BATON ROUGE — LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri announced Thursday that he will welcome an 18-man signing class to campus when the fall semester begins on August 27. The incoming group of players includes seven prospects that were selected in the Major League draft in June. Another draftee, LSU football player Chad Jones, will join the baseball team in the spring.
“It is very rare for a school to have as many as eight drafted signees actually enroll at the university,” Mainieri said. “It is a very unusual occurrence, something that I would characterize as remarkable.”
LSU signed six baseball prospects during the spring signing period ? which began on April 11 — after securing 13 signees during the early period last fall.
Eight members of the baseball recruiting class were chosen in the 2007 draft. Only one of the drafted players ? infielder Drew Cumberland of Pace (Fla.) High School ? will not attend LSU. Cumberland signed with the San Diego Padres this summer after he was selected in the compensation round of the draft (46th pick overall).
LSU’s drafted incoming players include: right-handed pitcher Anthony Ranaudo of St. Rose High School in Jackson, N.J. (11th round, Texas Rangers); infielder Matt Clark of Riverside (Calif.) Community College (28th round, Pittsburgh Pirates); infielder/outfielder Rene Escobar of Riverside (Calif.) Community College (30th round, Atlanta Braves); outfielder Leon Landry of Baker (La.) High School (36th round, Cincinnati Reds); infielder D.J. LeMahieu of Brother Rice High School in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (41st round, Detroit Tigers); right-handed pitcher Jordan Brown of Meridian (Miss.) Community College (45th round, Cincinnati Reds; and left-handed pitcher Ryan Verdugo of Skagit (Wash.) College (47th round, San Francisco Giants).
Jones, a freshman safety for the LSU football team, was an outfielder/pitcher at Southern Lab High School in Baton Rouge and was the 13th round selection of the Houston Astros.
Mainieri praised associate head coach/recruiting coordinator Terry Rooney for attracting LSU’s talent-rich class.
“Having this many pro prospects actually enrolling in school is a credit to Terry, who really did his homework in finding players that had a strong desire to go to LSU before beginning their pro careers,” Mainieri said.
Mainieri said the 11 undrafted players in the class will also make a significant impact upon the LSU program.
“We also have other very talented players in this class that were not drafted because they made it clear to the pro clubs that their intention was to attend school,” Mainieri explained. “This class should not be evaluated totally based on the drafted players because many of the undrafted players could turn out to be our biggest contributors.”
LSU’s undrafted newcomers include: right-handed pitcher Ben Alsup of Ruston (La.) High School; right-handed pitcher Daniel Bradshaw of Ouachita Christian High School in West Monroe, La.; right-handed pitcher/infielder Taylor Davis of Panola (Texas) College; outfielder/catcher Johnny Dishon of Bridge City High School in Beaumont, Texas; infielder Matt Gaudet of Delgado Community College in New Orleans; catcher Micah Gibbs of Pflugerville (Texas) High School; infielder Derek Helenihi of Ohlone (Calif.) College; right-handed pitcher Taylor Martin of St. Michael High School in Baton Rouge; right-handed pitcher Jordan Nicholson of Ruston (La.) High School; outfielder Cody Reine of Walker (La.) High School; and right-handed pitcher Austin Ross of Captain Shreve High School in Shreveport, La.
“I believe this will be the last year we have a class of this size,” Mainieri said. “We are in a transitional phase in our program, necessitating our recruitment of some outstanding junior college players in the late signing period. As the 2007 season was progressing and we realized our needs more specifically, we came to the conclusion that we needed some players that could make an immediate impact on our program.
“It is my hope that history will show that this class had a major effect on re-establishing LSU as one of the elite college baseball programs in the country. I have to assume when the rankings of recruiting classes are released this class will be right up there with some of the best in the nation.”
