LSU Baseball Pitchers to Watch This Season

The LSU baseball team is stacked with talented pitchers this season. Here are a few of them to keep an eye on.

Alex Lange potential first round pick

Alex Lange is a potential first round pick in this year’s MLB Draft The junior right-hander from LSU is one of the top pitching prospects in the country. Lange has a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and a slider that is considered one of the best pitches in college baseball He also has a solid changeup and good control. Lange is expected to be a high-first round pick, and could go as high as the top 10.

Jared Poche- SEC leader in wins

Jared Poche enters his senior season as the SEC leader in wins with 31, and he looks to add to that total this year. The left-hander from Lutcher, Louisiana has been a model of consistency during his time at LSU, posting a career ERA of 3.47. He’s also shown the ability to pitch deep into games, completing seven or more innings in 12 of his starts last season. Poche will be the ace of the Tigers’ pitching staff this year, and he should have another stellar campaign.

Zack Hess- hard-throwing reliever

LSU’s Zack Hess is a hard-throwing reliever who is one of the pitchers to Watch This Season Hess has a fastball that reaches up to 97 mph and a slider that has been clocked at 86 mph. He also has a changeup that he uses sparingly. Hess is from Baton Rouge Louisiana and attended Catholic High School He was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 37th round of the 2014 MLB draft but did not sign with them. Hess then enrolled at LSU where he played for their Baseball Team In 2016, as a freshman, he appeared in 19 games and had a 4-1 record with a 2.95 ERA. In 2017, his sophomore year, Hess appeared in 27 games and had an 8-2 record with a 3.75 ERA and two saves. Last season, as a junior, Hess appeared in 35 games and had an 11-2 record with four saves and a 3.52 ERA.

Jake Latz- lefty specialist

Jake Latz is a junior from Lake Charles, Louisiana. He is 6’3″ and weighs 205 pounds. He bats and throws left-handed. He attended Barbe high school

Latz has been a key player for the Tigers the past two seasons. In 2016, he finished with a 3-1 record and a 2.48 ERA in 37 innings pitched He struck out 46 batters and walked only 14. In 2017, he went 4-2 with a 2.31 ERA in 47.1 innings pitched. He struck out 61 batters and walked only 15.

Latz is expected to be one of the Tigers’ top left-handed pitchers out of the bullpen this season. He will be used primarily as a lefty specialist, but he has the ability to pitch multiple innings if needed.

Hunter Newman- closer

Hunter Newman, a junior from Mandeville, is the Tigers’ closer. He had 10 saves last season with a 1.80 ERA. Newman was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 11th round of the 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft but did not sign and returned to LSU for his junior season.

Will Reese- setup man

Junior Will Reese has been a consistent arm out of the bullpen for the Tigers the past two seasons. In 2020, he posted a 2.86 ERA in 25.2 innings while striking out 34 batters. Reese will likely be relied on as a setup man this season as he has shown the ability to come in and pitch multiple innings when needed.

Nick Bush- middle reliever

Nick Bush, a junior from Baton Rouge is one of the most experienced pitchers on the LSU roster. He appeared in 27 games last season, posting a 3-1 record with a 4.43 ERA. He will be counted on to provide stability in the middle of the bullpen this season.

Trent Vietmeier- long reliever

Trent Vietmeier is a senior relief pitcher for the LSU Tigers Baseball Team He is a 6’5″, 220-pound left-hander from Baton Rouge Louisiana. Vietmeier has been a mainstay in the Tigers’ bullpen the past three seasons, appearing in a combined 54 games with a 4.22 ERA and four saves. He has been especially effective against left-handed hitters, holding them to a .215 batting average in his career.

Vietmeier will once again be relied upon to eat up innings out of the bullpen this season. He does not have overpowering stuff, but his parents taught him the value of hard work and he knows how to pitch. Look for Trent Vietmeier to be a key contributor to the LSU Tigers’ pitching staff this season.

Matt Beck- lefty out of the bullpen

Matt Beck is a lefty out of the bullpen who is looking to have a breakout season for the LSU Tigers Beck has a good repertoire of pitches and has shown the ability to get swings and misses from hitters. He will likely be used in high-leverage situations and could be a key contributor to the team’s success this season.

Devin Fontenot- freshman phenom

Devin Fontenot was one of the top recruits in the country when he signed with LSU, and he has more than lived up to the hype in his first year with the Tigers. The left-hander has emerged as one of the best pitchers in the SEC, and he will be a key player for LSU as they look to make a run at the College World Series this season.

Fontenot has been unstoppable since joining the Tigers, posting a 0.84 ERA in 10 starts. He has struck out 60 batters in just 53 innings, and he has only allowed 19 hits all season.Fontenot was named the SEC Pitcher of the Week after throwing six shutout innings against Auburn last week, and he will be a major factor if LSU is going to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament this season.