TigerRag.com / Jonathan Mailhes
LSU Designated Hitter Ethan Frey is one of the best hitters in the country right now, according to Tigers Head Coach Jay Johnson. Frey’s high school coach, Rosepine’s Jeff Smith, said his success doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone back home.
“It was apparent in tee-ball, man, to be honest with you,” said Smith. “This guy was a foot taller than everybody else and faster than everybody else and stronger than everybody else. From even that time, the competitive nature in him was apparent.
Frey was named Mr. Baseball in Louisiana in 2022 and led his school to back-to-back state championships. He also quarterbacked the Rosepine football team. Smith said folks in southwest Louisiana won’t forget him any time soon.
“He has to be arguably the best athlete to ever come out of that school, and we’ve had a lot of good ones. The sheer physicality and size with that skill set kind of sets him apart,” said Smith.
The No. 2 overall recruit in Louisiana’s 2022 class, Frey sat behind a talented championship-winning roster at LSU in 2023. He played in 34 games for the Tigers last year before a shoulder injury that required offseason surgery. Smith said Frey returned home to recover.
“He would work out at our field, and we would talk. Man, he was just ultra-determined to see it through, and he rehabbed hard,” said Smith. “We’re where we’re at right now because of his perseverance and his determination.”
Through his early struggles with diamond time and injuries in Baton Rouge, Smith said Frey showed the devotion he’s come to know him for, the same devotion that kept him at Rosepine instead of larger programs in the area.
“He was as loyal to us as you could be here at Rosepine High School,” said Smith. “He was bought in, so it doesn’t really surprise me that he went over there, and he just put his heels in the ground. He’s loyal to Coach Johnson, and he’s loyal to that fanbase and that school and he’s where he is right now because of it.”
Frey has appeared in 55 games for the Tigers this season with a team-leading .359 batting average. The junior is also second on the team with 13 home runs and 49 RBI behind slugger Jared Jones. His most impressive performance came Monday night in a must-win game versus Little Rock to advance to Super Regionals. In five plate appearances, Frey earned four hits and a walk including a solo homer in the first and a game changing three RBI double to kick-start a Tigers comeback.
Frey and the Tigers will look to continue their impressive season as LSU hosts West Virginia in Super Regionals this weekend. Game one of the series is set for Saturday at 1 p.m. Game two is scheduled for Sunday at 5 p.m. and game 3 will be played Monday if necessary. Two wins will send the Tigers to Omaha for the College World Series.
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