Paul Skenes – no surprise – was selected No. 1 overall in the 2023 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates a few weeks ago.

Skenes’ stay at LSU was short, but also impactful. Alongside Dylan Crews and Tommy White, Skenes led the way to the national championship where the Tigers knocked off Florida to win its 7th title in program history.

Skenes and the Pirates finally reached a deal on a contract this past week, one that included a MLB record signing bonus of $9.2 million.

Following his signing, Skenes penned a farewell to LSU baseball and its fans, thanking them for a memorable year in Baton Rouge.

It’s hard do Skenes’ incredible 2023 season justice. The 2-way Air Force transfer transitioned into an exclusive pitcher for the Tigers and shined, finishing the season with a 12-2 record and a 1.69 ERA. His ERA was 2nd in the country behind Little Rock’s Jackson Wells (1.65).

Skenes boasts a terrifying 102 MPH fastball with a nasty mid-80s slider and enough stamina to still be throwing gas in the 9th inning.

He finished with the most strikeouts in college baseball, 209. That trumps 2nd place (Stanford’s Quinn Mathews) by an almost unbelievable margin of 51. In other words, the total strikeout gap between No. 1 and No. 2 was the same as the gap between No. 2 and No. 30.

There may not be another like him in Baton Rouge for some time.

Read More

Louisiana sports betting is officially live in much of the state. Whether it is betting on SEC football or LSU football games or the Heisman race each year, if you live in Louisiana, you can now do it from your mobile phone.