1 LSU LOUISIANA STATE
Last season: 40-27 (17-13 in SEC), lost in regional final. Final 2022 ranking: No. 24. Coach (record at school): Jay Johnson (40-22, one season).
THE GOOD NEWS
Good news abounded all off-season in Baton Rouge. While Jay Johnson lost both recruiting coordinator Dan Fitzgerald (Kansas) and pitching coach Jason Kelly (Washington) to head coaching jobs in the offseason, he hired Wes Johnson away from the Minnesota Twins to be his pitching coach and 2018 Assistant Coach of the Year Josh Jordan as his recruiting coordinator. He also landed the top-ranked recruiting class in the country—even after losing five commits on the first day of the draft—and the top-ranked transfer class in the sport. The newcomers include third baseman Tommy White (North Carolina State), the Freshman of the Year; two-time All-American righthander/slugger Paul Skenes (Air Force) and premium young pitchers like Thatcher Hurd (UCLA) and freshmen Jaden Noot and Chase Shores. All of that is on top of the fact that LSU returns center fielder Dylan Crews, the 2022 co-Southeastern Conference player of the year and the early favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the draft.
THE BAD NEWS
Denne historien er fra February 2023-utgaven av Baseball America.
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Denne historien er fra February 2023-utgaven av Baseball America.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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INDEPENDENT SPIRIT
Following the dissolution of the Pac-12, Oregon State embraces the uncertainty-and challenge of playing with no conference affiliation and remaining a national power
MLB FEELS THE LOSS OF MR. BASEBALL, BOB UECKER
Bob Uecker was never afraid to laugh at himself. His sense of humor endeared him to millions and earned him a place of reverence in the game, making his Mr. Baseball moniker entirely fitting.
BASEBALL LOSES RICKEY HENDERSON, ITS MAN OF STEAL
From roaming the hallways at Oakland Technical High to breaking records down the road at the Oakland Coliseum, left fielder Rickey Henderson personified the heart and grit of his home city.
A WINNING COMBINATION
More talent and better training methods have made college baseball a more attractive precursor to pro ball. Preseason No. 1 Texas A&M typifies this talent-rich new reality.
IT'S NOT HOW YOU START
Evidence mounts that baseball players, especially pitchers, should aim to peak around age 20
WHY COLLEGE BASEBALL COACHES ARE PURSUING OLDER ROSTERS
Nick Mingione was certain about two things heading into the 2023 season, his seventh at the helm of Kentucky's baseball program.
TWINSPIRATION
Witherspoon twins Kyson and Malachi draw inspiration from their determined single mother and each other as their baseball journey leads them to the front of Oklahoma's rotation
SURVIVE AND ADAPT
To be a college baseball coach is to be at the whim of the money-making sports, football and basketball. Success in such an environment is dependent on resiliency and malleability.
INDEPENDENT/PARTNER LEAGUES PLAYER OF THE YEAR ADAM FOGEL, MISSOULA PADDLEHEADS
Adam Fogel sets the Pioneer League home run record in a season to remember
MINOR LEAGUE EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR MIKE ABRAMSON, HARTFORD YARD GOATS
Hartford GM Mike Abramson’s tireless dedication has made the Yard Goats one of the best tickets in the minor leagues
