OMAHA, Neb. — When baseball teams reach the College World Serie s, versatility within the pitching staff becomes a necessity.

A run to the NCAA championship in Omaha isn't the same, but one common theme is bullpen and staff depth because of how the schedule breaks and the amount of baseball played in a short window of time.

LSU baseball , which enters the CWS with the second-best betting odds to win the national championship and open play against rival Arkansas on Saturday (6 p.m. CT, ESPN), have a couple of pitchers who have manned different roles for the team in 2025.

The Tigers' staff is undoubtedly top-heavy with a pair of aces in sophomore lefthander Kade Anderson and junior right-hander Anthony Eyanson, who have won 10 and 11 games this season, respectively. That's far and away the best of any duo for any team in college baseball.

But it'll be other guys that will have plenty to say about how the College World Series ends up for LSU. Jay Johnson and pitching coach Nate Yeskie's X-factor looks to be freshman Casan Evans.

Evans has won multiple hats for the Tigers this season and flourished in each role. At first, the freshman was a close-the-door closer before transitioning to a starter about halfway through the SEC schedule.

He didn't pitch in the NCAA super regionals as LSU swept West Virginia with relative ease, but his teammates remember what he did last in the regional championship game against Little Rock.

"It was dominant," LSU senterfielder Chris Stanfield said. "He had control of everything. It was great to see and it's hard to believe he's a freshman the way he pitches.

"But he's the man."

Because of the experience he picked up this season, his teammates and Johnson have confidence in what Evans can bring to the Tigers in Omaha.

"He's awesome. He's very intelligent. He's very mature for his age," Johnson said. "You guys don't see any of this, but when you're in those recruiting battles, if you will, you know when one's going to tip the scales.

"He obviously has all the physical talent in the world, but the mental disposition, the makeup, the pitchability, we could really do anything that this team needs with Casan, and he's really answered the bell. If there's a freshman pitcher across the country that's done better than him this year, I'd like to see who that is because he's had a terrific season. And he's built for success here (in Omaha)."

LSU's two aces have found themselves in awe and appreciative of Evans and what's he's done for the pitching staff this season.

"He's a big-time pitcher," Anderson said. "He pitches the best in the big-time moments. That's a really great trait to have. He gets to learn from this. He's a freshman in college. And learning from these experiences, being able to play in Omaha is a big deal for the future of LSU."

"It looks like a senior pitching in college," Eyanson added about Evans. "You wouldn't be able to tell that he's a freshman to way he's moving, his tempo is great. Most importantly, just him being himself on the mound. He's in full control and hitters are really in-between pitches."

Evans' versatility and approach has allowed him to navigate a couple of extended periods of downtime between appearances late in the season and postseason. Since he last pitched two weeks ago, the freshman has thrown a couple of bullpen sessions that intel throwing that he describes about 90 to 95% "intent."

His velocity, which hit 96-97 mph on his fastball, doesn't reach max but that's due to lower adrenaline levels as he's not performing in front of a big crowd.

But he's also been working on his pitch shape and command.

It's all important for a pitcher that at this point doesn't know what he'll be asked of in Omaha. And that's an advantage for LSU and a potential tough situation for opponents.

"I don't really know what my role is going to be this week. Whatever coach Johnson asks me to do, I'm going to do," Evans said. "Whether it's to start or come in the middle of the game or close, I'll be ready for it.

"I'm just excited to be here honestly. So whatever he tells me to do, I'm going to do."

Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at .