Baton Rouge native Josh Smith, a graduate of Catholic High and three-year letterman at LSU, will take part in his first World Series when the Texas Rangers meet the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Smith, an infielder with the Tigers from 2017-19, attempts to become the 16th former LSU player to win a World Series ring.
The best-of-7 World Series begins at 7 p.m. Friday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, home of the Rangers.
LSU’s had 15 former players win world championships in 20 attempts, beginning in 1954 with Alvin Dark with the New York Giants.
Smith made his MLB debut with the Rangers last season. The third baseman, shortstop and leftfielder has eight doubles, six homers, 15 RBIs and 29 runs scored this season.
Smith was selected in the second round of the MLB Draft by the New York Yankees and traded to the Rangers in July of 2021.
At LSU, Smith the team’s starting shortstop in 2019 after missing most of the 2018 season with a stress reaction in his vertebrae. He was the starting third baseman for LSU’s 2017 College World Series runners-up team, earning Freshman All-America and Freshman All-SEC recognition.
Smith, a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll as a finance major, was LSU’s leading hitter in 2019, batting .346 (89-for-257) with 17 doubles, two triples, nine homers, 41 RBI, 72 runs and 20 steals in 24 attempts.
He finished the 2019 season No. 4 in the Southeastern Conference in runs scored (72), No. 6 in batting average (.346), No. 6 in stolen bases (20), No. 8 in hits (89), and No. 10 in on-base percentage (.433).
Following is the list of the former LSU players who became World Series champions:
MLB World Series Champions from LSU
- INF Alvin Dark, New York Giants – 1954 (player); Oakland Athletics – 1974 (manager)
- 1B Joe Bill Adcock, Milwaukee Braves – 1957
- LHP Mark Guthrie, Minnesota Twins – 1991
- LHP Eddie Yarnall, New York Yankees – 1999 and 2000
- LHP Randy Keisler, New York Yankees – 2000
- RHP Russ Springer, Arizona Diamondbacks – 2001
- RHP Curtis Leskanic, Boston Red Sox – 2004
- RHP Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants – 2010 and 2012
- INF Mike Fontenot, San Francisco Giants – 2010
- LHP Brian Tallet, St. Louis Cardinals – 2011
- INF Ryan Theriot, St. Louis Cardinals – 2011; San Francisco Giants – 2012
- RHP Louis Coleman, Kansas City Royals – 2015
- 3B Alex Bregman, Houston Astros – 2017 and 2022
- RHP Will Harris, Houston Astros – 2017
- OF Andrew Stevenson, Washington Nationals – 2019
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