Mik’d Up! With Mikie Mahtook & Jared Mitchell

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Is The Loss of LSU Baseball's Marcos Paz A Direct Result Of Texas A&M's New Hire To Recruiting Staff. The departure of freshman right-handed pitcher Marcos Paz from the LSU Tigers baseball program is directly tied to a combination of Texas A&M's revamped coaching hires and LSU's crowded starting rotation.When Paz entered the NCAA transfer portal, insiders immediately named the Texas A&M Aggies as the heavy favorites to land the Texas native. This roster movement is heavily influenced by staff changes in College Station alongside internal depth charts in Baton Rouge:1. The Nolan Cain & Barry Enright Effect at Texas A&M. Texas A&M head coach Michael Earley completely overhauled his staff by making two major hires that altered the recruiting landscape:Nolan Cain: Texas A&M brought back Nolan Cain as Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator. Cain is widely regarded as one of the most elite recruiters in college baseball and formerly served as LSU's recruiting coordinator under Paul Mainieri. His deep ties to Louisiana and Texas prospects make Texas A&M an instant threat to lure players out of Baton Rouge.Barry Enright: The Aggies also hired MLB pitching coordinator Barry Enright as their new Pitching Coach. Enright’s background in professional player development is a massive drawing card for a high-ceiling pitcher like Paz who is still recovering from a high school Tommy John surgery and looking to maximize his MLB draft stock. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Three Core Changes Impacting College Baseball Ban on High School Draftees: Under the proposal, high school players would no longer be eligible for the domestic draft. Every graduating senior must head to college or the junior college ranks first.Earlier College Eligibility: Four-year college players would become draft-eligible after their sophomore seasons instead of their junior years.Shortened 12-Round Draft: Shrinking the draft from 20 rounds to 12 eliminates roughly 240 professional selections per year, forcing an immense amount of depth back into the collegiate system.The Impact on LSU: Roster Upgrades vs. Parity Bottlenecks Guaranteed Arrival of Elite Commits: Historically, LSU's primary recruiting battle is not against other college programs, but against MLB signing bonuses. In a typical cycle, several of head coach Jay Johnson's highest-rated high school signees opt to go pro instead of arriving in Baton Rouge. If high schoolers are barred from the draft, LSU's roster would immediately lock in 100% of its top-tier high school recruiting classes.The "Super Sophomore" Roster Turnover: While LSU gains immense freshman classes, they would only hold onto those elite players for two seasons instead of three. High-end talent would leave for the MLB draft a year earlier, leading to highly accelerated roster turnover and making long-term roster construction more volatile.The Roster Crunch and Talent Spillover: The NCAA currently restricts baseball rosters to 35 players. With hundreds of elite high school phenoms and displaced late-round players flooded into the college system, top-tier rosters will overflow. This massive surplus of talent will inevitably spill over into mid-major programs, raising the talent floor and driving intense parity nationwide rather than a single-school monopoly.Because the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) strongly opposes the proposal—arguing that cutting the draft pool and capping signing bonuses hurts the next generation of players—the rule changes face a steep uphill battle before the December 1, 2026, CBA deadline. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The No. 1 Portal Get: Bino Watters (Notre Dame)In a major recruiting battle, Jay Johnson successfully stole Bino Watters away from SEC rival Texas. Regarded by multiple outlets as the premier bat in the portal, Watters provides LSU with an elite left-handed power slugger. 