Tag: Jay Johnson

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’s Jay Johnson shrugs off rumors connecting him to potential Texas opening

Jay Johnson addressed rumors that he would be a target in a potential Texas coaching search.

LSU baseball coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] is focusing on the transfer portal and recruiting trail after his national title defense team fell short in the Chapel Hill Regional.

However, that may not be all that’s on Johnson’s radar. He has been connected to a potential opening at Texas, which is yet to fire coach David Pierce though that has been rumored for some time now.

D1Baseball managing editor Kendall Rogers told ESPN’s Matt Moscona that while he doesn’t think Johnson would leave, he does expect that he would be the top target of a potential Texas search were that job to open.

Johnson addressed those rumors head on during his press conference on Tuesday, and while he didn’t directly say he wouldn’t be interested, he reiterated that he’s happy to be at LSU, where he won a national title in his second season in 2023.

“I have not been contacted and contractually if I was to be contacted (AD) Scott Woodward would be the first person who knows because that’s what it says in my contract, and I’m very thankful to be here. Excited about where we’re heading. It’s going to look a bit different than I thought like 18 months ago, but that’s OK.

“Like I said, I think I’m built for this job incredibly well because you’re just going to face a lot of bullets coming at you. And as I told you guys, we’re not in Omaha but there was nobody better positioned to help us get through what we did than me, and that’s exactly what happened. And I’m not saying it’s because of me, but I feel like I’m very well-positioned to help LSU… And that’s where my focus is at.”

It seems highly unlikely that Johnson would leave one of the top baseball programs in the nation, even for a job like Texas. But if the Longhorns ultimately choose to move on from Pierce, expect that Johnson’s name will at least be mentioned during the search.

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LSU’s Jay Johnson gives take on Paul Mainieri going to South Carolina

Jay Johnson said Paul Mainieri called him Monday to tell him he was accepting the South Carolina job.

Former LSU coach [autotag]Paul Mainieri[/autotag], who left the game in 2021, is coming out of retirement to join an SEC rival.

Mainieri is expected to be the next head coach at South Carolina, according to multiple reports. While that hire hasn’t been officially announced, LSU baseball coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] essentially confirmed it during a press conference on Tuesday, saying that Mainieri called him to let him know he was accepting the job.

“He called me yesterday and I just congratulated him,” Johnson said. “He’s earned the right at this time in his life to choose what he wants to do. He’s a great coach, Hall of Fame coach, and has been very good to me in my time here. Happy for him. He’s a competitive guy, he’s got that fire, he’ll put good people around him, he’s smart. And he’ll probably be really good. I’m happy for coach if that’s what he wants to do.”

Johnson was also asked about the prospects of competing against Mainieri for the first time, but that doesn’t seem to be on his radar at this point.

“I’ve never even really thought about that because I’ve never coached against him period,” Johnson said. “Those kinds of things, I guess they matter. They don’t matter as much as everybody thinks they do, because if [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] is on the mound, I’ll win.”

Mainieri won a national title in 2009 at LSU and finished as the College World Series runner-up in 2017. Now, after spending 15 years in Baton Rouge, Mainieri will be coaching from the other dugout when the Tigers face the Gamecocks next season.

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LSU baseball’s Steven Milam named Freshman All-American after strong finish

LSU’s Steven Milam was named a Freshman All-American after a strong finish to 2024.

The postseason honors are rolling in for LSU second basemen [autotag]Steven Milam[/autotag] after a breakout freshman campaign. Milam was named a 2024 First-Team Freshman All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

The recognition comes on the heels of Milam’s electric finish to 2024, which saw him crush walk-off homers in the SEC semifinal against South Carolina and again in the regional opener against Wofford.

Milam wasted no time claiming the second base job early in the year. On the season, he hit .326 with a .516 slugging percentage. With just 36 strikeouts in 221 ABs, his bat-to-ball skills were among the best in the SEC.

Milam’s power surge came down the stretch, but he still finished the year with eight homers.

