles in 2023 and 2024. This unexpected slump raises questions about the team's ability to maintain their elite status and defend their championship as they enter the highly competitive SEC conference schedule.

The details

After run-ruling Sacramento State 15-4 in the series opener, LSU dropped the next two games 5-4 and 6-1 respectively. The Tigers struggled with timely hitting, defensive consistency, and allowing two-out runs to the Hornets. Across their last five games, LSU has lost four, including previous defeats to Northeastern and UL-Lafayette.

  • On Friday, LSU run-ruled Sacramento State 15-4 in a seven-inning game.
  • On Saturday, LSU lost 5-4 in a close game against Sacramento State.
  • On Sunday, Sacramento State defeated LSU 6-1 in a more decisive win.

The players

Jay Johnson

The head coach of the LSU Baseball team, who has led the Tigers to two College World Series championships in the past three seasons.

Sacramento State

The baseball team from Sacramento State University that swept the series against the highly ranked LSU Tigers.

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What they’re saying

“We've got to play better baseball. That's the bottom line. There are too many talented players in that locker room for us not to respond the right way.”

— Jay Johnson, Head Coach (on3.com)

“You have to respond to adversity in this game. We've got to get back to playing the brand of baseball we're capable of playing — attacking in the strike zone, competing every pitch, and executing offensively … It's about competing in every at-bat. When you do that consistently, the results usually follow.”

— Jay Johnson, Head Coach (on3.com)

What’s next

LSU will have a non-conference midweek matchup against Creighton on Tuesday before opening SEC play against Vanderbilt this weekend. The Tigers will need to quickly turn things around and regain their championship form to avoid further drops in the rankings.

The takeaway

This unexpected slump for the defending College World Series champions highlights the challenges even elite programs can face in maintaining their dominance. LSU's struggles with consistency, timely hitting, and defensive lapses serve as a reminder that success must be continually earned, not assumed, as they enter the highly competitive SEC conference schedule.