Freshman Phenom Paxton Kling Ready For SEC Play, Level Up In Competition

Kling has asserted himself as one of the top youngsters on this team, dominated non-conference play.

LSU outfielder Paxton Kling came to LSU looking to prove that a small town kid from Pennsylvania could compete with the top talent the SEC has to offer. This weekend against Texas A&M he’ll get his first taste of just how deep that talent pool truly is.

When talking about two of the top teams in the conference, LSU and Texas A&M are immediate programs that are listed.

For Kling, heading up to College Station this weekend will have a different feel. When going through the recruitment process, his decision came between both the Tigers and the Aggies. 

Now going back to a place he almost called home, it gives him the chance to see people he built relationships with over time.

But College Station isn’t home. Baton Rouge is. Kling made sure to emphasize that and just how different the air is in Louisiana. It wasn’t the easiest of decisions to choose LSU, but Head Coach Jay Johnson sure helped the Tigers’ cause.

Kling decommitted from LSU when Jay Johnson got the job initially. He wanted to get the full Johnson experience knowing how gifted of a recruiter he is.

“He said I’m gonna recruit you and that’s what I wanted,” Kling said. “I’m happy I did it because I’ve got a great relationship with Coach Johnson now. He continued to recruit me hard and made it an easy decision for me.”

Now in Baton Rouge, Kling has leveled up. He’s batting leadoff for the No. 1 team in the country and showing he’s got next in the purple and gold. When going up against a talent like right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes daily, it makes you a better player naturally standing in the box.

“It’s just playing good competition all the time," Kling said. "Coming from Pennsylvania, we saw 65 to 70 every game. Now I’ve seen 90 to 99, Paul Skenes hit 100 so it’s fun to see that and compete against other teams, getting used to it and being consistent with it."

The Tigers will lace up their cleats and hit the road to Texas A&M this weekend where Kling, along with his gifted freshman class, will get the chance to experience their first road SEC series in front of an electric Aggie fan base.

“It’s a great league. The quality of the teams, coaches, players, environments is the top of college baseball and by a significant margin,” Head Coach Jay Johnson said of the SEC talent pool. “It’s exciting and I know our players are looking forward to it. It’s time to go.”