LSU Country

LSU Baseball Lands Commitment From Coveted 2025 Shortstop Ethan Clauss

The former Texas A&M pledge flips to the Tigers, Jay Johnson remains hot on the recruiting trail.

Zack Nagy

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Jay Johnson and the LSU baseball staff remain hot on the recruiting trail after landing a commitment from coveted shortstop Ethan Clauss on Wednesday.

Clauss, the No. 1 rated prospect out of Nevada, revealed his pledge via social media with the Tigers adding one of the top infielders in the 2025 cycle.

The former Texas A&M commitment backed off of his pledge recently with Johnson and Co. swooping in to secure his services prior to his senior campaign.

Clauss has solidified his status as a Top 50 prospect in America after coming in at No. 42 overall, according to Perfect Game.

A sought after infielder, Clauss is coming off of a junior season where he torched at the plate, slashing .404/.493/.614 for Palo Verde (Nev.) in 2024.

Now, it's full steam ahead to his senior campaign after shutting down his recruitment and flipping his commitment to the Tigers.

Johnson and LSU remain hot on the recruiting trail after wrapping up the 2024 MLB Draft with significant additions to the roster.

LSU escaped the draft with three of the top 15 prospects in the 2024 recruiting class bypassing professional opportunities and heading to campus.

More on the trio of signees who formally withdrew from the MLB Draft and made the decision to take their talents to Baton Rouge:

Cade Arrambide: No. 1 Catcher in America

With Arrambide on board, the Tigers will have three of the top 15 players in the 2024 recruiting class on campus for the 2025 season with Arrambide joining William Schmidt and Derek Curiel.

Arrambide logged a .430 batting average with 12 home runs in his senior campaign for Tomball High in Texas.

The impressive two-way player also won the Gatorade Player of the Year in the Lone Star State and is has history with his strong arm behind the plate.

Arrambide was also the No. 1 high school catcher and a top-120 player overall in MLB.com's draft rankings. After not being selected in either Rounds 1 or 2, he made the decision to pull his name out and will make his way to Baton Rouge.

William Schmidt: No. 1 Right-Handed Pitcher in America

The No. 1 righty in the 2024 high school class, Schmidt was a projected first round draft selection on Sunday night.

He was rated as the No. 5 overall prospect and the top-ranked prospect in Louisiana. A Baton Rouge native, Schmidt will now suit up for the hometown purple and gold.

He's fresh off of a state championship with the Catholic High Bears that came in as the No. 1 baseball program in the country, according to MaxPreps.

The buzz over the last few weeks was that Schmidt would skip out on college and begin his professional career right out of high school. Instead, the prized prospect will fulfill his LSU commitment and stay home.

Schmidt is the highest ranked recruit to ever make it to LSU's campus.

Here is what MLB.com said of Schmidt’s game:

“Schmidt can spin his curveball at upwards of 3,000 rpm, and it’s an low-80s hammer that breaks so much that it often fools umpires as well as hitters. He has good command of a fastball that has gained 3 mph this spring, now sitting in the mid-90s and maxing out at 99 mph with carry and arm-side run. He rarely has needed a third pitch but shows some feel for a low-80s changeup with some sink.

Not only does Schmidt have some of the best stuff in the Draft, but he also generates it with ease and fills the strike zone. He still has room to add more strength to his wiry 6-foot-4 frame, so he could get better. He used to elicit comparisons to three-time All-Star Adam Wainwright, but now he’s better at the same stage of his career.”

LSU has pieced together an impressive pitching arsenal for the 2025 season with several players set to battle it out fot weekend starter duties.

Johnson and Co. have done it again on the recruiting trail with Schmidt now headlining an impressive group of high schoolers preparing to head to Baton Rouge.

LSU will have a pair of Top 10 overall prospects in the 2024 class make it campus with coveted outfielder Derek Curiel joining Schmidt. They will be roommates once both arrive at LSU.

Derek Curiel: No. 10 Player in America

The LSU signee announced his decision to bypass the 2024 MLB Draft via social media and will now prepare to make his way to Baton Rouge where he is set to enroll early this summer.

Johnson and Co. have continued retooling the roster this offseason via the NCAA Transfer Portal, and with Curiel now in the mix, LSU brings in a pivotal piece to the 2024 high school class.

The No. 117 overall prospect in the 2024 MLB Draft, according to MLB.com, the Tigers are bringing in an immediate impact player for the 2025 season.

Here's what Curiel's Draft Profile says:

"Curiel's bat to ball skills are excellent and he rarely strikes out... While Curiel is now mostly an average runner, he does have outstanding instincts that will let him play center field for a long time.

"That with his knack for finding the barrel gives him a pretty decent floor as a big leaguer, and there are some who think he might go on to LSU and come out as a high floor college hitter."

The LSU outfield now adds another critical piece to the future after true freshmen Jake Brown and Ashton Larson earned starting duties towards the backend of the season.

Now, throwing Curiel and others in the mix, the Tigers attain significant depth in the outfield for the 2025 season.

Other LSU News:

No. 1 Pitcher in America, LSU Signee William Schmidt Bypassing 2024 MLB Draft

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.

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Zack Nagy
ZACK NAGY

Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of LSU Country, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Tiger Football, Basketball, Baseball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving LSU athletics. 

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