LSU baseball punches its ticket to Omaha for the 20th time in program history.
HERE TO WIN‘
The Reveille sat down with Interim President Matt Lee. Here’s what to know about LSU’s new leader.
SUBBING IN
Matt Lee faces “intimidating ask” as interim president
BY JASON WILLIS Editor in Chief
The Reveille sat down with LSU Interim President Matt Lee for an exclusive interview. The following article and all quotes within it come from that interview.
LSU Interim President Lee has only been on the job one work week, as evidenced by his office, which is mostly bare aside from a few pieces of furniture and the quintessential LSU “win” bar.
“We’re here to win,” Lee said, pointing to the bar.
After it was announced in May that former president William Tate IV would depart to take on the presidential role at Rutgers, Lee was the man chosen to lead Louisiana’s flagship university. He started the job, which he described as an “intimidating ask,” on June 2, his first day moved up a month from the original timeline of July 1.
Much of his first few days, Lee said, has consisted of him reaching out to major stakeholders and assuring them that LSU won’t slow down with him at the helm.
“Even though we’re in a period of transition, we have stability. We have continuity,” Lee said. “The overall momentum and direction of everything we’re doing is going to remain stable.”
Lee also dispelled the misconception that, as an interim, he won’t have much of a say on major LSU decisions.
“People who haven’t had experience in these matters often feel like, well, the interim person shouldn’t really be making decisions,” Lee said. “That’s just not the way it works… I’ve become more comfortable with the understanding that you can’t really hesi-
tate because you start losing momentum.”
Lee has plenty of experience holding an interim position, having been named the interim provost in 2021 and the interim vice president of agriculture and dean of the College of Agriculture in 2022 before he earned the permanent job.
As the agriculture dean, Lee stepped into a role where he had little familiarity – his background is in sociology, in which he earned a master’s and Ph.D. at LSU. He said the “very intensive learning curve” he underwent will aid him as he makes another leap to the role of interim president.
“The thing you learn very quickly is you have to be a listener,” Lee said of his time as agriculture dean. “You have to respect the experts you have around you and lean on them and listen to their thoughts as they help inform your decision-making.”
As Lee’s tenure begins, LSU will soon engage in an aggressive national search for its next university president. A search committee will be announced, and LSU Board of Supervisors chairman Scott Ballard estimated the process could take roughly six months, the Louisiana Illuminator reported.
Lee declined to indicate if he’d pursue the permanent presidential position when the search begins.
“I’m doing the job right now, and then we’ll see what the future holds,” Lee said. “What I want is the person who’s going to be the best fit for LSU to move the institution forward.”
As interim president, Lee said he’ll maintain many of Tate’s major initiatives, like the Scholarship First agenda and the five Pentagon
cut back on research grants to universities from agencies like the National Institutes of Health as part of an effort to reduce spending.
The New York Times reported Wednesday that $1.7 million of NIH grants sent to schools in the LSU system had been canceled, with another $700,000 delayed.
“Our intention is to remain fully engaged as a key recipient of federal investment for funding,” Lee said. “We’re going to stay at the table.”
Another challenge Lee will deal with is the voids left by LSU’s higher-up departures in the last few months. In addition to Tate leaving, Provost Roy Haggerty has taken a job at Oregon State, and Chief Administrative Officer Kimberly Lewis also resigned.
An interim will soon be named in Lewis’ place, but choosing fulltime senior leadership will likely be on the plate of the future permanent president, Lee said.
In the meantime, the focus will be on maintaining the status quo so as to not “cause people problems” and hiring mid-level management.
Priorities: agriculture, biomedical, coast, defense and energy.
He’ll also continue to aim LSU toward becoming a top-50 research university and earning accreditation from the Association of American Universities.
“Being a ranked research university is like being an SEC football team. You’re on the field with the big dogs, and we can’t let up,” Lee said.
LSU spent $543 million on research during the 2023-24 academic year, the most in its history. As the university continues to expand research efforts, Lee said it’ll need to continue to invest in bringing in talent and improving facilities and infrastructure.
