LSU Baseball Hires Nate Yeskie As Pitching Coach

Just days after taking home the 2023 National Championship, Head Coach Jay Johnson has found his next pitching coach. LSU has hired Nate Yeskie to join Johnson’s staff as the Tigers prepare for an important offseason, according to D1 Baseball's Kendall Rogers.

Yeskie, who spent time on Johnson’s coaching staff where the two worked side-by-side with the Arizona Wildcats, reunites with Johnson in Baton Rouge as this program dials in this summer.

The highly respected assistant coach comes to LSU from Texas A&M where he placed an emphasis on left-handed pitchers during his time in College Station.

Yeskie compiled nine southpaws on his roster in 2023, making it a point of emphasis within his pitching rotation.

For Johnson to get Yeskie back on his coaching staff is a major win for this program moving forward given the success the two had together while in Tucson.

“I couldn’t be more excited to add Nate Yeskie as our new pitching coach,” Johnson said in a press release. “Nate has an unmatched track record in college baseball for pitching coaches relative to developing pitching talent for professional baseball, College World Series trips, and winning in general. His coaching acumen is very complete and current, and future pitchers at LSU will develop to their highest potential because of the opportunity to work with Coach Yeskie.

“Nate is the perfect coach to lead a great group of returning pitchers in the 2024 season. This is another great step for LSU Baseball coming on the heels of a seventh National Championship. Adding Coach Yeskie is a great first step toward working for No. 8!”

The elite recruiting ability of Johnson paired with Yeskie’s ways of getting the best out of his pitchers, it could be a match made in heaven for LSU.

While with Arizona, Yeskie played a pivotal role in helping the Wildcats drop their ERA from 6.21 to 3.87 and opponent batting average from .287 to .212.

Yeskie’s coaching experience gives the Tigers a seasoned veteran who’s proven his success at the collegiate level. Prior to his time with Texas A&M and Arizona, Yeskie spent 11 seasons with Oregon State where he helped lead the Beavers to a title in 2018 while taking home D1 Baseball’s Assistant Coach of the Year in 2017.

The addition of Yeskie fills the void of former pitching coach Wes Johnson, who accepted a head coaching gig with the Georgia Bulldogs prior to the Tigers punching their ticket to Omaha.

[Wes] Johnson remained with the program during their National Championship run where he led the charge in the Tigers’ pitching rotation hitting their stride late.

LSU has their guy in Yeskie as they prepare for a major offseason in search of winning back-to-back titles.