Cade Kurland was one of the best players in the country in 2023 and probably didn’t see himself still playing college baseball in 2026, and possibly in 2027.
But after two injury-plagued seasons, Kurland is considering a fifth season of college baseball, and he plans to do it at LSU.
The Tampa native was a Freshman All-American in 2023 as he helped Florida reach the College World Series Championship Series versus LSU.
That season, Kurland hit .297 with 17 home runs and 50 RBIs. His on-base percentage was .404, and his slugging percentage was .555.
In the CWS championship series against the Tigers, he had five hits, including a home run.
Kurland helped Florida reach the College World Series again in 2024, but his numbers were not as good. He hit .245 with 14 home runs and 44 RBIs. His strikeouts went up to 73, and his on-base percentage fell to .346.
Then the injuries occurred. Kurland played in only 14 games in 2025 due to a season-ending shoulder injury, and in 2026, he missed a month with an oblique injury.
In 2026, Kurland hit .279 with 9 home runs and 33 RBIs in 49 games.
Following his redshirt junior season at Florida, it was expected that Kurland would move on to professional baseball.
And that still might happen, but LSU is also an option after committing to Jay Johnson and the Tigers on Thursday.
Kurland’s announcement that he plans to transfer to LSU gives him leverage before next month’s 2026 MLB draft.
If a team drafts him and gives Kurland a signing bonus that he’s looking for, he’ll sign with that team.
But if he ends up at LSU, it’s another nice addition out of the transfer portal for the Tigers. A veteran SEC second baseman who can hit with power and has 200 hits during his college career.
