LSU baseball targeted Trent Caraway out of the transfer portal to fill multiple roles.
With Michael Braswell gone, the Tigers needed a third baseman. They also needed more power, and specifically, right-handed power. Jared Jones and Ethan Frey had moved on to professional baseball.
Caraway, a junior transfer third baseman from Oregon State, could potentially fill both holes. He hit six home runs in the NCAA Tournament that summer and was the Beavers’ starting third baseman.
Through five games, Caraway has filled his duties admirably for LSU, and no moment has shown his talent more clearly than in the first inning of Wednesday’s matchup at Alex Box Stadium against Nicholls State.
With the bases loaded and two out, Caraway swung at the first pitch he saw and lifted it into the left field stands, showcasing the pull-side power that made him an attractive transfer for LSU. The blast was his first of the year and was all the Tigers needed in their 12-1 win over Nicholls in eight innings.
Sophomore John Pearson ended the game via the 10-run mercy rule with a three-run homer in the eighth.
Caraway’s final year at Oregon State was far from perfect. He only hit six home runs in the regular season and struggled with consistency. It’s why, upon his arrival, LSU (5-0) made a few mechanical adjustments to his swing.
He struggled in the fall as he got used to the changes, but eventually found comfort with his new mechanics once the preseason began. And so far, that newfound comfort has turned into positive results. Caraway was 5 for 13 with a double, a triple and six runs driven in before his blast against Nicholls (0-5).
Following Caraway’s grand slam, LSU’s offense found itself in a rut. The Tigers had just one hit from innings two through five despite nursing a 6-1 lead heading into the sixth. That’s when the attack came back to life, when two singles and a walk turned into two runs that gave LSU an 8-1 advantage.
Senior right-hander Zac Cowan earned the start for LSU, but his outing didn’t last long. He went just 1⅓ innings, striking out two batters and allowing three hits. The only run he allowed was a solo homer in the first.
LSU needed a group effort to get through the rest of the game. Fifth-year senior right-hander Dax Dathe tossed 1â…“ scoreless innings after Cowan. Freshman right-hander Zion Theophilus made his LSU debut and walked three batters without giving up a run. Oregon transfer Santiago Garcia tossed a scoreless frame before walking the leadoff hitter in the sixth and coming out for freshman right-hander Reagan Ricken.
Ricken, in his first collegiate outing, tossed three scoreless innings with two strikeouts. He did a good job of consistently inducing weak contact.
LSU next travels to Jacksonville, Florida, to participate in the Jax College Baseball Classic beginning on Friday against Indiana. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m., and the game will be available to stream on D1Baseball.com.