BATON ROUGE — Fourth-year coach Paul Mainieri, who directed LSU to the 2009 NCAA championship, believes his 2010 club has the necessary elements to earn a third consecutive berth for the Tigers in the College World Series.
The Tigers open preseason practice at 2:30 p.m. Friday in Alex Box Stadium. LSU is ranked No. 2 by Collegiate Baseball and No. 3 by Baseball America in the 2010 preseason polls.
“I have all the confidence in the world that we’ve got the pieces in place to be able to have another outstanding club,” said Mainieri, the 2008 and 2009 National Coach of the Year.
“I’m very confident that we will have an excellent pitching staff and an outstanding starting nine. The only area of concern right now may be our depth, but I feel like we have players who will continue to develop and fill important roles on the club.”
LSU welcomes back 15 players that made significant contributions to the 2009 national championship drive, including seven position players with starting experience and eight pitchers that recorded innings last season.
Senior all-America first baseman Blake Dean leads a core of veterans that includes junior outfielder Leon Landry, junior catcher Micah Gibbs, sophomore outfielder Mikie Mahtook, sophomore infielder Tyler Hanover, sophomore shortstop Austin Nola and sophomore infielder Grant Dozar.
Two players that had part-time starting roles during the 2008 season – senior infielder Matt Gaudet and sophomore outfielder Johnny Dishon. – are back on the Tigers’ active roster in 2010.
The pitching staff is led by junior all-America right-hander Anthony Ranaudo, who finished third in the nation last season with 159 strikeouts and was the winning pitcher in the deciding game of the CWS Finals.
Also returning is sophomore right-hander Matty Ott, the 2009 SEC 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 hurlers that includes senior right-hander Paul Bertuccini, junior right-handers Austin Ross, Daniel Bradshaw and Ben Alsup, sophomore left-hander Chris Matulis and sophomore right-hander Shane Riedie.
The LSU veterans are complemented by a talented class of 13 newcomers, including five players that have been selected in the Major League Draft.
“I think we had a very productive fall practice session, and we learned a lot about our team,” Mainieri said. “I was very pleased with the way our players competed in the fall scrimmages — there was a lot of energy and enthusiasm in the dugout.
“We have an excellent starting lineup that can compete with anybody, and I feel our pitching staff will be the strength of our team. We actually have a deeper staff than we had last year. It’s important that we stay healthy throughout the year, but we feel like we’re on target for another successful season.”
THE 2010 TIGERS
Lettermen Returning/Lost: 17/16
Pos. Players w/Starting Experience Returning/Lost: 9/9
Pitchers Returning/Lost: 8/8
Returning Redshirts: 2
Newcomers: 13 (8 high school players; 5 JUCO transfers)
Position Players
The Tigers’ returning starters are led by senior first baseman Blake Dean, who elected to return to LSU for his final season after being selected in the 10th round of the MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins.
Dean, a native of Crestview, Fla., moves to first base this season after playing as an outfielder/DH during his first three years at LSU. The 2008 first-team All-American earned first-team All-SEC honors in 2009, batting .328 (85-for-259) with 18 doubles, 17 homers and 71 RBI.
Dean, a 2010 preseason All-America selection, is No. 8 on the all‐time LSU home run list with 44 dingers and No. 6 on the LSU career RBI list with 190.
Sophomore Tyler Hanover, who started 53 games last season at third base, moves to second base in 2010. Hanover, a product of Kernersville, N.C., excelled at the plate as a true freshman, batting .321 (67-for-209) with nine doubles, two triples, five homers, 47 RBI and 40 runs.
Sophomore Austin Nola is back after earning the starting shortstop role 40 games into the 2009 season. The Baton Rouge native provided the Tigers with outstanding defense, and he hit .240 (29-for-121) on the year with four doubles, one triple, three homers, 18 RBI and 27 runs. Nola delivered several clutch hits in the 2009 postseason, including the game-winning single in the Tigers’ 10-inning NCAA Regional victory over Baylor. Nola was rated the No. 8 prospect last summer in the Illinois-based Prospect League by Baseball America.
Redshirt freshman Wet Delatte of Prairieville, La., enjoyed an excellent fall practice session to earn the starting job at third base entering the 2010 season.
Junior Leon Landry and sophomore Mikie Mahtook give the Tigers a veteran, athletic presence in the outfield. Landry, a Baton Rouge product, was rated the No. 14 prospect in the summer Cape Cod League by Baseball America magazine. Landry hit .300 (51-for-170) for the Tigers last season with 10 doubles, 12 homers, 41 RBI, 38 runs and nine steals.
