As always, several Long Beach products will have a vested interest in this weekend’s MLB Draft, which begins Sunday with the first three rounds then continues Monday with rounds 4-20. The name at the top of the list is Lakewood alum Anthony Eyanson, who recently wrapped up an NCAA championship season with LSU and who’s currently projected to go in the first 30-40 picks on Sunday.
Eyanson finds himself in the position that so many kids who grow up playing baseball dream of being: on the verge of hearing his name called on Draft night, and his life forever changed. As anyone who’s known him would expect, he’s handling it with a sense of ease and cool–there haven’t been a lot of sleepless nights in the Eyanson household.
“I’ve just been hanging out with a lot of friends and family since getting home, after being gone for so long this season,” he said. “I had to adapt to that. So it’s just been spending time with all of them. I’m thinking about the Draft a little bit obviously, but it’s nothing I’m worried about. Going to LSU and moving out there really prepared me for what’s next. I’m fine with whatever happens.”
Eyanson had a unique career path, one that focused on the long-term goal and on development rather than chasing rankings or velocity numbers at a young age. He went to his local public high school, Lakewood High, with the goal of playing football, which he did for years before committing to baseball.
He blossomed as a pitcher at Lakewood, earning Moore League Pitcher of the Year honors as well as second-team All-State honors his senior year, with an 0.50 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 85 innings.
Out of high school he signed with UCSD, where he continued to grow and excel as a pitcher. He earned All-Big West honors while starring for the Tritons, and in his sophomore season he went 6-2 with a 3.07 ERA, striking out 85. His star continued to rise after a dominant turn at the uSA Baseball camp that summer, and SEC schools came calling. Eyanson ultimately elected to transfer to LSU after lauding the professionalism of their operation and expressing confidence they’d help get him to the next level.
“It was a little bit of a culture shock (pitching in the SEC),” he said. “I just wanted to make sure I stayed myself and not change to the environment–just continue to be myself. I was blessed to play with that team. But I wanted to just treat everyone the same, and stay within myself. Some people enter the portal and then maybe try to do too much.”
Eyanson was named Baseball America’s No. 4 college transfer, and was ranked No. 87 in the junior class by Perfect Game, a number he quickly obliterated on his way up the rankings this year. He earned National Pitcher of the Year semifinalist honors and got the start in the championship game for the Tigers in the College World Series.
After getting home from Omaha, Eyanson took a week off of baseball to rest and recover both mentally and physically. He said he was planning to start working out again Monday of this week. And again, he’s in a relaxed state of mind about the potential of what’s coming this weekend.
“I definitely am talking to my agents about it and making sure I’m prepared for when the day comes,” he said. “But I’m not just sitting there thinking about it. It’ll take care of itself.”
