It feels like forever ago that Tommy White first made the decision to transfer to the Tigers from NC State during the 2022 offseason. Now, nearly two years later, the LSU star infielder has the potential to face off against former ACC foe North Carolina in the 2024 NCAA Baseball Tournament.
LSU star infielder Tommy White ready to potentially face off against former ACC foe in 2024 NCAA Baseball Tournament
Earlier today, coach Jay Johnson and the LSU baseball team officially received word that they had not only made the 2024 NCAA Baseball Tournament, but their electric run in the SEC Tournament boosted them all the way up to a No. 2 seed, as they’ll start things off in the Chapel Hill Regional.
The regional selection is notable for the Tigers for several reasons. First off, three of the 22 programs to have earned 40 or more wins happen to be in the four-team group, as LSU, North Carolina and Wofford have each reached the lofty win total in 2024. Additionally, while the purple and gold have faced off against over 200 collegiate programs all-time, they’ve never found themselves in a matchup against either Wofford or Long Island.
With that said, one of the most notable storylines to keep an eye on is the potential battle between Tommy White and former ACC foe North Carolina.
Having first began his college career at NC State as a freshman, the talented infielder out of St. Pete Beach, FL, had himself an elite season in 2022, receiving ACC Freshman of the Year honors thanks in large part to his impressive 27 home runs and .362 batting average.
Being two years removed from that electric season, White is now officially being projected as a potential first round selection in the 2024 MLB Draft and is in the midst of preparation for a potential matchup against a Tar Heel team he hasn’t faced off against since 2022. As a freshman, the now junior third baseman had his way with the former ACC rival, recording six hits and one homerun in four matchups.
Notably, while he doesn’t necessarily know the full roster construction two years later, he’s familiar with the program as a whole and sounds plenty excited to potentially face them once again.
“I know I’ve played against (Vance) Honeycutt – great player, great guy. Their coach is awesome, I’m not sure who’s over there who I’ve played against, but I know the program’s awesome, they’ve got a great facility and everything, so it should be fun. I like the ACC, so it’s all good and it should be a fun time.”
Additionally, it’s important to remember that the purple and gold technically aren’t guaranteed to face off against North Carolina in this postseason regional. In the off chance that the Tigers win both of their first matchups while the Tar Heels lose each of their first two – or vice versa – the major programs would never face each other.
Even so, the odds of that happening are incredibly low, and for the time being, LSU star infielder Tommy White is just looking forward to playing baseball.
“You’re playing the ball,” the talented junior third baseman said when asked about variations in style of play. “Everybody’s got a bat, and a ball, and a glove, so it’s just baseball players.”
The 2024 NCAA Baseball Tournament will officially get underway for coach Jay Johnson and his squad later this week, as the purple and gold will take on Wofford on Friday, May 31, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. CST. The game will take place in Chapel Hill, NC, and will be available to watch live on ESPNU/ESPN+.
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