Three letters.
The “after the comma” following Karson Trichel’s name these days has one of the most coveted trio of them all.
LSU.
More specifically, Louisiana State University. Those three letters tell you a lot about him, to be sure. But, it doesn’t tell you the amount of work that went into being able to commit there. That it was one of the Louisiana native’s dream schools. What kind of impact he’ll be able to make when he gets there.
If he gets there.
This past winter after the New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series Underclass Elite event, Trichel, who is one of the more experienced players at FSS events in the history of the organization, spoke to FSS Plus about a wide variety of topics in his still very young career, starting with that commitment to LSU all the way back in early 2022.
“It was between LSU and Mississipi State for a long time, but being a Louisiana kid, it’s kind of hard to pass up on LSU.” he said.
“I don’t know, it felt really, really good. I was happy because I worked really hard for it, and I was glad that I’m going to be able to live out the dream.”
On the flip side of that, however, it’s hardly uncommon to see attention and pressure rise on a player who earns a commitment, no less one that’s as big as heading to the defending national champions. For the most part, however, Trichel says it hasn’t been that big of a deal from that perspective, especially on the travel ball side, where he plays with and against more players who are under similar circumstances.
“The expectations have been a little higher, especially in high school, but in summer ball it’s basically been the same,” he said. “I don’t really hold it over anybody’s head, it can go away with the snap of a finger, but it’s been all right…I got to go down to Omaha and watch (LSU) and watch them play that first game against Florida before I went down to Nashville with the Future Stars Series, and it was super fun to watch. I’m excited to go down there and hopefully win a ring with my class.”
A very skilled two-way player who has a legitimate path on either side of the ball, Trichel said it’s “really cool to be able to look forward to” potentially playing at LSU having grown up as a fan of the program and now having earned his way there. What might the role look like if and when he gets there, however? It’s probably a bit too early to tell, as Trichel continues to excel both at the plate and on the mound.
“I’m really going to mainly focus on pitching,” he said. “But, I’m going to hit as long as I can hit. Most likely, pitching is going to be my calling. I’ve been really trying to get stronger and quicker…it felt good to have a little bit of time off (after the Caribbean Classic), because I needed it before I got to Boston, so that really helped also.”
With a long, but sturdy frame that remains projectable, Trichel’s fastball was already between 87-89 the last time we saw him this fall, and has also been working on getting his arm a little quicker to help unlock more of the potential in it.
Part of that also entails getting his hips quicker as well, which has led to an increased focus on flexibility.
“I stretch a lot, and I do a lot of stuff to help my arm get quicker as well,” he said. “All the work here, it’s been a long journey, because I had a few times where I would gain velo and then I would lose it, but it’s finally starting to stick as we go here.”
RHP Karson Trichel (@KarsonTrichel) throws 3 strong innings, picking up the win at the Underclass Elite. @LSUbaseball commit.@NB_Baseball @fss_midsouth #WeGotNow pic.twitter.com/fWKbp0ok61
— New Balance 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 (@ftrstarsseries) October 7, 2023
Trichel uses a fastball-curveball-changeup mix, and picked up a slider last year that he says he really likes. He knows that the development of that offering could be key to his overall progression as he slowly shifts his focus to pitching.
“I’m just trying to really get it to where I can throw that back foot slider to lefties, and then start it in the zone to get the righties to chase,” he said. “It helps me a lot, because I can command (all four pitches) and throw them at any count, any time.”
He also has the benefit of having two older brothers who’ve been down a similar path; Cole played for LSU-Shreveport, while Kade went to Dallas College Brookhaven. That built-in support system and first-hand knowledge has helped him greatly.
“It helps a lot, because I can ask them questions,” Karson Trichel said. “My older brother, I can ask him any type of arm-care stuff to do, or pitching stuff. My middle brother, he can help me with my swing, and he’s also my long-toss partner.”
It’s been a family effort to make sure Trichel has been doing everything he can to keep his name on the radar not only of LSU as he’s a year away from setting foot on campus, but also for big league teams who are looking for prospects for the 2025 MLB Draft. On the heels of a big summer, he knows he has another one ahead to not only keep his name there, but to see his stock rise even further.
“I just want to keep my head down, keep working,” he said. “Keep getting better one day at a time. It can be difficult (to focus on that) sometimes, you can get caught up in some of this stuff sometimes, but for the most part, I think I’ve been doing pretty well.”
