LSU baseball coach Jay Johnson has been incredibly busy this summer.
The Tigers' season has been over for over a month, but Johnson has been hard at work rebuilding his team ahead of the 2024 MLB draft and the 2025 season.
Here's a look at where LSU's roster stands before the draft on July 14.
Catcher
Returning: None
Addition(s): Blaise Priester (JUCO), Cade Arrambide (freshman)
Draft watch: Arrambide and Priester
Gone: Brady Neal (Alabama transfer), Hayden Travinski (out of eligibility), Alex Milazzo (out of eligibility)
Breakdown: LSU probably needs another catcher, especially if Arrambide — the top high school catcher in the draft, according to MLB.com — goes pro.
Priester was a junior college All-American this past season. But after him, only Jared Jones and transfers Eddie Yamin (Dayton) and Luis Hernandez (Indiana State) have experience behind the plate. That trio only has eight combined appearances at catcher since 2023 — they're primarily first basemen.
First base
Returning: None
Additions: Luis Hernandez (transfer), Eddie Yamin (transfer), Trevor Schmidt (JUCO), Ryan Costello (freshman)
Draft watch: Jared Jones. Hernandez, Schmidt and Costello are also draft-eligible
Gone: None
Breakdown: Between Hernandez, Yamin and Schmidt, LSU added plenty of insurance in case its home run leader from a season ago — Jones — departs. Hernandez and Yamin combined to hit 36 long bombs this past season, while Schmidt blasted 13 homers.
Costello, the New Jersey high school recruit, also has a lot of power, cracking 14 homers in 48 at-bats this past spring.
Second base
Returning: Steven Milam
Additions: David Hogg (freshman), Michael Ryan (freshman)
Draft watch: Hogg and Ryan are draft-eligible
Gone: Ben Nippolt (eligibility)
Breakdown: Milam — who's playing with the USA Collegiate National Team this summer — should be a top of the order staple for the next two years.
Hogg and Ryan were invited to attend the MLB draft combine last month in Arizona. They're both primarily shortstops.
Shortstop
Returning: None
Additions: Hogg and Ryan
Draft watch: Michael Braswell
Gone: Austen Roellig (Utah transfer), Ryan Kucherak (transfer)
Breakdown: It wouldn't be a surprise if LSU added a shortstop from the transfer portal. But with Braswell open to coming back and Ryan and Hogg potentially in the fold, the Tigers are potentially set at the position.
However, if any of those three names head off to MLB — particularly Braswell — then the Tigers will have to add somebody.
Third base
Returning: None
Additions: Tanner Reaves (JUCO), Kale Fountain (freshman), Daniel Arambula (freshman)
Draft watch: Tommy White. Reaves and Fountain are also draft-eligible
Gone: None
Breakdown: Third base is arguably LSU's biggest need at the moment.
White is almost certainly off to the MLB as a projected first-round pick, meaning that Reaves is his replacement for now. Reaves can play seven positions, according to Johnson, but third base isn't his primary spot on defense.
Fountain is a top-125 prospect in the draft, per MLB.com, but would make a big leap from Nebraska high school ball to the SEC if he gets to Baton Rouge.
Outfield
Returning: Jake Brown, Ashton Larson, Ethan Frey, Mic Paul
Additions: Dalton Beck (transfer), Chris Stanfield (transfer), Derek Curiel (freshman), Konnor Griffin (freshman), John Pearson (freshman), Daniel Harden (JUCO)
Draft watch: Griffin is a projected top-10 pick. Josh Pearson, John Pearson, Beck, Stanfield, Curiel and Harden are also draft-eligible
Gone: Paxton Kling (Penn State transfer), Zeb Ruddell (Louisiana Tech transfer), Derrick Mitchell (transfer), Mac Bingham (eligibility)
Breakdown: LSU is all set in the outfield heading into 2025. It returns two late-season starters in Brown and Larson, and Frey showed promise at the plate this past year. Josh Pearson also could come back as a third-year starter.
Stanfield (Auburn) provides another option in center field. Beck (Incarnate Word) is primarily a designated hitter but can play a corner outfield spot. Hernandez, Reaves, Schmidt and Yamin also have outfield experience.
Curiel is technically draft-eligible, but the center fielder announced in June that he's coming to school. John Pearson, Josh's younger brother, is also expected to arrive at LSU.
Griffin is the only incoming player not expected to get to LSU. The National Gatorade Player of the Year is projected to be the first or second high school positional player picked in the draft.
Right-handed pitchers
Returning: Chase Shores, Jaden Noot
Additions: Chandler Dorsey (transfer), Zac Cowan (transfer), Deven Sheerin (transfer), Jacob Mayers (transfer), Luke Hayden (transfer), Connor Benge (transfer), William Schmidt (freshman), Mavrick Rizy (freshman), Casan Evans (freshman), Landon Victorian (freshman), Stunner Gonzales (freshman)
Draft watch: Fidel Ulloa, Gavin Guidry and Kade Woods. Cowan, Hayden, Schmidt, Rizy, Evans, Victorian and Gonzales are also draft-eligible
Gone: Sam Dutton (Auburn transfer), Micah Bucknam (Dallas Baptist transfer), Aiden Moffett (Texas transfer), Thatcher Hurd (transfer), Will Hellmers (eligibility), Christian Little (eligibility)
Breakdown: The Tigers are loaded with right-handed arms heading into 2025.
Shores returns from Tommy John surgery as potentially the staff ace. Noot — who was also a highly-regarded high school prospect — comes back after two injury-riddled years. Ulloa and Guidry may return after being in pivotal roles out of the bullpen at the end of the year. Woods is a Louisiana native who is likely to come back after only throwing 1⅔ innings last season.
Cowan (Wofford), Sheerin (Mount St. Mary's) and Mayers (Nicholls State) arrive at LSU as potential starters. Hayden (Indiana State) could get drafted but he also has starting experience. Benge (Dallas Baptist) and Dorsey (South Florida) have fastballs in the mid-90s out of the bullpen.
Rizy, Evans, Victorian and Gonzales provide LSU a strong stable of young arms for the future. Among them, Rizy and Evans were invited to the draft combine.
The newcomer least likely to arrive at LSU is Schmidt. The Catholic Baton Rouge High star is a projected first-round pick with a fastball in the upper-90s and a deadly curveball.
Left-handed pitchers
Returning: Kade Anderson, DJ Primeaux
Additions: Conner Ware (JUCO), Cam Caminiti (freshman), Boston Bateman (freshman)
Draft watch: Griffin Herring and Gage Jump. Caminiti, Bateman and Ware are also draft-eligible
Gone: Cam Johnson (Oklahoma transfer), Nic Bronzini (transfer), Javen Coleman (transfer), Justin Loer (transfer), Nate Ackenhausen (eligibility)
Breakdown: The Tigers are projected to have fewer left-handed pitching options than they had this past season.
Anderson and Primeaux are the only lefties on track to return. Herring's odds of coming back are a toss up, and Jump can return but almost certainly won't.
Ware provides some depth, but Bateman and Caminiti may not get to school as highly-touted draft prospects. Caminiti is projected to be the first high school left-handed pitcher selected and Bateman is a top-60 overall prospect in the draft, according to MLB.com.
LSU also has Beck and Brown — positional players who can step on the mound. Beck has pitched in each of his three seasons in college, and MLB had interest in Brown as a pitcher last year.