William Schmidt Shines as Tigers Shut Out Dartmouth 3-0

In a dazzling display of pitching, William Schmidt turned down millions from Major League Baseball ahead of the 2024 draft, but his performance on Sunday suggests he may soon be worth every penny. With a career-best 7.1 shutout innings, Schmidt led LSU to a narrow 3-0 victory over Dartmouth at The Box, improving the Tigers’ record to 11-1. Jaden Noot secured his first save of the season after Mavrick Rizy fell short in his relief appearance.

Despite the win, the LSU bats struggled to find their rhythm throughout the game. The Tigers initially looked promising when Jake Brown launched his fifth home run of the season in the first inning. However, they would only manage three additional hits for the rest of the contest.

Dartmouth’s Eddie Albert proved to be a formidable opponent, matching Schmidt’s brilliance on the mound. Albert pitched seven innings, yielding two runs—one earned—while striking out eight and allowing just three hits and one walk. His performance was nearly flawless aside from that one pitch to Brown.

Schmidt’s dominance was palpable, as he tossed 7.1 innings, allowing only four hits and striking out nine without issuing a single walk. He was nearly perfect, maintaining a flawless frame until a leadoff single in the fifth inning disrupted his rhythm. “William was outstanding today and he’s getting better as we go,” LSU head coach Jay Johnson remarked post-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.”

While Schmidt was undoubtedly the star, the game also featured some unusual moments. Dartmouth’s outfielders struggled in the fourth inning, leading to LSU’s second run. Steven Milam advanced on a ball that bounced out of centerfielder Nico Banez’s glove, eventually scoring after left fielder Chris Miller misplayed another fly ball. Notably, Milam was credited with a double, while Banez was charged with a two-base error.

The Tigers added a third run in the eighth, again benefiting from a Dartmouth error. Derek Curiel reached base on an error and later scored from first on Brown’s double. Schmidt’s day concluded in the eighth after he hit Dartmouth’s first baseman, Milo Suarez, prompting a pitching change. Dax Dathe entered but faced difficulties, hitting shortstop Alejandro Puig with a pitch before Johnson called on Rizy. Rizy delivered two crucial strikeouts to extinguish the threat.

Although Rizy was on the verge of earning his first career save, he encountered trouble in the ninth, walking catcher AJ DeMastrie and allowing him to advance to third on wild pitches. A subsequent four-pitch walk to Chris Miller brought the tying run to the plate, but Noot came in to seal the deal with a strikeout, securing the Tigers’ 11th win of the season.

Schmidt’s recent outings have shown his immense potential, as he has now thrown a combined 12.1 innings across his last two starts, permitting only seven hits and striking out an impressive 16 batters against just one walk. With his performance, the Tigers have a potential first-round pick on the mound every Sunday, and fans have every reason to feel optimistic under Jay Johnson’s leadership.

LSU will conclude its four-day round-robin series with a matchup against Northeastern tomorrow night at 6:30 P.M., available for streaming via SEC Network+. The Tigers will be eager to find their hitting groove as they prepare for the next challenge.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.