Page 58 • Baseball The Magazine • Issue 4 2009

Editorial and Photos Courtesy of Bill Franques - LSU Sports Information

Less than three months after winning a national title, LSUbaseball coach Paul Mainieri is working to lead the Tigersback to Omaha in 2010.

“Right now we’re in the process of molding a new team,” saidMainieri, who directed LSU to the 2009 national title with a CollegeWorld Series finals win over Texas. “This is the time where we edu-cate our players about the obligations they have both on the field andin the classroom. We place them into a frame of mind where theyunderstand the commitment involved in being a part of the LSU pro-gram.”

The Tigers are engaging in strength and conditioning drills andparticipating in individual workouts on the field. LSU will conduct itsfull-squad fall practice session from October 13th through November20th.

The 2010 season begins on February 19th, when the Tigers playhost to Centenary in Alex Box Stadium.

LSU welcomes back 17 players that made significant contributionsto the 2009 national championship drive, including seven positionplayers with starting experience and 10 pitchers that recorded inningslast season.

Senior All-America outfielder Blake Dean leads a core of veteransthat includes junior outfielder Leon Landry, junior catcher MicahGibbs, sophomore outfielder Mikie Mahtook, sophomore infielder TylerHanover, sophomore shortstop Austin Nola and sophomore infielderGrant Dozar.

Two players that had part-time starting roles during the 2008 sea-son - senior infielder Matt Gaudet and sophomore outfielder JohnnyDishon - are back on the Tigers’ active roster in 2010.

2010 TIGERS WORKING FOR RETURN TO OMAHA

Anthony Ranaudo

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The pitching staff is led by junior All-America right-handerAnthony Ranaudo, who finished third in the nation last seasonwith 159 strikeouts and was the winning pitcher in the decidinggame of the CWS Finals.

Also returning is sophomore right-hander Matty Ott, the 2009SEC Co-Freshman of the Year who established the LSU single-season record for saves last season with 16.

Ranaudo and Ott are joined by a talented group of hurlersthat includes senior right-hander Paul Bertuccini, junior right-handers Austin Ross, Daniel Bradshaw and Ben Alsup, juniorleft-hander Chad Jones, sophomore left-hander Chris Matulisand sophomore right-handers Shane Riedie and SpencerMathews.

Four LSU players were named to the Baseball America mag-azine Top Prospects Lists for the collegiate summer leagues.

Landry was rated the No. 14 prospect in the prestigious CapeCod (Mass.) League and Dishon was rated No. 2 in the ValleyLeague of Virginia.

A pair of Tigers appeared in the rankings of the Illinois-basedProspect League - Mahtook was rated No. 1 in the league whileNola was rated No. 8.

LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri sang“Take Me Out To The Ball Game” on July 26in Wrigley Field during the seventh inningstretch of the game between the ChicagoCubs and the Cincinnati Reds.

“It was a lot of fun, though it was not avirtuoso performance,” Mainieri laughed.“I’m honored that the Cubs asked me toparticipate in one of their great traditions.”

Mainieri, in his third season at LSU, direct-ed the Tigers to the 2009 College WorldSeries title, the school’s first CWS champi-onship since 2000. He was named 2009National Coach of the Year by BaseballAmerica, Collegiate Baseball andRivals.com.

Mainieri said he and his sons, Nick andTommy, had planned the trip to Chicago asan opportunity to visit several acquaintanc-es in the Cubs’ organization. When theCubs discovered Mainieri would be in townfor the weekend series, they extended theinvitation to him to sing during the seventhinning stretch.

Two of Mainieri’s closest friends are CubsGeneral Manager Jim Hendry and AssistantGeneral Manager Randy Bush, and two ofMainieri’s former players at Notre Dame –Aaron Heilman and Jeff Samardzija – are

The LSU veterans are complemented by a talented class of 13newcomers, including five players that have been selected in theMajor League Draft.

“We’re preparing a new team to be successful,” said Mainieri, the2009 National Coach of the Year. “I have all the confidence in theworld that we’ve got the pieces in place to be able to have anotheroutstanding club.”

HILL, HAWPE CONTINUE LSU BASEBALL ALL-STAR LEGACYFormer LSU players Aaron Hill and Brad Hawpe continued the

Tigers’ All-Star legacy in July when they participated in the 2009Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

Hill, a second baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays, and Hawpe, anoutfielder for the Colorado Rockies were named to the AmericanLeague and National League rosters, respectively.