However, LSU’s ongoing research push faces roadblocks in the form of unsteady federal funding. The Trump administration has
Lee has worked at LSU since 2004, starting as a professor before moving into the office of research and economic development. He was named the vice provost of academic programs and support services in 2015.
He’s quick to mention that he’s LSU through and through; his family’s pug, Boudin, even sometimes sports a purple and gold bowtie.
“LSU, frankly, has just kind of become my life,” Lee said. “I would do anything for this institution.”
Citing his own academic career in which he sometimes lacked support from the educators around him, Lee said he wants students to know, above all, he believes in them.
“You are admitted here because we know that you’re capable of being successful,” Lee said. “Our job is to help you find that intersection of your interest and your aptitude and put you on that mark.”
The
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PAYTON PRICHARD / The Reveille
Interim President Matt Lee sits in David F. Boyd Hall during an interview June 6 on Tower Drive in Baton Rouge, La.
FRANCIS DINH / The Reveille
David F. Boyd Hall sits April 24, 2023, on LSU’s campus.
NEWS TURTLE CROSSING
Spring mating season drives turtles out of the lakes – and into danger
BY GABRIELLA HENDRICK
Libby Haydel wasn’t planning to be a wildlife hero on her lunch break. As she walked around the LSU University Lakes on a hot day last year, a sandwich in one hand and a coffee in the other, Haydel spotted a small turtle.
The turtle, about 5 inches wide, was motionless on the side of the road near the walking path. Its shell was cracked, as if something heavy had struck it. She rushed the turtle to the Louisiana State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
“It was morbid and devastating,” Haydel said.
Each spring, the glistening shores of the LSU University Lakes become a deadly crossing zone for turtles searching for nesting grounds. With roads surrounding their habitat, the survival of these turtles – and the health of their population – is in danger, according to an
see TURTLE DANGER, page 4
NATIONAL/STATE
Law Center’s national ranking jumps upward again
The LSU Law School made a jump in the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Law Schools in America rankings, up to No. 84 in the country.
LSU Law had previously been No. 91 in 2024 and No. 109 in 2022.
“Our steady advancement in the U.S. News rankings is further testament to the outstanding legal education and exceptional value we offer students at LSU Law,” the school’s dean, Alena Allen, said in a press release.
LSU Law said in a press release that the improvements are due to its rate of students passing the bar exam and finding jobs. 90% of its graduates gain employment within 10 months of earning their degree, the school said.
The school has also improved its student-to-faculty ratio. Allen said that after the retirement of several longtime faculty members, the school engaged in “its most ambitious and successful faculty recruitment campaign in recent history.”
The ranking puts LSU as the second-best law school in the state, behind Tulane (No. 71). It also places LSU as the No. 12 law school in the SEC.
The U.S. News & World Report rankings encompass nearly 200 law schools around the nation.
Hiring freeze ends July 1
BY JASON WILLIS Editor in Chief
LSU has been in the midst of a hiring freeze since March 28, but the end is in sight, Interim President Matt Lee expects.
Lee said the freeze will be over on July 1, matching the end date of the government hiring freeze Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry instituted across the executive branch on April 11.
“We’re not hearing any different at the moment,” Lee said. “We’re cautiously optimistic that, come July 1, we’ll be able to get back on hiring.”
The university hiring freeze stalled hiring progress across the university but particularly affected many student worker positions.
LSU’s hiring freeze was announced in March by former president William Tate IV, who’s since taken the same job at Rutgers, alongside other budget-tightening maneuvers as the university prepared for an uncertain future for higher education’s federal funding.
HIRING FREEZE, page 4
Coastal sciences degree added
LSU is adding a new coastal meteorology degree program under the College of the Coast and Environment, the university announced Monday.
The program will start accepting enrollees in the fall. It will be within the department of oceanography and coastal sciences.
Especially in Louisiana, which faces coastal challenges such as hurricanes and erosion, the degree program is vital.
