LSU Baseball Lands Commitment From Coveted Transfer Pitcher

LSU baseball made a splash in its first transfer portal commitment of the 2026 offseason. And it comes at a much-needed position.

That commitment was from Gonzaga relief pitcher Landon Hood, per Kendall Rogers of D1 Baseball.

The to-be sophomore right-handed pitcher has the intangible tools and stuff to be successful at the highest level of college baseball. And he'll have a chance to prove that at LSU in 2027.

The Stuff Is Good

Tigers pitching coach Nate Yeskie visits the mound as the LSU Tigers take on the Arkansas Razorbacks. Sunday, May 11, 2025. | SCOTT CLAUSE / USATODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LSU pitching coach Nate Yeskie should be very happy with Hood.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound reliever is coming off an unreal two-year stretch of high school and collegiate baseball.

At the end of his high school career, Hood was named the 2025 Gatorade Player of the Year for the State of Arizona. He was also named to First Team All-State, the State Player of the Year and the Regional Player of the Year for Arizona.

WHy? Because Hood threw 17 complete games his senior year and collected 138 strikeouts to only 10 walks while producing a 0.98 ERA on the season.

Out of high school, he didn't generate the same buzz he does now, appearing in Perfect Games' 2025 rankings as the No. 500 high school recruit and No. 35 in the state of Arizona.

His pitch mix was ordinary. The velocity was average.

Before his senior season, Hood's max fastball velocity was 88 miles per hour, and his go-to changeup was in the low 70s.

But that all changed in his final high school season, and while he was at Gonzaga.

Now, the fastball tops out at 97, with the changeup generating a 53% whiff rate sitting in the upper 70s. His stuff is nasty now.

Most of the time, that kind of velocity jump brings control issues. But that's not the case.

He actually struck out 78 batters while walking just 21 hitters across 54.1 innings in 16 appearances.

His .162 batting average against was the second-best in a single season in Gonzaga history, only behind Casey Legumina, who is now a Tampa Bay Rays reliever.

In his freshman campaign, he posted a team-best 2.48 ERA while recording five saves and three wins.

His Role in 2027

Apr 28, 2026; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Louisiana State Tigers head coach Jay Johnson looks at the stands before a game against the Southeastern Louisiana Lions at Alex Box Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Hood comes to LSU as an answered prayer.

LSU struggled religiously with pitching in 2026, especially out of the bullpen.

With all three of LSU's weekend rotation likely to stay in Baton Rouge in 2027, Hood will be a really strong option for Johnson to turn to out of the bullpen on weekends.

Hood's velocity and frame are similar to Deven Sheerin's, but only scaled down a little bit.

For Johnson, Sheerin was a go-to call from the bullpen when LSU needed instant relief. Hood has all of the tools to cement himself into that role for the Tigers in 2027.

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