A look at which LSU baseball players from the 2022 roster have entered the NCAA transfer portal, and the Tigers’ portal pickups since their season ended:
INCOMING
BEN NIPPOLT
INF
Former school: Virginia Commonwealth
Seasons at VCU: One
THE SKINNY: Earned a spot on the All-Atlantic 10’s first team after helping VCU to a regular season championship and appearance in the championship game at the NCAA Regional in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The Rams, which began the regional 2-0, suffered consecutive defeats against the host team, North Carolina 19-8 and 7-3 … Started in 51 of 45 games in 2022, with 34 starts at third base, 17 at second and four at shortstop … Was the team’s leadoff batter and had a .308 average, scored 48 runs, with two homers, nine doubles, 31 RBIs, 31 walks and just 19 strikeouts in 172 at bats …. Played one season at VCU following a transfer from Des Moines, Iowa Area Community College where he played for two seasons … A native of St. Paul, Minnesota that played at Mounds Park Academy and was the state’s No. 33 overall prospect and sixth-ranked shortstop by Perfect Game … Announced he was transferring to LSU on Aug. 4
PAUL SKENES
RHP/C
Former school: Air Force
Seasons at Air Force: Two
THE SKINNY: Winner this year of the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year after going 10-3 with a 2.73 ERA and batting .314 with 13 homers and 38 RBIs despite back problems that limited him somewhat early in the season for an NCAA Regional team … Hard-throwing 6-foot-6, 235-pounder has a fastball that reaches 93-to-95 miles per hour … Chose LSU over Arkansas, Mississippi State, Texas and Vanderbilt … Native of Lake Forest, California, is listed as the No. 25 prospect in the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft … A member of 2021 U.S. College National Team … Earned first team preseason and postseason honors on the All-Mountain Conference team and was named the league’s co-Player of the Year plaudit … Also named a first team All-American by College Baseball News … A season after being the team’s closer, Skenes became staff ace in ’22 and had 96 strikeouts in 85.2 innings and 30 walks … At the plate, he had 15 multi-hit games, 10 doubles with a .634 slugging percentage and fielded at a .982 clip … The only player in Division I baseball to record double-digit homers and saves in 2021, when he was the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year and a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award … Batted a team-high .410 with 21 doubles, 11 homers and drove in 43 runs in ’21; also was 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 11 saves, the latter tying a school single-season record, in 18 relief appearances covering 26.2 innings … Move to LSU was announced July 28
CHRISTIAN LITTLE
RHP
Former school: Vanderbilt
Seasons at Vandy: Two
THE SKINNY: Went 1-2 with 3.42 ERA over 18 games including three starts this year, striking out 46 in 38.2 innings including the final two innings of a combined no-hitter at Kentucky in April … 3-2 with a 5.48 ERA and 49 strikeouts over 42.2 innings while appearing in 14 games including 11 starts as a freshman in 2021, when Vandy finished as the College World Series runner-up … 6-4, 210-pounder who played his high school ball at Christian Brothers College in St. Louis; 2020 Gatorade High School State Player of the Year in Missouri … D1Baseball reported his commitment on June 24
THATCHER HURD
RHP
Former school: UCLA
Seasons at UCLA One
THE SKINNY: Went 2-0 with 1.06 ERA over nine games including six starts this year, striking out 46 in 34 innings … Was selected March 6 the co-National Player of the Week by Perfect Game/Rawlings after combining two allow two hits, no runs and struck out 15 in 6.2 innings of work against Long Beach State and Oklahoma … Was forced from his final start April 3 against Oregon after two batters and was later diagnosed with pars defect or a stress fracture of the bones in his lower spine … 6-4, 200-pounder who played his high school ball at Mira Costa High in Manhattan Beach, California … Was rated the No. 1 pitcher in California, the No. 9 overall right-handed pitcher and No. 32 player his senior year. D1Baseball reported his commitment on June 29
TOMMY WHITE
DH/1B/3B
Former school: North Carolina State
Seasons at N.C. State: One
