When LSU baseball coach Jay Johnson first added former UCLA pitcher Gage Jump in the offseason, he wasn’t shy about how excited he was to have the talented lefty on board. Now, with the postseason having officially arrived, the feeling hasn’t gone away and the Tiger head coach has only reiterated his impression of the former transfer.
LSU pitcher Gage Jump continues to dominate through SEC play
“That’s a major leaguer. That’s what he’s gonna do with his life is pitch on four days of rest.”
On Friday, star pitcher Gage Jump helped lead the Tigers to a victory over Ole Miss in what would end up being the first series sweep for the purple and gold in 2024. Today, just a few days later, he followed things up on short rest with an elite 7.0 inning, 105 pitch outing where he allowed just four hits compared to seven strikeouts against Georgia in what was a 9-1 victory for LSU baseball.
“That’s the best offense in college baseball statistically, and there you go. He’s why we’re one of the best teams in the country right now and everybody got to see that today,” head coach Jay Johnson said about the former UCLA pitcher following his performance this morning.
Entering the 2023 college baseball season, the purple and gold found themselves in a bit of a state of unknown. With the loss of No. 1 overall MLB draft selection Paul Skenes, they were set to lose one of the best pitchers Alex Box Stadium has ever seen and they needed to find someone to step up.
In turn, they brought in several transfer pitchers, including Gage Jump out of UCLA and Luke Holman out of Alabama. As it would turn out, both ended up being impressive starters for the Tigers so far this season, and the scary part is that they’re only getting better.
In the case of Jump, the transfer addition meant a bit more for head coach Jay Johnson, who recruited him out of high school before he eventually ended up with his home state UCLA for his freshman season
“I think he’s been great for a while. Just giving you all some context, he’s one of the best high school pitchers I’ve ever seen. I recruited him hard to Arizona; he chose UCLA. That was a gut punch because I believed he would be exactly what everybody saw today. And then he only had 14 innings before he got hurt there as a freshman.”
That faith has since paid off in a major way, as the 6-foot, 197-pound Aliso, CA, product has been incredible in 15 games pitched with the purple and gold.
“I think he’s pitched like one of the best pitchers in the country, and there’s no doubt in my mind that he is.”
With a season ERA of less than 3.5, Jump has allowed just 57 hits compared to an eye-popping 89 strikeouts, and he just seems to get better with every appearance. While the talented transfer addition has had the attention of coach Johnson for years now, it’s safe to say he’s more than won over the Tiger fanbase this season, as LSU baseball looks to continue their hunt for an NCAA Tournament berth tomorrow against No. 3 Kentucky at 9:30 a.m. CST in the 2024 SEC Tournament.
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