LSU Officially Announces Five Transfers Joining Program
Jay Johnson has officially announced the signings of five transfers headlined by North Carolina State's Tommy White. The transfers will suit up in the purple and gold for the 2023 season.
The additions to the LSU roster include right-handed pitcher Christian Little of Vanderbilt; third baseman Tommy White of North Carolina State; shortstop Carter Young of Vanderbilt; right-handed pitcher Thatcher Hurd of UCLA; and right-handed pitcher/utility player Paul Skenes of Air Force.
The news of Young heading to Baton Rouge is a big win for the program after he was selected in the 17th round of the 2022 MLB Draft. With questions concerning his arrival to LSU, those have now been answered with Johnson announcing he’ll head to campus.
“We are excited to welcome these five players to LSU Baseball,” Johnson said in a press release. “All five are great talents and solid people that will blend well with our returning players and incoming recruiting class in ability, chemistry and program fit. We are looking forward to the fall and preparing for the 2023 season. This is a great day for the Tigers.”
N.C. State transfer Tommy White hit .362 with 85 hits, 12 doubles, 27 home runs, 74 RBIs and a .757 slugging percentage, setting the NCAA freshman record for homers in a season. He had 26 multi-hit games and 19 multi-RBI outings, and he finished the year on a 26-game reached base streak.
Related: LSU Baseball Offseason Summary
White was named the ACC Freshman of the Year after a record breaking season with the Wolfpack.
The pair of Vanderbilt gems, Christian Little and Carter Young, provide the Tigers with two players who attain SEC experience. Young has the chance to give a boost defensively for LSU while Little will help this bullpen significantly.
Also a threat at the plate, Young blasted a team-high 16 homers and drove in 52 runs in 2022 for the Commodores.
Related: LSU Outfielder Gavin Dugas Officially Announces Return to Baton Rouge
UCLA transfer Thatcher Hurd had a dominant season for the Bruins before getting cut short due to a back injury. He posted a 2-0 record with a 1.06 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 34 innings while limiting opponents to a .138 batting average.
Hurd was the nation’s ninth-ranked pitcher and the No. 1 pitcher in the state of California coming out of high school.
The final piece to the puzzle comes in Air Force transfer Paul Skenes. The first-team All-American recorded a 2.96 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 85.2 innings (15 starts), limiting opponents to a .224 batting average.
Also a threat at the plate, Skenes hit .314 with 10 doubles, 13 homers and 38 RBI. In 2021, Skenes posted a 2.70 ERA while batting .410 with 11 homers and 43 RBI.
Related: LSU Baseball Adds First-Team All-American Paul Skenes
This LSU roster is shaping up to be something scary for the 2023 season. With five of the top players in the transfer portal suiting up for head coach Jay Johnson’s squad, this team has all the tools to be a force in the SEC next season.