Jay Johnson's offseason goals for returning LSU players

quote:

---

Jay Johnson is hard at work putting together next season’s team and there will be plenty of new faces as he embraces the “build it one year at a time” motto that has come with the transfer portal, NIL age of college athletics. But every great team needs those familiar faces and the Tigers should be welcoming back enough of their foundation to be a well balanced program next season.

For starters, stars like outfielders Dylan Crews and freshman sensation Josh Pearson, as well as first baseman Tre Morgan are no doubters to be back with the program. Outfielder Josh Stevenson, shortstop Jordan Thompson, catcher Alex Milazzo and pitchers Javen Coleman, Grant Taylor, Riley Cooper and Bryce Collins also feel like safe bets to return as well.

---

quote:

---

“Coach Mainieri did a really great job of keeping seniors that should stay and hopefully we’ll be able to do that if the situation is right,” Johnson said. “I just try to give them advice based on what’s best for them while being the caretaker of the program.

“I don’t have a guy that could come back that has just said ‘I’m done,’ that hasn’t happened. There’s a lot of places to play.”

If LSU can get some of those veteran pitchers to return and have another offseason to develop, it could really improve the outlook of this staff with the projected players also coming in.

---