Jared Jones announces return to LSU for junior season
Jay Johnson has had a massive offseason, adding huge bats to LSU’s 2025 lineup, but none are bigger than starting first baseman Jared Jones. On Tuesday evening, Jones announced he was returning to LSU for another season and not going to the MLB. After three days of the MLB Draft, it became clear Jones was looking to return once he did not get what he was looking for from the major leagues.
Now, Jones is a celebrated addition to a roster that is already poised to return to being a top ten team in the country in 2025. Last year, Jones totaled 28 home runs, 59 RBIs, and 59 walks with a .301 batting average and a .747 slugging percentage. For a parts of the year, Jones entered cold streaks, but in the Chapel Hill Regional, he went 7-for-13 with two home runs and nine walks, showing the potential for an All-American level talent in the coming years if he was to return.
Johnson certainly made his pitch for him to return, but the ball was in Jones’ court this summer. Johnson spoke highly about Jones throughout the year, raving about his power and potential, and now Jones gets to see it through in purple and gold.
“Jared won a national championship as a freshman with 14 home runs, then this year hits 28 home runs, and next year it would be his lineup and if he does that again, now you’re talking a completely different value for himself,” Johnson said after the season.
Now, Jones has a chance to cement himself as one of the best power hitters LSU has seen this century with another 28+ home run season. Pair that, with an exciting lineup LSU has joining him in Baton Rouge and it’s hard not to get excited about the year ahead.
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Coming into last year, he was focused on adjusting to the college game, and now as he enters year three, expectations are even higher.
“It took a lot of time to adjust and get used to the speed of the game,” Jones said before the season. “I learned how to handle my emotions better with the ups and downs last year. I’m excited to get into this year. I think I’ve made great strides in my mental game. It’s never going to be a finished product, but it’s just staying the course and taking it one pitch at a time.”
“The biggest thing for me is going to be strikezone discipline. Swinging at pitches I know I can hit well and laying off everything else, especially early in the count. Just getting my pitch and doing damage with it. Then, I’m still young, so anything with my maturity and taking on any leadership role I can is important to me.”
Stay tuned to The Bengal Tiger for the latest baseball news as it breaks throughout the offseason.
