Tag: Brady Neal

Former top LSU baseball recruit enters the transfer portal

The No. 2 ranked shortstop from Arizona in the 2023 recruiting class has entered his name into the transfer portal.

The No. 2 ranked shortstop from Arizona in the 2023 recruiting class has entered his name into the transfer portal after only one season on the bayou. [autotag]Ryan Kucherak[/autotag] appeared in 16 games for the Tigers last season and only had 12 at-bats. He finished the season 3-for-12 (.250) with two RBI.

LSU doesn’t have many infielders remaining from last season’s team. [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] are likely both going pro, [autotag]Ben Nippolt[/autotag] is out of eligibility, [autotag]Austen Roellig[/autotag] is headed to Utah, and all three catchers are gone with [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] and [autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] graduating and [autotag]Brady Neal[/autotag] heading to Alabama.

That only leaves [autotag]Stephen Milam[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Braswell III[/autotag], and possibly [autotag]Josh Pearson[/autotag] (who is mainly used as an outfielder but appeared in 10 games at second base). Milam is 100% coming back unless he enters the transfer portal but the status of Braswell III and Pearson are both unknown at the moment. Both of them will likely hear their names called in the 2024 MLB D]draft but they both still have one more year of eligibility.

Either way, there is work to be done to fill some holes in the infield in the transfer portal.

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Former LSU catcher Brady Neal transferring to Alabama

Brady Neal has announced that he is leaving Baton Rouge and taking his talents to Tuscaloosa.

In the words of Justin Timberlake, “What goes around comes around.” Last season LSU took one of the top players from the transfer portal, Luke [autotag]Holman[/autotag]. They took him away from Alabama. This time, the shoe is on the other foot.

[autotag]Brady Neal[/autotag] has announced that he is leaving Baton Rouge and taking his talents to Tuscaloosa to play for [autotag]Rob Vaughn[/autotag] and the Alabama Crimson Tide. The sophomore catcher from Tallahassee, Florida, split time with [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] and [autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] at catcher this season but he still had a pretty good season.

Neal played in 44 games and finished with a .276 batting average with eight doubles, nine homers, and 31 RBI. Alabama over-achieved this season in Vaughn’s first year. They are losing starting catcher Mac Guscette and Neal has the talent to step in on day one and become a starter and an everyday player for the Tide next season.

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Alabama Baseball lands commitment from LSU transfer catcher Brady Neal

LSU transfer Brady Neal committed to Alabama on Monday. Neal is one of the top catching prospects for the 2025 MLB Draft.

The Alabama Crimson Tide baseball program added some firepower to its 2025 roster on Monday afternoon. LSU Tigers transfer catcher Brady Neal announced that he was transferring to Alabama via his X account.

Prior to arriving in Baton Rouge, Neal was drafted in the 17th round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. He was ranked as the No. 2 catcher in the state of Florida and No. 29 overall prospect nationally by Perfect Game.

The Florida native would go on to spend the first two years of his college career in Baton Rouge. As a freshman, Neal played in 26 games. He held a .209 batting average to go along with three home runs and nine runs batted in.

As a sophomore, Neal played in 44 games for the Bayou Bengals. He obtained a .276 batting average to go along with nine home runs and 31 runs batted in. He also held a .408 on base percentage and a .578 slugging percentage.

With Alabama likely losing starting catcher Mac Guscette to the 2024 MLB Draft, catcher seemed like a position that the Alabama coaching staff needed to address. The Crimson Tide did that by landing one of the top transfer catchers in the country in Neal.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding the Alabama baseball program.

LSU baseball starter enters the transfer portal

Starting catcher Brady Neal is moving on after two seasons with the Tigers.

The rush of LSU baseball players hitting the transfer portal continued on Monday as starting catcher [autotag]Brady Neal[/autotag] opted to move on after two seasons with the Tigers.

Neal was a 17th-round pick out of high school and ranked as the No. 29 player nationally and No. 2 catcher in the 2022 class. He appeared in 26 games as a true freshman, securing the starting catcher job early before he was sidelined for the season in April with an injury.

He struggled at the plate in 2023, and he improved in that regard as returned from injury in 2024. He finished the season batting .276 with nine home runs and 31 RBI.

While this is one of LSU’s most significant portal losses so far, it has options at the position. It signed JUCO transfer [autotag]Blaise Priester[/autotag] as well as Indiana State designated hitter [autotag]Luis Hernandez[/autotag], who can also play catcher.

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LSU baseball adds a big-time slugger from the transfer portal

The Tigers landed one of the best sluggers in the country in the transfer portal.

[autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] has ventured into the black hole that is the transfer portal and he has stepped out with an Avenger. The Tigers have landed one of the best power hitters in the country from Indiana State.

[autotag]Luis Hernandez[/autotag] is a 6-foot, 190-pound sophomore catcher from Puerto Rico who was a star for the Indiana State Sycamores this season. He finished the season with a .359 batting average with 14 doubles, 23 homers, and 76 RBI. He had a .694 slugging percentage and showed power to both sides of the field.