“Our livelihoods in Louisiana are so intricately tied to the coast and to its weather that LSU is the natural place to study coastal meteorology. Our students will graduate well-prepared to tackle weather-related coastal issues and help keep our communities safe,” said the program’s director Robert Rohli, a
STAFF REPORT
STAFF REPORT
FACULTY
CAMPUS LIFE
TORI HILL / The Reveille
LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center sits in the sun on March 11 on 1 East Campus Drive Baton Rouge, La.
FRANCIS DINH/ The Reveille
University Lake sits Aug. 27, 2022, surrounded by landscape on East Lakeshore Drive in Baton Rouge, La.
TURTLE DANGER, from page 3
LSU herpetologist.
Christopher C. Austin, curator of herpetology at the LSU Museum of Natural Science, said common snapping turtles, alligator snapping turtles, softshell turtles, red-eared sliders, mud turtles and musk turtles live and breed in the lakes. Nesting season for these species starts in April and ends in July.
“They are like Goldilocks – not too dry or wet, but just perfect,” Austin said, describing turtles’ selective search for nesting grounds.
Female turtles instinctively migrate away from water to find nesting sites that are safe, moist and moderately sunny, Austin said. Turtles lay eggs farther from water because the eggs must stay dry. Since there is no grassy shoulder far enough from the lake to keep the eggs dry, the turtles must cross Stanford Avenue to find ideal nesting grounds.
When asked what defenses turtles have against cars, Austin replied, “Zero.”
Turtles are especially vulnerable to road mortality because they move slowly and often freeze when startled, according to Enviroliteracy. A vehicle strike can result in cracked shells, internal bleeding and other fatal injuries. The longterm impact is more severe: the loss of breeding females threatens population stability and genetic diversity.
Haydel said the turtle she rescued died soon after arriving
HIRING
, from page 3
Tate also announced then that the school would be reviewing administrative processes to see where it could eliminate redundant positions and centralize key roles. In addition, he said the school would be using AI where appropriate to relieve administrators’ burdens.
The school also said it will be withholding 2% of all department’s budgets starting in 2026 to prepare departments to “withstand potential
NEW DEGREE, from page 3
professor in the department of oceanography and coastal sciences, in a statement.
The program will open up career paths like broadcasting, private and public sector jobs and in the energy and agriculture fields.
The curriculum will follow federal OPM-1340 hiring standards, LSU said, so students will be fully qualified for meteorologist positions after graduation.
“Weather-related hazards like hurricanes and tropical storms impact Louisiana’s communities and industries and can significantly alter our state’s coastline. The research and learning opportunities created by our new BS in Coastal Me -
at the veterinary hospital. Motivated by its death, she called the Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge, known as BREC, in May 2024. BREC manages Milford Wampold Memorial Park on Stanford Avenue, where the turtles were crossing from.
Lydia Nichols-Russell, a natural resource manager at BREC, said the turtles couldn’t climb over the steep medians. The stuck turtles spilled into the path of cars, causing them to be hit. BREC had to invent a way to keep the turtles away from Stanford Avenue.
After brainstorming, BREC sent Nichols-Russell and Haydel to install a 400-foot-long diversion fence using black land-
funding reductions.”
Departments can earn back part of that 2% by reaching certain annual goals, but most of it will go into a fund for “smalland large-dollar awards to support academic and research initiatives from across the campus.”
Landry’s freeze was in reaction to projections that Louisiana would have a fiscal shortfall and would outspend its budget.
In a press release that coincided with the executive order, Landry said the move would save $20 million for the state.
teorology will fuel discoveries and build the workforce necessary to protect and restore vital areas while advancing LSU’s
scaping material and driftwood posts. They hung signs explaining the fence’s purpose. Then, Nichols-Russell said, BREC asked Haydel to monitor the fence and the turtles over the next few weeks.
“It was difficult,” NicholsRussell said. “There was no product called ‘turtle fence.’”
After a few weeks, Haydel said she noticed fewer injured and dead turtles along the road.
The fence proved successful, but BREC had to take it down at the end of nesting season. Still, the project inspired conservationists and community members to seek a long-term solution to keep the turtles off the road year-round.
