Tag: Cade Doughty

LSU’s Jay Johnson constructed Tigers’ loaded baseball roster with a national championship in mind

Johnson saw clear areas of need after 2022’s disappointing finish at the Hattiesburg Regional.

Coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] came into an LSU program rich with both history and expectations last spring, and though the 40-22 season that ended in the final round of the Hattiesburg Regional was nothing to scoff at, one thing was clear: This team wanted more.

Johnson embarked on a talent acquisition quest this offseason to try to take this team to the next level, and the result was a transfer haul that included two-way player [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag], who will be LSU’s ace on the mound this season, and [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag], who is coming off a dominant hitting season as a freshman at NC State.

In an interview with SiriusXM previewing the 2023 season, Johnson said those moves were made with a championship in mind.

“It’s funny because during part of the recruiting process, I was the only coach on staff during this time because my assistants got power five head coaching jobs,” Johnson said. “You know, I actually think it goes back a lot further than the summer time. It goes back to last year. We did a probably an underrated job in the transfer portal for the 2022 season. I’m very pleased with what we accomplished last year, winning 40 games, had the highest SEC finish for LSU in five or six years, and Jacob Berry had a lot to do with that. Tyler McManus had a lot to do with that. Riley Cooper had a lot to do with that. Eric Rezyelman had a lot to do with that.

“And when I looked at the transfer portal, it’s really hard to picture last year’s team without the guys that we added. So when we looked at this last summer coming up, we want to contend for a national championship. I want to high five coach Rooney in Omaha. So where were we short?”

Johnson elaborated on LSU’s portal strategy, which saw needs at both pitcher and in the lineup with [autotag]Jacob Berry[/autotag] and [autotag]Cade Doughty[/autotag] moving on to the professional ranks.

“We were short with starting pitching talent,” Johnson said. “And then we were going to lose Jacob Berry and Cade Doughty you know, first and second round draft picked hitters that were kind of the core of our lineup. So we addressed all of that in the portal this year. And it was pretty intense. It was pretty intentional with how we did what we did and very excited that we got the results of getting these guys on our team.

“They all bring something pretty unique from a player and person standpoint to this group. And we’re certainly going to be better because we have those five players.”

The Tigers are going to look a lot different this spring, and they’ll enter with sky-high expectations. LSU will toss its first pitch of the season on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. CT vs. Western Michigan at Alex Box Stadium.

[mm-video type=video id=01gr2wm3bjz1tzmp08th playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gr2wm3bjz1tzmp08th/01gr2wm3bjz1tzmp08th-94ecac2c303bf0527e447a0c1ca9e9f6.jpg]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=611345007 tag=611345009]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Cade Doughty picks up where he left off at LSU in minor leagues

Doughty is making an impact already in the Blue Jays organization.

[autotag]Cade Doughty[/autotag] and dingers… name a better duo.

Doughty, a two-year starter for the LSU Tigers, had a career batting average of .301 with 31 doubles, 30 homers, and 124 RBI while in Baton Rouge. He spent most of his time at either shortstop or second base for coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] this season.

After the season was over, Doughty was listed as a top 100 prospect for the 2022 MLB draft and was expected to be picked during the first or second day of the draft. He was selected in the second round (78th overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays.

After being drafted, Doughty was assigned to the Dunedin Blue Jays, the Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays that is based out of Dunedin, Florida. Doughty has since appeared in 10 games for the Blue Jays and is hitting .341 with four doubles, five homers, and 14 RBI.

So, Doughty is picking up right where he left off on the Bayou. Playing great defense and swinging a hot stick.

[mm-video type=video id=01g95xyvaaf7sc2r8wz2 playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g95xyvaaf7sc2r8wz2/01g95xyvaaf7sc2r8wz2-ef51b5048ea298e9e80d8f945de30f85.jpg]

[listicle id=55069]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Lucky 13: Every LSU player selected in the 2022 MLB Draft, signing decisions tracker

The Tigers saw 13 players picked this week, seven of which were signees in the 2022 recruiting class.

The 2022 MLB draft has come and gone, and it was both a blessing and a curse for coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] and his LSU Tigers squad.

On one hand, four of his players from last year were drafted ([autotag]Jacob Berry[/autotag], [autotag]Cade Doughty[/autotag], [autotag]Eric Reyzelman[/autotag] and [autotag]Paul Gervase[/autotag]), but on the other hand, a lot of his recruits were taken away.

