Tag: Ty Floyd

What is wrong with LSU baseball?

The 2024 season has not gotten off to the best start for the Tigers.

The 2024 season has not gotten off to the best start for the LSU baseball team. After three conference series, the Tigers are 20-9 overall and 2-7 in conference play and have lost all three series. The Tigers dropped series to Mississippi State and Florida 2-1 and then got swept by Arkansas last weekend.

So, what is going on with this team? For one, let’s rewind to the 2023 season. [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] and the LSU Tigers had the two best players in college baseball on their team, [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] and [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag]. The No. 1 and No. 2 overall draft picks in the 2023 MLB draft.

Along with that, the team had [autotag]Tre Morgan[/autotag], [autotag]Gavin Dugas[/autotag], [autotag]Jordan Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Brayden Jobert[/autotag], [autotag]Cade Beloso[/autotag] and [autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag]. That equates to two out of three starting pitchers, first and second base, shortstop, designated hitter, and two of the three outfield spots. One outfield spot ([autotag]Josh Pearson[/autotag]), one starting pitcher ([autotag]Thatcher Hurd[/autotag]), and two catchers ([autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag]) were all that remained from last year’s starting lineup.

Replacing six hitters in your starting lineup and two of your starting pitchers is not an easy task. Johnson had to hit the recruiting trail hard for high school kids and players in the transfer portal. He did a great job of rebuilding the team, but some players you just can’t replace. There is no replacement for those guys.

With that out of the way, let’s take a look at some stats so far. LSU is in the middle of the road for most hitting statistics in the conference. The Tigers are seventh in the conference in batting average, on-base percentage, and hits, eighth in slugging percentage, doubles, and triples. The biggest issue for LSU on the offensive side is that we are ranked 11th out of 14 in RBI and runs scored. LSU is not hitting the long ball as well either as the Tigers rank ninth in that stat.

Three more interesting offensive stats, LSU ranks first in the conference in double plays and caught stealing. First in those areas is not a good thing. That means you have hit the most double plays and been caught stealing the most. [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] leads the conference in double plays. He has hit into eight of them. That’s three more than the next closest player.

Now, let’s look at the Tigers’ performance on the mound. [autotag]Luke Holman[/autotag] is the silver lining of this pitching staff. Without him, you would not want to see any of these numbers. Holman has the second-lowest ERA (1.38), second-highest strikeouts (61), and fourth-lowest opponent batting average (.173). Why am I singling him out? Because if you take him out of the equation, LSU does not have another pitcher in the top 15 of the conference.

LSU has the MOST walks in the SEC (131) and the second most wild pitches in the SEC (28). [autotag]Thatcher Hurd[/autotag] is tied for the most losses in the conference with four and three LSU pitchers are tied for sixth in the conference in wild pitches with four. ([autotag]Kade Anderson[/autotag], [autotag]Gage Jump[/autotag] and Hurd)

LSU is sixth in the conference in fielding percentage but [autotag]Michael Braswell III[/autotag] is tied for first for the most errors in the conference with seven. Those numbers will not get the job done, especially in conference play.

LSU will play Southern at home on Monday before hosting Vanderbilt this weekend.

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Starters and shutouts for LSU baseball against Xavier last weekend

Last weekend against Xavier, the starters put up great numbers.

Entering the 2024 season, LSU had a couple of question marks regarding who would be in their starting rotation. We knew that [autotag]Thatcher Hurd[/autotag] would be one of the starters based off of his performance in the College World Series.

LSU lost their other two starters, [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] and [autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag], to the MLB Draft. Skenes was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates and Floyd was the 38th pick in the draft by the Cincinnati Reds.

With two spots to fill, where would head coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] turn? Johnson has recruited very well as he has landed a lot of talented players out of high school and out of the transfer portal.

The two best pitchers in the transfer portal committed to LSU. [autotag]Luke Holman[/autotag] and [autotag]Gage Jump[/autotag]. Holman was the ace for the Alabama Crimson Tide last season and due to his experience in the SEC, he seemed to fit the mold for another starting pitcher spot.