Following are capsules on each of LSU’s newcomers:
Ben Alsup, RHP
6-3, 160, Fr., R-R
Ruston, La. (Ruston HS)
Three-year baseball letterwinner as a pitcher, shortstop and outfielder
Named a Rawlings High School All-American
Also played quarterback for the Ruston High football team
7-3 W-L on the mound in 2007 with a 2.91 ERA
Led team last season with a .416 average, five homers and 41 RBI
Posted a 5-3 mark on the mound in 2006 with a 3.51 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 54 innings
2006 first-team all-district baseball selection
Earned 2005 honorable mention all-state recognition in football
Daniel Bradshaw, RHP
6-1, 205, Fr., R-R
West Monroe, La. (Ouachita Christian HS)
2007 and 2006 first-team All-State selection
2007 La. High School Coaches Association Pitcher of the Year
National Honor Society student with a 4.96 GPA
Posted a 9-3 record in 2007 with a 1.22 ERA and 107 Ks in 69 innings
Batted .465 last season with nine homers and 49 RBI
Recorded a 7-1 mark in 2006 with a 0.80 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 44 innings
Has posted a 33-11 career pitching record with a 1.51ERA
Helped lead Ouachita Christian to the 2005 Class 2A state title
Jordan Brown, RHP
6-0, 195, Jr., R-R
Luling, La. (Hahnville HS/Meridian CC)
Selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 45th round of the 2007 draft
Selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 21st round of the 2006 draft
Selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 31st round of the 2005 draft
Helped lead Meridian to the 2006 Mississippi state title
Posted a 2-2 mark with a 2.44 ERA and two saves in 2006; recorded 26 strikeouts and eight walks in 22 innings
Earned all-state honors as a pitcher and shortstop at Hahnville High School
Matt Clark, INF
6-5, 230, Jr., L-R
Fontana, Calif. (Etiwanda HS/Riverside CC)
Selected in the 28th round of the 2007 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates
2007 First-Team JUCO All-American
Helped lead Riverside CC to the 2007 California JUCO state title
Named MVP of the California state championship tournament
Batted .350 in 2007 with 15 homers, 70 RBI and a .620 slugging percentage
Ranked among the nation’s top 150 prospects by Baseball America
Teammate of fellow LSU signee Rene Escobar at Riverside CC
Taylor Davis, RHP/INF
6-3, 230, Jr., R-R
Conroe, Texas (The Woodlands HS/Panola College)
JUCO All-Conference selection in 2006 and 2007
Batted .335 in 2007 with 14 homers (leading JUCO Region 14), 20 doubles and 59 RBI
Batted .394 in 2006 with 13 homers, 17 doubles and 50 RBI
Particpated in the Texas-New Mexico all-star game last fall
Johnny Dishon, OF/C
5-11, 180, Fr., R-R
Beaumont, Texas (Bridge City HS)
Letterwinner in baseball (outfielder) and in football (quarterback, running back)
Also participated in track and field letter as a sprinter and triple jumper
Hit .400 in 2006 with 14 homers, 32 RBI and 15 stolen bases
Has earned all-state honors in baseball and all-district recognition in baseball, football and track
Rene Escobar, INF/OF
5-11, 190, Jr., R-R
Nuevo, Calif. (Perris HS/Riverside CC)
Selected in the 30th round of the 2007 draft by the Atlanta Braves
Led Riverside CC to the 2007 California state title, batting .368 (86-for-234) with 19 doubles, six triples, six homers, 76 RBI and 64 runs
2007 JUCO All-American
2007 Orange Empire Conference Player of the Year
Recipient of 2007 Big Stick Award for the southern California region
Matt Gaudet, INF
6-2, 220, Jr., R-R
Metairie, La. (Rummel HS/Delgado CC)
2007 JUCO All-Region selection
Batted .352 in 2007 with nine homers and 42 RBI
Batted .370 in 2006 with 17 homers and 60 RBI
Drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays as a high school senior
Three-year baseball letterwinner at Rummel High School as a 1B, OF and catcher
Earned all-state and all-district recognition at Rummel High
Micah Gibbs, C
5-11, 210, Fr., S-R
Pflugerville, Texas (Pflugerville HS)
Earned 2007 Rawlings All-America recognition
Hit .500 in 2006 with eight homers and 34 RBI
Career high school batting average of .408 with 13 home runs
Earned all-state, all-county and all-district accolades at catcher
Father, Glenn Gibbs, played catcher at Kansas State
Derek Helenihi, INF
6-0, 170, Jr., R-R
Livermore, Calif. (Granada HS/Ohlone College)
2007 All-Coast Conference selection
2007 All-Northern California selection
Led Ohlone College in hitting in 2007, batting .371 (59-for-159) with 12 doubles, one triple, four homers and 36 RBI
Recorded 19 stolen bases and scored 27 runs last season
