LSU baseball has brought in a number of high-profile transfer portal additions in hopes of a repeat in 2024.
Coming off a championship season, Jay Johnson has no plans of changing up his strategy for roster building. Johnson brought in a top-ranking transfer class prior to the 2023 season, including Paul Skenes, Tommy White and Thatcher Hurd. His aggressiveness in the portal did not relent this past offseason. LSU’s latest transfer class was ranked No. 2 overall by D1 Baseball.
The loss of Paul Skenes, Dylan Crews, Ty Floyd, Tre Morgan, Jordan Thompson and many more left spots to fill. This year’s transfer class includes seven names to keep an eye on.
Luke Holman, Junior, Right-handed pitcher, Alabama
Baseball America’s No. 8 ranked transfer headlines LSU’s portal additions. In 100 innings pitched, Holman totals 111 K with a 4.05 ERA.
An impressive 2023 season garnered a lot of draft buzz for the right-hander. In 2023, Holman lowered his ERA to 3.67 with 87 K and a .186 opponent batting average in 81 innings pitched.
He also finished second in the SEC with a 1.05 WHIP and third in the league for both opponent batting average and hits per nine innings. Perfect Game ranked Holman No. 28 of its Top 100 juniors entering 2024.
Holman is likely to play a significant role for the Tigers in 2024, making one of two arms added from Alabama in the offseason. 
Kade Woods, Junior, Right-handed pitcher, Alabama
Joining his Alabama teammate, the Louisiana native served as a dominant arm for the bullpen of the Tide. After missing 2022 due to injury, Woods was right back at it in 2023 with 38 strikeouts, a 5.52 ERA and a .219 opponent batting average in 29 innings pitched. Woods is likely to work out of the bullpen and hopes to dominate alongside likely starter, Holman, in 2024.
Michael Braswell, Junior, Shortstop, South Carolina
Braswell announced he’d be taking his talents to Baton Rouge prior to the College World Series championship in 2023. The middle-infielder finished his sophomore season with 23 RBI, a .255 average and .725 OPS in 153 at bats.
In 2022, Braswell made SEC All-Freshman Team with 27 RBI, a .284 average and .743 OPS in 201 at bats. Last April, Braswell drove in two runs in an upset win over LSU. Just two weeks later he would go 3-for-3 with three doubles in a win over CWS runner up, Florida. Despite those numbers, Braswell is lauded more for his fielding than his hitting.
With so many changes to the infield, a reliable glove will prove to be a valuable addition for LSU. Braswell will likely play shortstop, filling the hole left by Jordan Thompson.
Mac Bingham, 5^th year, Outfielder, Arizona
After crediting the coaching of Jay Johnson for his commitment to Arizona, the two are now able to reunite. Johnson also recently brought Nate Yeskie back as his pitching coach.
Yeskie left Arizona for an opportunity at Texas A&M the same year Johnson came to LSU. The three helped the Wildcats to a CWS tournament appearance in 2021, though Bingham’s play was limited due to a hand injury.
After forgoing the draft in 2019, Bingham played four years, totaling 138 RBIs, a .319 average and .889 OPS. His 2023 season included 27 multi-hit games, 10 HR and a .360 average, enough to make PAC-12 All-Conference Team.
Recently, Bingham cracked No. 17 on Perfect Game’s Top 50 seniors list. After producing a .976 fielding percentage on 126 total chances in 2023, Bingham’s defensive talent should not go ignored. He is expected to compete for a spot in the outfield.
Gage Jump, Junior, Left-handed pitcher, UCLA
Although Jump is coming off Tommy John surgery, what he lacks in production he makes up for in promise. In 2022, Jump had 22 strikeouts and a .172 opponent batting average with a 3.86 ERA in just 16 innings.
As a high school senior, Jump was the No. 1 ranked LHP in all of California. After graduating, Jump forwent the draft in 2021. He enters 2024 ranked No. 43 on Perfect Game’s Top 100 juniors list. The UCLA southpaw will be reuniting with Thatcher Hurd at LSU.
Justin Loer, Junior, Left-handed pitcher, Xavier
One of two left-handers added by LSU via the portal, Loer hopes to compete for a starting role. In 2023, Loer pitched 57 innings with a 1.89 ERA, 63 K and a .182 opponent batting average.
Loer made Second Team All-Big East in 2023, helping Xavier to a conference title. Loer also pitched the final six outs of Xavier’s upset win over Vanderbilt in June.
Fidel Ulloa, Junior, Right-handed pitcher, San Joaquin College
Transferring from the Big 8 Conference in California, Ulloa comes from a smaller school that has produced its fair share of MLB talent. In 2023, Ulloa pitched 55 innings with 75 K, 1.29 WHIP and a 4.09 ERA. Though his role in 2024 may be minimal, the addition hopes to bear fruit in 2025.
“I think the strength of the team is clearly in the pitching staff, that was very intentional,” Jay Johnson said Jan. 9 on the Play-by-Play podcast. “I felt like that’s where the program needed the most upgrading, we’ve done that.”
LSU is ranked No. 4 entering the 2024 season. The Tigers are set to play Virginia Military Institute for opening day at Alex Box Stadium on Feb. 16.