Coming off a national championship, LSU baseball faced the struggles of success, losing almost the entire 2025 infield. Tigers Head Coach Jay Johnson was faced with retooling the infield in the transfer portal, with one name sticking out. First Basemen Zach Yorke.
Yorke is coming into Baton Rouge coming off some great years at Grand Canyon University where he led the “Lopes” to the NCAA Tournament in 2024. In his 3 seasons in Phoenix, he was able to hit .328 while slugging 32 home runs. While his time with the Tigers has been short, he seems to already be fitting in with the culture LSU has built.
“The Creole Bambino” will be looking to fill the vacant first base position after the departure of LSU legend Jared “Bear” Jones after he was drafted to the Pittsburgh Pirates this past MLB draft.
Yorke brings an excellent bat to the lineup where he will look to drive in runs and hit for power. While successful in doing this at GCU, the transition to the SEC is hard for everyone. But Yorke seems confident he’ll not just match his previous abilities, but exceed any expectations set on him.
Coach Johnson is confident that the lefty slugger will succeed in his short time at LSU as the Tigers look to accomplish something that hasn’t been done since 2011 in defending a National Title successfully. Yorke and company will have that opportunity Friday, February 13th, when the Tigers host Milwaukee to kick off the season.
Only time will tell how Zach will do this season. He’s got big shoes to fill but if anyone could replace the “Bear” it would be “The Creole Bambino.”
