Tag: Tommy White

LSU ranks No. 1 in Baseball America’s ‘way too early’ top 25

LSU comes in at No. 1 in Baseball America’s Way Too Early top 25.

College baseball season ended a month ago, but it’s never too soon to start looking at 2025. Baseball America dropped its “way too early” top 25 and Jay Johnson’s LSU squad earned the top ranking.

It comes as no surprise after LSU retained its top talent, had a busy transfer portal season, and convinced some top high school prospects to pass up the draft and head to school.

If the ranking holds, it would be the second time in three years that LSU began the season No. 1 overall. The Tigers owned the top spot heading into 2023 and paid it off with a national title win.

Baseball America notes LSU has a lot to replace with [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] and a few top pitchers turning pro, but there’s a lot to like about this squad.

“LSU has as much pure talent as anyone. Now it will be up to Johnson to manage that roster, and he’s proven to be very adept at that part of the job over the last two years,” Baseball America’s Teddy Cahill wrote.

Joining LSU in the top five is Florida, Florida State, Clemson and Texas A&M. The SEC will get a bit tougher with the addition of Texas with the Longhorns sitting at No. 19.

Eleven of the top 25 belong to the SEC.

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Former LSU baseball star Tommy White officially inks deal with Athletics

Tommy White made his choice to turn pro official by signing with the Oakland Athletics.

[autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] made the start of his professional career official by signing with the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday.

The A’s selected White out of LSU with the No. 40 overall pick earlier this month. White had the option to return, but that was always unlikely given his talent level.

The slot value for White’s pick is $2.3 million. According to reports, White signed above slot value with the deal sitting around $3 million.

White spent three years in college. One at NC State and two at LSU. In that time, he hit 75 homers and drove in 249 runs. He helped lead LSU to a College World Series title in 2023, which included hitting a walk-off home run in the CWS semi-final against Wake Forest.

White was the first LSU player off the board in this year’s MLB draft. The A’s are in the midst of a long rebuild and hope White can be a central part of that. With the upcoming move to Vegas, it’s unclear if White will ever play in Oakland.

LSU’s had a good run of players entering pro ball. [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] is already in the big leagues and looks like an ace. [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] is in Triple-A and should be approaching his call-up. Tre Morgan’s career is off to a good start too, hitting at multiple levels in the Rays system.

It will be tough for LSU to replace White’s power next year.

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Jay Johnson excited about LSU baseball’s roster heading into 2025

LSU added the top transfer portal class and brought three top-15 signees to campus this offseason.

LSU fell short of expectations despite a midseason turnaround in 2024, exiting the NCAA Tournament on the road in the regional round.

While the Tigers lost some key pieces in the 2024 MLB draft, namely their top thre pitchers and slugger [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag], it’s hard not to be optimistic about what coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] has coming in.

LSU signed the No. 1 transfer portal class in the nation this offseason with an absolutely loaded group, and it added to that with an elite recruiting class that saw three top-15 prospects withdraw from the draft and reaffirm their commitments to the Tigers.

During an appearance on the “Mik’d Up” podcast with Mikie Mahtook, Johnson said he was excited about the roster the staff has put together for 2025.

“I mean, we had a great high school recruiting class. We knew we were going to lose some of those guys,” Johnson said, per On3. “Really good additions through the portal. We only lost one of those guys, which you know, we kind of knew that was probably going to happen, even when we we got him.

“So you know, I don’t know if you grade it. You certainly can’t right now. All that matters is what happens on the field in the spring. But I’m really excited about the roster.”

Johnson reiterated that quite a bit of attrition was expected this offseason, but with some unexpected players returning paired with that strong transfer class, he feels much better than he did earlier this summer.

“We had a long way to go, frankly, from when we ended the season, and I think at one point we had 11 returning players,” Johnson said. “Obviously, getting a couple of these guys back that maybe we didn’t expect helped. Then, the guys we added in the portal, too.

