LSU Baseball: Pair of LSU Aces Selected in Second Round of 2024 MLB Draft
![Tigers starting pitcher Luke Holman 38 on the mound as the LSU Tigers take on the Vanderbilt Commodores at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge LA. Thursday, April 4, 2024. Tigers starting pitcher Luke Holman 38 on the mound as the LSU Tigers take on the Vanderbilt Commodores at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge LA. Thursday, April 4, 2024.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3000,h_1687,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/lsu_country/01j2t8h425qntznsrh1w.jpg)
LSU aces Luke Holman and Gage Jump came off the board on Sunday night after hearing their names called in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft.
Rounds 1-2 of the draft were conducted Sunday night in Fort Worth, Texas. Rounds 3-10 will be held starting at 1 p.m. CT Monday, and the draft will conclude Tuesday with Rounds 11-20 beginning at 1 p.m. CT. The draft rounds on Monday and Tuesday may be viewed on MLB.com.
Now, LSU's Friday and Saturday night starters are set to begin their professional journeys after being selected in Round 2.
Here is where the former LSU stars were drafted:
Luke Holman: No. 71 Overall to the Cincinnati Reds
Holman started his college career at Alabama before transferring to LSU for his junior season in 2024. In his lone year in Baton Rouge, the ace right-hander pitched 91.2 innings and had a 2.75 ERA in 16 starts. Holman allowed just six home runs and 33 walks with 127 strikeouts on the year.
Here's what MLB.com said of Holman prior to the 2024 MLB Draft:
“Holman’s fastball has dipped a bit in 2024, sitting at 92 mph and topping out at 94, but it plays better than its velocity because he commands it well and rides it at the top of the zone with quality induced vertical break. His best pitch is a low-80s slider that he also locates well and features two-plane depth. He also has an upper-70s breaking ball with similar shape and curveball velocity but doesn’t have the same feel for it or a sparsely-used mid-80s changeup with some fade and sink.
Holman has a high floor as at least a No. 4 starter because he throws consistent strikes with his two main offerings. He already shows aptitude for sequencing his pitches and mixing locations. He has a lean 6-foot-4 frame and more projection remaining than a typical college junior, so his stuff could get better.”
With the 71st pick in the 2024 Draft, the @Reds select @LSUbaseball right-handed pitcher Luke Holman, No. 45 on the Top 250 Draft Prospects list.
— MLB Draft (@MLBDraft) July 15, 2024
Watch LIVE: https://t.co/eLMJAXDe7Z pic.twitter.com/avUhOiddli
Gage Jump: No. 73 Overall to the Oakland Athletics
Jump will join teammate Tommy White in the Athletics minor league system after the pair of Tigers were selected by Oakland in the second round on Sunday.
Jump, a redshirt sophomore left-hander from Aliso, Calif., recorded a 6-2 mark and a 3.47 ERA in 83.0 innings this season (17 appearances, 15 starts) with 22 walks and 101 strikeouts while limiting opponents to a .218 batting average.
Jump finished No. 8 in the SEC in ERA and No. 8 in opponent batting average. He was voted to the SEC All-Tournament Team after defeating Georgia, working 7.0 innings and allowing one run on four hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.
He was voted SEC Pitcher of the Week on April 22 after a brilliant outing on April 19 at Missouri, as he fired a seven-inning complete game win and limited Mizzou to one run on three hits with one walk and a career-high 14 strikeouts.
Jump retired 12 of the final 13 batters he faced at Missouri, including 10 by strikeout. His 14 strikeouts marked the most by an LSU pitcher since Ty Floyd recorded 17 strikeouts versus Florida in the 2023 College World Series.
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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