2026 Stats: Slashed an incredible .362/.447/.610 with 10 home runs, 18 doubles, and 51 RBIs at Notre Dame. Elite Profile: Earned First-Team All-ACC honors and struck out only 37 times in 253 plate appearances. He is widely projected as a potential 1st-round pick in the 2027 MLB Draft. "The Monster" Returns: Steven Milam, In what many view as an even larger offseason victory, star shortstop Steven Milam officially withdrew his name from the MLB Draft to return to Baton Rouge. Backed by a competitive NIL package, Milam returns as a three-year starter and the unquestioned field general of the infield. He finished the 2026 campaign batting .296 with 11 home runs and 49 RBIs. Other Key 2027 Roster Additions Jay Johnson’s "Portal King" blueprint has completely reshaped the roster, addressing both lineup depth and pitching needs: Diego Velazquez (USC): Right-handed pitcher who committed directly during Coach Johnson's live appearance on Tiger Rag Radio. He posted a 4.26 ERA as a freshman, walking just 9 batters across 31.2 innings. Landon Hood (Gonzaga): Elite right-handed pitcher and the 2026 West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year, posting a 2.48 ERA. Cade Kurland (Florida): A veteran second baseman transferring from Florida to anchor the middle infield alongside Milam. Dawson Park (Texas State): A productive infielder who hit .301 with 13 home runs, projected to shift to third base. Jason Wachs (Tulane): A highly disciplined outfielder carrying a 1.027 OPS into Baton Rouge. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jay Johnson and the LSU Tigers are dominating the transfer portal following a disappointing 2026 season where they missed the postseason for the first time since 2011. Coach Johnson has rapidly reloaded the roster for 2027 by securing a commitment from the consensus No. 1 overall transfer portal player, outfielder Bino Watters, and convincing star shortstop Steven Milam to return for his senior year. The No. 1 Portal Get: Bino Watters (Notre Dame)In a major recruiting battle, Jay Johnson successfully stole Bino Watters away from SEC rival Texas. Regarded by multiple outlets as the premier bat in the portal, Watters provides LSU with an elite left-handed power slugger. 2026 Stats: Slashed an incredible .362/.447/.610 with 10 home runs, 18 doubles, and 51 RBIs at Notre Dame. Elite Profile: Earned First-Team All-ACC honors and struck out only 37 times in 253 plate appearances. He is widely projected as a potential 1st-round pick in the 2027 MLB Draft. "The Monster" Returns: Steven Milam, In what many view as an even larger offseason victory, star shortstop Steven Milam officially withdrew his name from the MLB Draft to return to Baton Rouge. Backed by a competitive NIL package, Milam returns as a three-year starter and the unquestioned field general of the infield. He finished the 2026 campaign batting .296 with 11 home runs and 49 RBIs. Other Key 2027 Roster Additions Jay Johnson’s "Portal King" blueprint has completely reshaped the roster, addressing both lineup depth and pitching needs: Diego Velazquez (USC): Right-handed pitcher who committed directly during Coach Johnson's live appearance on Tiger Rag Radio. He posted a 4.26 ERA as a freshman, walking just 9 batters across 31.2 innings. Landon Hood (Gonzaga): Elite right-handed pitcher and the 2026 West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year, posting a 2.48 ERA. Cade Kurland (Florida): A veteran second baseman transferring from Florida to anchor the middle infield alongside Milam. Dawson Park (Texas State): A productive infielder who hit .301 with 13 home runs, projected to shift to third base. Jason Wachs (Tulane): A highly disciplined outfielder carrying a 1.027 OPS into Baton Rouge. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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This monumental acquisition comes right on the heels of the Tigers missing the NCAA Tournament, serving as a statement move to reload the roster for the 2027 season. Watters, a left-handed slugger, chose LSU over a heavy push from SEC rival Texas, as LSU continues to add to it's lofty portal class. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The ⁠2026 Men's College World Series is making unique history as none of the eight participants from last year's CWS advanced to the Super Regionals this season. LSU, the 2025 National Champion, was entirely excluded from the 64-team national bracket.The final eight teams wrap up Super Regional play on Monday, June 8, before heading to Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska. The tournament officially begins on Friday, June 12, 2026. With powerhouse favorites like UCLA eliminated early on, Georgia has emerged as the new betting favorite to capture the crown. Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby made major national headlines today after a Texas district court judge granted him a preliminary injunction, restoring his eligibility to play in the 2026 college football season.The decision has caused massive shockwaves and outrage across the college sports landscape, as Sorsby was previously ruled permanently ineligible by the NCAA for significant sports gambling violations Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

