LSU-New Mexico connection still strong as 2026 prospect Dylan Blomker commits to Tigers

Dylan Blomker was brainwashed to be an LSU baseball fan from an early age. 

That’s what happens when one of the best players to be on the purple and gold happens to be from your home state. 

That connection to the coaching staff is one of the biggest reasons LSU got the verbal commitment from the 6-4, 200-pound right-handed pitcher out of Albuquerque. He chose the Tigers over offers from Tennessee and Oklahoma State.

(self-scouting report) “A big competitor that has a plus fastball, curveball and change-up. Every time I am out there I think I’m the best pitcher in the world and nobody is going to take that from me. Four-seamer has some ride at 92-95. Slider is 78-82 and change-up is 81-83 with a good amount of fade and drop.”

Making his commitment to the Tigers during his weekend visit during the LSU-South Alabama football game, Blomker said the trip to Baton Rouge just confirmed what he already knew. 

“(LSU) has been my dream school since I was 10 years old,” he said. “As soon as I stepped on campus, I knew this was my place. 

“My family is family friends with Alex Bregman’s family. Let’s just say I kind of got brainwashed for LSU baseball early on. His family was always saying how I should check out LSU and this was before there was even a thought that I could play baseball on the collegiate level. The other stuff is fairly simple. Watch a game in the College World Series in Omaha and 90-percent of the stands are purple and gold. I got to watch some games at Alex Box Stadium too recently and it was just the right place for me.”

Growing up with Bregman’s as one of his favorite players, Blomker said it was just fairly recently that the chance to play college baseball would turn into a reality. 

“The funny story is going into the summer of my sophomore year, I was a catcher. Then I figured out I could throw 90 miles an hour. Let’s just say that took me away from catching. I really thought I could go to college as a catcher. Then I figured out pitching would be what I’m best at. Just continued to work hard at my craft. 

“I pitched early, threw hard, but just not a lot. I never had a radar gun on me. Then for some reason I had a gun on me one time and hit 90 and my coach said ‘yea, you should try and pitch.’ That was the end of my catching career.”

Blomker admitted that his longtime catching career has had some big benefits to helping him become a better pitcher. 

“Leg strength is the first thing that comes to mind for sure,” he said. “And really it has helped my baseball IQ. When you are behind the plate, you get a look at what pitches are doing to batters and get a better read on batters. I can have the perspective of a hitter from a pitcher’s perspective because of my past. That helps you figure out what you want to do on certain counts.”

When it comes to the recruiting pitch from Jay Johnson and the LSU staff, Blomker said the recruiting pitch was simple and to the point. 

“We think we can turn you into a top-flight pick and a big-leaguer,” he said. “That’s all I needed to hear.”