BATON ROUGE — LSU head baseball coach Jay Johnson met with the media on Wednesday to talk about the 2027 LSU roster and preview what he is expecting as the Tigers start fall practice soon.

LSU is ramping up with workouts now, but will start their 45-day practice window on Oct. 8. They will have four exhibition games this fall against other teams.

LSU will face Samford in Biloxi, Miss. on Oct. 31 at 3 p.m., followed by a second game on Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. The Tigers will host Troy on Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. at Alex Box Stadium. They will finish their scrimmages when they host Southeastern on Nov. 13.

Johnson said improving player durability was a big focus after last season, especially for pitchers. Strength coach Chris Martin worked closely with returning players in the weight room.

Pitchers Cooper Moore, William Schmidt and Casan Evans all return this season and are hoping to stay healthy after injuries plagued the starting pitching rotation last season. Moore had elbow surgery in May and will not pitch in the fall, but Johnson said the missed time should not set him back for the season. Schmidt and Evans also worked on conditioning and pitching development.

Freshman Lucas Nawrocki will play as a two-way player, with a set schedule to manage his pitching and hitting workload. Johnson said, "He is a two-way player. That is not up for debate. It will not change over three years here."

The No. 1 transfer in this year's class, Bino Watters, impressed Johnson with his work ethic and hitting ability. Johnson said the staff is helping him reach another level.

Logan Schmidt, a top high school left-handed pitcher, chose LSU over going pro. Johnson said Schmidt will not pitch in games or scrimmages until Nov. 1 as part of a planned break after his high school season.

Cade Kurland also chose LSU over turning professional and made a hitting adjustment over the summer that Johnson liked.

Malachi Washington, known as a center fielder, is moving to the infield to add versatility.

Johnson said both catchers, Omar Serna Jr. and Cade Arrambide, need to improve defensively and be available for every game.

The team will honor late LSU coach Skip Bertman with a patch featuring the number 15 on their jerseys, possibly beyond this season.

Johnson wants all 39 players to participate in each fall scrimmage ahead of the 2027 season.