Hill, a native of Visalia, Calif., played at LSU from 2001-03 and wasvoted the 2003 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year.

Hawpe, a product of Forth Worth, Texas, played at LSU from 1999-2000 and was named to the 2000 College World Series All-Tournament team.

Hill and Hawpe increased to eight the number of former LSU play-

members of the Cubs pitching staff.The Cubs roster also features former LSU

infielders Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot,members of the Tigers’ 2000 national champi-onship club.

“We have a lot of connectionsto the Cubs organization, so it wasa very special weekend,” Mainierisaid. “I hope I represented LSUwell in Wrigley Field.”

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ers to earn MLB All-Star status.LSU’s first All-Star was Boston Braves second baseman Connie

Ryan of New Orleans, who played for the National League in 1944.New York Giants shortstop Alvin Dark of Comanche, Okla. played forthe National League in 1951, 1952 and 1954.

First baseman Joe Bill Adcock of Coushatta, La. represented theMilwaukee Braves on the 1960 National League roster.

Outfielder Albert Belle of Shreveport, La. was a five-time AmericanLeague All-Star, representing the Cleveland Indians (1993-96) andChicago White Sox (1997).

Right-hander Paul Byrd, a product of Louisville, Ky., pitched for theNational League in 1999 as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Right-hander Brian Wilson of Londonderry, N.H., represented theSan Francisco Giants on the 2008 NL All-Star roster.

LSU’s Major League All-Stars: Connie Ryan, 2B • Boston Braves(NL)•1944; Alvin Dark, SS • New York Giants (NL)•1951-52,1954;Joe Bill Adcock, 1B • Milwaukee Braves (NL)•1960; Albert Belle,OF • Cleveland Indians (AL)•1993-96 - Chicago White Sox (AL)•1997; Paul Byrd, RHP • Philadelphia Phillies (NL)•1999; BrianWilson, RHP • San Francisco Giants (NL)•2008; Brad Hawpe, OF• Colorado Rockies (NL)•2009; Aaron Hill, 2B • Toronto Blue Jays(AL)•2009

FORMER LSU ALL-AMERICAN TODD WALKER INDUCTED INTO COLLEGEBASEBALL HALL OF FAME

Former LSU all-America second baseman Todd Walker wasinducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame during Fourth of JulyWeekend festivities in Lubbock, Texas. Walker was one of 10 playersand coaches comprising the 2009 Hall of Fame induction class.

Walker becomes the third LSU representative to enter the Hall ofFame, joining former coach Skip Bertman (inducted 2006) and formerall-America pitcher Ben McDonald (inducted 2008).

Bertman joined Walker in Lubbock this weekend for the inductionceremony. Bertmancoached Walker during theall-America infielder’s three-year LSU career (1992-94).

Walker, a 1998 graduateof LSU, was one of thegreatest hitters in SEC his-tory. A first team All-American two years in arow (1993-94), Walker ledLSU to a national champi-onship in 1993 as heearned the College WorldSeries MVP award thatyear. He was named first-team All-SEC three timesand was the SEC Player ofthe Year in 1993.

Walker, a native ofBossier City, La., finishedhis collegiate career as theSEC all-time leader in hits,runs, RBI and total bases.During his major leaguecareer from 1996-2007,Walker played for theMinnesota Twins, Colorado Rockies, Cincinnati Reds, Boston RedSox, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics.

Walker was inducted into the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.Former players joining Walker in the 2009 College Baseball Hall of

Fame class are Joe Carter, outfielder, Wichita State; Darren Dreifort,pitcher/DH, Wichita State; Kirk Dressendorfer, pitcher, Texas; BarryLarkin, shortstop, Michigan; Keith Moreland, catcher/utility, Texas;Rafael Palmeiro, outfielder, Mississippi State; Ron Polk, coach,Georgia Southern, Mississippi State, Georgia.

A Big HitThe New Alex Box Stadium Opened to Rave Reviews in 2009Beautiful.Magnificent.A crown jewel in college baseball.These words were used in 2009 to describe the new Alex Box

Stadium, the new home of LSU baseball.Coming into the season, there was a lot of discussion about

whether or not the same tradition and feeling that made the oldAlex Box Stadium so special would carry over 200 yards south tothe new stadium.

“I know a lot of people miss the old Alex Box and it means alot to many people,” LSU coach Paul Mainieri said. “But we need-ed the upgrade in the facilities for our players, but also for thefans.”

