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William Schmidt turned down millions of dollars from Major League Baseball heading into the 2024 draft, but if he keeps pitching like he has of late, he’ll almost certainly recoup that money when he does decide to go pro.
Thanks to a career-best 7.1 shutout innings, Schmidt pitched LSU (11-1) to a tight 3-0 win over Dartmouth Sunday afternoon at The Box. Jaden Noot was credited with his first save of the season after Mavrick Rizy couldn’t quite get to the finish line in his relief appearance.
As has been the case all weekend long, the LSU bats were cold. Things got off to a promising start when Jake Brown launched his fifth home run of the season in the first inning, but the Tigers would only manage three more hits the rest of the way.
You really need to tip your cap to Dartmouth starter Eddie Albert, who aside from that one pitch to Brown was every bit as good as Schmidt. Albert’s final line was seven innings, two runs—one earned—with three hits and one walk eight strikeouts.
One run may has well have been 100 runs with the way Schmidt was pitching today: 7.1 innings, 4 hits, 9 strikeouts and, most importantly, no walks. Schmidt pitched four perfect innings before giving up a leadoff single in the fifth.
“William was outstanding today and he’s getting better as we go,” Jay Johnson said after the game. “I’m really proud of how he’s developing, how he’s competing; he’s throwing strikes and leading the team to wins three Sundays in a row. I don’t think any other team in the country can run out that kind of pitcher on a Sunday.”
If Schmidt was LSU’s best player today, then their second best player was, to quote Ed Orgeron, Mr. Ray Baker aka “The Sun.” Dartmouth outfielders lost a couple of fly balls in the fourth inning, and LSU used the miscues to score its second run. The run was set up by Steven Milam getting two bases off a ball that bounced out of Dartmouth centerfielder Nico Banez’s glove, and then he came home thanks to left fielder Chris Miller losing a ball. Though for whatever reason, Milam was credited with a double but Dardar’s play was considered a two-base error. Sure, why not.
LSU’s third run also came by way of a Dartmouth error. Derek Curiel reached on an error and then came all the way home from first off of a Jake Brown eighth-inning double.
Schmidt got into the eighth inning for the first time in his career and his fast ball was still sitting 94 MPH. His day ended, however, when he plunked Dartmouth first basemen Milo Suarez and was lifted for Dax Dathe. Dathe, however, was yanked after just two pitches, the second of which hit Dartmouth shortstop Alejandro Puig. Johnson then went to Mavrick Rizy and Rizy got two massive strikeouts to end the threat.
Rizy was well on his way to earning his first career save, but couldn’t get that 27th out. Rizy issued a one-out walk to catcher AJ DeMastrie, threw a couple of wild pitches that allowed DeMastrie to reach third, and made matters worse with a four-pitch walk to Chris Miller that brought the tying run to the plate.
Johnson turned to Jaden Noot, who got a swinging K on a full count to end the game and give the Tigers its 11th win of the season.
William Schmidt came to LSU with all the potential in the world and he’s starting to realize it these past two outings. Between today against Dartmouth and last weekend’s start against UCF, Schmidt has thrown a combined 12.1 innings, allowed just seven hits and has an absurd 16 strikeouts against just one walk and zero runs allowed. The Tigers have a potential first round pick pitching on Sundays and he’s only getting better. Life for LSU Baseball fans is pretty sweet under Jay Johnson’s watch.
LSU will wrap up its four-day round-robin series with its second game against Northeastern tomorrow night (6:30 P.M.) and that game may be streamed online via SEC Network+. Hopefully LSU remembers to bring its bats tomorrow night.