LSU Baseball Racking Up the Postseason 2021 Awards
Though LSU's season came to a disappointing end in Knoxville, the Tigers have been on a tear in postseason awards recognition. Freshmen Dylan Crews and Tre Morgan proved to be two of college baseball's young stars in their first season with the program while veteran Landon Marceaux was among the most consistent pitchers in the SEC in 2021.
On Friday, Crews was named National Freshman of they Year by Perfect Game, just the latest on what's been a laundry list of accomplishments for the Tigers' stars. In addition to freshman of the year honor, Crews was named a third team All-American by National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and a first team Freshman All-American by the same group.
In his first season with the Tigers, Crews hit for an impressive .362 batting average with 18 homers, 42 RBI, 64 runs scored and 12 stolen bases. The 18 home runs were a program record by a freshman, five of which came in the postseason in the Eugene regional and Knoxville super regional.
Along with his counterpart Morgan, the two make for an exciting future for the LSU program after equally phenomenal seasons in year one in Baton Rouge. Like Crews, Morgan was alson named a first team Freshman All-American by the NCBWA, following up a Freshman All-American recognition last week from Baseball America.
Morgan batted .357 (89-for-249) on the year with six homers, 42 RBI, 64 runs scored and 15 stolen bases. He went back and forth between the leadoff and three hole spot throughout the season but also proved to be a difference maker at first base with highlight reel plays seemingly every game.
There aren't many players who can have the kind of impact Morgan did at first base, particularly as a freshman but at one point in the season, coach Paul Mainieri said that Morgan likely saved two or three runs per week off of some of the picks and stretches he made around the bag.
"I've always thought Tre' Morgan was going to be a good, clutch hitter for us," Mainieri said earlier this season. "He's had terrific at bats with runners in scoring position, terrific at bats when we've needed them the most, when we need a spark. He's just a really outstanding baseball player in every facet but what excites me is every day we go to the park and it seems like he does something new."
As for the junior Marceaux, the LSU ace received received third-team All-America honors from the NCBWA along with Crews. Marceaux posted a 7-7 record on the year with a 2.54 ERA and 116 strikeouts and helped LSU close out the regional in Eugene with a prolific 45 pitch relief outing after starting two days prior.
He was also a second team All-SEC honoree as Marceaux was No. 2 in the league in innings pitched, No. 6 in ERA and No. 6 in strikeouts and tied for first in starts. Likely viewed as an early round pick in next month's MLB Draft, Marceaux is expected to move on to professional baseball.