THE SKINNY: Broke a 32-year-old NCAA freshman record for home runs this season with 27 … The 6-foot, 242-pounder from St. Pete Beach, Florida, was named ACC Freshman of the Year and made the All-ACC first team after hitting .362 with 85 hits, 12 doubles, 27 home runs, 74 RBIs and a .757 slugging percentage while starting 55 games in 2022 .. Primarily played DH, but also at first and third … Also led all NCAA freshmen in RBIs and slugging percentage, and had 26 multi-hit games … IMG Academy product was a Perfect Game and Under Armour high school All-American … White made his decision official with a June 24 announcement on Instagram
OUTGOING
DREW BIANCO
INF/OF
Seasons at LSU: Four
New school: Houston
THE SKINNY: Batted .190 of his 136-game career at LSU with 10 homers, eight doubles, 41 RBIs and 13 stolen bases … Started in nine of 34 games during the 2022 season. Batted .128 with five hits and four RBIs and had a .972 fielding percentage with one error in 36 chances … His father Mike is a former catcher at LSU the led Ole Miss to the 2022 national championship … D1Baseball reported his entry June 30 into the transfer portal …
JACOB HASTY
LHP
Seasons at LSU: Three
New school: Missouri
THE SKINNY: Went 2-1 with a 3.55 ERA over 25.1 innings (13 games) with 28 strikeouts and 15 walks in 2022 … 0-1 with a 4.24 ERA in 2021 … 4.2 innings worked as a freshman in 2020 (0-0, 0.00 ERA with 24 batters faced) … Product of Liberty Christian High in Argyle, Texas … The (Baton Rouge) Advocate reported his entry into the portal on June 22
WILL SAFFORD
2B/OF
Seasons at LSU: One
New school: Louisiana Tech
THE SKINNY: Appeared in six games with one start and hit .167 this year … University High product from Baton Rouge played 26 games with seven starts and scored eight runs as a freshman in 2021; he started five games in center field and two games at second base … The Advocate reported his entry into the portal on June 22
COLLIER CRANFORD
INF
Seasons at LSU: Three
New school: Kansas
THE SKINNY: Former Zachary High standout started in 13 of 31 games in 2022 at third base; batted .133 with six RBIs, two doubles, a triple and scored 15 runs … Enjoyed his best season during the 2020 COVID-shortened season when he hit .286 with two doubles and six RBIs and started in 11 of 15 games at shortstop as a freshman … Started in 12 of 31 games in 2021 at second base, batting .106 with four RBIs … Entered the portal June 14, according to The Advocate
GIOVANNI DIGIACOMO
OF
Seasons at LSU: Four
New school: TBA
THE SKINNY: A 29th round draft choice of the Pittsburgh Pirates coming out of high school in 2018, DiGiacomo was a career .275 hitter at LSU who finished with 12 career doubles, six home runs, 48 RBI and 68 runs over 133 games … The product of Canterbury School in Fort Myers, Florida, hit .273 while starting 33 of 53 games as a freshman in 2019 … He was LSU’s leading batter after playing in 13 games and starting 12 in centerfield while hitting .351 (13-for-37) with two doubles, one triple, four RBI, nine runs scored and five stolen bases in 2020, when the Tigers’ schedule was limited by COVID-19 to 19 games … In 2021, DiGiacomo missed 23 of LSU’s first 25 games due to a hamstring injury. But he wound up playing in 31 games, including 29 starts in centerfield, and hit .293 … In 2022, however, DiGiacomo started just 18 of the 36 games he played and batted a career-low .206 … He announced his decision to enter the portal on June 9
BRENNAN HOLT
IF
Seasons at LSU: One
New school: Oklahoma State
THE SKINNY: Redshirted as a freshman after appearing in just five games in a reserve role and going 0-of-4 with two strikeouts at the plate in 2022 … The former Parkview Baptist standout hit .469 with a homer, nine doubles, eight triples 27 RBIs and 49 stolen bases his final high school season … He announced his decision to transfer to Oklahoma State on June 10
MICHAEL FOWLER
RHP
Seasons at LSU: Two
New school: TBA
THE SKINNY: Alabaman was 0-0 with a 13.50 ERA in 2.2 innings this year; 1-0 with a 6.52 ERA (19.1 innings) in 2021 … Entered the portal on June 2, according to 247Sports
BRADY DROST
OF
Seasons at LSU: Two
New school: Louisiana Tech
THE SKINNY: Barbe High product from Lake Charles appeared in just two games this year, but he played 37 games with 20 starts while hitting .226 (19-for-84) with three doubles, five homers, 14 RBI and 14 runs in 2021 … Started 11 games in center field, eight at designated hitter and one in left field in 2021 … Entered the portal on May 18, according to 247Sports
BLAISE PRIESTER
C
Seasons at LSU: One
New school: TBA
THE SKINNY: Lake Oak High product from Denham Springs did not play as a freshman in 2022 … Entered the portal on May 18, according to 247Sports
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