Jump was coming off of a season where he was unable to pitch due to an injury, but as a freshman at UCLA, he was fantastic. The initial plan for the rotation appeared to be Hurd, Holman, and [autotag]Javen Coleman[/autotag]. That’s how things began as Johnson began to ramp up the pitch count for Jump.

Fast forward to now, the Tigers are starting conference play this weekend and the lineup has changed slightly. Hurd did not get off to the greatest start this year so he has slid from the ace to the Sunday starter. Jump has gotten more healthy and he has become the Saturday starter. Holman has proved that he has the ability to be an ace in this rotation.

Last weekend against Xavier, the starters put up great numbers. In total, between the three starters, they finished the weekend 2-0 with zero earned runs allowed over 16 innings pitched. They only allowed seven total hits as they struck out 29 hitters and only walked four.

The worst part of the weekend is that Hurd was given a no-decision as Xavier beat LSU 2-1 on Sunday to end the Tigers’ winning streak. In spite of that, I believe that this pitching staff has the talent to take LSU to Omaha once again.

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Two LSU baseball players named preseason All-Americans by D1Baseball

LSU is expecting big years from Tommy White and Luke Holman.

We’re less than a month away from LSU baseball beginning its national title defense, and the preseason honors are rolling in.

[autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] and [autotag]Luke Holman[/autotag] were named preseason All-American by D1Baseball.

White is expected to be one of the top hitters in the sport after a 2023 campaign that saw him homer 24 times while driving in 105 runs. Along with that, he posted a .725 slugging and a 1.158 OPS.

Holman, who was one of the best available transfers on the market, joins LSU after spending two years at Alabama. In 15 starts last year, he had an ERA of 3.67 to go along with 87 strikeouts in 81 innings.

LSU needs big years from both White and Holman. White will be expected to anchor the lineup with [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre Morgan[/autotag] gone.

LSU will be counting on Holman to help replace the void left in the rotation with [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] and [autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag] now playing professional baseball.

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5 LSU baseball players named to 2023 ABCA All-South Region Team

Five LSU players have been named to the ABCA All-South Region Team.

The 2023 college baseball season has come and gone and so has the MLB Draft, but the accolades continue to pile up for LSU players. After winning the national championship, multiple Tigers players have found themselves on All-American teams, All-Conference teams and All-Region teams.

This time, five LSU players have been named to the ABCA All-South Region Team. Out of those five guys that made the team, four of them were drafted in this year’s MLB draft. The only one that didn’t get drafted was not drafted because he is ineligible.

[autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag], [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag], [autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag], [autotag]Gavin Dugas[/autotag] and [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] all made the All-South Region Team.

Ty Floyd officially signs with the Reds

Ty Floyd saved his best performance as an LSU Tiger for last, and it propelled him into the MLB draft’s first round.

[autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag] saved his best performance as an LSU Tiger for last.

In the College World Series against Florida, Floyd pitched eight innings allowing only three runs on five hits as he struck out 17 and walked only one. He led the Tigers to a much-needed win in game one of the series.

That performance propelled Floyd’s name up MLB draft boards all the way into the supplemental part of the first round. The Cincinnati Reds picked Floyd as their second pick of the 2023 draft, drafting him right behind former Wake Forest pitcher, Rhett Lowder.

As you can see from the graphic below, that 17-strikeout game in the College World Series made Floyd some money as he signed with the Reds for just over $2 million.

Floyd went undefeated as a starter last year as he posted a 7-0 record with a 4.35 ERA as he struck out 120 hitters and only walked 37.

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Alabama starting pitcher reportedly visiting LSU as a transfer

The Crimson Tide’s ace could be bound for Baton Rouge in the transfer portal.

LSU already has a couple of transfers on board this offseason after winning a national championship in 2023, and it’s in the mix for even more.

One of those players is former Alabama starting pitcher [autotag]Luke Holman[/autotag], who will be making a visit to Baton Rouge early next week. That news was first reported by On3’s Matthew Brune.

Holman, who entered the transfer portal on June 22, was the Crimson Tide’s Friday night starter this year. He had an earned run average of 3.67 while striking out 87 batters compared to the 31 walks he issued.

