LSU baseball coach Jay Johnson likes versatility on his roster, and that means several left-handed options with his pitching staff.
Johnson received commitments on Thursday from two left-handed pitchers who look to be intriguing pieces for the Tigers.
North Dakota State left-handed pitcher Danny Lachenmayer has committed to LSU after putting together a good season for the Bison, and he has experience pitching at Alex Box Stadium.
The All-Summit League pitcher from Minnesota went 2-4 with a 2.37 ERA during his freshman campaign. Lachenmayer threw 38 innings and struck out 46 and walked 18. Opposing hitters hit .192 against him.
North Dakota State played a pair of games against LSU in early March, and Lachenmayer pitched 1.2 innings against LSU and allowed two earned runs on one hit and suffered the loss on March 4th. During his appearance, he struck out Ethan Frey, Luis Hernandez, and Derek Curiel. He gave up a two-run double to Stevan Milam.
Johnson and pitching coach Nate Yeskie likely took note of Lachenmayer’s performance and stuff, and when he got in the transfer portal, they identified him quickly as a pitcher they need to have.
The other left-hander commitment out of the transfer portal is Ryler Smart from the Tennessee Volunteers. The six-foot-four left-hander from Pearland, Texas, did not pitch for the Vols during the 2025 season due to the arm injury.
Perfect Game ranked Smart as the 25th best left-handed pitcher in the country coming out of high school and the fifth best southpaw in Texas.
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Lachenmayer and Smart will join Cooper Williams, DJ Primeaux, and Conner Ware as left-handers on LSU’s staff.
The 2026 recruiting class for LSU also features left-handed pitchers Colton Christman from Las Vegas, Braxton Beaty from Texas, and Bradyn Cupit from West Monroe, Louisiana.