BATON ROUGE — The LSU baseball team conducted its first full-squad preseason practice Friday night on a clear, cold evening in Alex Box Stadium. The Tigers begin the 2008 season in three weeks when they play host on Feb. 22 to Indiana.
Friday’s opening practice included a spirited round of batting practice, a series of baserunning drills and a review of offensive signals. The workout concluded with a seven-inning scrimmage.
“We have a long way to go right now,” said second-year LSU coach Paul Mainieri, “but we’ll definitely be ready by February 22. We’re not going to set any limits on what this team can accomplish. We certainly believe we can compete with anyone in the SEC, which is widely regarded as the best conference in college baseball.
“We have a talented group of players ? the key will be how they come together as a team as the season unfolds. The teams that have success are the ones that get the clutch hit, make the big pitch or produce a big play. That’s the type of team we want to be.”
Preseason drills continue this weekend with workouts at Noon on Saturday and Sunday in Alex Box Stadium. All practice sessions are open to the public.