Jay Johnson describes how Tommy White has grown while recovering from injury

As LSU gets set to defend its national title in 2024, it’ll do so with one of the men who made that national title win a reality finally back healthy again.

Slugger Tommy White was injured late last season and had to gut it out through the College World Series. He remained out with a shoulder injury through much of fall ball for the Tigers.

Now he’s on the mend and back to more normal activity.

“I will say I like seeing him in the batter’s box a lot more than standing next to me in the dugout,” coach Jay Johnson said on the Mik’d Up with Mikie Mahtook podcast.

After transferring into LSU from NC State prior to the 2023 season, White quickly emerged as one of the most powerful bats in the lineup for the Tigers. His production behind the plate was almost unparalleled on the team.

Tommy White went .374 at the plate, with 24 doubles, 105 RBI and 64 runs scored. And it was when his contributions came that seemed to matter the most. He was remarkably clutch.

Nothing has changed now that he’s healthy again this winter.

“Yeah, he’s been great,” Johnson said. “I missed having him like on the field and healthy just from a standpoint of he’s so impactful. Well he doubled down on his efforts in helping the new players and leadership. And I think that was really good for him.”

LSU will have to replace a good chunk of its title-winning production this spring, and that’s where the leadership of a guy like White kicks in.

It’s imperative that the leadership bring along the young guys and gears them up for what to expect in what is always a grueling SEC campaign. Tommy White had to learn a year ago, now it’s incumbent on him to help others do the same.

At LSU’s first pitch banquet prior to the season on Sunday night, it was clear White is embracing the leadership role.

“I’m just so proud of those guys you saw up there last night,” Johnson said. “Josh Pearson is also in that group. Will Hellmers is in that group. We had unbelievable player leadership with Gavin (Dugas), with Cade (Beloso), with Paul (Skenes), with Dylan (Crews). And these guys are doing their best to pay that forward and emulate that, and you have to have that. As a coach I’m very proud of that. They’re doing a good job, and Tommy is a big part of that.”