LSU Baseball: Pitcher Bryce Collins Steps Away From Program
LSU right-handed pitcher Bryce Collins will not return to Jay Johnson's program for the 2024 season and will explore other options following graduation.
Collins' departure was first reported by The Daily Advertiser.
Johnson and Collins have been on the college baseball journey together for quite some time. The two go back to when Coach Johnson was recruiting his right-hander out of high school, and after Collins' fifth-year, their bond is inseparable.
“I absolutely love him,” Johnson said after the Kentucky series in 2023. “I don’t think I’ve had a player I’ve recruited for four years and coached for five, and he can actually come back for a sixth, so let’s see how he feels about that."
The definition of a picturesque teammate, Collins became a leader in LSU's locker room. The "old head" on the National Championship squad, he embraced his role and contributed to the success of this team.
“It’s the belief in the next person no matter what situation we get in. Whoever comes into that situation next, that person believes in them and it’s just passing the torch to that next guy," Collins said. "I think we’ve done a really good job of that and the support from each other is there.”
Collins posted a 9.18 ERA in 16.2 innings pitched for the Tigers during the 2023 season.
In 2022, Collins held a 3.62 ERA in 32.1 innings pitched in his first year with the Tigers.
Collins followed Johnson to LSU from Arizona where he started in four games with a 5.24 ERA in 22.1 innings pitched as a freshman in 2019. Now, he will look to hopefully earn an opportunity at the professional level after graduating from LSU.