Ethan Frey: The Pride of Rosepine shines for LSU baseball in the big moments
Ethan Frey: The Pride of Rosepine shines for LSU baseball in the big moments
Rosepine, Louisiana, is a small town in Vernon Parish with a population of just under 2,000 people. It is located on the west side of Louisiana, near the Texas state line. Why am I talking about Rosephine? Because it is the home of LSU baseball player, Ethan Frey.
Frey was a two-sport standout for the Rosepine High School Eagles. He starred as the quarterback on the football team and as a catcher and pitcher on the baseball diamond.
Frey led the Eagles baseball team to back-to-back 2A state championships in 2021 and 2022. As a senior, he had a .487 batting average with 13 homers, 64 RBI, 39 hits, 37 walks, and only 12 strikeouts. He was the MVP in the state championship game in both seasons, and he was named Louisiana Mr. Baseball in 2022. Now, let's rewind a few years.
As he entered his Sophomore year in 2019, Frey committed to play baseball for LSU. Former LSU head coach Paul Mainieri recruited him. For Frey, it was a dream come true. 'Putting that Tigers uniform is every Louisiana kid's dream,' Frey said. 'To see that Tiger on your chest, those pinstripes, and the purple and gold is unreal.'
Little did Frey or anyone else know how much the world would change soon.
Frey entered his sophomore season riding high after committing to LSU. Frey missed out on a full baseball season that spring as the world was upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. While the world stood still, Frey continued to work. He remained committed to LSU and came back to help lead the Eagles to a state championship as a junior. As Frey entered his senior year, his world would change again.
After the 2021 baseball season, Paul Mainieri stepped down as the head coach of the LSU.
When a coaching change happens during a recruiting cycle, it is not uncommon to see some of the commitments that the prior coach had decided to commit and sign elsewhere. Frey remained loyal to LSU. The Tigers hired Jay Johnson in 2021, and during Jay's first month on the job, he was introduced to Ethan Frey and did not even know it. Frey was at Alex Box Stadium participating in an Area Code baseball tryout when Johnson spotted him.
As the story goes, Johnson was impressed. He introduced himself to Frey and learned Frey was already a commit.
Admittedly, Frey was suspicious of Johnson due to Johnson being a coach from the West Coast.
'West Coast coaches – most people don't love them down here, but I guess it's working for us, so I'm not going to complain. He's a great coach. I'm super thankful he's given me the opportunity," Frey said in the Tiger Rag feature.
Frey stuck with his commitment and signed with the Tigers on November 27, 2021.
During his Freshman season on the Bayou, Frey played in 19 games and had 19 at-bats. He finished with a .263 batting average, going 5-for-19 with a double, three walks, six strikeouts, and nine RBI. He did not get a ton of playing time, but he got to be a part of the Tigers' national championship team.
During his Sophomore season, Ethan appeared in 34 games, but a dislocated shoulder that required surgery would knock him out for the remainder of the year. While all of this is going on, the transfer portal is running rampant in college sports.
People were entering the portal left and right, and when you have the talent that Frey has, it could be an enticing opportunity to enter the portal and go start elsewhere. He could start anywhere else in the country. As I have said a few times in this article, though, he remained loyal to LSU.
Through the highs and the lows, he stayed and competed every day. That is an admirable trait that a lot of people do not possess these days. During his entire recruiting process in high school, during a pandemic, during a coaching change, he showed up and showed out every day.
LSU has had a few players recently come through with that kind of attitude. It reminds me of Cade Beloso, one of my favorite players from that 2023 national championship team. It reminds me of Josh Pearson, who has stayed at LSU and grinded it out after helping the Tigers win the ship in 2023. Some kids just love LSU. They bleed purple and gold. Frey is one of them.
This season, Frey has served mainly as the designated hitter for the Tigers, and he has been a star in that role. He has appeared in 55 games and has a .359 batting average with 13 doubles, one triple, 13 homers, and 49 RBI. He has had a few great games this season, but none have been bigger than Game 7 against Little Rock in the Baton Rouge Regional.
LSU needed a hero to save the day and send the Tigers to the Super Regionals, and Frey was that guy. He finished the game 4-for-4 from the plate with two doubles, a homer, and four RBI.
Also, Wendy's, if you are reading this, there has to be some kind of NIL deal for a guy named "Frey (pronounced like fry)" going 4-for-4.
Johnson's had plenty of praise for Frey in 2025.
"Success was coming. He's the best. I have high opinions of a lot of our players, and none higher than Ethan," Johnson said.
During the entire regional, Frey went 6-for-16 (.375) from the plate with three doubles, one triple, one homer, and six RBI. The Tigers would not be hosting West Virginia in the Super Regional this weekend if he had not shown up when the lights shone the brightest. Ethan Frey is a story of hard work, perseverance, and resilience.
Ethan is a guy who has done things the right way. He also has a great support system. His mom and his older sister always post great things about Ethan on social media. His dad, Ross, was once honored before a baseball game last year as LSU thanked him for his military service.
This weekend, Frey will be swinging away at Alex Box Stadium once again. I will be pulling for him and all of the other Tigers as I write about the game, but I just wanted to take a moment to highlight a guy who deserves the spotlight on and off the field.
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