With so many new faces added to the 2018 LSU baseball team, it’s easy to overlook the 5-foot-10, 160-pound second basemen Brandt Broussard.
The loss of multiple players to the MLB draft paved the way to LSU for the junior college transfer. Coming to LSU from Delgado, the same school as last year’s second baseman Cole Freeman, Broussard has made an immediate impact to the team.
Playing at the same junior college as Freeman, Broussard has drawn many comparisons to the former standout Tiger. Even with the lofty comparisons, Broussard is confident in his ability to excel for the Tigers.
“Delgado people like to compare us two,” Broussard said. “He set the standard high doing as well as he did. I feel like there’s a little bit of pressure for me to do as well as he did, but everyone that comes here is expected to play at a high level.”
Broussard quickly etched out a position for himself on the team beating out freshman Hal Hughes for the starting role at second base. Broussard’s top notch speed and defensive prowess allowed him to earn the confidence of his coaches and lock down the role.
“The last second basemen we recruited from Delgado worked out pretty well for us,” coach Paul Mainieri said. “I am expecting Brandt to have the same kind of impact on our program.”
Broussard dominated at Delgado, where he had a .429 batting average with two home runs and 15 stolen bases. Broussard’s ability to steal bases is something the Tigers need after the departure of Freeman’s team-high 19.
Broussard thrived not only in the batter’s box at Delgado, but also in the field. He committed only six errors throughout the year and anchored the Delgado infield up the middle. Despite the lofty comparisons to Freeman, Broussard is trying to stay focused and improve everyday.
“When you’re in junior college, you face guys like this once a week, but here it’s everyday,” Broussard said. “You see 90-plus with good offspeed and they don’t leave good pitches over the plate, so it was a little bit of an adjustment, but you get used to it seeing it every day.”
Broussard made his first start of the season at second base against Notre Dame where he was one of LSU’s bright spots on offense despite the Tigers losing the series. Through three games, Broussard is hitting .286 with two hits and three RBIs.
Broussard’s best early career hits also happened to be his first when he hit a bases-loaded single through the infield that scored two and cut the Notre Dame lead in half on Saturday. Broussard started every game of the opening series against Notre Dame, committing no errors and stealing one base.
Broussard follows in the footsteps of his father Burke, who was the starting second baseman for LSU’s first College World Series team in 1986.
Even though he was a late addition to the LSU signing class, Broussard is determined to make his mark on the LSU program and fulfill his dream of wearing the purple and gold across his chest.
“My family has always had very strong ties to LSU since my father played here,” Broussard said. “It’s always been a dream of mine to get to play in my hometown at LSU.”