Jay Johnson announces LSU's weekend starters vs. Western Michigan

On Thursday afternoon, head coach Jay Johnson took questions from the media for one final time before the Friday evening game against Western Michigan that begins the 2023 season. 

The past few weeks for Johnson have been about getting everything aligned and ready for this opening weekend. The hype for this team has reached its peak and at 3 p.m. on Friday, it all begins for the unanimous No. 1 team in the country.

Johnson spent a lot of time talking pitching today and even gave the weekend starters for their series. After months of preparation, Johnson is ready to lead his team onto the field at Alex Box Stadium.

“We’re going to start Paul Skenes tomorrow, Riley Cooper on Saturday, and Chase Shores on Sunday,” Johnson said. “Paul is one of the best pitchers, if not the best pitcher, in college baseball. Riley and Chase have been the two best performers from October 10th to this last weekend of intra squads and it’s really not close.”

This offseason has been highlighted by an overhaul at the pitcher position, adding Skenes, Thatcher Hurd, and Christian Little as high-level transfers to go with Shores, Jaden Noot, and others as incoming freshmen. Returners like Cooper, Blake Money, Ty Floyd, Sam Dutton, and Bryce Collins will play a role as well, but the revamping of the pitcher position has been drastic.

Add the change in personnel to the change at pitching coach in Wes Johnson and it’s an entirely new feel.

“It’s easy to see the confidence they have in all of their pitches,” first baseman Tre Morgan said. “That’s what Wes Johnson has brought to these pitchers, that confidence they can throw anything in any count no matter what.”

Friday: RHP Paul Skenes

The Air Force transfer comes in with expectations to be the Tigers’ ace, as evident from Johnson’s quote of him being the best pitcher in college baseball. He will start off the season on the mound and continue to be a tone-setter on and off the field.

“He’s lights out,” Cooper said of Skenes. “He throws 100 with three or four pitches for strikes, so he’s just great. He’s locked in. He seems like a military type guy that has a great mentality.”

Since arriving on campus, Skenes talked about taking his game to another level in preparing for the SEC batters and it’s clear his teammates believe in his talent and approach. He’s perhaps the most anticipated addition to this year’s team.

“Everybody feels really comfortable with him,” Shores said. “He’s been a great mentor for me and I try to model my game after him. It’s great having him as a teammate and he’s even a better person [than a player].”

Saturday: LHP Riley Cooper

Cooper has had to work for this spot. After starting just three games over his first two seasons of college baseball, the offseason has been about potentially stretching out his outings in the 2023 season. Jay Johnson loves having left handers in his rotations and Cooper’s development has allowed him to carve out a role as a starter early in the season. Whether it’s starting, in relief, or closing, Cooper will have a significant role on this team.

“Being a starter has been my goal and [Jay Johnson] told me to keep doing what I’m doing,” Cooper said. “I’ve been working with Wes [Johnson] to get in shape and last in those innings to be a starter. They’ve been extending me in intra squads and I’m ready to go the distance. A lot of sleds in the fall and always conditioning and working out to extend myself out to three or four innings in [scrimmages]. [Wes Johnson] has a different way of calling the game that I really like and it’s been really effective pitching to both righties and lefties.”

With 59 career appearances and 72 innings pitched, Cooper has the experience, and now he’s looking to take the next step forward for this team.

“I’ve faced him a bunch this preseason and he just looks different out there,” Morgan said. “He switches up his arm slots, switches his timing. He’s not easy to tunnel and that’s what you look for in a pitcher, if you can tunnel their pitches then they’re easy to hit. He’s changed a lot about the way he pitches and that’s made him more effective.”

Sunday: RHP Chase Shores

The 6-foot-8 Shores has been one of the more exciting storylines over the offseason. He came to Baton Rouge as the No. 5 right handed pitcher and No. 23 overall prospect by Perfect Game and now has the potential to be a routine starter for one of the best teams in the country in the toughest conference.

“[Chase] is a special guy,” Jay Johnson said. “The talent is the talent. The fastball is in the upper 90s, the movement, the out pitches, but it’s the poise and the competitiveness is far beyond his years. He’s the one guy that professional baseball missed on. He’s ready and he’s proven it since October.”

The physical tools are there, and now it’s about Shores settling in as a freshman as he steps right into the fire at LSU as a weekend starter. It’s been a pleasant surprise for the Tigers as their pitching depth continues to strengthen with Shores as a high-level starter.

“Besides the fact he throws 99 it’s the way he attacks every hitter,” Morgan said. “It doesn’t matter if he’s facing Dylan Crews, Tommy White, Jared Jones, he goes right at you with his fast ball and his slider. The way that ball moves is why he’s effective.