Seven signees and two transfers from the 2022 recruiting class were picked up by MLB squads. Not all of them will sign with the clubs that drafted them, but most will. So, here is a rundown of every draft pick that played for or was committed to LSU this year.

LSU pitcher Paul Gervase reverses course after he was drafted by Mets, will now go pro

In a since-deleted tweet, Gervase announced his return to LSU on Monday. But after he was drafted in the 12th round, it seems things have changed.

Life comes at you fast.

On Monday night, LSU relief pitcher Paul Gervase tweeted “Tiger nation!! LETS RUN IT BACK! #GeauxTigers !!!!”

But on Tuesday, Gervase was drafted by the Mets at pick No. 359 in Round 12, and it seems as though his plans have changed and he will now head to the Big Apple. He has since deleted the tweet announcing his return, and in a new post, he implies that he will be moving on and signing with New York.

Gervase was a star in his first season at LSU in 2022 as he finished the season with a 4-1 record with a 1.85 ERA, 52 strikeouts, and 15 walks. Previously, he played two stints at the JUCO ranks after beginning his career in Division III at Pfeiffer University.

He is the fourth player from last year’s Tiger team to be drafted in the 2022 MLB draft, joining [autotag]Jacob Berry[/autotag] and [autotag]Cade Doughty[/autotag], who were both drafted on Night 1 in the first and second rounds, respectively, and fifth-round pick [autotag]Eric Reyzelman[/autotag].

[mm-video type=video id=01g5sn82rjjs5cstkaaa playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g5sn82rjjs5cstkaaa/01g5sn82rjjs5cstkaaa-0db9a9e4189e5f7650a3df8fbb5d6a7c.jpg]

[listicle id=54809]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

LSU pitcher Eric Reyzelman is headed to the Bronx at pick No. 160

Reyzelman will hope to work his way into a role with the Yankees bullpen.

One of the best closers in college baseball goes off the board in the fifth round at No. 160 to the prestigious New York Yankees. What a great fit this is for [autotag]Eric Reyzelman[/autotag] as he goes from one pinstripe team to another.

Last season at LSU, he finished 1-3 with a 4.04 ERA with 66 strikeouts and 18 walks in 42 innings pitched over 29 games. When Reyzelman was on, everyone was getting struck out by his fastball and looking crazy on his off-speed stuff, but there were times when he wasn’t having a great day and got knocked around a little bit — as is the life of a pitcher.

Reyzelman is the third LSU player to be picked in the draft after [autotag]Jacob Berry[/autotag] (first round) and [autotag]Cade Doughty[/autotag] (second round). Assuming he signs with the Yankees, he’ll be heading to the minors with the hopes of eventually reaching the New York bullpen.

[mm-video type=video id=01g5sn82rjjs5cstkaaa playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g5sn82rjjs5cstkaaa/01g5sn82rjjs5cstkaaa-0db9a9e4189e5f7650a3df8fbb5d6a7c.jpg]

[listicle id=54809]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

LSU baseball’s top-10 prospects in the 2022 MLB draft

Here’s your primer on the potential draft picks from LSU.

Sunday is the big day.

For a lot of baseball players across the country, their dreams are going to come true. All the hours of hard work and sacrifice will finally pay off when they hear their names called in the 2022 MLB draft as the first round kicks off at 6 p.m. CT with the second round following later in the night.

LSU finished with the No. 1 recruiting class in 2022, and that is a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that you have an incredible amount of talent coming to your team next season. The curse is that seven of the 10 LSU players on MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects list are prep prospects.

The players coming out of high school can choose to say no to the team that drafts them and come to LSU instead, but money talks. A lot of major league teams are willing to overpay for top prep talent.

Every draft pick in the first 10 rounds comes with an assigned value, with the total for a club’s selections equaling what it can spend in those rounds without incurring a penalty. If a player taken in the top 10 rounds doesn’t sign, his pick’s value gets subtracted from his team’s pool.

Clubs near the top of the draft often spend less than the assigned value for those choices and use the savings to offer more money to later selections. So, most teams will spend under value for guys that they are pretty sure will sign with them and use that money to pay more than the slot value to try and convince a prep player to sign instead of going to college.

For live MLB draft updates, stay tuned in to LSU Wire on Sunday. For now, here are the top 10 Tigers players and signees that should hear their names called this week.

The future is bright for LSU baseball with Jay Johnson

The Tigers are primed to return to the top of the sport in the coming years.

That was a wild ride.