Chad Jones, OF
6-3, 222, Fr., L-L
Baton Rouge, La. (Southern Lab HS)
Selected in the 13th round of the 2007 draft by the Houston Astros
Plays safety for the LSU football team; will join the baseball team in the spring 2008
Began his high school career at St. Augustine HS in New Orleans; transferred to Southern Lab HS in Baton Rouge in 2005 after his family was forced to evacuate due to Hurricane Katrina
Younger brother of LSU football defensive end Rahim Alem
Leon Landry, OF
5-11, 195, Fr., L-R
Baker, La. (Baker HS)
Selected in the 36th round of the 2007 draft by the Cincinnati Reds
Began his senior season with 10-4 career W-L record as a pitcher
Launched five homers in 2006
A first-team all-district selection as a pitcher and infielder
Four-year letterwinner in football as a QB, RB, WR and DB
D.J. LeMahieu, INF
6-4, 190, Fr., R-R
Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (Brother Rice HS)
Selected in the 41st round of the 2007 draft by the Detroit Tigers
Named the 2007 and 2006 Gatorade Player of the Year in Michigan
Received All-America recognition from Rawlings and Louisville Slugger
First-team all-state selection
Batted .574 (66-for-115) in 2007 with 16 doubles, seven triples, eight homers, 32 RBI, 70 runs, 39 stolen bases and a 1.034 slugging percentage
Hit .436 in 2006 with 12 doubles, six triples, 42 RBI and a .736 slugging percentage
Has a career .459 career batting average with 201 hits
Also earned letters in basketball as a guard
Taylor Martin, RHP
6-4, 220, Fr., R-R
Baton Rouge, La. (St. Michael HS)
Received All-America recognition from Rawlings
8-3 W-L record in 2007 with two saves and a 2.78 ERA
Posted a 1.34 ERA in 2006 with 52 strikeouts and 18 walks in 31 innings
A three-time first-team all-district selection
Has also earned football and basketball letters at St. Michael
Jordan Nicholson, RHP
6-1, 170, Fr., R-R
Ruston, La. (Ruston HS)
2006 and 2007 Class 5A First-Team All-State selection
2007 Shreveport Times Pitcher of the Year
2007 MVP in District 1-5A
7-6 W-L record last season with a 2.49 ERA and 81 Ks in 70 innings
Earned Academic All-State honors with a 3.11 GPA
Posted an 8-3 mark and a 1.88 ERA in 2006 with nine walks 58 strikeouts
Anthony Ranaudo, RHP
6-7, 225, Fr., R-R
Jackson, N.J. (St. Rose HS)
Selected in the 11th round of the 2007 draft by the Texas Rangers
2007 All-America, All-State and All-County selection
Received 2007 Monmouth County Sportsmanship Award
Posted a 5-2 mark in 2007 with a 1.32 ERA, 65 Ks and 14 BB in 49 innings
Recorded a 7-0 mark on the mound in 2006 with a 0.96 ERA and 99 strikeouts
21-4 career pitching record with a 1.44 ERA and 240 strikeouts
Fired three career no-hitters
Helped lead St. Rose to the 2005 state baseball title as a sophomore
Collected over 1300 points and 800 rebounds with the basketball team
Cody Reine, OF
5-11, 190, Fr., L-R
Walker, La. (Walker HS)
Named first-team all-America by Collegiate Baseball magazine
Four-time all-American and all-state selection
Batted .418 (46-for-110) in 2007 with 13 doubles, eight homers, 41 RBI, 36 runs and nine steals
Participated in the 2007 PlayStation All-America game in Albuquerque, N.M.; as the lead-off batter, he was 3-for-4 with one double, two RBI and one run
Batted .458 in 2006 with 12 homers and 21 stolen bases
Also played running back for the Walker HS football team
Austin Ross, RHP
6-2, 185, Fr., L-R
Shreveport, La. (Captain Shreve HS)
2007 Louisiana Baseball Coaches Association Class 4A Pitcher of the Year
2007 Academic all-state selection
2007 first-team all-state, all-city and all-district selection
Posted a 12-0 mark in 2007 with a 0.92 ERA in 76.1 innings; recorded 110 strikeouts, 10 walks and eight shutouts; also batted .330 with one homer and 21 RBI
24-2 career mark with a 1.32 ERA in 148.1 innings; recorded 177 strikeouts and 20 walks
Posted an 8-1 mark on the mound in 2006 with a 1.27 ERA and 51 Ks in 49.2 innings
Helped lead Captain Shreve High to the 2006 Class 4A state title
Earned 2006 all-district and all-city honors
Also batted .524 in ?06 with two homers and 13 RBI
Ryan Verdugo, LHP
6-1, 200, Jr., L-L
Lake Stevens, Wash. (Lake Stevens HS/Skagit College)
Selected in the 47th round of the 2007 draft by the San Francisco Giants
Selected in the 43rd round of the 2005 draft by the Philadelphia Phillies
Recorded a 7-2 mark and a 2.74 ERA in 54 innings last season with 77 strikeouts; also fired a no-hitter during the year
Earned 2007 First-Team All-Conference honors
Named the 2007 Skagit College Male Athlete of the Year