Tag: William Schmidt

LSU baseball brings 7 top-100 signees to campus after 2024 MLB draft

The Tigers add an elite freshman class to a transfer portal haul that ranks No. 1 in the nation.

The 2024 MLB draft really couldn’t have gone much better as far as LSU’s purposes go.

While things were mostly chalky when it came to current players — with [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Braswell III[/autotag] announcing their returns to Baton Rouge after they weren’t selected. And while several of LSU’s top high school signees — namely [autotag]Konnor Griffin[/autotag], [autotag]Cam Caminiti[/autotag] and [autotag]Kale Fountain[/autotag] — will sign with a professional club, the Tigers are bringing in an unreal freshman class.

In total, seven top-100 signees will reach campus. That’s in addition to a transfer portal class that already ranks No. 1 in the nation.

Outfielder [autotag]Derek Curiel[/autotag] announced his decision to attend LSU ahead of the draft, and he was joined by elite pitching commit [autotag]William Schmidt[/autotag] and prized catcher [autotag]Cade Arrambide[/autotag].

The Tigers had a disappointing season in 2024 coming off a national title campaign. Though they turned things around in the back half, they couldn’t get out of the Chapel Hill Regional.

Now, coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] is reloading with a roster that looks to be as competitive as any in the country.

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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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LSU starting shortstop Michael Braswell III announces return to Tigers on social media

LSU baseball got another big boost following Day 2 of the draft on Saturday.

After going unselected in the first 10 rounds of the 2024 MLB draft, LSU starting shortstop [autotag]Michael Braswell III[/autotag] announced on social media that he will be returning to Baton Rouge for his senior season.

The Mableton, Georgia, native was seen as a player to keep an eye on in the draft, but after he fell, he’ll join a 2025 roster that features the nation’s No. 1 transfer portal class and got some nice boosts on Sunday when top-15 high school prospects [autotag]William Schmidt[/autotag] and [autotag]Cade Arrambide[/autotag] announced they would be withdrawing from the draft and attending LSU.

A transfer from South Carolina, Braswell started 64 games at shortstop in 2024 and finished the season batting .311 with 12 doubles, four home runs and 36 RBI.

LSU will have to replace some key pieces next season, but that’s now one less position coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] has to worry about entering 2025.

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Top-15 high-school prospect Cade Arrambide withdraws from MLB draft, will attend LSU

The Tigers saw two top-15 prospects withdraw from the draft on Sunday night.

LSU got some huge news ahead of the 2024 MLB draft as pitcher and No. 5 national high school prospect [autotag]William Schmidt[/autotag] announced that he would be pulling his name from the draft and heading to Baton Rouge.

Now, he’s been joined by another elite member of the Tigers’ 2024 signing class.

After going unselected in the first 74 picks on the first night of the draft, catch [autotag]Cade Arrambide[/autotag] announced that he would be removing his name from the draft and joining the Tigers for the 2025 season. Arrambide is the No. 13 player in the 2024 class, according to Perfect Game, and No. 2 catcher.

He’s also the No. 2-rated player in the state of Texas.

https://twitter.com/ArrambideCade/status/1812699865987637716

The top two commits in LSU’s 2024 class, [autotag]Konnor Griffin[/autotag] and [autotag]Cam Caminiti[/autotag], were both drafted in the first round on Sunday night. However, with Schmidt and Arrambide joining outfielder [autotag]Derek Curiel[/autotag], the No. 10 player in the nation who withdrew from the draft last month, the Tigers will add a trio of top-15 recruits to their roster next season.

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LSU pitcher signee Cam Caminiti drafted by Braves in 1st round

Cam Caminiti’s wait was a bit longer than some expected, but LSU’s top pitcher signee is likely heading to Atlanta after being drafted in Round 1.

Another one of LSU’s top signees in the 2024 recruiting class has heard his name called in the first round of the MLB draft.

[autotag]Cam Caminiti[/autotag] is a 6-foot-2, 205-pound left-handed pitcher from Scottsdale, Arizona where he played for Saguaro High School. Cam was the top left-handed pitching prospect in the draft. Caminiti was the top left-handed pitcher and [autotag]William Schmidt[/autotag] was the top right-handed pitcher coming out of high school in this draft. [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] signed both of them.

With the 24th pick of the 2024 MLB draft, the [autotag]Atlanta Braves[/autotag] picked Cam Caminiti. The slot value at No. 24 overall is $3,556,300. Atlanta is a fantastic landing spot for Caminiti as they do a great job of developing pitchers and they have a farm full of really good arms.

Caminiti is just 17 years old and will likely start in rookie ball for the Braves and he has the talent to work his way through the minors quickly.

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Elite LSU pitcher signee William Schmidt withdraws from 2024 MLB draft

The No. 16 overall prospect in the MLB draft has made his decision on where he will spend his future.

The No. 16 overall prospect in the 2024 MLB draft has made his decision on where he will spend his future.

[autotag]William Schmidt[/autotag] is one of the top prep pitchers in the draft and was projected to be one of the early first-round draft picks in tonight’s draft, but he has decided to pull his name out of the pool and attend LSU.

This is huge news for the Tigers as Schmidt was one of their top pitching commits and Schmidt is from Baton Rouge where he played for Catholic High School. You can never have too many pitchers on the roster and Schmidt is a guy who could come in and start on Day 1.

This gives Johnson and the Tigers some positive news as we head into the first two rounds of the draft on Sunday night. A lot of LSU signees and former Tiger players could hear their names called tonight.

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