Louisiana State University will begin their baseball season on February 14, 2025, but before that, Luis Hernandez will represent his home, Puerto Rico, in the Premier12.
Hernandez grew up in Puerto Rico before he enrolled at Indiana State University to play baseball. Hernandez spent three seasons at ISU before transferring to LSU before the 2025 season.
Hernandez will be joining Puerto Rico’s team in the Premier12, and the decision to represent his home was not a tough one.
“I mean, the decision is that I really want to play. It was a big deal for my family and for me. It’s a good thing to represent Puerto Rico,” said Hernandez. “I’m excited to play anything that has to be done with Puerto Rico. Growing up in Puerto Rico wasn’t like the big leagues, but playing for Puerto Rico is exciting.”
Growing up in Puerto Rico, Hernandez balanced volleyball and baseball. He was given a scholarship to play volleyball, so he kept his scholarship while also focusing on baseball. Needless to say, he had many long days during his journey to playing college baseball.
“My focus was on baseball, but in high school, they had me on scholarship for volleyball,” said Hernandez. “In the evenings, I would play volleyball, and at nights, I would play baseball.”
Hernandez hit 23 home runs at ISU in 2024 after hitting just nine in his first two seasons. He has been working his whole life and hopes his time at LSU ends with a National Championship.
“I’ve worked all my life. This is a dream come true, coming to LSU. Coming out of Puerto Rico, I didn’t expect it,” said Hernandez. “I know I’ve worked all my life for this, but coming to LSU is a dream come true for me and my family. Going to Omaha, if we go, we have the potential to win a national championship.”
Hernandez is just one of the college baseball players representing Puerto Rico in the Premier 12. To kick off the tournament, Puerto Rico will play the United States on November 9 at Estadio Santa Teresita in Mexico.
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Photo Credit: Luis Hernandez fields. (Courtesy of By-U Sports)