Ranked as the top recruit in the state of New Mexico, Milam ended up at LSU after going undrafted in the 2023 MLB draft. Headlined by Milam, LSU’s 2023 freshman class looks promising, especially at the plate.

With [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] off to professional baseball, Milam will likely be the biggest name in LSU’s lineup next year. With another step forward, he’ll be one of the SEC’s top middle infielders and put himself on MLB radars.

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LSU baseball lands talented bullpen arm in the transfer portal

Chandler Dorsey served as the closer for South Florida last season.

For the past few days, LSU has been losing pitchers to the transfer portal left and right. The Tigers have lost five pitchers to the portal so far ([autotag]Aiden Moffett[/autotag], [autotag]Nic Bronzini[/autotag], [autotag]Cam Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Micah Bucknam[/autotag], [autotag]Samuel Dutton[/autotag]). It is about time LSU got someone in return.

[autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] did just that as he landed a right-handed pitcher who pitched at South Florida last year. [autotag]Chandler Dorsey[/autotag] served as the closer for the Bulls and appeared in 22 games. He finished the season with a 2-1 record, a 3.42 ERA, and seven saves. He pitched a total of 26.1 innings and struck out 32 hitters while only walking 12.

Dorsey will likely be the first of many transfer pitchers Johnson and the Tigers will sign this offseason. Along with that, Johnson will try to retain some of the talented young players he had on the team last season. If the Tigers want to make it back to Omaha they will need a solid bullpen.

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Jay Johnson not worried about LSU baseball retaining talent this offseason

Jay Johnson addressed the Tigers’ roster-building and retention priorities entering the offseason.

LSU baseball turned around what was looking like an abysmal 2024 season as it looked to defend its national title.

The Tigers ultimately earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, taking host North Carolina to the brink before falling short in the Chapel Hill Regional last weekend.

Coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] doesn’t have long to dwell on that result, however. The college baseball offseason has a quick turnaround time, and Johnson has been hard at work looking for transfer portal talent since the season ended.

That isn’t his only priority, however. The Tigers must also retain players currently on the roster from leaving for the pros or the transfer portal, and they also need to make sure as many players from the 2024 signing class reach campus as possible.

Speaking on 104.5 Off The Bench, Johnson said player retention is not something he is particularly worried about.

“I’m proud of my coaches and the resources we provide them to become major league baseball players,” Johnson said, per Glen West of 247Sports. “For me that should be enough to retain guys, it’s a different era that we live in and that’s ok. We’ve got a good group. I’ll tell you one thing, the guys that were rolling through my office on Wednesday, the character of what we will have returning is very strong. It’s a good starting point from a human being, leadership perspective with some talent.

“Getting [autotag]Chase Shores[/autotag] back and healthy is a massive deal. To win 43 games probably without your best pitcher for the entire season, proud of the team for doing that. That’s what I’m speaking to relative to that character. [autotag]Kade Anderson[/autotag], fully bought in. [autotag]Jaden Noot[/autotag] we’ll get back healthy so we’ve got a really good start with some of the pitching staff.”

Johnson also said the Tigers will try to retain their six draft-eligible sophomores and juniors, pitching them on their ability to improve their draft stocks in 2025.

Only time will tell what this roster looks like entering 2025, but it’s clear Johnson has a lot to do to maintain it.

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Freshman LSU pitcher Nic Bronzini has entered the transfer portal

LSU has now lost a handful of pitchers to the transfer portal.

Jay Johnson is losing another promising young arm to the transfer portal. This time it is a redshirt freshman from San Ramon, California.

Nic Bronzini is a 6-foot-3, 256-pound, left-handed pitcher from California who signed to LSU out of high school. During his first year on the Bayou, he was redshirted to preserve an extra year of eligibility. This season he finally got to play for the Tigers and he appeared in six games and pitched a total of 4.2 innings. He finished with a 0-0 record and a 5.79 ERA.