Hernandez played catcher for the Sycamores but he can also play first base. LSU is losing two catchers, [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] and [autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag]. That leaves them with [autotag]Brady Neal[/autotag] as the main catcher on the roster. Hernandez could play behind the dish or he could play first base and the Tigers could use [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] as a designated hitter.

This is a huge pickup for LSU. He can bring instant pop to the lineup and make the team better.

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LSU baseball can’t close the door, season ends against North Carolina in regional final

LSU had the Tar Heels where it wanted them but couldn’t close the door as North Carolina won 4-3 in extras.

After an incredible day yesterday when the Tigers won two games to send the Chapel Hill Regional to a winner-take-all Game 7, the Tigers matched up with North Carolina one more time with the hopes of hosting a Super Regional. LSU had the Tar Heels where they wanted them, but they couldn’t close the door as North Carolina won 4-3 in extras.

Sam Dutton got the start on the mound and LSU was the home team once again. The Tar Heels started the game with three straight singles before [autotag]Javen Coleman[/autotag] came in to pitch. Coleman walked the first hitter he faced before forcing a double play. He then got the final out but North Carolina took a 2-0 lead.

LSU didn’t waste any time trying to answer those two runs as the Tigers got a run of their own on a [autotag]Josh Pearson[/autotag] groundout to cut the lead to 2-1. In the bottom of the second inning, [autotag]Jake Brown[/autotag] hit a solo homer to tie the game 2-2.

In the bottom of the third inning, [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] got in on the homer party as he hit a solo shot to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead.

In the top of the eighth inning, [autotag]Will Hellmers[/autotag] walked the first batter he faced and that was the end of his afternoon. When LSU needed him the most, Hellmers gave the best pitching performance of his career. He finished the game after pitching 5.2 innings and giving up zero runs on two hits, four strikeouts, and two walks. It was the longest Hellmers has pitched in his career. His previous high was in 2021 when he pitched five full innings against Southern and New Orleans as a freshman.

[autotag]Nate Ackenhausen[/autotag] entered to pitch for him and he struck out the next three hitters to send LSU to the bottom of the eighth inning with a 3-2 lead. In the top of the ninth inning, LSU’s Ace pitcher [autotag]Gage Jump[/autotag] trotted out of the bullpen to try to close out the win. The Tar Heels led off the inning with a double to put the tying run in scoring position with no outs. After getting a strikeout, an RBI single tied the game 3-3. A lineout to second and a ground ball out sent us to the bottom of the ninth with a chance for LSU to walk it off.

[autotag]Brady Neal[/autotag] struck out, [autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] hit a single to put the winning run on first, Brown flew out to center, and [autotag]Paxton Kling[/autotag] struck out to send us to extra innings.

The Tigers retired the first two hitters of the inning before an error gave the Tar Heels a runner in scoring position. LSU intentionally walked the next guy. Then with two outs and a full count, Carolina scored on an RBI single giving the Tar Heels a 4-3 lead. LSU had the top of the order due up in the bottom of the inning.

[autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] flew out on the first pitch he saw, [autotag]Steven Milam[/autotag] flew out to right for out number two and it was down to Jones to save the day. Jones reached on a walk to put the tying run at first. Pearson then came up to bat and flew out to center. The Tar Heels won 4-3 and the season ended.

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Griffin Herring hurls a gem against Wofford to keep LSU baseball’s season alive

After a rough start, LSU came back to win 12-6 and advances to the regional final against North Carolina.

LSU entered Sunday’s game facing elimination in Chapel Hill. The Tigers got a rematch against the Wofford Terriers who they beat in their first game of the regional. After a rough start, LSU came back to win 12-6.

[autotag]Nate Ackenhausen[/autotag] got the start on the mound but things did not get off to the type of start he would like. Wofford greeted him with five runs in the bottom of the first inning to get out to a 5-0 lead. In the top of the second inning, the Tigers began to claw their way back into the game. [autotag]Michael Braswell III[/autotag] hit a sacrifice fly and [autotag]Jake Brown[/autotag] had an RBI single to cut the lead to 5-2.

In the top of the fourth inning, [autotag]Ashton Larson[/autotag] hit an RBI single to cut the lead to 5-3.

The Terriers answered with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth to extend their lead to 6-3. In the top of the fifth inning, LSU tied the ballgame as [autotag]Josh Pearson[/autotag] hit a two-run homer and [autotag]Brady Neal[/autotag] hit an RBI single to tie the game 6-6.

In the top of the seventh inning, LSU took their first lead of the ballgame when Brown hit a sacrifice fly and [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] hit an RBI single to give LSU an 8-6 lead.

In the top of the eighth inning, the Tigers extended their lead as Pearson hit an RBI double and Neal hit a two-RBI single to extend the lead to 11-6.

[autotag]Griffin Herring[/autotag] was the pitcher Jay Johnson called on to relieve Ackenhausen after his nightmare first inning. Herring was phenomenal. He finished the game after pitching 6.1 innings, giving up one run on five hits, seven strikeouts, and zero walks. [autotag]Kade Anderson[/autotag] entered the game to relieve him in the bottom of the eighth inning.