One proposed solution is
to install permanent wildlife crossings. Still, Austin said most crossing designs would face engineering problems due to the roads surrounding the lake. Tunnels under the road would flood, making them unusable, and wildlife overpasses are impractical for the area.
While local engineering solutions face challenges, broader conservation efforts may provide guidance. According to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Louisiana has launched habitat connectivity initiatives. Habitat connectivity refers to the degree to which a landscape facilitates or impedes animal movement, feeding and breeding. The program encourages private agricultural landowners
to accommodate animals, offering a potential model for property owners around the lake.
Sharon King, assistant director of BREC’s Natural Resource Management Division, said BREC would need funding and approval from LSU, the city and nearby property owners to build a permanent diversion fence. King has researched options, including hollow speed bumps that turtles could pass through. However, these products do not yet exist. For now, BREC relies on speed bumps, signage and community awareness to slow traffic.
King added that community involvement is essential to protecting the turtles. The public can help by volunteering time and donating materials so BREC can continue putting up the fence each nesting season. With more community involvement, BREC could expand the project to other high-risk areas for nesting turtles.
“This is a community issue,” King said. “We hope more people will get involved.”
King said BREC put the turtle fence back up in March 2025 after a man called expressing concern about the turtles. BREC was proactive, installing the fence before nesting season began.
As Haydel noted, individuals have the power to protect the turtles. Making a difference starts with noticing and caring enough to act.
“All you have to do,” she said, “is voice your concern and reach out about animal welfare.”
leadership in coastal research,” College of the Coast and Environment Dean Clint Willson said in a statement.
PILAR FRANKLIN / The Reveille
A pink bumper sticker featuring cute animals is spotted on a car near Herget Hall on Nov. 18 on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, La.
FREEZE
MATTHEW PERSCHALL / The Reveille
A Louisiana State University sign sits March 10 near East Parker Boulevard in Baton Rouge, La.
MADALYN CUNNINGHAM / The Reveille
The Energy, Coast, and Environmental building sits on Oct. 1, 2023, on South Quad Drive on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, La.
CHYNNA MCCLINTON / The Reveille
A hurricane photo sits on the shelf April 14, 2022, inside the COMET Lab at the LSU Energy, Coast, and Environment building in Baton Rouge, La.
ENTERTAINMENT
MONDAY
June
9th
Kick off the week with cool fun: The arena has been transformed into a public roller-skating rink. The weekday session runs from 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $23.50 when purchased at the River Center Box Office on River Road or $28.90 on Ticketmaster. The price includes skate rental.
June
Join Baton Rouge Gallery’s Open Experimental Studio for a free, handson art experience focused on sustainable design. Led by street artist Damien Mitchell, participants can create custom tote bags using stencil techniques and eco-conscious materials. Attendees can bring their own tote to decorate or use recycled fabric provided by the gallery. The event runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Celebrate Pride and support a good cause at the Sip & Shop Fundraiser at Time Warp Boutique, happening Friday, June 13 from 4 to 7 p.m. This lively event benefits Baton Rouge Pride Fest and features in-store cocktails served by The Radio Bar and a live DJ set from DJ Bird. Guests can browse vintage fashion, accessories and home décor while enjoying drinks and music in a fun, inclusive atmosphere.
This event brings together Baton Rouge’s best mobile kitchens from 6 to 8 p.m., offering an array of cuisines ranging from tacos and barbecue to gourmet donuts and fusion bites. There’s live music from local musicians in the open-air Town Square. The event is free, making it a fun way to enjoy dinner, support small businesses and soak up the summer evening atmosphere in one of Baton Rouge’s most vibrant shopping districts.
SATURDAY
JUNE
14 th
11th
WEDNESDAY
JUNE
13th
Sunset Paddle | Milford Wampold Memorial Park
FRIDAY
Take in a sunset lakeside view during BREC’s Sunset Paddle on University Lake, launching from Milford Wampold Memorial Park. The event is open to ages 12 and up — no prior experience needed. Participants can choose between a single kayak for $10 or a tandem kayak for $20. All equipment, including life jackets, is provided. Registration must be completed online in advance. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early for a short safety briefing.
