BATON ROUGE — LSU freshman pitcher T.J. Forrest has elected to transfer to Bossier Parish (La.) Community College, coach Paul Mainieri announced Wednesday.
“T.J. came to my office today and told me it was his desire to transfer to Bossier Parish Community College,” Mainieri said. “He felt like it would accelerate his opportunity to play professional baseball, and he would be more comfortable in an environment closer to home.”
Forrest’s transfer to a community college would allow him to be eligible for the 2008 Major League Baseball draft. He would not be eligible for the draft until 2009 if he remained at LSU.
“We’re disappointed by this decision, because T.J. was very much in our plans for the future,” Mainieri said. “(LSU pitching coach) Terry Rooney and I feel like he would have prospered at LSU and that his best days were ahead of him. At the same time, we respect his wishes and we hope he accomplishes his goals.”
“The reason I decided to leave LSU was simply because this gives me a shorter route to realize my dream, which is to play professional baseball,”
Forrest, a right-hander from Benton, La., said. “There was nothing unhappy about my experience at LSU. I had a fantastic relationship with Coach Mainieri and Coach Rooney, and I’m grateful for everything they’ve done for me.”
Forrest worked 31.1 innings for LSU this season in 11 appearances (six starts). He made his LSU debut on March 6 versus Centenary, less than a year after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow as a high school senior.
Forrest posted a 2-2 record and one save at LSU while recording 25 strikeouts and 15 walks. A product of Haughton (La.) High School, he was the 44th round selection of the Florida Marlins in the 2006 Major League Baseball draft.
“Due to the nature of the injury from which T.J. has recovered,” Mainieri said, “he believes the sooner he gets a chance to pitch at the pro level, the better his chances of being successful. I feel like we certainly enhanced his career by assisting in his rehabilitation and providing him with opportunities on the mound.
“We will definitely miss T.J., but I feel very positive about our returning pitchers and the recruits arriving here in the fall. We look forward to having a deep and talented pitching staff for the 2008 season.”