LSU baseball leads nation with four players named to Baseball America’s preseason All-America team

A nation’s best four LSU players have been named to the 2022 Baseball America Preseason All-America teams.

Outfielder Dylan Crews and infielder Jacob Berry were voted to the first team, and first baseman Tre’ Morgan and infielder Cade Doughty were named to the second team.

Crews, the 2021 Perfect Game National Freshman of the Year, hit .362 (89-for-246) in 2021 with 16 doubles, two triples, 18 homers, 42 RBI, 64 runs scored and 12 stolen bases. The product of Longwood, Fla.,  also received All-America, Freshman All-America, Second-Team All-SEC and Freshman All-SEC recognition, and he was voted the Louisiana Freshman of the Year.

Crews’ total of 18 home runs represented the most by a freshman in LSU single-season history, surpassing the mark of second baseman Mike Fontenot, who launched 17 dingers as a freshman in 2000.

He finished No. 1 in the SEC last season in total bases (163), No. 3 in batting average, No. 3 in on-base percentage (.453), No. 4 in base hits, No. 4 in runs scored, No. 5 in doubles and No. 5 in home runs.

Crews helped lead LSU to the NCAA Eugene Regional title, earning all-tournament honors as he batted .476 (10-for-21) with two doubles, one triple, three home runs, four RBI and six runs scored.

Berry, who transferred this summer to LSU from Arizona, led the Wildcats to the 2021 College World Series and the Pac-12 championship.

A product of Queen Creek, Ariz., Berry batted .352 in 2021 with team highs of 17 homers and 70 RBI, and Collegiate Baseball newspaper named him the National Co-Freshman of the Year.

Berry earned first-team All-America recognition from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, and he received second-team All-America honors from D1Baseball and Perfect Game.

Morgan, a product of New Orleans, La., batted .357 (89-for-249) in 2021 with 16 doubles, four triples, six homers, 42 RBI, 64 runs scored and 15 stolen bases.

He received Freshman All-America, Second-Team All-SEC and Freshman All-SEC honors,  and he was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team. Morgan was twice recognized as the SEC Freshman of the Week during a three-week period in late April-early May.

Morgan collected six hits, including a double, in the NCAA Eugene Regional to go along with three RBI and three runs scored. He finished No. 4 in the SEC in batting average, No. 4 in base hits, No. 4 in runs scored, No. 4 in triples, No. 5 in doubles, No. 5 in stolen bases and No. 7 in on-base percentage (.441).

Doughty, a Denham Springs, La., native, batted .308 (70-for-227) for LSU in 2021 with 11 doubles, two triples, 13 homers, 55 RBI and 41 runs scored. He was 5-for-18 in the NCAA Eugene Regional with two doubles, one RBI and four runs , including 3-for-4 in the regional championship game win over Oregon with two doubles and two runs scored.

Doughty led LSU to a crucial series win at Texas A&M May 20-22, batting .333 (5-for-15) with one double, one homer, six RBI and three runs scored. In the Tigers’ Game 2 win over the Aggies, Doughty doubled, homered and collected five RBI.

His two-out, three-run homer in the fifth inning erased a 6-3 deficit and the game remained tied at 6-6 until the top of the 13th, when Doughty’s two-run double highlighted a six-run outburst in the 12-6 LSU victory over the Aggies that clinched a berth in the SEC Tournament.

Doughty was named National and SEC Player of the Week on March 15, as he collected five home runs, six runs scored and 12 RBI in leading LSU to five wins in five games versus Texas Southern, New Orleans and UT San Antonio.

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