Jovin Webb Live | Red Stick Social
Spend your Sunday afternoon with live music and soulful vibes at Red Stick Social, where local favorite Jovin Webb will perform from noon to 3 p.m. Webb, a Gonzales native and former “American Idol” finalist. Guests can enjoy food and drinks from Red Stick’s full menu while relaxing in the venue’s open indoor-outdoor space. The event is free to attend.
JUNE
15th
SUNDAY
Sip & Shop Fundraiser for Baton Rouge Pride | Time Warp Food Truck Round-Up at the Rowe | Perkins
Summertime Skating | Raising Cane’s River Center
Daily Commuter Puzzle by Stella Zawistowski
Meet the lead performers in Sullivan Theater’s “Oklahoma!”
BY SARAH WALTON Staff Writer
Cowboys, farmers and wide, beautiful fields of grass and cattle. With there being so much to love about Oklahoma, how does one choose their future?
Starting on June 13, The Sullivan Theatre will be performing the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, “Oklahoma!”
The story follows Laurey Williams and Curly McLain and their loving and rowdy community. Taking place in the early 20th century, “Oklahoma!” gives a glance into rural life in the territory before it became an American state. Full of lovers’ quarrels, dancing and a little bit of horseplay, the show is the perfect way to spend the summer.
“Oklahoma!” was Rodgers and Hammerstein’s first collaboration, not only setting the stage for their body of work but influencing musical history.
Recent LSU graduate Callie Ancelet plays Williams in the show. She found out about it while performing in “Xanadu,” Theatre Baton Rouge’s last show.
Ancelet said a lot of her experience with golden age musicals came from LSU. In 2023, LSU Opera produced “Carousel,” another Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, which Ancelet took inspiration from.
Ancelet, who now works as a music teacher, talked about how she prepared for the “Oklahoma!” auditions while already being in “Xanadu.”
“I would go to work from 8 to 4, then drive straight to the School of Music and practice my audition songs from like 4:30 to 5. Then I would go straight to Theatre Baton Rouge for a dress rehearsal or to perform in Xanadu.”
For those who may not be acquainted with “Oklahoma!”, Ancelet detailed what the show is about.
“It very much centers on love, and the simplicity of how things just always work out in the end,” Ancelet said.
Ancelet went on to explain why “Oklahoma!” is seen as an important point in musical history.
“When ‘Oklahoma!’ came out, that’s when we started straying away from super classical opera and really getting into musical theater,” Ancelet said. “That different style of singing and composing musical theater.”
The conversation shifted to talking about Ancelet’s character Laurey, and the influences on her portrayal as a character.
For Ancelet, Laurey is “on this pendulum of swinging back and forth between having to face reality” while also being a “dreamer” who “dreams with her whole heart.”
“I love when we finish off the show, and she’s just this wholehearted, well-rounded young woman, and I really loved doing a deep dive on her character,” An-
celet said.
To prepare for her role, Ancelet started by watching as many versions of Laurey as she could, and reading the script repeatedly.
During her time researching, Ancelet also took inspiration from other musical women, like Jenna from “Waitress,” Julie from “Carousel” and Elizabeth Swan from “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
She also studied Tiana and Naveen’s relationship from “Princess and the Frog,” hoping to use that in portraying her character’s relationship with Curly.
Ancelet said she enjoyed working with her fellow cast members, many past castmates and Baton Rouge Theatre veterans. She called them excellent collaborators that she has a lot of respect for.
“When the cast list came out, and I saw all these hard hitters in our musical theatre community, all these people that are so talented and I have much respect for, I was so excited,” Ancelet said.
For anyone thinking about seeing “Oklahoma!”, she has a message.
“Just sit back, relax, I’m really excited for us to immerse you in our little romantic cowboy western world,” Ancelet said.
In “Oklahoma!”, Thomas Jackson plays Curly McLain, a bright eyed, hardworking, All-American cowboy.
