Baseball America continues its series of fall baseball updates with check-ins on reigning national champion LSU, a pair of SEC powers and more.
Checking In On LSU
Most things are easier to manage the second time around. That has been the case for LSU coach Jay Johnson, who again finds himself tasked with balancing celebration and preparation in the months following a national championship.
LSU won its second title in three years in June, placing Johnson in rare company among the 16 other coaches with multiple national crowns. The Tigers have since visited the White House, the governorâ€s mansion and participated in ring ceremonies and in-game celebrations across campus.
“Those guys deserved to be celebrated and we absolutely celebrated,†Johnson told Baseball America.
But each week removed from the championship, LSU moves one week closer to 2026. Johnson believes his team is capable of chasing glory again, and the fall season is a critical starting point.
“When weâ€re on the field, weâ€re on the field,” Johnson said. “And thereâ€s nothing to celebrate there anymore. Weâ€re solely focused on whatâ€s in front of us.â€
The Tigers are further along than the 2024 group that followed the programâ€s previous title. The returning talent is stronger this time, including multiple players with first-round potential across the next three draft classes.Â
At the same time, LSU once again enters a fall with significant pitching roles to define. The staff lost two of the most productive starters in college baseball in College Pitcher of the Year Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson, who ranked first and third in the nation in strikeouts. Replacing that level of impact is formidable, but LSU has already identified a group of arms that could help carry the load.
The most prominent candidate is sophomore righty Casan Evans, who served as a multi-inning, high-leverage reliever last season and earned Freshman All-America honors after posting a 2.05 ERA with 71 strikeouts and 19 walks in 52.2 innings. Evans works with a mid-to-upper-90s fastball and two strong secondaries in a mid-80s slider and a split-changeup in a similar velocity range. Both offspeed pitches produced whiff rates above 45% last year and were effective chase pitches. LSU has eased Evans into fall activity after his heavy usage last spring, but his fastball has sat near 97 mph in short work while the secondaries remain sharp.
Sophomore lefty Cooper Williams has taken a noticeable step forward and recently logged three scoreless innings against Samford. Johnson expects Williams to take on a significant role, whether in the rotation or bullpen.
There are several more notable pitching developments. Sophomore righty William Schmidt has run his fastball up to 99 mph with a quality slider. Righty Mavrick Rizy has shown a more complete arsenal and stronger command. Kansas transfer Cooper Moore has been “as advertised†in Johnsonâ€s view, providing a deep pitch mix and consistent strike throwing. A freshman group featuring Marcos Paz, Reagan Ricken and Zion Theophilus has also broken through. Paz, in particular, was described by Johnson as “absolutely electric†with a fastball up to 99 and a slider in the low 90s.
Marcos Paz had one of the most anticipated bullpens of the MLB Draft Combine.
The LSU commit was up to 95 and spun a slider close to 3,000 rpms 👀
He’s one of 10 day two notable performers: pic.twitter.com/vX2QhBmX61
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) June 19, 2025
Righty Deven Sheerin, who did not pitch in 2025 due to a knee injury, is back and has shown upper-90s velocity with strikes. Righty Grant Fontenot, who pitched sparingly last year, has also reached the upper 90s. Oregon transfer Santiago Garcia and Division II Angelo State transfer Dax Dathe have impressed as potential bullpen contributors.
LSUâ€s positional group is equally deep. Sophomore center fielder Derek Curiel, a 2026 first-round candidate, and sophomore catcher Cade Arrambide rank first and second in the programâ€s internal at-bat quality metric, respectively. Curiel has settled naturally into center field, where he will start, and Arrambide has taken control of the catching position with the expectation he becomes the primary backstop.
Chris Stanfield and Jake Brown have both produced this fall, with Stanfield showing more consistent impact through harder contact. Johnson said he views shortstop Steven Milamas one of the top players in the nation and added that heâ€s found more rhythm in his swing while bringing excellent contact skills, which he put on display last year.Grand Canyon transfer Zach Yorke has delivered quality swings with natural power. Oregon State transfer Trent Caraway has stood out defensively and is working through swing adjustments to enhance his offensive output.
Freshmen Mason Braun and Omar Serna have performed well early and appear positioned to contribute immediately. Both homered in a scrimmage against Samford.
LSU does not lack for depth, talent or competitive urgency. The Tigers are again managing the balance between the afterglow of a championship and the start of another trophy pursuit. Johnsonâ€s message is clear: The celebration phase is now over. The work of attempting to win a third title in four seasons has begun.
Arkansas Reloads As Pursuit Of First Title Continues
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn led the Razorbacks to their eighth College World Series appearance since 2003 last year, continuing a two-decade run of sustained excellence. But as the team enters its 24th season under Van Horn, Arkansas is still in search of its first national championship.
The Razorbacks will do so with a roster built to compete deep into June once again. This yearâ€s group blends top-end recruiting from both the high school and transfer ranks, even while Arkansas works to replace a considerable amount of departed talent.
The Razorbacks lost a nation-leading 10 players in the first 10 rounds of the draft, including four who came off the board within the first 45 picks: Gage Wood, Wehiwa Aloy, Zach Root and Charles Davalan. Managing that level of turnover requires both developmental continuity and portal success, and Arkansas has worked to build both.
Van Horn and his staff have strategically limited several core arms this fall to manage workloads, including Gabe Gaeckle, who opened last season in the rotation before emerging as the teamâ€s top reliever. Gaeckle has focused on strength and conditioning while slowly building his arm back up, and there is confidence he can hold a rotation role this spring.