It’s hard to think of a better way to sum up LSU baseball in its first year under coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag]. The Hattiesburg Regional was just one weekend, but it represented what LSU was in 2021.

They were a fun team capable of providing fireworks and winning any game. They were also a group that could never find consistency.

Despite offensive superstars like [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] and [autotag]Jacob Berry[/autotag], LSU just did not have the run prevention to back it up.

Pitching and defense were spotty from the start to the finish this year and LSU. They were weaknesses that were revealed once again in Hattiesburg as LSU dropped that crucial Game 7.

Despite all that, it’s hard not to be optimistic about where this program is headed.

Johnson checked a lot of boxes in his first year. He led a team that showed fight and never quit. He had to find ways to manage a pitching staff that rarely gave length and, to be frank, was overmatched at times.

On top of that, Johnson and staff killed it on the recruiting trail and are slated to bring in the top class in the country.

LSU is always going to have talent. In 2021, a transition year, Johnson managed to sign a top 10 class. In 2020, LSU’s class was ranked in the top five.

The Tigers will have big-time firepower at the plate again next year. A couple of sluggers are likely headed off to the MLB, but Crews will be back along with [autotag]Tre Morgan[/autotag].

The lineup depth could even be improved with more production from the bottom half.

It would be unfair for LSU to magically solve their pitching woes in one year. Pitching is something that takes time to develop, but the Tigers should be improved.

There will be a natural progression of guys already on the staff, and plenty of talent will be coming in. LSU could also be active in the transfer portal.

There’s good reason to have confidence in Johnson’s ability to figure it out. He’s proven himself to be a coach that does just that.

It’s been a while since LSU has been to Omaha, and the Tigers will have to wait at least one more year. But going forward, they have positioned themselves to be a power in the sport.

[mm-video type=video id=01g2zpn5zh3ejjmst9bd playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g2zpn5zh3ejjmst9bd/01g2zpn5zh3ejjmst9bd-06de2c5d7e18e4b84fa11f5d42ab2908.jpg]

[vertical-gallery id=53131]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Southern Miss sends the Tigers packing in Game 7 of the Hattiesburg Regional

The Tigers’ season came to an end in the regional final on Monday evening.

Two of the best words in all of sports: Game 7.

It was do-or-die for LSU and Southern Miss as they squared off for the third time this weekend at the Hattiesburg Regional. Despite winning their first two games of the postseason, the Tigers couldn’t close things out and saw their season end in an 8-7 shootout.

[autotag]Ma’Khail Hillard[/autotag] got the start on the mound in the big game. Southen Miss got on the board early as the first batter of the game hit a solo shot to make it 1-0 Golden Eagles. LSU answered back with a big first inning of their own as the Tigers plated three runs thanks to a two-RBI single from [autotag]Tre Morgan[/autotag] and a bunt single for an RBI by [autotag]Jordan Thompson[/autotag] to make it 3-1 Tigers after one.

In the bottom of the third inning, [autotag]Cade Doughty[/autotag] made his presence felt as he hit a solo shot of his own to make it 4-1 LSU.

In the top of the fourth inning, [autotag]Paul Gervase[/autotag], the Tigers’ closer, came in to try and eat up some innings and retain the LSU lead. Southern Miss proceeded to score two runs and cut the lead to 4-3.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, LSU loaded the bases with two outs but they were unable to score any runs as [autotag]Drew Bianco[/autotag] struck out to end the inning. In the top of the seventh, Southern Miss loaded the bases on [autotag]Devin Fontenot[/autotag] and scored on a sacrifice fly to center field to tie the game at 4-4.

That brought [autotag]Bryce Collins[/autotag] out of the bullpen for LSU and the first hitter he faced ripped a single to left field to score the go-ahead run as the Golden Eagles took a 5-4 lead. After a four-pitch walk to load the bases, [autotag]Trent Vietmeier[/autotag] was brought out of the bullpen to try and get LSU out of the jam only down by one run.

The first batter Vietmeier faced hit a two-RBI single to right field to make it 7-4 Golden Eagles before the Tigers finally got out of the inning. In the bottom of the seventh inning with two outs, Berry walked, Doughty doubled, and [autotag]Tre Morgan[/autotag] hit an RBI single to cut the lead to 7-5. Thompson then grounded one up the middle to make it a one-run game.

Still two outs, runners on first and second for [autotag]Tyler McManus[/autotag]. McManus struck out, but the Tigers were able to score two runs and cut it to a one-run game as we headed to the eighth inning.