Jackson most recently performed in Theatre Baton Rouge’s “Waitress” and “Xanadu” with Ancelet. He has also previously worked with the Sullivan, playing Kodaly in “She Loves Me.”
In playing McLain, Jackson wanted to make sure he was “a product of his circumstances” and “super honest to the times and who he would be.”
Jackson also brought up the main conflict for Curly. Like many of the young characters in the show, he’s at the point where they have to define who they are as a person and what they want with the future, as Oklahoma as a territory is also defining itself as a part of the United States.
“I’m approaching him as somebody that knows how to take care of themselves,” Jackson said. “And because of growing up on this land, he knows how to take care of others in turn… a lot of living in this time is a marriage of survival and thriving and trying to romanticize your life to where it feels enjoyable.”
The conversation shifted to talking about the cast, specifically Jackson’s co-star Ancelet. As he was talking, Jackson told a backstage story from “Xanadu.”
“I remember we were getting ready to audition, and me and Callie sat with each other,” Jackson said. “We held each other’s hands and we said, ‘Can you imagine? What if.’”
When talking about each of their favorite parts of the show, both Ancelet and Jackson said the song “Surrey with the Fringe on the Top” was their favorite.
“It’s so precious,” Ancelet said. “We see two sides of Curly’s and Laurey’s relationship where it’s so cat and mouse. Then we center back towards the end of the song where there’s such a realness and authenticity to their relationship.”
Mentioning the Sullivan cast, Jackson called them hilarious.
“It is a group of comedians, through and through,” Jackson
said. Jackson began to talk about the theme of community throughout the show.
“I think it’s an important show to recognize right now and to remind people of their humanity,” Jackson said. “In this show we see different examples of what it’s like to be in a community.”
He talked about the charac-
ter Jud who longs for community, and Curly and Laurey who “take strides into not just being part of community, but having a life of their own.”
Tickets for “Oklahoma!” are available on the Sullivan Theatre’s website. Tickets are $25 for students and $35 for adults. The show opens June 13 and closes June 29.
PHOTO BY JORDAN HEFFLER / THE SULLIVAN THEATER
“Oklahoma!” promo photo with Thomas Jackson as Curly and Callie Ancelet as Laurey.
SPORTS
BY ROSS ABBOUD Staff Writer
OMAHA
With a 12-5 win over West Virginia in Game 2 of the Baton Rouge super regional, LSU baseball punched a ticket to its 20th College World Series appearance in program history. The Tigers are tied with Oklahoma State for sixth in all-time appearances.
LSU took advantage of the Mountaineers’ pitching staff, allowing 12 free passes and 10 hits on the night by having at least one base runner in every inning but the ninth.
“This would be a game that you would want to put on a tape and show future teams,” head coach Jay Johnson said. “This is how we play offensive baseball at LSU.”
The game started after an almost three-hour weather delay, but LSU came out of the gate swinging, as Derek Curiel hit a leadoff double in the first and
was scored by Jake Brown. Then in the second inning, LSU put together a two-out rally where they tallied three walks and a bases-clearing double from Steven Milam. Brown and Jared Jones also joined in on the scoring when they hit back-toback RBI singles.
“We wanted to punch our ticket to Omaha,” Jones said. “We wanted to get the bats going, and we did that, and the job’s not finished. We’ve got a lot more work ahead of us.”
LSU held their 6-0 lead, but after Anthony Eyanson started the game by keeping the Mountaineers off the scoreboard for four innings. Sam White and Ben Lumsden hit home runs to plate three in the fourth.
After allowing a run to cross in the bottom of the fifth, Eyanson’s day was over. He threw 104 pitches in 5 innings of work and allowed five hits, four runs and three walks while striking
Who’s in and who’s
BY ROSS ABBOUD Staff Writer
LSU baseball hit the transfer portal hard last offseason when it added 16 transfers to an already highly experienced roster.
Tigers’ head coach Jay Johnson struck gold in the portal with players like Daniel Dickinson and Anthony Eyanson, who both have been instrumental to the Tigers’ success this season.
