#20 Paul Skenes Season 2025
MLB Draft: 2023 1st Round (No. 1 Overall) – Pittsburgh Pirates
AT LSU
2023 Dick Howser Trophy Winner
2023 National Player of the Year (D1 Baseball, Collegiate Baseball)
2023 National Pitcher of the Year (College Baseball Foundation)
2023 Consensus First-Team All-American
2023 College World Series Most Outstanding Player
2023 NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team
2023 SEC Pitcher of the Year
2023 First-Team All-SEC
2023 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll
2023 LSWA Louisiana Pitcher of the Year
2023 Seven-Time Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week
SEC Pitcher of the Week (March 6 and Feb. 20, 2023)
AT AIR FORCE
2022 & 2021 First-Team All-American
2022 John Olerud Award Winner
2022 Mountain West Conference Co-Pitcher of the Year
2021 Collegiate Baseball National Co-Freshman of the Year
2021 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year
2021 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Selection
Transferred to LSU in the summer of 2022 after two seasons at the United States Air Force Academy and helped lead the Tigers to the 2023 College World Series title … projected to be either the No. 1 or No. 2 overall selection in the 2023 MLB Draft … awarded the Dick Howser Trophy in June 2023 as the nation’s best NCAA Division I player for the 2023 season … became just the second LSU player to win the Howser Trophy (1B Eddy Furniss, 1998) … produced in 2023 one of the most dominating seasons in college baseball history, recording 209 strikeouts to set the SEC single-season record previously set by Ben McDonald of LSU in 1989 … Skenes was 13-2 in 2023 with a 1.69 ERA in 122.2 innings .. he recorded just 20 walks and limited opponents to a .165 batting average … he pledged $10 for every strikeout he recorded in 2023 to Folds of Honor, a nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships to the spouses and children of military and first responders who have died or been disabled.
2023 Season (at LSU)
• The 2023 Dick Howser Trophy winner, also voted the 2023 National Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball and by D1 Baseball … Skenes was one of three semifinalists for the 2023 Golden Spikes Award, along with LSU teammate Dylan Crews and Florida’s Jac Caglianone
• Named 2023 SEC Pitcher of the Year in a vote of the league’s 14 head coaches … Skenes is LSU’s first SEC Pitcher of the Year since Aaron Nola won the award in 2013 and 2014
• Named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 College World Series … made two starts in the CWS and was 1-0 with a 1.15 ERA in 15.2 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with two walks and 21 strikeouts … posted a win over Tennessee (June 17) in LSU’s opening game of the CWS, working 7.2 innings and allowing two runs on five hits with one walk and 12 strikeouts … he then faced Wake Forest in the CWS semifinal round (June 22) on just four days’ rest and limited the Deacons to no runs on two hits in 8.0 innings with one walk and nine strikeouts
• Skenes finished No. 1 in the nation in strikeouts (209), No. 1 in strikeouts per nine innings (15.33) and No. 1 in WHIP (0.75), and he finished No. 2 in the nation in ERA (1.69), No. 3 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (10.45), and No. 5 in hits allowed per nine innings (5.28)
• Skenes finished No. 1 in the SEC in wins (13), strikeouts (209), opp. batting avg. (.165), innings pitched (122.2) and ERA (1.69)
• Pitched a total of 32.1 innings in NCAA Tournament (CWS/Super Regional/Regional) games, registering a 3-0 mark and a 1.11 ERA in four starts with three walks and 42 strikeouts … posted a win over Kentucky in Game 1 of the NCAA Super Regional (June 10), limiting UK to no runs on four hits in 7.2 innings with one walk and nine strikeouts … threw 101 pitches in the outing
• Fired a complete-game victory over Tulane in the opening game of NCAA Baton Rouge Regional, allowing two runs on seven hits in 9.0 innings with no walks and 12 strikeouts while throwing a season-high 124 pitches … the outing marked LSU’s first nine-inning complete game since April 23, 2021, when AJ Labas defeated Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss. … Skenes was voted to the Baton Rouge Regional All-Tournament Team
• Defeated Mississippi State on May 12, working 7.0 innings and allowing one run on three hits with one walk and 13 strikeouts … he was credited with his first complete game of the season, as LSU established an 11-run margin in the bottom of the seventh inning to activate the 10-run rule … earned National Player of the Week honor from Collegiate Baseball
• Named SEC Pitcher of the Week and a Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week on May 8 after he defeated Auburn on May 5, working a season-high 7.1 innings and allowing no runs on six hits with one walk and a career-high 15 strikeouts … he became the first LSU pitcher to record 15 strikeouts in a game since Tyler Jones fanned 15 at the University of New Orleans on May 17, 2011 … Skenes’ outing marked the most strikeouts by an LSU pitcher in an SEC game since April 24, 2009, when Anthony Ranaudo fanned 15 against Auburn in Baton Rouge
