The baseball transfer portal is heating up, and LSU baseball is in the thick of the action. Recently the Tigers lost another member from their 2026 roster to the portal and landed their first two new players from it.
Ethan Clauss departs
LSU lost another name to the transfer portal last week; infielder Ethan Clauss’ exit comes after a very quiet freshman season in 2026.
He made appearances in 11 games last season, but was primarily limited to a role as a defensive replacement in the late innings of games. He stepped up to the plate just four times, getting just one hit, a triple against Northeastern, and a lone RBI on a groundout against Kentucky.
A shortstop in high school, Clauss’ departure may be due to the logjam on the left side of the infield in 2026 while simultaneously complicating the arithmetic to possibly replace shortstop Steven Milam in 2027.
LSU lands RHP Landon Hood
News of Landon Hood heading to Baton Rouge surfaced on June 4, the first add for LSU in this transfer cycle.
The addition of Hood is significant after a season that saw underwhelming results. Hood was listed as one of the top arms in the 2026 transfer portal, a great start to satisfying that need for 2027.
Hood transfers in from Gonzaga and took home West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year honors in 2026. He threw 54 ⅓ innings across 16 appearances — mostly in relief — to the tune of a 2.48 ERA, mainly out of the bullpen.
His profile should make him excel under pitching coach Nate Yeskie. LSU sits tied at the top of the national leaderboard for strikeouts per nine innings with 12.1. Even without playing in the postseason, LSU is seventh in the column this year ahead of the College World Series.
Hood is a power-first, strikeout-heavy pitcher. He generated 12.9 strikeouts per nine last season at Gonzaga and can reach back to get his fastball into the upper 90s.
What may give some pause is his control. While his walks were far from out of hand, he hit six batters and threw eight wild pitches, both things that limited LSU pitchers from reaching their full potential. Still, there is plenty of upside for Hood, and LSU will have plenty of time to extract it. Hood won’t be draft eligible until after the 2028 season, meaning LSU will get at least two seasons with him.
SS Dawson Park commits to LSU
A day after Hood’s commitment, former Texas State shortstop Dawson Park announced he would be heading to LSU as well.
Park entered the portal after leaving Texas State prior to the season ending, a move that stemmed from his involvement in an on-field fight with a teammate that required members of the coaching staff to intervene.
Baggage aside, there’s no question that Park can play at an SEC level. The rising junior took a step forward last season, hitting 24 extra-base hits and belting 13 homers to drive home 52 runs and achieve an OPS of .962.
Park has shown flashes of brilliance in the field, but it is by far his biggest area of improvement as he moves into his draft-eligible season. His fielding percentage ticked up last season, but he still made 10 errors across 48 games in 2026.
The addition of Park helps replenish a depleted middle infield and could serve as a replacement at shortstop if Milam makes the decision to move on. His presence also lessens the sting of Clauss’ departure.
