How LSU baseball, Jay Johnson uses the Cape Cod Baseball League to develop its players

BREWSTER, Mass. — Josh Pearson walked up to the plate in his LSU baseball helmet.

But his purple and gold jersey had been traded in for a white uniform with dark blue pinstripes. And his Marucci CATX Connect was replaced by a wood bat.

And instead of 20,000 screaming LSU fans hovering over him in the stands, the crowd on hand was no more than a few hundred people strong, many of whom were just vacationers enjoying an evening at the ballpark after a long day at the beach.

Pearson was not in Omaha for Game 3 of the 2023 College World Series, the night he blasted a two-run home run that helped the Tigers clinch their seventh national championship in program history. This was the Cape Cod Baseball League and Pearson — the designated hitter and No. 3 hitter for the Brewster Whitecaps on a cloudy evening at Stony Brook Field — was already back on the grind of trying to get better before the start of the 2024 season.

"I knew it was a tough league for sure. Best pitchers in the country, different conditions compared to like what we're used to at LSU," Pearson said.

Training the best

The Cape League is the premier amateur summer baseball league in the country and the perfect training ground for players like Pearson — a majority of rising sophomores and juniors — trying to improve their games and boost their stock for the MLB Draft.

Pearson wasn't the only Tiger who was on the Cape this summer; Brady Neal, Paxton Kling and Micah Bucknam played for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, Jared Jones is teammates with Pearson in Brewster and Kade Woods — who transferred to LSU from Alabama this offseason — played for the Falmouth Commodores.

This summer was Pearson's second on the Cape. Last season he played for the Cotuit Kettleers.

"It's a lot of fun, I had fun last year too," Pearson said.

Yarmouth-Dennis and Brewster have become common spots for LSU coach Jay Johnson to send his players; first during his time at Arizona and now with LSU.

With Yarmouth-Dennis, Johnson has built a strong and longstanding relationship with Red Sox coach Scott Pickler, whose stringent coaching style gives Johnson the confidence that his players will get their work in while under his hands.

And with Brewster, Johnson has come to trust Whitecaps coach Jamie Shevchik for his willingness to stick with his players, even if they struggle. Jones started off his summer in Brewster 0-for-13 at the plate, but that didn't stop Shevchik from starting him in all three of the Whitecaps' playoff games.

"I like the setup (in Brewster). I like having coaches I can trust. I mean, those guys want to win," Johnson said to The Advertiser.

The feeling is mutual for Shevchik, who trusts Johnson's opinion on the players he suggests to him.

"He's one of the best coaches in the country, obviously. He's got a really good track record and if he calls me up and says 'Shev, I've got a player for ya,' I don't need to tell him 'Give me a week to do some research,'" Shevchik said. "I'm probably just going to say OK."

TOMMY WHITE INJURY, OTHER UPDATES: LSU baseball: Tommy 'Tanks' White out "for a while," other injury updates from Jay Johnson

LSU BASEBALL PORTAL TRACKER: LSU baseball transfer portal tracker post 2023 national championship: Who's in? Who's out?

ALEX MILAZZO RETURNS: LSU baseball catcher Alex Milazzo decides to return for 2024 season

‘It was a very positive experience’

The Cape League experience isn't just a win-win for the coaches, it's also a good time for the players.

Jones and Pearson enjoyed spending extra time with each other this summer in Brewster. Pearson said that Jones quickly became one of the funniest guys on the team upon his arrival, and Jones said that Pearson has helped him transition to life on the Cape.

Their dynamic also made an immediate impact with their Whitecaps teammates, in more ways than one.

"They've been great kids and you're getting proven winners," Shevchik said. "And you know what, with these guys that we have right here, you'd think they'd come in maybe with a little ego, a little bit of an attitude, (but) that hasn't been the case whatsoever. It's almost like they just seamlessly transitioned from the World Series to just playing baseball."

Pearson finished his summer with four home runs, 16 RBIs and a .299 batting average in 22 games, while Jones struggled with a .170 batting average but still had three home runs in 68 at-bats.

But it's not the numbers that make or break Pearson and Jones' time on the Cape. The only question in need of being answered is whether or not they improved.

And in Johnson's mind, the answer to that question for both players is yes.

"It was a very positive experience," Johnson said.

Koki Riley covers LSU sports for The Daily Advertiser. Email him at kriley@theadvertiser.com and follow him on Twitter at @KokiRiley

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU baseball: How Jay Johnson utilizes Cape Cod Baseball League