LSU Baseball Lands Shortstop From Texas State in the Transfer Portal

LSU baseball looks to have found its shortstop

Dawson Park stands ready in the infield | Courtesy of Texas State Athletics

LSU has landed its second commitment in the transfer portal: Shortstop Dawson Park out of Texas State.

Park batted .301 and had a .962 OPS as a sophomore in 2026. He hit 13 home runs and drove in 52 runs. On the defensive end, he had a fielding percentage of .957 and committed 10 errors.

Park only played 48 games with Texas State but started all of them. His season was cut short because he left the program in May after an on-field altercation with a teammate after a game in early May that led to the two having to be separated.

This is LSU's second addition in the portal after the Tigers added Gonzaga RHP Landon Hood Thursday night.

What Park's addition means for LSU

Jay Johnson walks back to his dugout before a 2026 game | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

LSU adding a shortstop as its first position player likely means that Steven Milam will indeed be departing for the MLB draft.

Park is going to be in a position battle with Jack Ruckert, who played second base at the end of 2026 and would likely look to get promoted to shortstop. Also, with Park's defensive stats in 2026, it could mean that LSU would still be in the market for another shortstop. You can never have too many of them.

LSU's infield still needs a lot of retooling, as Ruckert is likely the only piece that is nailed down. John Pearson is the likely option at third base, but unless his bat can improve even more ahead of his sophomore year, LSU coach Jay Johnson might look toward a third baseman in the portal.

The addition of Park also comes a year after the Tigers grabbed first baseman Zach Yorke in the portal who also left his prior team, Grand Canyon, in May of his final year. Yorke was supposed to be a big addition for LSU but did not pan out at all.

Park's addition likely stems from his upside on the offensive end, after his power increased a lot from his freshman to sophomore year. His 13 homers in 48 games this past year was an improvement from the two he hit his freshman year over 50 games.

Against SEC competition—two games against Texas and two games against Texas A&M—Park went a combined 4-16 with 5 RBIs and two walks to five strikeouts.

His strikeouts could be an issue, as he was rung up 52 times while walking on 25 occasions in 2026.