| Tuesday night, No. 1-ranked LSU had to rally to beat one-win North Dakota State 11-9. One night later, the Tigers run-ruled North Dakota State 13-3 in seven innings after scoring seven runs in the first. If that doesn't typify baseball, especially college baseball, I don't know what does. The good news was the start for highly touted freshman pitcher William Schmidt, his second for LSU. The bad news: junior right-handed pitcher Gavin Guidry will "probably" be unavailable to pitch this weekend, coach Jay Johnson said. The Tigers are now 13-1 going into their final pre-conference weekend series against North Alabama. While the baseball Tigers start SEC play next week against Missouri, the football Tigers open spring practice on Saturday. Our Wilson Alexander has a preview of what to expect: -------------------------------- LSU spring football guide: Top position battles and questions to answer as practice begins Near the end of a disappointing 8-4 regular season, coach Brian Kelly vowed that LSU would be “very aggressive” in the transfer portal. The team’s actions over the next month backed up his statement. LSU signed 16 transfers, giving it one of the country’s top portal classes and setting up a push for the College Football Playoff. Since then, LSU's players have been training as they prepare for the upcoming season. Their work in the weight room has given the coaches an initial understanding of what kind of athletes are on the roster, and now they have their first chance to see what this team might be capable of in 2025. LSU begins spring football Saturday. It will practice 15 times over the next five weeks, concluding with some kind of event April 12 in Tiger Stadium. Kelly said there will be “live action,” but he is considering changing the format of the spring game. Between now and then, LSU will get a sense of a roster with plenty of new pieces. Here are the top position battles to monitor and the three biggest questions entering spring practice. Key competitions Offensive line LSU has to replace four starters, and it did not bring back much experience. Only two returning players, redshirt sophomores DJ Chester and Paul Mubenga, have started at least five career games. Needing instant help, LSU signed Virginia Tech transfer Braelin Moore and Northwestern transfer Josh Thompson. Moore will play center, Kelly told The Advocate, which means Chester will slide to guard after starting at center this past season. Thompson could play tackle or guard, but Kelly suggested that, ideally, someone else will assert themselves at tackle. “We're, quite frankly, looking for one of the younger players to emerge at the tackle position,” Kelly said. Redshirt sophomore Tyree Adams enters the spring with the edge at left tackle after starting twice last season. On the other side, it’s a big offseason for redshirt freshman Weston Davis, the highest-rated offensive lineman in LSU’s 2024 class. Meanwhile, the battle at guard could be intense. Chester, Mubenga, Thompson, redshirt freshman Coen Echols and redshirt junior Bo Bordelon will all be in the mix. Early enrollees Carius Curne, Solomon Thomas and Tyler Miller could also push for time. Kelly already said Curne has the physicality to play early. Cornerback and safety Ashton Stamps has started 16 straight games at cornerback dating back to the 2023 season, and he will have to fight for a spot. That’s because LSU signed five-star DJ Pickett, Virginia Tech transfer Mansoor Delane and Florida transfer Ja’Keem Jackson. Delane could play safety, but Kelly said he’s at cornerback right now. At safety, LSU brought in NC State transfer Tamarcus Cooley, who played nickel last season. Regardless of where he fits, someone else needs to step up. Senior Jardin Gilbert, junior Javien Toviano and sophomore Dashawn Spears will all compete to start. Wide receiver LSU has plenty of options. It brought back redshirt junior Aaron Anderson, redshirt senior Chris Hilton and senior Zavion Thomas, among others. It also signed Oklahoma transfer Nic Anderson and Kentucky transfer Barion Brown. All five could have a role. It’s a matter of figuring out who starts and how they fit into the offense. Questions to answer Can Garrett Nussmeier cut down on mistakes and consistently throw deep? In his first year as a starter, Nussmeier finished fifth nationally with 4,052 yards passing and threw 29 touchdowns, making him one of the top returning quarterbacks in the country. He did some impressive things, but he needs to improve in two key areas to meet the early Heisman odds. Let’s start with the interceptions. Nussmeier threw 12 last season, tied for the most in the SEC with Georgia’s Carson Beck and Texas’ Quinn Ewers. He had six turnovers combined in LSU’s losses to Texas A&M and Alabama. If there was a positive sign, Nussmeier only had one pick in the last four games. As for throwing deep, Nussmeier tossed nine touchdowns and 982 yards on passes more than 20 yards downfield, according to Pro Football Focus. But he only completed 36% (31 of 86) of those throws, which ranked 10th in the SEC among quarterbacks who started the majority of their games. Nussmeier ranked 12th in the SEC at 7.7 yards per attempt. By comparison, Jayden Daniels averaged 11.7 the year before. Part of the issue was LSU’s receivers. Until Hilton got healthy at the end of the year, LSU did not have a vertical threat, letting defenses squat on underneath and intermediate routes. The speed that LSU added in the transfer portal should help stretch the field. Nussmeier has plenty of arm talent to hit them deep. How will LSU try to fix the run game? In the first year without Daniels, LSU rushed for 116.4 yards per game, down from 204.5 the year before. The Tigers tried to add variety to their run schemes and lean on an experienced offensive line without a dual-threat quarterback, but they finished 107th in the FBS and last in the SEC in yards rushing per game. Was the problem execution, personnel or play calling? Most likely a combination of the three. Now, something has to change. It would give the offense balance and make a difference in the red zone, where LSU only scored touchdowns 56.6% of the time. Will transfers help the defense improve in the second year under Blake Baker? Baker inherited one of the worst defenses in school history, and the unit got better under a remade coaching staff. LSU allowed 24.3 points per game, down from 28 the year before. It was more disruptive, even without linebacker Harold Perkins for most of the season, and better at making red zone stops. Still, LSU was far from where it needed to be. The Tigers allowed 224.3 yards passing per game, and they got shredded by dual-threat quarterbacks multiple times. In three SEC losses, LSU gave up 666 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. New players could make a difference. At least, LSU is banking on it. Most of the seven defensive transfers are expected to have key roles, and Pickett could make an early impact. There are plenty of questions to answer within the defense. Will a young interior line hold up? Can the secondary improve, especially in man coverage? Are three new defensive ends able to replace the pass rush? LSU will begin to find out soon. ---------------------------------- The LSU softball team continued its hot start Wednesday, running its record to 19-1 with a 12-4 victory over UL-Monroe. Finally, the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament got under way Wednesday in Greenville, South Carolina. The No. 3-seeded Tigers won't play until Friday night against the winner of Thursday's second-round game between Alabama and Florida. Both games should tip about 7:30 p.m. CST. Meanwhile, we've got our latest look at LSU's NCAA Tournament prospects. Before we depart, a tip of the golf cap to the LSU women's golf team, which won the prestigious Darius Rucker Intercollegiate on Wednesday in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. That's all for today, boys and girls. Thanks for reading and subscribing, and y'all come back, you hear? Scott Rabalais | 
