LSU Baseball
By Hunt Palmer
The wheels are in motion now.
The college baseball transfer portal is open. Monday was used for introductions and planning. We’re moving into the visits stage now as nearly 2,000 players look for a new home. LSU is being aggressive to try to turn the roster over for a rebound season in 2027.
On Monday and Tuesday, I wrote about fits. Now, we turn to connections and real potential targets for Jay Johnson and his staff.
Brody Trosclair, LHP, Northwestern State – This is a name we wrote about on Monday. Trosclair didn’t need to board a plane to get to Baton Rouge, so a source confirmed to LouisianaSports.net on Tuesday that Trosclair did visit. The Southland Conference Freshman of the Year will visit other SEC schools including Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi State. The elbow surgery remains a little bit of a question mark. He had internal brace surgery on his elbow, not Tommy John. The surgery repairs the UCL as opposed to replacing it.
Jason Wachs, OF, Tulane – Wachs is a South Florida native who spent two seasons at Tulane where he was the best hitter on the Green Wave roster. He’s played 107 games and hit .331 with 11 homers and 35 doubles in his pair of campaigns. He’s a corner outfielder who is not a stolen base threat, but he can get the barrel to the baseball. Wachs is expected to visit the big three from the Sunshine State, too, but LSU is in the mix.
Ty Kaunas, SS, Maryland – Kaunas (pronounces KO-ness) was an All-Big Ten freshman team selection for the Terps. He started all 56 games with a .286 batting average and a .410 on base thanks to 46 walks. The 62 punchouts are a little high for the Big Ten, but he was a freshman. The bigger number here is that Kaunas played shortstop and only made eight errors all season. That’s solid glove work from a rookie.
He was 4-for-10 with a walk at UCLA and had three more hits against USC. Kaunas fits the mold we’ve discussed this week. He can play defense, take pitches and profiles to hit for more average.
Mikey Bell, 3B, Gonzaga – This is a swing for the fences, but LSU is taking the hack. Bell is the two-time reigning West Coast Conference Player of the Year. He could become a draft casualty like Dylan Tebrake in 2022 and Carter Young in 2023. Jack Pineda from Baylor was also set to transfer to LSU but took the MLB money. It happens every year. Bell is eligible in July.
He’s 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, and he can really hit. Bell hit .360 as a freshman and .378 in 2026. He clubbed nine home runs and 24 doubles for the Bulldogs this season while posting an OPS of 1.058. He’s not a plus defender, but he’s not just a power bat. He’s a line drive hitter. This is one of the most high-profile players in the portal who assuredly won’t come cheap.
More names are sure to crop up over the next 48 hours as LSU tries to position itself with the top names on the board. Stay tuned for updates.
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