LSU baseball has landed its first major transfer of the Jay Johnson era, but will more follow suit?
All-American infielder Jacob Berry chose LSU as his transfer destination over the weekend, one of an astounding 20 Wildcats players to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal following Johnson's departure, according to reports. Players had until July 1 to enter the transfer portal while remaining eligible for the 2022 season.
Berry is a notable addition for the Tigers, with Berry batting .353 with 70 RBIs and 17 home runs as a freshman. Berry netted All-America honors from multiple publications and is set to join an impressive group of rising sophomores at LSU, including outfielder Dylan Crews and 1st baseman Tre' Morgan in already.
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Berry is listed as a 1st and 3rd baseman, though he's unlikely to displace Morgan on the right side of the infield. He could also serve as a DH option, which he did regularly at Arizona.
In posting the news, Berry said he was excited to be "following [Johnson] to the SEC] and to "wear the iconic purple/gold" at LSU.
The Tigers already had the No. 4-ranked recruiting class, according to PerfectGame.org, before infielder Mikey Romero flipped his commitment from Arizona to LSU in the hours following Johnson's decision to change schools.
What remains to be seen is how many players from the current roster and recruiting class, all brought to Baton Rouge under Mainieri, decide to depart for other programs or the MLB draft, scheduled for mid-July. The lone transfer thus far is Zach Arnold, though he has not yet chosen a transfer destination. Johnson said the decision was largely based on logistical circumstances, and could potentially land back on LSU's roster.
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