Jay Johnson hits the West Coast again for top prospect
I am excited to announce my commitment to Louisiana State University! Thank you to my family, friends, coaches, trainers and teachers for all you do for me. Thank you to the Louisiana State University coaching staff for believing in me. #GeauxTigers pic.twitter.com/M9FSwiqi5t
— Sammy Kane (@SammyKane16) January 20, 2023
The connections to the West Coast for Jay Johnson remain strong. Earlier this month, Johnson and the LSU coaching staff picked up a commitment from yet another commitment from the West Coast in 2026 shortstop/pitcher Sammy Kane.
“The plan is for the coaching staff to give me the chance to both hit and pitch (at LSU). At the plate I’m a gap-to-gap approach hitter. I hit for power, but I’m more of a doubles kind of hitter.
Sammy Kane (@SammyKane16) splits the gap in left center for a stand-up RBI double. #FiveToolHitting @BaseballJesuit (CA) 2026 • @LSUbaseball commit
— Five Tool California (@FiveToolCA) March 3, 2023
Profile: https://t.co/6GcLSnAhlC pic.twitter.com/rawXqrIyL1
“On the mound I’m a fastball, slider, change-up guy that throws from a lower ¾ arm slot so I have a lot of offside run. I like to throw my change-up a lot to left-handed hitters, slider to righties and my best pitch is my change-up.”
Clips from my all fastball bullpen today. @AthletesOptimum @AlphaMovementBB @sactosportscntr @RealAdamFarb @jimsammons @henning_drew pic.twitter.com/vRH8CjfWXz
— Sammy Kane (@SammyKane16) December 3, 2022
The 6-0, 170-pound freshman out of Jesuit High School in Carmichael, California, Kane chose the Tigers over Jay Johnson’s former Arizona Wildcats and Arkansas.
“The ironic part is Jay didn’t recruit me at Arizona,” he said. “I actually started to get recruited by Arizona after (Johnson) left.
“We knew that recruiting was going to come very early for me. My dad was a college athlete so he kind of went through all of this stuff too and my coaches got me ready to do this (deal with the recruiting process). We sat down as a family and went through everything we needed to talk about and the consequences; good and bad, that come with committing this early. It seemed like the best decision was to make a decision now. LSU happened to be the best fit.”
Kane went into further details about why LSU was the best choice.
“Best coaching staff in the country; plain and simple,” he said.
"I had been talking with Jay and the staff for a while prior to making a visit to Baton Rouge. I can remember when we would get off the phone with the coaching staff that they were the best recruiters that we had talked to in the entire process."
“Then I got to make the visit. Step foot on campus, take ground balls and I got to hit. And I got to pitch. It just felt like home. I loved pitching with Wes Johnson; he turns pitchers into big leaguers. (Assistant coach) Mark Wannka is a great guy and (recruiting coordinator) Josh Jordan gave us a great tour of the campus. Jay Johnson is simply the hardest worker in college baseball. I can wait to get on campus and play for this staff.”
Mike Kane, Sammy’s father, played college baseball at Sacramento State in the early 90’s.
“My dad was playing when LSU was winning National Championships in 1991 and 1993,” Kane said.
“So I grew up watching college baseball because of him and knew from an early age anytime we saw the team in purple and gold that we knew we would see some good college baseball.
“My dad has been with me (throughout the recruiting process) every step of the way making sure I am surrounded with the best people to help me make the best decisions possible.”