Who knew UCLA was a feeder program for LSU's national champion baseball Tigers?

After LSU head coach Jay Johnson plucked Bruins' pitcher Thatcher Hurd out of the transfer portal last summer with Hurd becoming a key piece in the Tigers' 2023 NCAA tourney run, he repeated the feat again Friday.

Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball.com reported UCLA lefty pitcher Gage Jump, who sat out this past season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, is headed to Baton Rouge to join the Tigers. He will be a third-year sophomore with three years of eligibility.

Jump is the third transfer pitcher landed by Johnson in the post-season recruiting period. He joins Xavier of Ohio left-hander Justin Loer and Alabama righty Kade Woods.

Johnson also has already reeled in South Carolina starting shortstop Michael Braswell.

Two seasons ago in 2022 as a true freshman, Jump appeared in seven UCLA games and threw 16⅓ innings. He gave up seven earned runs on 10 hits, striking out 22 and walking 11.

Jump had saves in back-to-back appearances against Oregon, and had season-bests in innings pitched (5.0) and strikeouts (seven) against Stanford. He struck out six and gave up one earned run over 4 2/3 innings at California in his final appearance in late April 2021 before he got hurt.

A native of Aliso Viejo, California, Jump played for JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, Ca. He was ranked as the No. 1 left-handed pitcher in the state of California, the No. 5 left-handed pitching prospect nationally and was the No. 38 prospect (all positions) nationally.

He was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 18th round of the 2021 MLB draft.