LSU Country

Jay Johnson, LSU Baseball In Contact With Big 12 Starting Pitcher in Transfer Portal

Johnson and Co. in contact with the talented Baylor transfer, sought-after target in the portal this summer.
Zack Nagy|
Courtesy of Baylor Baseball.

Jay Johnson and the LSU Tigers continue navigating a critical stretch in June with the program set to compete in the College World Series while working through the NCAA Transfer Portal market.

The Tigers will hop on a flight to Omaha (Neb.) on Wednesday with Game 1 of LSU's quest at a National Championship set for Saturday night against Arkansas.

But LSU will also be keeping in contact with multiple Transfer Portal targets this month with the staff looking to retool the roster ahead of next season.

The program has already see over a handful of players reveal their intentions of departing Baton Rouge via the portal with LSU now having roster spots to work with.

Now, the Tigers have reportedly been in touch with Baylor Bears weekend starter Carson Bailey.

Following an impressive freshman campaign for Baylor in 2025, Bailey elected to hit the portal and test the free agent market.

The left-hander tallied a 4.89 ERA in 53.1 innings pitched while striking out 56 batters on his way to a 3-3 record.

Bailey made 13 appearances during his freshman season in 2025.

He has a fastball that's reached 98 mph and handled business in the Big 12 as a weekend starter in his first season in Waco (Tex.).

Now, the Tigers have reported interest in the talented southpaw where he will be a coveted name in the portal market.

LSU has added a pair of newcomers to the 2026 roster to this point with the staff looking to reconstruct another College World Series caliber group.

The Newcomers: Brayden Simpson and Seth Dardar

Brayden Simpson: Infielder

The LSU Tigers landed a commitment from High Point infielder Brayden Simpson last week as the program's first portal addition.

Simpson, one of the top prospects in the NCAA Transfer Portal, is coming off of a career season in North Carolina.

The coveted infielder primarily handled business as a third baseman for High Point this past season where he shined for his Panthers squad.

Simpson had a dominant two-year stretch at High Point with his 2025 campaign quickly putting his name on the map.

He rounded out the season batting .389 with 22 home runs, 77 RBI and a .477 on base percentage this past season.

Simpson is a Swiss Army Knife in the infield and has also spent some time at first base in 2024 and second base in 2023. 

In 2024, the talented High Point transfer started in all 62 games where he batted .300 with 12 home runs and 45 RBI. He started in 58 games this year.

Seth Dardar: Infielder

Dardar, a Louisiana native, began his career at Columbia prior to making the move to join the Kansas State Wildcats.

During the 2025 season, he logged a team best .326 batting average with 18 doubles and a 1.065 OPS.

A consistent hitter, Dardar tallied 60 hits, 45 RBI and 13 home runs last season for his Wildcats squad.

The New Orleans (La.) Holy Cross standout started in 50 games for Kansas State on his way to becoming a coveted transfer in the portal.

Now, he's made his move. Dardar will head home to suit up for the Bayou Bengals in his final season of eligibility.

More LSU News:

LSU Football Wide Receiver Donating NIL Money Back to High School for Title Rings

LSU Football Holds Commitments From a Pair of Top-10 Wide Receivers in America

Brian Kelly's Take: LSU Football Searching for Ideal Starting Offensive Line Rotation

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Zack Nagy
ZACK NAGY

Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of LSU Country, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Tiger Football, Basketball, Baseball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving LSU athletics. 

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