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College  | Recruiting  | 11/13/2020

Head of the Class: No. 5 LSU

Drew Wesolowski     
Photo: Ian Moller (Perfect Game)
Recruiting Rankings |  2021 High School Player Rankings | Recruiting Database


5. LSU



Full 2021-2022 Recruiting Class
Head Coach: Paul Mainieri | Recruiting Coordinator: Nolan Cain

Top 5 Recruits:

Rk. Name POS. HT WT B-T High School Hometown ST
4 Ian Moller C 6-1 201 R-R Wahlert Dubuque  IA
26 Brock Selvidge LHP 6-3 205 R-L Hamilton Chandler  AZ
41 Carter Jensen C 6-1 210 L-R Park Hill Kansas City MO
62 Ben Kudrna RHP 6-3 195 R-R Blue Valley Southwest Overland Park KS
67 Cale Lansville RHP 6-0 205 R-R Thunder Ridge Centennial CO

*Rk. Denotes National Rank in PG HS Class of 2021


 This LSU class continues the track record of them doing whatever it takes to get some of the top talent from around the country as they plucked guys from afar, including one of the top LHP in the class Brock Selvidge, who hails all the way from Arizona. They also never seem to get too over-whelmed balancing in-state versus out-of-state as they did a great job recruiting in-state this year. The incoming class sported five Perfect Game All-American’s as they add another exceptional year of recruiting to the long tradition of elite type prospects who will grace Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge in the near future.

Atop the class for the Tigers was a huge get in Ian Moller as he proved to be the top ranked catcher in the class who has done nothing but swing it this summer and fall. The Iowa native has some of the best catch & release skills we have seen in prep baseball in a long time as he is going to be someone who will handle a pitching staff while also raking at the dish. Moller has come a long way since we got our first look at him in the 2017 14u Select Festival but it was easy to think he would be in the position he is right now back then.

Another PG All-American & fellow catcher, Carter Jensen was another huge grab as he shows big time juice at the dish and projects as a power hitter down the road. The 6-foot-1 frame is complemented nicely with broad shoulders and he is a sub-7.00 sixty runner as well, proving he can be a utility guy if necessary at the next level. No doubt he will have his work cut out for him behind the dish with Moller and previous acquisitions, but don’t be surprised to see him insert himself elsewhere on defense as the bat plays in a big way.

The Tigers have added a handful of arms to the class and they are nothing short of power arms. Selvidge, who was mentioned previously, was one of the most intriguing left-handed pitchers in the class as he flashed a low-to-mid 90s fastball and an absolute hammer of a breaking ball. He was electric in his inning at the PG All-American Classic and is going to quickly work himself into starting rotation talks when he steps onto campus. Another arm and PG All-American Classic attendee, Cale Lansville, was a huge snag for LSU as they had to reach all the way out to Colorado to get him. Lansville is another strong arm who consistently worked in the low-90s in PG events. His breaking ball is arguably one of the best in the class and he shows legit swing and miss type stuff.

While on the topic of out-of-state arms, the Tigers picked up strong Midwest arm in Ben Kudrna. The 6-foot-3 righ-thander is as projectable as it gets with him being lanky and uber athletic in the operation, making it easy to assume he is going to throw very hard one day and it could be in the near future. The changeup is nothing short of elite and he is going to get plenty of outs with it. Don’t sleep on Kudrna to be one of the top arms out of the bullpen early in his career as he has a strong PG record of slamming the door against top lineups.

Keeping things closer to The Box, 6-foot-3 Louisiana native Grant Fontenot continued his rise throughout the summer and into the fall, showing some of his best stuff during the WWBA World Championship. There’s considerable arm speed to the profile which resulted in a consistent low-90s fastball throughout the entirety of the summer circuit, reaching as high as 94 mph while many believe there’s more in the tank given his projection. The velocity, life, and overall arm speed all stand out for Fontenot, but he’s more than just a fastball pitcher as his changeup and slider both have the potential to develop into a pair of above average secondaries. 

Grant Taylor was the last of the out-of-state arms to be added to the pitching rotation as the Alabama native won’t be traveling too far from home to play his ball at the next level. Taylor had a dominant performance at the National Showcase in Hoover this summer as he ran the fastball up to 92 mph and mixed in a big 11-to-5 breaking ball. The physical traits in the build are special and he is going to be someone who will make big strides at the next level with the proper coaching LSU has.

Not only did they do a great job of recruiting arms and catchers, the Tigers also picked up a PG All-American shortstop out of Michigan in one Luke Leto. The sweet swinging left-handed hitter mashed baseballs in his PG career as he hit .377 with an OPS of 1.114 in 143 plate appearances. He’s also versatile on defense as he proved he could play a rangy shortstop or you can throw him out in right field, as he has the arm strength to keep runners from taking extra-bases. Leto wasn’t the only fast twitch type middle infielder they added this year as in-state recruit Connor Simon was an excellent add to the puzzle. Simon has long been known for his speed as he ran a 6.68 second sixty-yard dash and plays an easy shortstop. The hit tool is still the make or break for Simon, but if he is to polish himself at the dish, he could become one of the top middle infield prospects in the country.

Don’t sleep on the in-state guys as many have played for years together in the Louisiana Knights organization. These prospects are going to play pivotal roles as they were taught to play a hard-nose, gritty type of play that is beloved by the LSU faithful. Names like Josh Pearson, who casually goes about his business as a five-tool guy. A 6.7 second sixty-yard dash runner and someone who can flat out swing it from the left-side as he is a career .363 hitter with four jacks in PG events in the past. Another Knights prospect to keep an eye on is Samuel Dutton. The former 2018 14u Select Festival attendee has been up to 93 mph in big time events as he is nothing but a competitor when he steps onto the mound.

That list doesn’t stop here for the Knights as they also will be sending Brennan Holt to Baton Rouge next year. Holt has batted over .300 in his career at PG events and is going to be a spark plug type guy for the ball club. Brant Smith is another former Knights guy who is going to be a project type bat for the Tigers but make no mistake, the bat-on-ball skills excel and he is going to be a legit power threat going forward. He fits the first base profile well and it will be interesting to see how he progresses. Last on the list is once again another Knight in one Joshua Stevenson. He is full of fast twitch muscle as he ran a sub-6.7 and plays a rangy outfield. The hit tool is coming along nicely as he hit .500 on the week during the WWBA National Championship in Atlanta this summer. Look for the Tigers to be excited on this bunch as they will be stepping onto campus to make immediate impacts.
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