LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KTSM) – Last month, former Centennial baseball star Steven Milam effectively made the decision to take his name out of the 2023 MLB Draft, choosing the collegiate route.
It was a big decision for the Top-120 prospect in the Class of 2023, but the choice he made is still a very good one. The shortstop/second base prospect is now playing for the defending national champion LSU Tigers.
The 2023 New Mexico Gatorade Player of the Year, Milam will get a chance to play immediately at both shortstop and second base, according to LSU head coach Jay Johnson on Monday. Milam will wear number four for the Tigers as a freshman.
After batting .627 with 52 hits, 50 RBI and 65 runs in 30 games while leading Centennial to the state championship game, Milam was one of two prospects that LSU wanted to make sure they got to campus and didn’t lose to the professional ranks.
“When I thought about the most important pieces of getting to school, I had two players in my mind and he was one of them,” Johnson said. “He’s a terrific hitter with a lot of strength and bat speed in a smaller frame. He has a competitive nature and if you’re going to have any chance of making an immediate contribution, you have to have that here.””
Johnson added that a scout for the Tampa Bay Rays, RJ Harrison, counseled Milam and his family throughout the process and raved about Milam to the LSU coaches.
“He said, ‘you’re going to be really happy about that.’ Someone I respect more than anyone in terms of evaluating players said, ‘this guy’s a guy.’ So I’m excited about that,” said Johnson.
Milam and LSU will start fall practices soon as he continues to adjust to the collegiate level. Since he chose college, he’ll now have to spend three seasons at LSU, where he’ll look to bring the Tigers another national championship, before he hopefully gets to truly chase his MLB dreams.
