LSU Baseball: A Dive Into the New-Look Pitching Staff, MLB Draft Questions

The Tigers return limited arms from a season ago, flaunt embarrassment of riches in the pitching arsenal.

Jay Johnson and the LSU baseball staff continue loading up on pitching talent via the NCAA Transfer Portal after securing seven arms this offseason.

Now, the new-look pitching staff is coming together with more moves set to be made in the next few weeks.

The 2024 MLB Draft is just days away and the Tigers have a few players who remain in question.

Will they get drafted and sign with a professional organization or return to school?

A look into the draft questions, returning talent and a dive into the portal haul:

Stay or Go?

Griffin Herring: LHP

LSU left-handed pitcher Griffin Herring remains the biggest question mark this offseason with the MLB Draft inching closer. He dominated to close out an impressive 2024 campaign with professional clubs taking notice.

He posted a 6-1 record and a 1.79 ERA for the Tigers this season, working 50.1 innings over 21 appearances (one start). He recorded six saves, 13 walks and 67 strikeouts while limiting opponents to a .215 cumulative batting average.

Herring has an 11-3 mark and a 2.66 ERA over his two-season LSU career with eight saves, 32 walks and 108 strikeouts in 84.2 innings (39 appearances, one start) while allowing a .226 opponent batting average.

Now, he'll sit back and see if a team matches his asking price with the chance to return to Baton Rouge if needed.

William Schmidt: LSU Signee

Schmidt, a Baton Rouge native, projects as a late first round selection in this year's MLB Draft. It remains unlikely that the Louisiana native makes his way to campus, but where he's selected will tell the story in 48 hours.

Returning Talent: Chase Shores, Kade Anderson and Jaden Noot

Chase Shores Recovering

Shores will return from Tommy John surgery after missing the 2024 season. Jay Johnson has raved about his impressive right-handed pitcher as he prepares for what many expect to be a huge season in Baton Rouge. Shores projects as a weekend starter in 2025 if all goes accordingly.

Kade Anderson: Left-Handed Pitcher

Anderson proved to be one of the more impactful freshmen in his first season with Johnson's squad. He started several midweek games for the Tigers and wrapped up year one with 18 total appearances with a 3.99 era in 38.1 innings pitched. Now, he looks to take a leap during the offseason and earn weekend starting duties in a loaded pitching rotation.

Jaden Noot: Right-Handed Pitcher

The former Top 50 prospect in America in the 2022 recruiting cycle elected to redshirt in 2023 during his first season with the program. Fast forward to year two in Baton Rouge and Noot appeared in just one game with the Tigers. Heading into his third season it'll be challenging to see impactful innings with development of the utmost importance. There's talent, but he'll look to grow as a player this offseason.

The Transfer Portal Haul:

RHP Anthony Eyanson: UC-San Diego

Eyanson served as the Tritons' Friday night starter in 2024 and ended the season with 82.0 innings pitched while tallying 85 strikeouts and a 3.07 ERA. He went 6-2 on the year in 14 appearances.

RHP Connor Benge: Dallas Baptist

Benge has topped out around the 97-98mph mark and gives pitching coach Nate Yeskie a piece to work this offseason. In 2024, He ended 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 logged a 4.58 ERA with 106 strikeouts on the season, but his room for improvement will come in the walk category after walking a whopping 76 batters. The command issues raise concerns, but when in a groove, Mayers is a dominant pitcher on the mound. He held his opponent batting averages to .170 over the course of his first two seasons with Nicholls State while adding impressive velocity.

RHP Luke Hayden: Indiana State

During the 2024 season, Hayden tallied 91 strikeouts in 78 innings pitched with a 3.81 ERA. The Indiana State stud adds to the Tigers' impressive Transfer Portal haul, becoming 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 racked up 41 strikeouts on the season during year two 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 logged 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 pitches has proven to be what makes him so lethal.

Jay Johnson's Offseason Thought Process:

“This is a new world for me,” Johnson said after the season. “When you look at a freshman pitcher like Kade Anderson, with the talent and competitiveness, the poise, and improvement, that’s something to get excited about. When you have Jake Brown, Steven Milam, Ashton Larson, I spoke a lot about those four guys throughout the year and that’s a great starting point for a sophomore class. Easily the best freshman class we’ve had in the three years I’ve been here in terms of what they contributed on the field. To lose a talent like Chase Shores and still have success, that’s a credit to our team. He’s rolling pretty good in rehab. He was throwing up to 97 miles per hour and we’re up to 13 months off the surgery.

“Obviously, there are some situations where guys are in between pro baseball and coming back. All of those guys will be welcomed back and have a place on our roster. Even with that, we have a lot of work to do to have the team we want to have. It will have a lot of high impact. I’m not so worried about the numbers. That’s where my head is at in terms of building the roster moving forward and at a place like LSU you can do that. It’s really fluid right now.”

Other LSU News:

LSU Football Surging for Top 10 Wide Receiver in America, Sets Decision Date

LSU Baseball Lands First-Round Talent via NCAA Transfer Portal

LSU Football Trending for Pair of Prized Defensive Backs

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Country: @LSUCountry_FN for all coverage surrounding the LSU program.