LSU Baseball Leads Nation with Eight Players Among Perfect Game Top 75 Freshmen

BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU leads the nation with eight players listed among the Perfect Game Top 75 College Freshmen for the 2025 season.

The list includes LSU outfielder Derek Curiel (No. 1); right-handed pitcher William Schmidt (No. 4); catcher Cade Arrambide (No. 15); right-handed pitcher Casan Evans (No. 26); first baseman Ryan Costello (No. 32); right-handed pitcher Mavrick Rizy (No. 36); left-handed pitcher Cooper Williams (No. 67); and infielder Mikey Ryan (No. 69).

Curiel, two-time member of the 18U USA National Team, batted .314 with 33 hits – including 10 doubles – 21 RBI and 19 stolen bases in his senior year at Orange Lutheran High School in West Covina, Calif. He was ranked as the No. 10 overall high school player in the country and as the second-best high school player in the state of California by Perfect Game.

Schmidt, a Baton Rouge native who pitched at Catholic High School, was rated as the No. 16 overall 2024 draft prospect by MLB.com. He posted elite numbers as a senior at Catholic High Schoo, including a 9-0 record, a 0.44 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 63.2 innings while leading CHS to the state title.

Arrambide, a product of Tomball (Texas) High School, was rated the No. 1 prep catcher in the nation by MLB.com, and he was the 2024 Texas Gatorade Player of the Year. He hit .430 last season with 12 homers and 35 RBI, and he was listed among the Top 125 Prospects for the 2024 MLB Draft by Baseball America.

Evans, a product of St. Pius X High School in Houston, Texas, was ranked as the No. 9 best high school player in Texas by Perfect Game. He was listed among the Top 100 Prospects for the 2024 MLB Draft by Baseball America.

Costello, a product of Ranney High School in Howell, N.J., was rated the No. 2 prep first baseman in the nation by Perfect Game, batting .562 last season with 14 homers and 34 RBI.

Rizy pitched at Worcester Academy in Fiskdale, Mass., and was ranked as the No. 1 high school player in the state of Massachusetts by Perfect Game. He participated in the MLB Draft Scouting Combine, and he played in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.

Williams was rated the No. 12 best high school left-handed pitcher in the country by Perfect Game as a senior at Alvin (Texas) High School. He posted a 10-4 career mark at Alvin High with a 1.34 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 99.1 innings.

Ryan, a product of Rummel High School in Metairie, La., was rated the No. 30 shortstop in the nation and the No. 2 overall player in Louisiana by Perfect Game. He was a 2024 Class 5A First-Team All-State selection, batting .346 for Rummel High, and he was listed among the Top 150 Prospects for the 2024 MLB Draft by Baseball America.