For an LSU staff in need of starting pitching following the departures of [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag], [autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag] and [autotag]Grant Taylor[/autotag], Holman would be a huge addition.

He’s perhaps best known around the country for being the ace that former coach Brad Bohannon scratched for back tightness ahead of Game 1 against the Tigers earlier this season. Bohannon was later fired after it was determined that he was in communication with someone who placed a large bet on the game.

Holman is looking for a fresh start in the transfer portal, and that could come with the team he was ultimately scratched against.

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LSU pitcher Grant Taylor confirms he’ll be signing with White Sox

Grant Taylor’s time with the Tigers has come to an end.

As many expected, LSU right-handed pitcher [autotag]Grant Taylor[/autotag] will not be returning to the Tigers in 2024.

Taylor, who was picked with the No. 51 pick in the competitive balance second round on Sunday night, has opted to sign with the Chicago White Sox instead of returning to LSU for what would be his redshirt sophomore season.

He didn’t see any action this spring after he required Tommy John surgery. He was expected to play a role in the weekend rotation after appearing in 17 games with two starts as a true freshman.

Taylor finished that season with a 5.81 earned run average in 31 innings pitched, striking out 39 batters with 21 walks.

Taylor’s departure along with LSU’s two primary weekend starters in [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] and [autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag] will leave this team with a lot of pitching questions in 2024 as it looks to defend its national title.

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How Ty Floyd and Grant Taylor getting drafted affects LSU pitching

Here’s how LSU’s pitching staff shakes out after the MLB draft.

It’s been a good draft for LSU baseball.

The Tigers stole the show on Sunday night with the first and second overall picks in [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] and [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag].

On a more local level, another big story is how the draft will affect the LSU pitching staff. LSU’s seen three of its best arms get picked so far, leaving the Tigers with a lot to replace heading into 2024.

The good news is the bullpen remains strong even if the starting staff requires some rebuilding.

Let’s take a look at how LSU pitching shapes up as the Tigers try to defend their national title.

Washington Nationals draft Gavin Dugas in 6th round

Dylan Crews won’t be going to the nation’s capital alone.

[autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] won’t be going to Washington, D.C., alone. [autotag]Gavin Dugas[/autotag] was selected by the Washington Nationals in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB draft.

Dugas played at LSU for five years and played in 201 games for the Tigers. He was the embodiment of what it means to be an LSU Tiger. When LSU needed a clutch play, Dugas always seemed to come through. He spent last season flipping between second base and shortstop but he may find himself in the outfield at the next level.

Dugas has a career batting average of .287 with 35 doubles, five triples, 44 homers, 148 RBI and a national championship trophy. Dugas becomes the sixth player from last year’s team to be selected in the 2023 MLB draft, joining [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag], [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag], [autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag], [autotag]Grant Taylor[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre Morgan[/autotag].

He will likely head to Single-A to start his career in the minors, possibly back on the same team as Crews unless they send Crews straight to Double-A.

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Ty Floyd goes No. 38 overall to the Cincinnati Reds in 2023 MLB draft

Ty Floyd’s draft stock flew through the roof after his performance against the Florida Gators in the College World Series.

An impressive postseason for [autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag] paid off. The junior LSU right-handed pitcher was selected with the 38th overall pick in the competitive balance portion of the first round in the 2023 MLB draft Sunday.

Floyd’s draft stock flew through the roof after his performance against the Florida Gators in the College World Series. Floyd went eight innings and gave up three runs on five hits, one walk, and 17 strikeouts. That game helped propel him into the first round.

Floyd finished the 2023 season with a 7-0 record and a 4.35 ERA. He had 120 strikeouts and 37 walks in 91 innings of work. Floyd was drafted as the No. 38 overall pick of the competitive balance round by the Cincinnati Reds.

In a year where everyone was focused on the dominant numbers that Paul Skenes was putting up, Floyd continued to go out on the mound and give it his all for LSU. He will be a great addition to the Reds organization. The Reds are trending up this year as they are leading the NL Central by 1 game over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Floyd is the third LSU Tiger from the national championship squad to be taken in the draft.

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