Jersey retirement places Lucroy among elite in Ragin’ Cajuns Baseball history

Louisiana Baseball will honor one of the program’s all-time greats when Jonathan Lucroy has his No. 21 jersey retired on Saturday, May 2, at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park as part of Alumni Weekend.

First pitch for Louisiana’s game against Georgia State is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT, with a pregame ceremony recognizing Lucroy’s legacy. The day will be designated as Jonathan Lucroy Day, with tickets for the game available online.

Lucroy, who will be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame this summer, becomes just the third player in program history to have his jersey retired, joining his former head coach – the late Tony Robichaux (No. 36) – and former New York Yankees standout and Cy Young Award winner Ron Guidry (No. 3).

As part of the celebration, the first 1,000 fans will receive a commemorative Lucroy replica jersey, courtesy of Our Lady of Lourdes Health.

A three-year letterwinner at UL from 2005-07, Lucroy established himself as one of the most accomplished hitters in school history. He finished his career with a .356 batting average and still ranks among the program’s all-time leaders in multiple categories. He remains Louisiana’s career leader in doubles (54), RBI (184) and total bases (414), while also ranking in the top five in hits (241), home runs (35), sacrifice flies (16) and slugging percentage (.612).

Lucroy, a 2017 inductee into UL’s Athletics Hall of Fame, made an immediate impact as a freshman in 2005, earning Freshman All-America honors after hitting .379 with five home runs and 48 RBI. A two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection, he capped his career in 2007 by setting a then, single-season school record with 174 total bases.

Following his collegiate career, the Umatilla, Florida, native was selected in the third round of the 2007 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers and quickly rose through the system, reaching the Major Leagues in just two seasons.

Lucroy went on to enjoy a 12-year MLB career, highlighted by All-Star selections in 2014 and 2016. His 2014 campaign remains one of the best ever by a catcher, as he hit .301 with 69 RBI and a league-leading 53 doubles — a Major League record for catchers, surpassing Iván Rodríguez — while finishing fourth in National League MVP voting.

Over his career, Lucroy played in 1,210 games, posting a .274 batting average with 108 home runs and 548 RBI. He was a key contributor across multiple organizations and earned a reputation as one of the game’s premier defensive catchers, leading the American League in both fewest errors (with Texas) and caught stealing (with Oakland) in 2018.

Internationally, Lucroy represented Team USA in the 2013 and 2017 World Baseball Classic, helping capture a gold medal in 2017.