We’re about five years into the transfer portal era of college baseball.
LSU has gotten players of various skill levels from all kinds of places. Tommy White and Luke Holman were high performers at the highest level of the sport. Paul Skenes and Anthony Eyanson were Team USA invitees from smaller leagues. Daniel Dickinson starred at a lower level. Michael Braswell and Chris Stanfield had SEC experience. Thatcher Hurd and Gage Jump were coming off injury.
There have been misses, too.
The portal is not an exact science, but the quick evaluations and courtships massively shape rosters from year-to-year. Get them right at LSU, Omaha is within reach. Get them wrong, and, well, you saw the results.
LSU is in obvious need of infield help. Steven Milam is likely gone, and Ethan Clauss is transferring out. That leaves Jack Ruckert as the only middle infielder on the roster. That search began with Dawson Park.
WHAT WE KNOW
Park was a two-year starter at Texas State in San Marcos. As a freshman, he started a second base and played 50 games with 44 starts. He struggled through it but got some real seasoning. He hit just .219 with six extra base hits and made 12 errors.
As a sophomore, he really took a step forward. First, he moved over to shortstop and made some highlight real plays using his athleticism. And he’s got a cannon for an arm. He was used as a pitcher a couple of times as a freshman with the Bobcats.
There’s some misinformation going around about Dawson Park.
Yes there was an altercation after a disappointing series loss.
No he was not kicked off. pic.twitter.com/jzMHvkSvch
— Jake McKeever (@CBCJakeMck) June 5, 2026
On top of the defense, he upped his batting average to .301 and hit 13 homers in 48 games. He struck out 52 times, a high number, but he drew 25 walks and posted a .387 on base percentage. He was also 3-for-20 to finish his season. That dropped his average from .319 down to that .301. In 23 Sun Belt games, he hit .330 with seven homers and a 1.063 OPS.
It has to be mentioned that Park left the team on May 4 after an altercation with a teammate. He was leading the team in home runs and runs driven in while playing shortstop.
THE FIT
Park fits what Jay Johnson was looking for to a T.
Former Texas State SS Dawson Park is officially in the transfer portal.
Park left the Texas State program in the final month of the season, but he broke out this season, hitting .301 with 13 HRs, 52 RBIs and 10 doubles. pic.twitter.com/hAmzH3ueiu
— Andrew Riedell (@RiedellAndrew) June 2, 2026
Johnson wanted athletes who can defend in the middle of the field and use the back side of the field offensively. Park does both. Even if the batting average is sub-.300, which it could be moving up to SEC play from the Sun Belt, he will bring defense at a premium position.
That could be shortstop if Milam turns pro. It could be second or third, too. I count third base as a premium position in college because so many third basemen are poor defenders. He’s played a ton of second base and has plenty of arm to play third. Joe Doyle from OverSlot has Park as the No. 38 prospect for the 2027 MLB Draft. That’s on the fringes of the first round.
HUNT’S PROJECTION
If you made me lay a crisp $20 on LSU’s Opening Day shortstop next February, I’m taking Park. I’m not giving up on Milam totally, but I’m certainly not betting on him. Park would have the inside track on Ruckert almost certainly.
I envision a Jordan Thompson-type role for Park next year. Hit seventh or eighth with an average around .275 and play strong shortstop defense with a handful of homers and some strikeouts. I don’t think he’s going to hit .348, but I don’t think he’ll bottom out, either. His hands are too quick, and his tools are too obvious for him to drown in SEC play.
If I’m Johnson, I’m still shopping for infielders in the portal. There are four strong infield prospects in this high school signing class, but we’ll worry about that in July. Park is a great start from a veteran standpoint, but more needs to be on the way.
