LSU Baseball Pitching Staff Shows Off Embarrassment of Riches

Jay Johnson has once again worked his magic this offseason with the LSU Tigers, who have overhauled their roster for the 2025 season.

The group will have an entirely new look, with double-digit additions to the pitching staff, but the Tigers will have a key member back in the rotation in 2025: Chase Shores.

Shores, a player eligible to start Friday night, will make his long-awaited return after missing the 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery.

Now he is one of three returning pitchers from the 2024 roster.

Who will LSU bring in this offseason? Which newcomers could make an immediate impact?

Meet the newcomers:

The 2024 signatories: William Schmidt and Cooper Williams

William Schmidt: No. 1 RHP in America

Schmidt, the right-handed player from the high school class of 2024, was selected in the first round of the draft on Sunday night.

He was rated the No. 5 overall prospect and the highest-ranked prospect in Louisiana. Schmidt, a Baton Rouge native, will now play for his hometown’s purple and gold jersey.

He just won a state championship with the Catholic High Bears, which MaxPreps ranked as the best baseball program in the country.

In recent weeks, rumors have swirled that Schmidt would skip college and go straight out of high school to pursue his professional career. Instead, the highly regarded prospect will honor his LSU commitment and stay home.

Schmidt is the highest-ranked recruit to ever land on LSU’s campus.

Cooper Williams: #12 LHP in America (#73 overall)

The 6-foot-3 left-handed pitcher, a longtime prospect for the Aggies, is an addition to the all-star roster for 2025, with Johnson and co. having assembled an impressive arsenal of pitchers for next season.

Williams wrote on social media: “After much prayer and discussion with my family and those close to me, I have decided to withdraw from Texas A&M and spend the next 3 years at LSU. I am eager to continue this next chapter of my life in Baton Rouge, Let’s Geaux!”

He is ranked 73rd overall among players in the 2024 cycle and 12th among left-handed pitchers in America.

Given the recent changes in College Station, Williams has re-evaluated his options and is now headed to Baton Rouge for the next three years.

According to Perfect Game, Williams is a “young, muscular lefty with a lot of projection. Up to 93 mpg at PG national with a big slider and change up. Starter profile.”

Williams joins a revamped pitching staff that features some impressive faces ready to come to Baton Rouge.

Next season, Baton Rouge will have an entirely new roster with an entirely new pitching rotation.

The Transfer Portal acquisition:

RHP Anthony Eyanson: UC-San Diego

Eyanson was the Tritons’ Friday night starter in 2024 and finished the season with 82.0 innings pitched, 85 strikeouts and a 3.07 ERA. He went 6-2 on the year in 14 appearances.

RHP Connor Benge: Dallas Baptist

Benge has maxed out at around 97-98 mph, giving pitching coach Nate Yeskie a lot to work on this offseason. In 2024, he finished the season with a 5.73 ERA and 35 strikeouts on the year in 33.0 innings of work.

RHP Jacob Mayers: Nicholls State

In 2024, Mayers posted a 4.58 ERA with 106 strikeouts on the season, but his room for improvement will be in the walk category after walking a whopping 76 batters. The command issues are a concern, but when he’s in a groove, Mayers is a dominant pitcher on the mound. He held opposing batters to a .170 average over the course of his first two seasons at Nicholls State while adding impressive speed.

RHP Luke Hayden: Indiana State

During the 2024 season, Hayden recorded 91 strikeouts in 78 innings with a 3.81 ERA. The Indiana State star adds to the Tigers’ impressive Transfer Portal haul and is the fifth addition in the last seven days.

RHP Chandler Dorsey: South Florida

During the 2024 season, the prized righty went 2-1 with eight saves and a 3.60 ERA (12 ER/30.0 IP) with a 1.20 WHIP. He also collected 41 strikeouts on the season during his second year with the Bulls.

RHP Zac Cowan: Wofford

The All-SoCon right-handed pitcher went 10-2 with 124 strikeouts and 29 walks in 110 innings at Wofford this spring. Cowan also boasts a 3.35 ERA after dismantling opponents during the 2024 season with the Terriers.

RHP Deven Sheerin: Mount St. Mary’s

Sheerin posted a 4.76 ERA in 2024 with 109 strikeouts, 32 walks, 10 HBP and 37 earned runs in 70 innings pitched. The numbers speak for themselves, but Sheerin’s arsenal of pitches has proven to be what makes him so deadly.

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