LSU won’t need as many holes filled on the mound this year, but its two aces, Eyanson and Kade Anderson, are likely heading to the MLB Draft.
The Tigers may also have four proven freshman arms and several
out seven.
West Virginia put Chase Meyer on the mound in the third inning, and he kept LSU scoreless through 4.0 innings of work. But in the top of the seventh, the Tigers loaded the bases with no outs.
He was replaced by Reese Bassinger, who surrendered six runs in the seventh after Chris Stanfield singled to plate two runs, Frey reached on an error to score one run, Milam doubled to score one run and Brown hit a two-run home run.
Meanwhile, on the mound for LSU, Cooper Williams and Chase Shores relieved Eyanson and only allowed one run and one hit in the last four innings of the game.
LSU will face Arkansas in Omaha for its first game of the 2025 College World Series. The times are yet to be announced for when the Tigers and Razorbacks will meet.
Softball’s star pitcher transfers to Oklahoma
BY AINSLEY FLOOD Sports Editor
LSU softball’s ace pitcher, Sydney Berzon, announced her verbal commitment to Oklahoma on Friday via Instagram.
Following LSU’s NCAA regional exit, the 6-foot junior entered the transfer portal in late May and was named the top player available by Softball America. She was the only five-star prospect on the market.
In the Baton Rouge regional, Berzon started one of three games and threw a shutout to eliminate UConn. She kept LSU’s postseason hopes alive and only allowed two walks and five hits in seven innings.
In her three years as a Tiger, Berzon boasted 416 strikeouts in over 486 innings and a 2.02 career ERA.
She had less time on the mound this season due to persistent injuries and the introduction of freshman pitcher Jayden Heavener. Yet, Berzon still managed 104 strikeouts six shutouts and an 18-8 overall record.
Although a star since she arrived on LSU’s campus, 2024 was
undoubtedly her breakout season. She recorded 185 strikeouts over 204 innings and a 1.78 ERA. Berzon earned All-American honors in her first two years with LSU.
Now entering her fourth and final year of eligibility, Berzon will head to Norman for 2026.
Oklahoma got the best of LSU in 2025, beating them 4-1 in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.
The Sooners made a modest run in the postseason, reaching the Women’s College World Series semifinals, but lost to the national runners-up Texas Tech 3-2. It ended Oklahoma’s four-year streak of winning the national championship. It also marked the last game of Sam Landry’s collegiate career, so Oklahoma was on the hunt for a new ace.
For now, the most likely prospect for LSU’s leading pitcher is Heavener, who was named to the 2025 D1Softball Freshman AllAmerican Second Team and earned two SEC Freshman of the Week honors.
She made 21 starts in her debut season for the Tigers, just one fewer than Berzon with 22.
out for baseball in the transfer portal
veterans returning next season.
In the field and the batter’s box, LSU will likely return all of the outfielders and its shortstop, but the rest of the infield will be new faces, with Jared Jones and Dickinson likely leaving for the draft and Michael Braswell III running out of eligibility.
So, who’s going out, and who’s coming in for the Tigers?
Incoming Transfers:
Brayden Simpson | Infielder |
High Point Simpson blasted 22 home runs in his sophomore season for the Panthers and had a .477 onbase percentage and .389 batting average in 58 games this season.
Seth Dardar | Infielder | Kansas State
In 2025, Dardar held a .326 batting average and hit 13 home runs with 45 RBI. He attended Holy Cross High School in New Orleans.
Outgoing Transfers:
Mikey Ryan | Infield
A freshman from Luling, Louisiana, Ryan appeared in 16 games this season and recorded one hit in three at-bats.
Mic Paul | Outfielder
Paul played in 37 games and recorded 17 at-bats in the two seasons he played for LSU. He has been in Baton Rouge for
three seasons but took a medical redshirt in 2024. Paul was the No. 1 outfielder in the state of Utah in 2022.
Blaise Priester | Catcher
Priester returned to LSU as a member of last season’s transfer class after redshirting in 2022, then transferring to Meridian Community College for 2023 and 2024. He appeared in 13 games with seven at-bats and no hits.