Few portal additions in the country drew more attention than Vanderbilt transfer Ethan McElvain, who has validated the hype with strong fall outings. Van Horn noted his impressive poise and presence with a fastball in the mid 90s and improved control.
“He has a veteran presence about him,†Van Horn said.
A long list of arms has positioned Arkansas to maintain one of the deepest staffs in the SEC.
Oklahoma transferJackson Kircher brings a large frame and an upper-90s fastball while working to refine his offspeeds. Steele Eaves has been described as “rubber-armed†with a mid-90s sinker and quality slider. Tate McGuire has shown meaningful progress after uneven early results, while Cole Gibler may emerge as the teamâ€s top bullpen arm. Colin Fisher and Hunter Dietz are both healthy again, with Dietz running his fastball 95-100 mph alongside a sharp breaking ball. Freshman Mark Brissey has been a headline newcomer, sitting 96-99 with advanced pitch feel and early impact potential.
There is also plenty of potential impact at the plate. Portal additions Maika Niu (Marshall) and TJ Pompey (Texas Tech) are expected to play key roles, with Pompey likely to factor at shortstop or third. Freshman Carson Brumbaugh is pushing Pompey at short and has shown loud contact skills and a big arm, which also plays on the mound with upper 90s velocity. Returners Cam Kozeal and Reese Robinett have also performed well this fall.
The standout, however, has been catcher Ryder Helfrick, who Van Horn believes has first-round ability.
“Thereâ€s nothing he canâ€t do on the field,†Van Horn said. “He calls his own game, he hits for power, he doesnâ€t swing and miss. We couldnâ€t get him out. Iâ€ve had plenty of first-rounders here. I know what they look like. Heâ€s as good as any of them. We havenâ€t had a player look this good in the fall since Heston (Kjerstad), and he went pretty good.â€
Nolan Souza is on track after missing most of 2025 and has begun facing live pitching again. Kuhio Aloy missed most of the fall due to illness and lost significant weight, but he still homered in a fall game against Dallas Baptist and is expected to play both outfield and DH this spring.
Arkansas once again has the ingredients of an Omaha-caliber roster—rotation upside, bullpen depth, everyday lineup athleticism and multiple high-end draft talents. The pursuit of that first national title continues with a group capable of making another run.
Texas A&M Looking To Rebound After Falling Flat In 2025
The Aggies last year became the first preseason No. 1 team since Arizona State in the early 1990s to miss the NCAA Tournament entirely and the only team in the current postseason format to do so. The harsh face-plant led to immediate public scrutiny of first-year head coach Michael Earley, with a vocal portion of the fanbase calling for change. The administration, however, chose stability. Earley was retained for a second season, and his mission now is singular: prove they were right to trust him.
The first major move was staff reconstruction. Earley hired former Dallas Baptist assistant and program alum Cliff Pennington to oversee infield and baserunning, a move Earley described to Baseball America as already having a strong, program-wide impact.
Texas A&M then attacked the transfer portal with urgency and precision. The headliner is former Maryland shortstop Chris Hacopian, who was one of the most coveted players available. Hacopian produced standout contact and power metrics last season, including a 93 mph average exit velocity, 18% chase rate and 89% overall contact rate. Earley said he has brought advanced bat control and “effortless damage†to College Station in addition to great makeup and competitiveness. Ben Royo returns and freshman Boston Kellner has also pushed for playing time on the left side of the infield.
In the outfield, Caden Sorrell returns fully healthy after a hamstring injury limited a breakout sophomore season last year. He hit .337/.430/.789 with 12 home runs and five doubles in 26 games and now has his speed back at full strength. Third baseman Gavin Grahovac is also back after suffering a season-ending injury in early 2025. He has been cleared to hit in games with only sliding and diving currently restricted out of an abundance of caution.
Bear Harrison is expected to take a step forward after producing a 90 mph average exit velocity, 49% hard-hit rate and 20% chase rate last season. Baylor transfer Wesley Jordan and Florida Atlantic transfer Jake Duer have impressed with consistent line drive contact, and freshman Nico Partida has drawn immediate praise. Earley called him one of the best freshmen he has coached and expects him to play early and often. Arkansas transfer catcher Zane Becker has also played his way into a contributing role, with Earley noting he may be one of the most valuable under-the-radar additions to his team of the offseason.
Progress on the mound has been encouraging. Weston Moss and Shane Sdao headline the returning group, each moving from bullpen roles into likely rotation spots. Righty Clayton Freshcorn is “trending up†in Earleyâ€s assessment. Tennessee Tech transfer Juan Vargas has shown a riding fastball and strong early feel.
After a season defined by frustration and scrutiny, Texas A&M enters 2026 with urgency, renewed leadership and measurable roster improvement. The path forward is clear. Now the Aggies must deliver.
More Fall Ball Notes
- Arizona State lefthander Cole Carlon, the programâ€s expected ace, has impressed after a slower build-up early in the fall. ASU coach Willie Bloomquist told Baseball America that Carlonâ€s fastball regularly bumped 98 mph in an outing last week. Carlon also throws a slider with plus potential and is viewed by evaluators as a prominent draft prospect entering the season. He is not expected to pitch in ASUâ€s scrimmage at Cal Baptist on Nov. 8 but could see the mound the following week when the Sun Devils host Grand Canyon.
- UC Irvine ace Ricky Ojeda has been working through arsenal refinements in fall training. Anteaters coach Ben Orloff told Baseball America that Ojeda has experimented with higher slider usage in bullpen work and has also been developing a splitter. Orloff noted that it’s still unclear which adjustments will become staples, but the ongoing experimentation is noteworthy for the Anteaters†top draft prospect.
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