Compared to the old Alex Box, the new stadium boasts fresh,state-of-the-art amenities necessary to keep LSU among thenation’s elite programs. The team took advantage of these newamenities and noticed a difference on the field.

“I think the indoor batting facility is one of the biggest assetsthe new stadium offers,” outfielder Jared Mitchell said. “To be ableto come here anytime, no matter the weather, and get some workdone definitely gives our team an advantage.”

The indoor facility wasn’t the only new part of the stadium theplayers enjoy. At the old Alex Box, the players had about 3,000square feet of “team area.” This area included the locker room,player’s lounge and meeting area. The new Alex Box offers 9,380square feet of team area.

“When we wanted to hang out in the old Box, all we could dowas sit in front of our lockers and talk,” said infielderGrant Dozar, who spent last fall with the team in the oldstadium. “Now we have a whole lounge to relax in withcouches and chairs and ping pong tables and comput-

ers. It helps the guys relieve a littlestress while also spending timetogether as a team.”

The players aren’t the only onesbenefiting from the new additions tothe stadium. Fans also now enjoyover 1,000 more seats under thegrandstands, as well as theChampion’s Club lounge. The newBox also offers more restrooms andconcessions areas, perfect for mak-ing every Tiger fan a bit more com-fortable.

“The experience at the new stadi-um is as close to Major League asyou can get,” lifelong Tiger baseballfan and current LSU senior Matthew Weaversaid. “Being in this type of an environment fora college baseball game gives a little extraexcitement to the whole experience, and it’ssomething I’ve enjoyed this year.”

One thing that has remained constant inthe new stadium, not surprisingly, has beenthe overwhelming fan support. For 14 straightseasons, LSU has led the nation in paidattendance, including 2009, when LSU posted

an NCAA-record attendance figure of 403,056 for 42 games(9,596 average per game). “The thing that makes this stadium sospecial is the fans,” outfielder Ryan Schimpf said. “As long as wehave the fans, I don’t care what we play in. They’re unbelievable.”

The new Alex Box isn’t the only new stadium the SEC wel-comed in 2009. South Carolina’s Carolina Stadium is also in itsinaugural season, a destination the Tigers got to see firsthandearlier in the year.

“I think South Carolina’s stadium is really nice,” Mitchell said.

2010 TIGERS WORKING FOR RETURN TO OMAHA

Tigers Join LouisianaGovernor for Texas BBQ

Louisiana GovernorBobby Jindal, LSU baseballcoach Paul Mainieri andtwo Tiger All-Americansenjoyed a Texas-sized bar-b-que August 14 on thegrounds of the Governor’sMansion in Baton Rouge.

Jindal, Mainieri, outfield-er Blake Dean and pitcherAnthony Ranaudo joinedmembers of the LouisianaNational Guard in feastingon the ribs, brisket andsausage sent from Texas byGovernor Rick Perry.

Perry shipped the bar-b-que to Louisiana as a congratulatory gesture afterLSU defeated the Texas Longhorns in the College World Series Finals in June. Thenational championship was the sixth for the LSU baseball program and its firstsince 2000.

“I want to congratulate Coach Mainieri and his players not only for everythingthey do on the field, but also for everything they do off the field,” Jindal said.“The LSU players are young men of character who represent Louisiana with dig-nity. On behalf of a grateful state, I thank them for the distinction they bring tous.”

“This was one of the most satisfying meals I’ve had in a long time,” Mainierisaid. “I’m glad as national champions we have the opportunity to enjoy some ofTexas’ best bar-b-que. We’re honored to join Governor Jindal and the NationalGuard today, and we’re very proud to represent the people of our great state.”

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“I’m not saying this just because I go toschool here, but I think our stadium is betterthan everybody else’s.”

“It’s hard to compare stadiums,” Schimpfsaid. “They’re all so nice; the SEC has someunbelievable stadiums, but this one is spe-cial and it’s because of the fans.”

So while the new stadium doesn’t comeequipped with all the pageantry and tradi-tion of the old Alex Box, there’s still some-thing that exists when you walk through thegates that transcends the shiny new fixturesand beautiful architecture. It’s a spirit thatovertakes players and fans alike and makesbaseball at LSU unique.

“I don’t really know how to describe it,”Schimpf said with a smile, almost in awe ofhis words. “It’s just…special.”