LSU Baseball's Entire National Championship Outfield Returning for 2026 Season

Originally posted on LSU Tigers on SI | By Zack Nagy | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 3:19 PM ET

Jay Johnson and the LSU Tigers received more good news on Tuesday with the program set to return outfielder Chris Stanfield for the 2026 season.

Stanfield, the program's starting centerfielder for the National Championship crew, gives Johnson another elite returning piece for next year.

The two-time member of the SEC Community Service Team starred for the Tigers in his debut season in Baton Rouge, hitting a career-best .309 (59-for-191) over 63 games, with 52 runs scored, 15 doubles, two triples, one homer and 28 RBI, stealing five bases.

He has hit .289 over his career, which began over the last two years at Auburn.

pic.twitter.com/Ao17nefSli
— chris stanfield (@_chrisstanfield) July 15, 2025

Now, he's back in Baton Rouge for a second season where he rounds out LSU's National Championship outfield alongside Derek Curiel and Jake Brown.

Curiel, the D1 Baseball National Freshman of the Year, assisted in LSU's College World Series run last month in Omaha.

He was named a Second-Team All-America, First-Team Freshman All-America and Second-Team All-SEC selection this season after hitting a team-high .345 with 20 doubles, two triples, seven homers, 55 RBI and 67 runs.

Curiel hit a team-high .571 in the Tigers’ NCAA Super Regional sweep of West Virginia with one double, one homer, five RBI and six runs.

He was voted to the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional All-Tournament Team, batting .400 (6-for-15) with two doubles, two RBI and four runs.

Curiel finished the season No. 1 in the SEC in doubles (20), No. 3 in the league in walks (53), No. 4 in hits (89), No. 4 in on-base percentage (.470), No. 6 in runs scored (67) and No. 10 in batting average (.345).

Now, the trio of outfielders are back in Baton Rouge for the 2026 season with Stanfield, Curiel and Brown set to return.