Godfrey transferring to junior college

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LSU’s Godfrey To Transfer

Sophomore righthander Jake Godfrey will transfer to a junior college after the fall semester, Louisiana State announced Thursday.

“Jake has expressed to me his desire to transfer, and my understanding is that he would like to enroll and pitch at a junior college,” coach Paul Mainieri said in a statement. “We wish him the best as he continues his baseball career.”

Godfrey appeared in 21 games (nine starts) as a freshman, going 7-1, 4.61 in 54 2/3 innings. He struck out 39 batters and walked 33. He spent the summer pitching for Chatham in the Cape Cod League, where he went 0-1, 2.41 in 18 2/3 innings over six appearances (four starts).

Listed at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, Godfrey has a good pitcher’s frame. He can throw his fastball up to 94 mph and mixes in promising secondary offerings. If he has a solid spring, he will likely won’t have to wait long to hear his name during the draft in June.

Godfrey, a native of New Lennox, Ill., was originally committed to Notre Dame, but changed to LSU for academic reasons during his senior year at Providence Catholic High. He was ranked No. 130 on the 2014 BA 500 and was drafted in the 21st round by the Braves. The Braves drafted him in the 21st round, but he chose to attend LSU instead of signing.

Godfrey was the top-ranked player in the Tigers’ No. 1 ranked recruiting class that fall. That class has now seen three defections they began school, as lefthander Mac Marshall withdrew from LSU in September 2014 and transferred to Chipola (Fla.) JC. Shortstop Grayson Byrd transferred to Clemson after his freshman year. Lefthander Jake Lantz, another prominent member of the class, missed all of last year due to an elbow injury and will miss the first two months of this season after undergoing surgery in November.

LSU still has a strong pitching staff, led by sophomore righthander Alex Lange and junior lefthander Jared Poche’.

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