LSU Baseball Transfer Target Commits to Georgia Bulldogs Over Tigers and Arkansas

Jay Johnson and the LSU Tigers have reloaded the roster in Baton Rouge following a National Championship victory in 2025.

The staff in the Bayou State has attacked the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason with near double-digit additions to this point via the free agent market.

But Johnson and Co. remain active after keeping tabs on the top-ranked available pitcher.

The LSU Tigers continue battling for Stanford right-handed pitcher Joey Volchko with the program firmly in the mix heading into the weekend.

Volchko, Baseball America's No. 15 overall prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft, is the top prospect available in the NCAA Transfer Portal.

The Stanford transfer ended the 2025 season with a a 6.01 ERA across 15 starts while logging 70.1 innings of work.

Volchko struck out 56 batters and walked 34 in that span as he continued his growth down the stretch of the season.

In what became a battle between the LSU Tigers, Arkansas Razorbacks and Georgia Bulldogs, one program has now won out in the "Volchko Sweepstakes" on Saturday.

Wes Johnson and the Georgia program have landed a commitment from Volchko, according to multiple reports.

Volchko could be a massive pickup for @BaseballUGA. He’s got insane arm strength, but consistency will be the key. Fascinated to see him under the direction of Wes Johnson. https://t.co/CDxiMyzyhZ
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) July 20, 2025

For the Tigers, LSU has signed three left-handed pitchers in the free agent market alongside new Kansas transfer Cooper Moore.

The Pitching Staff Additions: Tigers Cruising in the Portal

No. 1: Danny Lachenmayer - Pitcher [NDSU]

Lachenmayer, a coveted freshman in the NCAA Transfer Portal, selected the National Champion LSU Tigers over the Arkansas Razorbacks after visiting Fayetteville last week.

The talented southpaw was used as a relief option in 2025 for the Bison where he made 24 appearances and recorded nine saves for North Dakota State.

Lachenmayer pitched 38 innings with a 2.37 ERA, 56 strikeouts, 18 walks and a .192 batting average against him during his freshman campaign.

No. 2: Ryler Smart - Pitcher [Tennessee]

Smart, a Top-25 rated left-hander in the 2024 Recruiting Cycle, signed with the Volunteers after prepping at Pearland (Tex.).

The 6-foot-4, 236-pounder redshirted during his lone season in Knoxville after recovering from injury.

Smart was rated as the No. 183 overall prospect in the 2024 Recruiting Cycle and the No. 25 left-handed pitcher prior to signing with the Volunteers.

Now, he heads to Baton Rouge after committing to Johnson and Co. following a visit with the program this week.

No. 3: Santiago Garcia - Pitcher [Oregon]

Garcia, a relief pitcher for the Big Ten program in 2025, handled business with the Ducks during his lone season in Eugene (Ore.).

The talented southpaw appeared in 22 games in 2025 for the Ducks where he finished with a 3-0 record and an ERA of 4.18.

Garcia also recorded four saves where he served as one of the team’s relief pitchers; getting 28.0 innings of work to throw 38 strikeouts to only 18 walks.

Prior to making his way to join the Oregon Ducks, Garcia spent one season at Central Arizona Community College where he pitched 23.2 innings with a 3.04 ERA, striking out 38 batters.

LSU has now added three left-handed pitchers via the NCAA Transfer Portal with Johnson and Co. attacking the free agent market.

No. 4: Cooper Moore - Pitcher [Kansas]

The Tigers added Kansas right-handed pitcher Cooper Moore to the portal haul after he went public with a decision to join the defending National Champions on Wednesday.

The Big 12 transfer is coming off of a standout sophomore campaign where he logged a 3.96 ERA, 85 strikeouts and 19 walks over 88.2 innings.

The LSU Tigers Portal Haul [9]:

- INF Brayden Simpson: High Point
- INF Seth Dardar: Kansas State
- LHP Danny Lachenmayer: North Dakota State
- LHP Ryler Smart: Tennessee
- LHP Santiago Garcia: Oregon
- RHP Dax Dathe: Angelo State
- INF Trent Caraway: Oregon State
- 1B Zach Yorke: Grand Canyon
- RHP Cooper Moore: Kansas

More LSU News:

LSU Football Wide Receiver Donating NIL Money Back to High School for Title Rings

LSU Football Holds Commitments From a Pair of Top-10 Wide Receivers in America

Brian Kelly's Take: LSU Football Searching for Ideal Starting Offensive Line Rotation

Join the Community:

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU Tigers.