LSU's Baseball's Newcomer Class Ranked #1

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LSU baseball's newcomer class ranked No. 1

 

By TigerBait Staff

October 9, 2024

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BATON ROUGE, La. – Baseball America magazine has rated LSU’s newcomer class of D1 transfers, freshmen signees and JUCO transfers No. 1 in the nation for the 2025 season.

The LSU class features nine players that were listed among Baseball America’s Top 100 College Transfers and 11 players that appeared in the magazine’s ranking of the Top 500 Prospects for the 2024 MLB Draft that was held in July.

The Top 100 College Transfers list included LSU junior infielder Daniel Dickinson (No. 2), junior right-handed pitcher Anthony Eyanson (No. 4), sophomore right-handed pitcher Deven Sheerin (No. 8), junior right-handed pitcher Jacob Mayers (No. 17), junior right-handed pitcher Chandler Dorsey (No. 22), junior right-hander pitcher Zac Cowan (No. 23), senior utility player Luis Hernandez (No. 32), senior outfielder/left-hander pitcher Dalton Beck (No. 34) and junior outfielder Chris Stanfield (No. 79).

The Top 500 Prospects for the 2024 MLB Draft included LSU freshman right-handed pitcher William Schmidt (No. 22), freshman right-handed pitcher Casan Evans (No. 100), freshman catcher Cade Arrambide (No. 125), freshman infielder Michael Ryan (No. 139), junior outfielder Chris Stanfield (No. 154), freshman left-handed pitcher Cooper Williams (No. 257), freshman right-handed pitcher Mavrick Rizy (No. 263), freshman first baseman Ryan Costello (No. 346), freshman outfielder John Pearson (No. 356), freshman infielder David Hogg II (No. 358), and junior left-handed pitcher Conner Ware (No. 482).

LSU freshman outfielder Derek Curiel was also a very highly-rated recruit who pulled his name from the draft in mid-June. He did not appear in the Baseball America Top 500 Prospects list only because he had declared his intention to enroll at LSU prior to the draft.

Of LSU’s newcomer class for the 2025 season, Baseball America writes:

As they have done every season, the Tigers again dominated the transfer portal to bring in the deepest class of any school in the country. The pitching LSU brought in—headlined by righthander Anthony Eyanson (6-2, 3.07 ERA at UC San Diego)—is their biggest strength, though second baseman Daniel Dickinson (.367/.469/.661 at Utah Valley) is also a potential day one draft pick and will hit in the top-third of the lineup.

LSU head coach Jay Johnson and his staff also brought in nine freshmen ranked inside the BA 500 for the 2024 draft. Baton Rouge prep righthander William Schmidt (No. 22 overall) is the crown jewel of the class, followed by Houston prep righty Casan Evans (No. 100). LSU’s fresh faces have the program in prime position to compete for a national championship not only in 2025, but for years to come.

The 2025 Tigers begin their six-week, full-squad fall practice period on Thursday in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field. All intrasquad scrimmages during fall practice are free and open to the public. LSU scrimmages this week at 4 p.m. Thursday, 4 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Sunday.

The Gate 2 home plate entrance will be open for fans 15 minutes prior to the start of each scrimmage.

LSU opens the 2025 season on Friday, February 14, when the Tigers play host to Purdue Fort Wayne in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.

 

Baseball America Top 10 Newcomer Classes for the 2025 Season

LSU

Texas A&M

Arkansas

Tennessee

Auburn

Texas

Georgia

Wake Forest

Oregon

Ole Miss

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LSU No. 1 in D1 Baseball Listing of the Top 100 College Programs

D1 Baseball’s ranking of the Top 100 Programs focuses upon the establishment of a tradition of consistent winning in the last decade, and especially in the last five years. Its goal was to identify the programs in the best shape right now, with an eye toward the next five to 10 years.

by Bill Franques

 

 

BATON ROUGE, La. – D1 Baseball on Tuesday named LSU the No. 1 college program in the nation, completing its ranking of the Top 100 College Programs that began in September.

D1 Baseball’s ranking of the Top 100 Programs focuses upon the establishment of a tradition of consistent winning in the last decade, and especially in the last five years. Its goal was to identify the programs in the best shape right now, with an eye toward the next five to 10 years.

Points were awarded for making NCAA Regionals, winning NCAA Regionals, reaching the College World Series, and winning the national championship in the last five seasons. A fewer amount of points were awarded for success between six and 10 years ago.

D1 Baseball writers Aaron Fitt, Kendall Rogers, Mike Rooney, Joe Healy and Mark Etheridge made adjustments to the ranking based on evaluations of coaching staff quality and stability, facilities, scholarship/financial aid situation, conference dynamics, momentum, recruiting and player development proficiency.

LSU was followed in the Top 10 of the ranking by Tennessee, Florida, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Virginia, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Texas and Florida State.

LSU head coach Jay Johnson, the 2023 National Coach of the Year, has a proven track record of postseason success, explosive lineups and highly-ranked recruiting classes at the helm of the nation’s most storied college baseball program. LSU has won 137 games during Johnson’s three-season tenure, the third-highest win total in the nation over that span.

In just his second season, Johnson enhanced LSU’s elite legacy by guiding the Tigers to the 2023 College World Series title, marking the seventh National Championship in school history.

He has produced 12 Top 5 round and 16 Top 10 round draft choices at LSU, including the 2023 No. 1 overall selection, right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes (Pittsburgh), the 2023 No. 2 overall pick, outfielder Dylan Crews (Washington) and the 2022 No. 6 overall selection, infielder Jacob Berry (Miami).

LSU in 2023 became the first school in history to produce the first two selections in a single MLB Draft when Skenes and Crews were chosen Nos. 1 and 2. Each made his big-league debut in 2024, and Skenes became just the fifth rookie in MLB history to start on the mound in an All-Star Game.

At LSU, Skenes was the 2023 Dick Howser Award winner, presented to the nation’s best NCAA Division I player, and Crews was the 2023 recipient of the Golden Spikes Award, presented to the most outstanding player in amateur baseball.

An SEC-record 13 LSU players were selected in the 2023 MLB Draft, including five in the first three rounds.

LSU was in 2023 was No. 1 in the nation in runs scored (634) and in shutouts by its pitching staff (12). The Tigers finished No. 2 in the nation in homers (144), walks received (413), hit-by-pitches (143), on-base percentage (.432) and strikeouts pitched per nine innings (11.7).

The 2023 Tigers also led the SEC in 12 different offensive categories, and the LSU pitching staff established a school record with 798 strikeouts.

A total of nine LSU players were chosen in the 2024 MLB Draft, including eight pitchers, a mark that tied the SEC record for most pitchers drafted in a single season.

LSU in 2024 led the nation in strikeouts pitched with 733, and the Tigers finished No. 2 in the nation in shutouts (7), No. 4 in strikeouts per nine innings (11.5) and No. 9 in hits allowed per nine innings (7.83).

The 2024 Tigers also featured All-American third baseman Tommy White, who completed his career No. 8 on the NCAA Division I all-time home runs list with 75, and he was selected in the second round of the draft by the Oakland Athletics.

The 2025 LSU squad opened its six-week fall practice session on October 10, and the Tigers begin the regular season on February 14, when they play host to Purdue Fort Wayne in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field