QUOTES FROM LSU COACH SMOKE LAVAL
(on LSU not receiving a bid to the 2006 NCAA Baseball Tournament)
“We’re very disappointed that we didn’t receive a bid to the tournament, but as I told our players, you can’t leave it in the hands of someone else. We should have been able to earn it ourselves and not rely on other factors.
“We certainly didn’t have the year that we hoped we would have, but I thought this team deserved a regional bid after overcoming some key injuries and winning several games against teams that are in the tournament. I thought our young guys like J.T. Wise, Jarred Bogany and Louis Coleman played well, and that’s something we can build upon. We’ll see how the draft affects us next week, and we’ll get ready to lace ?em up and move forward to next season.
“I want especially to recognize our seniors who have meant so much to our program over the past four years. I feel for them because I thought they deserved the chance to play in a regional. I’m proud of the leadership they showed this season, and I know they’ll enjoy success in the future.”