Jay Johnson had made not-so-subtle sales pitches aimed at the NCAA Transfer portal at multiple stages of the postseason, and the early returns show they've been effective.
The Tigers have landed a trio of high-profile transfers in June, the most recent coming in the form of Alabama RHP Andrew Kade Woods, a Monroe native. Woods announced his transfer decision Friday evening, not long before his future squad was set to face off with another SEC power in Florida in the CWS title series.
Woods threw 29.1 innings out of the bullpen in the 2023 season with 5.52 ERA and 38 strikeouts. He noted that he was thankful for his time with the Crimson Tide, which lost to Wake Forest in the super regionals this past season, and noted LSU's head coach in his announcement, along with the hashtags "#BackToTheBoot" and #Homecoming."
"If you’re one of the best players in the transfer portal, there’s only one place to come play, because last summer I spent a lot of time with these young men, and I think they would tell you they made the right choice," Johnson said after a thrilling win over Wake Forest, referencing transfer stars Paul Skenes, Tommy White and Thatcher Hurd.
LSU's ace in Skenes, a transfer from Air Force, pitched on short rest and delivered a start for the ages with 8 shutout innings. Hurd, a transfer from UCLA, continued the shutout through the 11th inning. White, an NC State transfer, delivered a two-run, walkoff blast to win the game. The sales pitch seems fair whenever it's delivered.
Earlier in June the Tigers landed a commitment from LFP Justin Loer out of Xavier, as well as South Carolina 2B Michael Braswell.
Loer appeared in 44 games (4 starts) over two seasons with the Musketeers, accounting for 81.1 innings and with a career ERA of 2.43. His sophomore season was even more impressive, striking out 63 batters over his 56.0 innings with a 1.89 ERA and 7 saves.
Braswell appeared in 50 games over two seasons with the Gamecocks, batting .271 with 3 home runs and 50 RBIs.
The transfer portal has been a major tool for Johnson over his first two seasons in Baton Rouge, and that will likely continue to be the case, although it was supplemented this past season as well with the top-rated recruiting class. LSU will have to make some key replacements going into next season, including Skenes and superstar Dylan Crews, both expected to be top five picks in the upcoming MLB draft, along with 5th-year seniors Cade Beloso and Gavin Dugas, each in their final seasons of eligibility.
The Tigers and Gators match up in Game 1 of the three-game series to determine the national champion at 6 p.m. Saturday. It's a rematch of the 2017 title series, which the Gators swept in two games.
