LSU Baseball: Tommy White Ready For New Chapter, Talks Transfer Decision
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With fall ball in the rearview mirror, LSU will now shift their focus to locking in for their 2023 season. For first-year Tiger Tommy White, it gives him the chance to continue preparing for what the SEC has to offer.
The North Carolina State transfer, and ACC Freshman of the Year, was sensational in his first season of college baseball, but now year two presents a different challenge.
White never imagined he’d end up in Baton Rouge, but once in the transfer portal, LSU Coach Jay Johnson put on his recruiting cap and reeled in the top player in the portal.
“I actually never thought I’d go to LSU. It was never on my radar, but Coach Johnson reached out and ended up coming to my house. It was awesome,” White said. “He’s a great guy. He showed me everything and put out a whole plan for me while I’m here. I took a visit here and fell in love with Baton Rouge so I ended up committing right away. I didn’t even take my other visits.”
Despite not having LSU on his radar upon entering the portal, once Johnson developed a plan for the slugger, who hit 27 home runs as a freshman, the decision was simple.
The chance to compete for a national title and play against elite talent on a routine basis was something White simply couldn’t pass up on.
“LSU is always in talks to win a national title. I knew that coming in here. I knew the history about this place,” White said. “We have all the tools to be a national team, no doubt, but we’ve also worked very hard… We’ve put in the time. This team is definitely a national championship caliber team, but there’s a lot more work to be done.”
The chance to represent a major brand comes with its perks and one of them is to play in Alex Box Stadium. With White’s first fall camp under his belt, he spoke highly of the opportunity to play in the prestigious stadium and what it means to him.
“I’ve imagined it already. It’s pretty crazy stepping out there. It’s crazy to think about, it’s like a Triple A stadium, it’s awesome,” White said of Alex Box. “You can’t get mad about two jumbotrons in the outfield. It’s pretty cool.”
White isn’t flashy. He isn’t loud. A player who sticks to his role, even if it means hitting 27 home runs in his first season of college baseball, he does what his coaching staff tells him to do.
“I just look to do a job. I just go up there, in whatever the situation is, and get my job done,” White said. “If it’s a ground ball to second base or I need to drive one. I don't think home runs, I think line drives up the middle.”
LSU attains one of the deepest rosters in all of college baseball. A “superteam” that has all the makings of putting together a dominant 2023 season, they’ll be led by both White and Dylan Crews to do the heavy lifting offensively.