This entire offseason, the LSU Baseball team has received a ton of accolades after loading up this offseason. The Tigers have been voted as a Top 5 team in College Baseball by nearly every poll and the players have racked up individual awards for being the top players at their position and in their class.
After losing in the Chapel Hill Regional, Jay Johnson went out and assembled a dominant roster that can compete for the National Championship. The Tigers brought in the Nation's Top Recruiting Class and the Top Transfer Class in the Country which have LSU set up to go on a deep run this season.
The Crown Jewel of LSU's High School recruiting haul was Outfielder Derek Curiel who was named the Preseason SEC Freshman of the Year by D1 Baseball.
Freshman Phenom@DerekCuriel | @d1baseball pic.twitter.com/pIP7AFbr08
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) January 30, 2025
Curiel was projected to be a top draft pick in the 2024 MLB Draft but, he turned down the chance at going Pro to play at LSU and now he's set to emerge as one of the stars of College Baseball. This week as the College Baseball season approaches, Jay Johnson spoke highly about Curiel and his ability to learn and adjust to the game.
"He has a really unique ability that you cannot coach to figure it out quickly and make the necessary adjustments."Jay Johnson
Coming out of High School, Curiel was ranked as the 10th best recruit in the class and the 2nd best player out of California by Perfect Game. This fall, Curiel backed up his massive ranking and proved he's ready to contribute right away posting a .388 batting average and a .522 on base percentage. Curiel will be an instant starter for the Tigers and may be a top of the order bat for Jay Johnson as he can get on base ahead of hitters like Jared Jones.