In the top of the ninth inning, [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] hit an RBI single and Pearson hit a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 13-6.

LSU advances to take on North Carolina in another elimination game on Sunday night at 5 p.m. CT.

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Steven Milam walks it off to send LSU baseball to the SEC championship game

The Tigers move on to the SEC championship game on Sunday against the winner of Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt.

After starting the SEC tournament 3-0, LSU entered the single-elimination portion of the tournament with a rematch against South Carolina.

The game started out awful for the Tigers as the Gamecocks teed off on LSU and built an 8-0 lead going into the bottom of the fourth inning.

That is when the Tigers finally got on the board. [autotag]Michael Braswell III[/autotag] got the scoring started with an RBI single, [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] walked with bases loaded, [autotag]Josh Pearson[/autotag] hit a two-RBI single, and [autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] hit a two-RBI single to cut the lead to 8-6.

In the top of the sixth inning, South Carolina extended their lead with two more runs to make the score 10-6. LSU answered that in the bottom of the inning with a solo shot by Jones to cut the lead to 10-7.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, [autotag]Ashton Larson[/autotag] hit a sacrifice fly and Braswell III hit a solo shot to cut the lead to 10-9.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Ethan Frey entered the game to pinch hit for the Tigers and he led it off with a double. [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] laid a bunt down and an error by the third baseman led to [autotag]Paxton Kling[/autotag] scoring from second base to tie the game at 10! Braswell then stepped up to the plate with a chance to walk it off against his old team, but this time he drew a walk.

With runners on first and second and no one out, White stepped into the box. Tommy popped out to first base for out number one of the inning. The Bear stepped into the box after Tommy. Jones flew out to deep center but both runners advanced. With two outs the winning run was 90 feet away for Pearson. He grounded out to second base and we headed to extra innings.

In the top of the 10th inning, South Carolina attempted to steal home but the runner was thrown out for out number three…or so we thought. The umpires came together and ruled there was catcher interference by [autotag]Brady Neal[/autotag] therefore the run scored from third to give the Gamecocks an 11-10 lead. LSU then applied for a protest. The protest failed, [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] got tossed, and we headed to the bottom of the 10th with the score 11-10 Carolina.

Travinski drew a walk on a pitch clock violation to start the bottom of the 10th. Stevan Milam then hit a two-run walk-off homer to win the game 12-11!!

The Tigers move on to the SEC championship game on Sunday against the winner of Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt on Sunday at 2 p.m.

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LSU baseball survives in final midweek game against Northwestern State

The Tigers overcame a late deficit and avoided a loss they couldn’t afford to take.

A late “Bear Bomb” from [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] lifted the LSU Tigers to a 6-5 victory over Northwestern State on Tuesday night in the final midweek game of the season.

[autotag]Kade Anderson[/autotag] got the start on the mound as the Tigers looked to win another midweek matchup.

The Tigers got the scoring started in the bottom of the second inning when [autotag]Brady Neal[/autotag] hit a two-run homer to take a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the fourth inning, Northwestern State took their first lead of the ballgame. The Demons took a 3-2 lead and chased Anderson from the ballgame. In the top of the fifth inning, the Demons extended their lead to 5-2.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Tigers scored a run on a [autotag]Michael Braswell III[/autotag] RBI single to cut the lead to 5-2.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, [autotag]Ashton Larson[/autotag] hit an RBI single to cut the lead to 5-4 as we headed to the eighth inning.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] hit a two-run homer to give LSU a 6-5 lead.

In the top of the ninth inning, [autotag]Gavin Guidry[/autotag] retired Northwestern State 1-2-3 and the Tigers won 6-5.

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LSU baseball falls in Game 3, misses out on sweep against No. 1 Texas A&M

LSU’s hopes of a sweep against the top team in the nation were dashed by a nine-run fifth inning from the Aggies.

After LSU baseball took the first two games of the series against No. 1 Texas A&M, the Aggies rallied to take Game 3 by a score of 14-4.

LSU scored first as [autotag]Brady Neal[/autotag] hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the second inning to get the Tigers out to an early 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the third inning, [autotag]Josh Pearson[/autotag] hit an RBI single to increase the LSU lead to 3-0.

In the top of the fifth inning, everything went south for LSU. The Aggies plated nine runs to take a 9-3 lead. Four runs were charged to [autotag]Sam Dutton[/autotag], three to [autotag]Justin Loer[/autotag] and two to [autotag]Thatcher Hurd[/autotag].

 

 

In the top of the ninth inning, the Aggies hit a grand slam and then a solo homer to increase their lead to 14-3. In the bottom of the ninth inning, [autotag]Paxton Kling[/autotag] hit an RBI single to cut the lead to 14-4 but that is all LSU could get.

LSU will be back in action on Tuesday night as the Tigers take on Northwestern State. With the wins this weekend, LSU has gone from a team on the verge of not making the SEC tournament to a team that is solidly in the tournament.

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