• Defeated Alabama on April 28, limiting the Crimson Tide to one run on five hits in 6.0 innings with no walks and nine strikeouts
• Posted win over Ole Miss (April 21), allowing three runs on four hits in 6.0 innings with three walks and 11 Ks
• Defeated Kentucky (April 13), allowing four earned runs on seven hits in 6.0 innings with one BB and a career-high 13 Ks
• Earned Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week recognition on April 3 after he helped lead LSU to a series-opening win over No. 9 Tennessee on March 30 by firing 7.0 innings and allowing just one run on five hits with one walk and 12 Ks
• Pitched seven innings in Game 1 of the Arkansas series on March 24, allowing just one run on two hits with three walks and 12 strikeouts … Skenes received Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week recognition for the fourth time this season
• Received Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week recognition on March 20 after he defeated No. 11 Texas A&M on March 17, working 6.1 scoreless innings while allowing four hits and recording no walks and 11 strikeouts … Skenes fired a season-high 106 pitches in the outing to lead LSU to the series-opening victory over the Aggies
• Posted win over Samford on March 10, working six innings and limiting the Bulldogs to one run on two hits with one walk and 12 strikeouts
• Voted SEC Pitcher of the Week and Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week on March 6 after defeating Butler on March 3 in a dominating six-inning outing … he limited Butler to no runs on one hit with no walks and a career-high 13 strikeouts … Skenes allowed a two-out single in the first inning, then retired 16 straight Butler hitters to complete his outing … his 13 Ks represented the most by an LSU pitcher since March 2, 2018, when Zack Hess recorded 13 strikeouts against Toledo
• Defeated Kansas State on Feb. 24 in the opening game of the Round Rock Classic … Skenes worked six innings, limiting the Wildcats to one run on two hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts, firing 101 pitches in the outing … he retired 17 of the final 18 Kansas State hitters that he faced, and he was voted to the Round Rock Classic All-Tournament team
• Named SEC Pitcher of the Week and Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week on Feb. 20 as he worked six shutout frames on Feb. 17 to defeat Western Michigan, allowing just three hits with one walk and 12 strikeouts … the 12 Ks represented the most by an LSU pitcher since April 15, 2021, when Landon Marceaux recorded 12 strikeouts versus South Carolina … Skenes’ effort also marked the most Ks by an LSU pitcher in a season opener since Scott Schultz fanned 12 Lamar batters in the 1995 Winn-Dixie Showdown at the Louisiana Superdome
At Air Force (2021 and 2022 seasons)
Played the 2021 and 2022 seasons at Air Force before transferring to LSU … earned first-team 2022 and 2021 All-America recognition for the Falcons … recipient of the 2022 John Olerud Award as the best two-way player in college baseball … recorded a 2.96 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 85.2 innings (15 starts) in 2022, limiting opponents to a .224 batting average; also batted .314 in 2022 with 10 doubles, 13 homers and 38 RBI … in 2021, he was voted National Co-Freshman of the Year by Collegiate Baseball, sharing the honor with LSU’s Dylan Crews … Skenes was voted the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year in 2021; made 18 relief appearances on the mound and saw action at DH, catcher and first base … batted .410 in 2021 and finished second in the Mountain West Conference in hits with 77 … recorded 11 saves on the mound in 2021 and limited opponents to a .208 batting average … pitched against LSU in Alex Box Stadium during the opening weekend of the 2021 season and posted a save in Air Force’s 6-5 win over the Tigers on February 21; he pitched one inning to earn the save, allowing one run on one hit with no walks and two strikeouts.
High School
A three-year letterwinner and a team captain his senior year at El Toro High in Lake Forest, Calif. … as a junior, was named first team all-league, all-county, all-conference and all-state … in his senior year, he was voted first team all-county … graduated with a 4.76 GPA
Personal
Full name is Paul David Skenes … born May 29, 2002, in Fullerton, Calif. … parents are Craig and Karen Skenes … Craig works for a pharmaceuticals company, and Karen is a stay-at-home mom … has an older sister, Lauren, and a younger sister, Kristen … Uncles Mike and Pete served in the Navy and Uncle, Dan, served in the Coast Guard … says he chose to attend LSU because “I wanted to work with this coaching staff and play with this group of dudes every day, and playing at Alex Box Stadium every day would be such an honor and privilege” … majoring in interdisciplinary studies at LSU.
Skenes’ LSU Career Highs
Innings: 9.0 vs. Tulane (6/2/23 – NCAA Baton Rouge Regional)
Strikeouts: 15 at Auburn (5/5/23)
Hits Allowed: 7 twice; most recently vs. Tulane (6/2/23 – NCAA Baton Rouge Regional)
Runs: 5 twice; most recently vs. Arkansas (5/25/23 – SEC Tournament)
Earned Runs: 4 vs. Kentucky (4/13/23)
Walks: 3 twice; most recently at Ole Miss (4/21/23)