Chandler Dorsey | RightHanded Pitcher
Dorsey transferred to LSU from South Florida as a part of last year’s transfer class but only made five appearances in purple and gold. He recorded five innings of work and holds a 5.40 ERA.
Dylan Thompson | RightHanded Pitcher
In two seasons, Thompson made just one appearance for LSU, facing two batters. He was the No. 11 overall player in Louisiana in the class of 2023.
David Hogg II | Infielder
Hogg appeared in 12 games as a freshman for the Tigers but only stepped up to the plate three times, where he went 0-2 with a walk.
Ryan Costello | First Base Costello appeared in 15 games while at LSU as a freshman. He hit 12 times, going 0-8 with four walks. He was a top-100 high school prospect in the 2024 class.
MALEAH BOURGEOIS / The Reveille LSU softball junior pitcher Sydney Berzon (29) pitches during LSU’s 3-2 win against Southeastern on Feb. 9 at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, La.
PAYTON PRICHARD / The Reveille
LSU baseball players celebrate during LSU’s 10-6 win over Little Rock on June 2 at Alex Box Stadium.
OPINION
Celebrities should be private to leave their fans wanting more
I’m not one to hate on celebrities for sport or pray on their downfalls whatsoever, but as their unofficial PR agent, I would advise them to be as lowkey as possible these days.
Over the last few years, the topic of celebrity overexposure has become a main conversation amongst fans. It’s easy for a celebrity to tarnish their career through one too many interviews or TikTok posts.
I find the most likeable celebrities to be the ones who stay out of the limelight and have a low-key image in between projects. This is a small number. It seems that stars, especially older ones, are trying to stay relevant. These days there’s a fine line between relevance and overexposure.
Just last summer, actress Blake Lively, best known for her role as Serena van der Woodsen on the teen drama series “Gossip Girl,” found herself facing
Blake Lively at the UK Gala Screening for the film ‘It ‘Ends With Us’ on Aug. 8, 2024, in London.
major backlash while promoting her newest project, Colleen Hoover’s movie adaptation of “It Ends With Us.”
During her press tour, she was busy promoting her hair care line to the audience instead of shedding light on the movie’s very sensitive theme, domestic violence, contrary to her other co-stars. It was dur-
ing this press tour that her feud with “It Ends With Us” co-star Justin Baldoni began.
This led to old interviews resurfacing that showcased Lively’s odd behavior and months of unfavorable videos circulating.
Instead of stepping away from the “It Ends With Us” press tour and going on a brief Instagram hiatus, the constant press continued. Some of Lively’s fans remained loyal, but some grew tired of the situation, resulting in the loss of 1.2 million Instagram followers.
In a recent interview with New York Magazine, actor Michael B. Jordan shared a little piece of advice film icon Denzel Washington gave him about avoiding overexposure.
Washington asked Jordan, “Why would they pay to see you on a weekend if they see you all week?”
Definitely some wise words to live by. There’s no mystery anymore, just TMI and oversaturated images of most celebrities.
Someone who has mastered the low-key celebrity blueprint is Zendaya. Known for serving
Zendaya attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute on May 5 in New York.
looks on the red carpet and silver screen, she values her privacy and time away from the cameras. I respect it – always have, always will. When a celebrity like Zendaya makes themselves unavailable and harder to reach, their likeability meter rises.
Take actor Austin Butler for example. After a year-long press tour and award season for his
film “Elvis,” Butler kept a low profile until the promotion of his next project. Butler goes months on end without posting to Instagram, making his online presence chill and almost nonexistent.
It’s always exciting to see a celebrity at an event or promoting their next big thing when you haven’t seen them since their last press tour. But when they’ve been living in the headlines for months on end, it gets old.
Celebrity status or not, we should all take a page out of Zendaya and Butler’s playbook. I made the decision sometime during my sophomore year of college to put my Instagram and TikTok on private, limiting the access people had to me while taking frequent breaks from social media. This past year was my first time having large gaps of time between posts.
As I get older, I understand that privacy is power, and you have control of how much access you give people on and offline.
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