Coveted LSU Baseball Pitcher Reveals Return to the Tigers for 2026 Season

LSU right-handed pitcher Zac Cowan will return for the Tigers next season after revealing his intentions to run it back on Monday.

Cowan transferred to LSU prior to the 2024 season following an impressive two-year stint with the Wofford Terriers on the East Coast.

The 5-foot-11, 203-pounder wrapped up his third season of college ball in 2025 where Cowan logged a 2.94 ERA in 22 appearances with 52.0 innings pitched.

He compiled 60 strikeouts while working out of the bullpen during most of his time with the Tigers across the 2025 season.

Back at the Box in 2026….Huge for the Tigers! Proud of you Zac! Let’s Geaux! https://t.co/e3LXIQt7T3
— Jay Johnson (@LSUCoachJ) July 15, 2025

Now, Cowan is back in the purple and gold with Jay Johnson's program returning another talented piece with significant experience on the bump.

The LSU Additions [4]: Portal Newcomers on the Mound

No. 1: Danny Lachenmayer - Pitcher [NDSU]

Lachenmayer, a coveted freshman in the NCAA Transfer Portal, selected the National Champion LSU Tigers over the Arkansas Razorbacks after visiting Fayetteville last week.

The talented southpaw was used as a relief option in 2025 for the Bison where he made 24 appearances and recorded nine saves for North Dakota State.

Lachenmayer pitched 38 innings with a 2.37 ERA, 56 strikeouts, 18 walks and a .192 batting average against him during his freshman campaign.

No. 2: Ryler Smart - Pitcher [Tennessee]

Smart, a Top-25 rated left-hander in the 2024 Recruiting Cycle, signed with the Volunteers after prepping at Pearland (Tex.).

The 6-foot-4, 236-pounder redshirted during his lone season in Knoxville after recovering from injury.

Smart was rated as the No. 183 overall prospect in the 2024 Recruiting Cycle and the No. 25 left-handed pitcher prior to signing with the Volunteers.

Now, he heads to Baton Rouge after committing to Johnson and Co. following a visit with the program this week.

No. 3: Santiago Garcia - Pitcher [Oregon]

Garcia, a relief pitcher for the Big Ten program in 2025, handled business with the Ducks during his lone season in Eugene (Ore.).

The talented southpaw appeared in 22 games in 2025 for the Ducks where he finished with a 3-0 record and an ERA of 4.18.

Garcia also recorded four saves where he served as one of the team’s relief pitchers; getting 28.0 innings of work to throw 38 strikeouts to only 18 walks.

Prior to making his way to join the Oregon Ducks, Garcia spent one season at Central Arizona Community College where he pitched 23.2 innings with a 3.04 ERA, striking out 38 batters.

LSU has now added three left-handed pitchers via the NCAA Transfer Portal with Johnson and Co. attacking the free agent market.

No. 4: Dax Dathe - Pitcher [Angelo State]

Dathe, one of the top pitchers at the Division II level, will spend his final season of eligibility with the defending National Champions next spring.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder will exercise his seventh season of eligibility after an impressive stint with Angelo State.

Dathe capped off the 2025 season with 15 appearances with 13 starts for his Division II program while rounding out the year with a 2.99 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 72.1 innings pitched.

He allowed 53 hits, 31 walks and a .206 opponent batting average.

Across two seasons with the program, Dathe logged a 4.00 ERA with 208 strikeouts where he'll look to translate his success to Baton Rouge.

More LSU News:

The Buzz: LSU Football Trending for Multiple Targets on the Recruiting Trail

LSU Baseball's Derek Curiel Named D1 Baseball's National Freshman of the Year

LSU Football Beats Out Texas Longhorns and Florida Gators for Five-Star EDGE

Join the Community:

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU Tigers.