In the top of the eighth inning, [autotag]Eric Reyzelman[/autotag] entered the game looking to help the Tigers keep the momentum going from the bottom of the seventh. He did his job as he retired the Golden Eagles 1-2-3 and kept the momentum rolling for the Tigers.

Dugas, Bianco, and Pearson were due up for LSU. On a 3-1 count, Gavin Dugas hit a solo home run to tie the game at seven. With two outs, Crews drew a walk to put him on first base as Berry stepped into the box.

That elicited a pitching change from Southern Miss. Berry grounded out, and we went to the ninth inning tied 7-7. In the top of the ninth, Southern Miss scored a run on a sacrifice fly to take an 8-7 lead as we headed to the bottom of the ninth.

This was it, do-or-die. How would the Tigers respond?

Doughty, Morgan, and Thompson were due up for LSU. Doughty grounded out to third for out No. 1. Morgan grounded out to second, and Thompson struck out as the Tigers fell 8-7. With that, the season is over for LSU. Southern Miss will advance to the super regional as a host and will play Ole Miss.

[mm-video type=video id=01g26ap7n0jhrayh42wb playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g26ap7n0jhrayh42wb/01g26ap7n0jhrayh42wb-52bd6fabe56060dbf9fbc2912bc171c5.jpg]

[vertical-gallery id=53131]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

How to watch as LSU faces elimination in regional Game 7 vs. Southern Miss

The Tigers advance to the super regionals with a win. With a loss, their season ends.

The Tigers ran out of magic on Sunday night in the first game of the Hattiesburg Regional final against the host and No. 11 national seed Southern Mississippi.

LSU overcame late deficits in each of its first two games in the NCAA Tournament, including in the first matchup against the Golden Eagles on Saturday. But the Tigers couldn’t overcome a four-run gap in the ninth inning this time around as they fell 8-4, forcing a decisive Game 7 with a spot in the super regional round on the line.

These two teams are becoming very acquainted with each other, as this will be the third matchup between them in as many days. The Tigers will look to prevail and advance out of a regional on the road for the second straight season.

The game will begin at 3 p.m. CT on Monday, and it will be broadcast on ESPNU. Here’s everything you need to know to follow as LSU takes the diamond with its season on the line.

LSU falls to Southern Miss in regional final rematch, Game 7 set for Monday afternoon

The Tigers couldn’t pull off a third straight comeback and will play with their season on the line Monday.

The LSU Tigers entered Sunday night’s game just one win away from advancing to the super regionals.

Just like on Saturday night, they trailed heading into the ninth inning against Southern Miss. But this time, there was no late-inning magic to win the game as the Golden Eagles won 8-4 and sent the regional to a winner-take-all Game 7 tomorrow at 3 p.m. CT.

The Tigers started the game off strong with a two-run [autotag]Cade Doughty[/autotag] dinger in the top of the first inning before [autotag]Samuel Dutton[/autotag] took the mound. In the bottom of the second, Southern Miss tied the game 2-2 with a couple of runs before chasing Dutton from the mound after only 2.1 innings.

In the top of the third inning, [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] scored on a Doughty single to give the Tigers the lead once again and Pearson scored on a passed ball to make it 4-2 LSU.

In the bottom of the third, the Golden Eagles scored two runs and tied the game once again. The 4-4 score would hold until the bottom of the sixth inning when [autotag]Eric Reyzelman[/autotag] came in to pitch after [autotag]Riley Cooper[/autotag] walked the first batter.

Southern Miss proceeded to score three runs and make it a 7-4 game. In the bottom of the eighth, [autotag]Blake Money[/autotag] came in out of the bullpen, and he was greeted with a Golden Eagles home run to make it 8-4 as we headed to the top of the ninth.

[autotag]Jack Merrifield[/autotag], Crews, and [autotag]Jacob Berry[/autotag] were due up for the Tigers. Merrifield struck out looking, Crews struck out looking, Berry singled, Pearson was hit by a pitch and Doughty grounded out as the Tigers lost 8-4.

Game 7 will be tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. CT. The winner goes to the super regional to take on the winner of Miami and Ole Miss, and the loser goes home.

[mm-video type=video id=01g26ap7n0jhrayh42wb playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g26ap7n0jhrayh42wb/01g26ap7n0jhrayh42wb-52bd6fabe56060dbf9fbc2912bc171c5.jpg]

[vertical-gallery id=53131]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.