His last appearance came on April 30 against Grambling. Bronzini entered the game and recorded one out. I hope that Bronzini can have a great career and be successful wherever he ends up in the transfer portal.

LSU has now lost a handful of pitchers to the transfer portal. Johnson will have some work to do in the transfer portal to bring in some more arms.

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Top 2023 LSU baseball signee Cam Johnson enters the transfer portal

The top player in LSU’s 2023 signing class to reach campus is moving on after one season.

LSU has lost yet another pitcher to the transfer portal. This time the Tigers are losing a very promising freshman from IMG Academy.

[autotag]Cam Johnson[/autotag] is a 6-foot-5, 251-pound freshman pitcher from Upper Marlboro, Maryland but by way of IMG Academy. Johnson was surrounded by a lot of hype as soon as he arrived in Baton Rouge. Many believed he would never get to LSU because he was rated as the No. 42 overall prospect in the nation in the 2023 MLB Draft.

He decided to go to LSU instead. Johnson appeared in 13 games as a reliever and he struggled. He pitched nine total innings and finished with a 0-0 record and a 12.00 ERA. His last appearance came against Texas A&M when he gave up two runs and was pulled after only recording one out in that inning.

Johnson is a very talented pitcher who is still taking his lumps as a freshman. I believe he can be a very talented pitcher wherever he ends up.

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Report: Texas baseball could ‘shoot their shot’ with LSU’s Jay Johnson

Could Texas go after a future SEC rivals’ head coach?

The Texas Longhorns baseball team saw their 2024 season and the final one as members of the Big 12 came to an end with a loss to Louisana Ragin’ Cajuns last weekend. Texas beat ULL in their first matchup of the College Station Regional before a loss to them in the elimination game. ULL went on to lose to host Texas A&M, which sent the Aggies to the Super Regional.

Immediately following the loss, Texas baseball head coach David Pearce was fielding questions about his future in Austin. He is 494-271 after eight seasons with the Horns. He won three Big 12 regular season titles and was named Big 12 Coach of the Year twice.

After back-to-back College World Series appearances in 2021 and 2022, Texas failed to get back to the annual tournament in the last season, while winning a combined 78 games in that span.

Kendall Rogers of D1 Baseball spoke with Matt Moscona of 104.5 ESPN in Baton Rouge. He expects the University of Texas to shoot their shot at current LSU Tigers baseball head coach Jay Johnson, should they opt to move on from Pierce.

Johnson won the 2023 College World Series with the No. 1 and No. 2 MLB draft picks, pitcher Paul Skenes and outfielder Dylan Crews. The Tigers missed the Super Regionals this past season in a campaign that didn’t look great early on. The team caught fire and made a run at the SEC Tournament title.

Johnson is 454-234 as a head coach at the Division I level with three College World Series appearances between Arizona and LSU.

This is a situation worth monitoring in the coming weeks.

LSU baseball’s Griffin Herring nominated for Stopper of the Year

One of LSU’s best pitchers this season has been named a finalist for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year award.

One of LSU’s best pitchers this season has been named a finalist for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year award. That player is [autotag]Griffin Herring[/autotag].

Herring was phenomenal for the Tigers this season, finishing the year with a 6-1 record with a 1.79 ERA. He appeared in 21 games, pitched 50.1 innings, and struck out 67 hitters while only walking 13.

Herring is one of the final 10 players for the esteemed trophy. He joins Ben Abeldt (TCU), Evan Aschenbeck (Texas A&M), Ethan Bates (Louisiana Tech), Charlie Beilenson (Duke), Mason Burns (Western Kentucky), Bridger Holmes (Oregon State), Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman (East Carolina), Izaak Martinez (UC San Diego) and Connor Thurman (San Diego).

[autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] has gone on record saying Herring will likely be a starting pitcher for the Tigers next Spring but there is a chance Herring could leave for the MLB Draft. His draft stock skyrocketed this season and he could easily find himself as a draft pick in the earlier rounds.

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