“We obviously needed to do good with the high school guys getting to campus. And I’m super proud of some of them for having conviction and their belief in themselves to come to LSU and delay the gratification of a little bag of money, as I like to call it, and dive into this thing.”

LSU will hope to return to the national title picture as it will likely enter 2025 ranked in or near the top five once again.

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The stars are aligning for LSU baseball in 2025

LSU baseball has all the tools to win a national title in 2024. Now, it’s about putting the pieces together.

The summer of 2022 was a good one for LSU baseball. [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] knew players like [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre Morgan[/autotag] were returning while adding superstars [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] and [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] in the transfer portal. It made LSU the consensus No. 1 entering 2023, with some calling it a dream team.

That group fit the billing, going on to win the national title a year later.

This summer has been a similar flood of positive news for Jay Johnson’s squad. According to 64Analytics, the Tigers have the top transfer class in college baseball. LSU survived the MLB draft largely unscathed and with a few surprises.

Star high school pitcher [autotag]William Schmidt[/autotag] pulled his name from draft boards and announced his decision to attend LSU. Key contributors from the 2024 squad, first baseman [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] and shortstop [autotag]Michael Braswell[/autotag], both announced their return to school.

I’m not saying the 2025 squad will be a dream team on the level of 2023. We may never see that assembly of talent again in college baseball. LSU hasn’t added a Skenes or White in the portal, but those players aren’t there every year. There’s no Dylan Crews or Tre Morgan either, even if LSU’s lineup does have potential to be among the nation’s best.

Regardless, LSU is positioning itself to be a true national title contender in 2025. Questions about the pitching staff remain, but the portal work has built enough depth for a few solid options to emerge. Jones should take another step forward as a slugger and second basemen [autotag]Steven Milam[/autotag] is set to become a superstar.

Don’t forget about [autotag]Jake Brown[/autotag], who had several impressive moments as a true freshman down the stretch.

It’s a team that will be battle-tested after facing adversity in 2024 and seeing its season come to a heartbreaking end in the Chapel Hill Regional.

Johnson, having managed a team filled with stars in 2023 and a team that needed some work in 2024, has proven he can win in different ways. Next year, we’ll see a combo of the two styles. It will be a team with strong portal reinforcements, but much of the core will come through high school recruiting and retaining what LSU already has.

After a disappointing 2024, the pressure will be turned on again next year. How this group deals with that will be something to watch, but the veteran presence is there.

Johnson knows his gig is the best job in the country. It’s because it doesn’t take much effort to assemble a team like this. LSU has all the tools to win another national title in 2025, now it’s just about putting the pieces together.

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Gage Jump drafted by Athletics, will join LSU teammate Tommy White

LSU’s ace will join teammate Tommy White in Oakland after he was taken with the 73rd pick in the 2024 MLB draft.

With the 73rd pick of the [autotag]2024 MLB Draft[/autotag] the Oakland Athletics selected [autotag]Gage Jump[/autotag], a left-handed pitcher from LSU.

Jump transferred to LSU after playing as a freshman for UCLA three years ago. He didn’t get to play two years ago for the Bruins after suffering an injury. He rehabbed his way back and became the Ace of the LSU pitching staff.

He finished the season with a 6-2 record and a 3.47 ERA. He struck out 101 hitters and walked 22 over 83 innings of work. Jump was rated as the No. 62 overall draft prospect by MLB.com so he was drafted around the area he was projected to go. The slot value for the No. 73 pick is $1,076,900.

Oakland took [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] with the 40th pick of the draft so Jump will be joining his former teammate in the Athletics farm system.

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Tommy White selected by Oakland Athletics to lead off 2nd round of 2024 MLB draft

Tommy White became the first LSU player taken as he’s going to Oakland with the 40th pick in the draft.

With the 40th pick of the 2024 MLB Draft, the Oakland Athletics selected LSU third baseman [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag].