LSU baseball head coach Jay Johnson has officially secured his first two major transfer portal commitments for the 2027 roster, landing Texas State shortstop Dawson Park and Gonzaga right-handed pitcher Landon Hood. These high-profile additions mark an aggressive start to the offseason as the Tigers look to rebuild after missing the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Dawson Park (SS): Committing on Friday morning, Park provides a massive offensive upgrade to the middle infield. Ranked as the No. 46 overall transfer by 64Analytics and a projected top prospect for the 2027 MLB Draft, his sophomore year featured a significant power surge with 13 home runs. Park serves as a critical replacement option at shortstop, especially with current starter Steven Milam expected to draw heavy MLB draft interest. Landon Hood (RHP): Announcing his commitment late Thursday night, Hood was rated the No. 2 overall player available in the transfer portal by Baseball America. The 6-foot-3 righty won the 2026 West Coast Conference (WCC) Freshman of the Year award after holding opposing hitters to a microscopic .162 batting average. Armed with a fastball that reaches 96–97 mph and a high-whiff changeup, Hood directly addresses an LSU pitching staff that struggled significantly with depth and walks during the 2026 campaign. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

LSU sophomore outfielder Derek Curiel is actively considering a surprise return to Baton Rouge for his junior season after a broken ankle in fall ball severely derailed his 2026 sophomore campaign. Following a highly disappointing 30-28 season where the Tigers struggled mightily in SEC play and bowed out in the second round of the SEC Tournament, draft-eligible players now face pivotal career decisions.The 2026 LSU Baseball Season Recap. LSU entered 2026 with immense hype, ranked as high as No. 1 or No. 2 in preseason polls after two national titles in the previous three years. However, a highly anticipated pitching staff faltered late in games, and key injuries doomed the team's consistency. The Tigers finished with an uncharacteristic 30-28 overall record and a dismal 9-21 record in SEC play, completely missing the NCAA postseason. Their season officially wrapped up in Hoover following a 6-2 opening-round win against Oklahoma and a subsequent 3-1 elimination loss to Auburn. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Current Status and Historical Context: Following a series sweep at the hands of Georgia on May 10, 2026, the Tigers fell to 29-24 overall and 9-18 in SEC play. This performance has drawn comparisons to some of the program's least successful historical campaigns: Worst SEC Record Since 1978: The Tigers have tied the school record for most conference losses (18), a mark previously set during the 1978 season when they finished 6-18 in the SEC. Postseason Drought: If they fail to win the SEC Tournament to secure an automatic bid, this will be the first time since 2011 that LSU has missed postseason play. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

LSU Baseball Head Coach Jay Johnson recently addressed the Tigers' season turnaround following a critical three-game sweep of South Carolina at Alex Box Stadium. As of May 4, 2026, the Tigers hold a 28–21 overall record and a 9–15 mark in the SEC. The Turnaround: From "Nightmare" to Postseason Run before the recent sweep, LSU was on a historic slide, having been swept in three consecutive SEC series for the first time in program history. Johnson and the team have focused on several key adjustments to salvage the 2026 campaign: Pitching Dominance: The turnaround was sparked by an exceptional weekend against South Carolina, where the pitching staff allowed only four runs across three games. One pitcher notably delivered 10 scoreless innings and two wins in a single week. Youth Movement: Johnson has increasingly relied on freshmen to ignite the lineup, starting several in key roles to build momentum for 2026 and beyond. Shift in Identity: Johnson highlighted that the team is finally playing closer to the "LSU standard," prioritizing competitive at-bats and shorter swings over a previous over-reliance on home run power. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

LSU has dramatically improved its postseason outlook after sweeping South Carolina. The Tigers entered the series on a program-record nine-game SEC losing streak but managed to outscore the Gamecocks 20-4 over the weekend. Series Recap: LSU vs. South Carolina LSU (28-21, 9-15 SEC) dominated through consistent pitching and timely hitting from its freshman class. Game 1 (W, 6-1): Freshman William Schmidt delivered a dominant six-inning start with seven strikeouts. Game 2 (W, 7-3): Pitchers Marcos Paz and Deven Sheerin combined to limit the Gamecocks to four hits. Game 3 (W, 7-0): Senior Zac Cowan threw six shutout innings, securing LSU's first SEC sweep of 2026.Are the Tigers "Peaking Perfectly"? While the sweep is a vital turnaround, "peaking perfectly" is an ongoing process with several factors at play: The Freshman Surge: Freshmen drove in 9 of LSU's 20 runs during the series, showing they are maturing at the right time. Newfound Pitching Stability: After struggling for weeks, LSU's starters provided three consecutive quality starts, which is critical for tournament play. The Postseason Path: The sweep moved LSU up to No. 14 in the SEC standings. They likely need to win 4 of their final 6 SEC games—against high-RPI teams Georgia (No. 16) and Florida (No. 12)—to secure an at-large NCAA bid. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.