The buzz around the 2023 LSU Tigers built steadily over the course of last summer.
Louisiana State was a 40-win team in 2022 and was returning outfielder Dylan Crews, the Southeastern Conference co-player of the year and the early favorite to be the first overall pick in the 2023 draft. No one was ever going to overlook them.
Over the course of two months, coach Jay Johnson kept adding piece after piece to the team. All-Americans Paul Skenes and Tommy White transferred in. The Tigers brought in the top-ranked transfer and traditional recruiting classes. Draft-eligible players like Cade Beloso and Ty Floyd decided to return for another season in Baton Rouge.
Johnson hired Wes Johnson, then the pitching coach for the Twins, and Josh Jordan, the 2018 Assistant Coach of the Year, to replace Dan Fitzgerald (Kansas) and Jason Kelly (Washington), who had both been hired away to be head coaches.
When the dust settled at the beginning of August and the players began returning to campus, the hype only intensified. LSU was the clear choice as the No.