Tommy Tanks was one of the most prolific hitters in college baseball since he started as a Freshman for the NC State Wolfpack. After his freshman season with the Wolfpack, White transferred to LSU where he would team up with [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag], [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag], [autotag]Gavin Dugas[/autotag], [autotag]Tre Morgan[/autotag] and more to lead LSU to a national championship. Tommy finished that season with a .374 batting average and he had 24 doubles, 24 homers, and 105 RBI.

This season at LSU, his production dipped to a .330 batting average with 12 doubles, 24 homers, and 70 RBI. One area where White improved a lot while at LSU was on defense. He became a guy who was a designated hitter to a guy who had a lot of potential at the hot corner.

He heads to the Oakland A’s to play for a team that needs some help in a big way.

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How to watch the opening night of the 2024 MLB draft as LSU baseball stars hope to hear their names called

Here’s what you need to know to watch as Tommy White, Luke Holman, Gage Jump and others hope to hear their names called on Sunday night.

It’s finally MLB draft day, and we’re set to kick things off on Sunday night as former LSU baseball stars hope to hear their names called.

The Tigers have quite a few draftable prospects between the current roster and their high school commits with 14 players listed on ESPN’s final top 250 prospects ranking. Several LSU players enter the draft with big decisions to make about their futures.

The opening night will feature the first two rounds, compensatory rounds, competitive balance rounds and prospect promotion incentive selections. [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] is currently the only LSU player projected to go in the first round, though pitchers [autotag]Luke Holman[/autotag] and [autotag]Gage Jump[/autotag] could hear their names called later in the opening night.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch the first night of the draft on Sunday.

How to Watch

  • Date: Sunday, July 14
  • Time: 6 p.m. CT
  • TV: ESPN/MLB Network
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)

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LSU baseball cleans house at LSWA Awards

The Tigers took home four of the five major awards from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

Every year the [autotag]Louisiana Sports Writers Association[/autotag] (LSWA) names an All-Louisiana Baseball team and gives out five major baseball awards. The five major awards are Hitter of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year. Three LSU players took home four out of those five awards.

Let’s start with the player who took home two of those awards by himself, [autotag]Luke Holman[/autotag]. Holman was the recipient of the Pitcher of the Year award and the Newcomer of the Year award. The Alabama transfer was the No. 2 pitcher in the rotation for the Tigers this spring and he was incredible on the mound. He finished the season with a 9-4 record and a 2.75 ERA as he struck out 127 hitters and only walked 33.

The Hitter of the Year title went to [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag]. Tommy Tanks production at the plate actually dipped this spring but he still finished the season with a .330 batting average with 12 doubles, one triple, 24 homers and 70 RBI.

The Freshman of the Year award went to [autotag]Steven Milam[/autotag] who became the starting second baseman for LSU baseball this spring and became one of the most clutch players on the team when the Tigers needed him the most. Milam finished the year with a .326 batting average with 12 doubles, three triples, eight homers and 40 RBI.

The other major award was Coach of the Year. That award went to LSU Eunice’s Jeff Willis who led the LSU Eunice Bengals to a 56-8 record and an NJCAA Division II National Championship.

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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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Photos from LSU baseball star Tommy White’s career with Tigers

Tommy White is moving on from LSU after two prolific seasons.

After two prolific seasons, [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] is — in all likelihood — moving on from LSU baseball.

A transfer addition in 2023 from NC State, the third baseman has played a major role in LSU’s success over the last two campaigns which included a national title last spring. On that team, White batted .374 with 24 home runs and 105 RBI, and he hit the walk-off home run against Wake Forest that ultimately sent the Tigers to the College World Series final.

His production dropped a bit in 2024 as his average fell to a still impressive .330, and though he hit 24 home runs again, he only plated 70 runs in total.

Still, White is almost certainly a lock to go in the first round of next month’s 2024 MLB draft and is the top LSU pro prospect in the cycle. As he’s set to move on to his professional career, here are the best photos from his two seasons in Baton Rouge.