Getting out of your box is hard for some people, especially for those who had success in an environment they’ve known their whole life. But starting LSU third baseman Trent Caraway embraces change.
Caraway has lived on the West Coast his whole life. He grew up in Southern California. The 6-2, 200-pound right-handed hitter was an outstanding high school baseball player and was named the Gatorade State Player of the Year in California after a senior season that saw him hit.462 with seven home runs, 11 doubles, and 20 RBIs. He also set the school record for hits in a season with 49, surpassing now Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis’ record of 45.
Caraway signed with Oregon State out of high school and played two seasons with the Beavers, helping OSU reach the College World Series in 2025.
Caraway had a monster postseason last spring and had three choices in front of him. Stay at Oregon State, enter the MLB draft, or enter the transfer portal and see what’s out there.
“After last year, I didn’t play to my level. I thought I needed another year of college to play at that level and be as pro-ready as possible. I just didn’t feel ready for the pro baseball stuff yet.”
He decided to enter the portal and quickly got a call from LSU coach Jay Johnson, who also recruited him out of high school.
“My dream is to be a Major League Baseball player,” Caraway said. “This was something I had to do, come out to Louisiana, prove it to myself, and win a national championship.”
Caraway hit .267 last season with 12 home runs and 47 RBIs. He hit half of his home runs in the NCAA Tournament and was named the Corvallis Regional Most Outstanding Player.
He’s ranked 87th on D1Baseball’s Top 100 College Prospects for the 2026 MLB draft.
Despite already making a name for himself as a good hitter, Caraway decided to change his swing. He had a toe step. Caraway would tap his front foot in the batter's box as the pitch was delivered, then take a more aggressive step towards the pitcher’s mound when he swung.
The toe tap has been eliminated from his swing, and Caraway says he’s calmer in the batter’s box.
“The fall was tough, the first three weeks I was struggling, then I got past that and started working towards the end of the fall, and I got a lot better when I went home for winter break and kept working on it, and I started seeing results,” said Caraway.
Caraway is expected to hit for a high average and double-digit home runs for the Tigers this season.
Don’t be surprised if he is LSU’s lead-off hitter. That’s what he did at Oregon State, but don’t be surprised if Johnson moves him around in the batting order. And it will not faze him one bit, because Caraway accepts change.