5 things to know about LSU baseball transfer Cade Kurland

LSU baseball kept building its transfer portal class with the addition of former Florida second baseman Cade Kurland. LSU was in the market for veteran infielders and Kurland fits that billing.

Kurland was the second infielder and third position player to commit to LSU out of the portal, joining ex-Texas State shortstop Dawson Park and former Notre Dame outfielder Bino Watters. LSU made it clear it would shop at the top of the market after missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011 this year. Head coach Jay Johnson is determined not to let that happen again.

Kurland’s commitment wasn’t the only good infield news LSU got in recent days. Tigers‘ shortstop Steven Milam also announced plans to return to LSU for his senior year. With Milam at shortstop and Kurland at second base, LSU likely has the most experienced infield in the SEC.

Here’s what you should know about transfer second baseman Cade Kurland.

It’s rare to find portal players with Kurland’s experience, especially with this level of experience at the SEC level. Kurland has played in 193 career games, starting 190 of them. He was one of the SEC’s best freshmen in 2023, breaking out early with a .555 slugging. The games played total would be even higher if Kurland didn’t suffer a season-ending injury in 2025.

Kurland brings College World Series experience to Baton Rouge. You may remember LSU faced Florida in the CWS final in 2023 — Kurland’s breakout year. Kurland scored seven runs vs. LSU in the final series, including four in Game 2. LSU lacked big game experience at some positions in 2026, and it cost the Tigers when LSU hit adversity. With Kurland’s postseason experience, LSU feels good about leadership at the second base position.

I mentioned Kurland missed most of the 2025 season with an injury. That was due to the shoulder surgery he suffered after making a play on defense. And in 2026, though he played 49 games, Kurland missed some time because of an oblique injury early in the year. Oblique injuries can linger and are tough for hitters to manage. An entire offseason of recovery should leave Kurland in a better spot in 2027.

Kurland notched 34 extra-base hits as a true freshman in 2023, including 17 home runs. He hasn’t matched that home run total since, but he brings 43 career homers to Baton Rouge.

Kurland owns a decent BB/L ratio throughout his career and doesn’t have a major weakness. He’s not a guy who will hit 20 home runs, and his career batting average is .276, but he does a little bit of everything. That gives Johnson flexibility when constructing the lineup.

Just as Steven Milam did on Friday, Kurland pulled his name from the 2026 MLB Draft. After Kurland committed to LSU, some mentioned he was an MLB Draft flight risk. That’s not a concern anymore with Kurland’s plan to play for LSU solidified.