Mahtook, the MVP of the 2009 SEC Tournament, was Baseball America’s No. 1 prospect in the Prospect League over the summer. The Lafayette, La. native batted .316 (62-for-196) last season for LSU with eight doubles, three triples, seven homers, 38 RBI, 41 runs and nine steals.
Landry and Mahtook will be joined in the outfield by sophomore Trey Watkins, a transfer from LSU-Eunice. The product of Montz, La. will give the Tigers excellent range in the outfield and a spark at the top of the lineup.
Sophomore Johnny Dishon, redshirted in 2009 after playing in 41 games in 2008, will also make an impact in the outfield. The Beaumont, Texas native was rated the No. 2 prospect by Baseball America last summer in the Valley League of Virginia.
Junior catcher Micah Gibbs, a member of the 2009 ABCA Gold Glove team, gives the Tigers an outstanding presence behind the plate. Gibbs, a 2010 preseason All-American, batted .294 (70-for-238) last season with 16 doubles, two triples, six homers, 42 RBI and 58 runs, and he threw out 22 baserunners attempting to steal. The Pflugerville, Texas native was the starting catcher in the summer of 2008 for the United States National Team that captured the gold medal at the World Championships in the Czech Republic.
Sophomore Grant Dozar is an extremely versatile performer who could see action at catcher, first base, second base and DH. Senior Matt Gaudet, who appeared in 21 games in 2008 before being sidelined with a back injury, swings a powerful bat and should make significant contributions as a DH/outfielder.
Redshirt freshman infielder Beau Didier and junior first baseman Kyle Koeneman will contend for playing time, as will freshmen Mason Katz, Alex Edward, Wes Luquette and Matt Fury.
PRIMARY RETURNING POSITION STARTERS
Player, Pos., Cl.-Exp., B/T, Avg., HR, RBI, Notable
Blake Dean 1B, Sr.-3L, L/L, .328, 17, 71, 2008 First-Team All-American
Micah Gibbs, C, Jr.-2L, S/R, .294, 6, 42, 2009 ABCA Gold Glove Team
Leon Landry, OF, Jr.-2L, L/R, .300, 12, 41, No. 1 prospect in 2008 Cal Ripken Sr. League
Mikie Mahtook, OF, So.-1L, R/R, .316, 7, 38, 2009 SEC Tournament MVP
Tyler Hanover, INF, So.-1L, R/R, .321, 5, 47, Nine 2Bs, two 3Bs, six SBs, 40 runs in 2009
Austin Nola, INF, So.1L, R/R, .240, 3, 18, 2009 NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team
TOP NEWCOMERS-POSITION PLAYERS
Player, Pos., Cl., B/T, Hometown (2009 School)
Trey Watkins, OF, So., R/R, Montz, La. (LSU-Eunice)
Kyle Koeneman, 1B, Jr., R/R, Seymour, Tenn. (Walters State CC)
Mason Katz, INF, Fr., R/R, Harahan, La. (Jesuit HS)
PRIMARY STARTING POSITION PLAYERS LOST
Player, Pos., Exp., B/T, Avg., HR, RBI, Reason for leaving
DJ LeMahieu, 2B, 2L, R/R, .350, 5, 43, 2nd-round draft choice of Chicago Cubs
Ryan Schimpf, OF/1B, 3L, L/R, .336, 22, 70, 5th-round draft choice of Toronto Blue Jays
Sean Ochinko, 1B/C, 3L, R/R, .333, 9, 57, 11th-round draft choice of Toronto Blue Jays
Jared Mitchell, OF, 3L, L/L, .327, 11, 50, 1st-round draft choice of Chicago White Sox
Derek Helenihi, 3B, 2L, R/R, .255, 4, 23, completed eligibility
Pitchers
The experienced staff is led by a pair of preseason All-Americans — junior right-hander Anthony Ranaudo and sophomore right-hander Matty Ott.
Ranaudo, selected as the 2010 preseason National Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball newspaper, was the Tigers’ No. 1 starter throughout the 2009 season, recording a 12-3 mark and a 3.04 ERA in 19 starts (124.1 innings) with 50 walks and 159 strikeouts. The native of Jackson, N.J. finished No. 3 in the nation in strikeouts and No. 5 in wins.
Ranaudo, a 2009 third-team All-America and second-team All-SEC selection, became the first LSU pitcher to lead the SEC in strikeouts since Kurt Ainsworth (157 Ks) in 1999. He was the winning pitcher in the deciding game of the College World Series Finals versus Texas on June 24, working 5.1 innings while allowing four runs on eight hits with five walks and four strikeouts.
Ott, a 2009 second-team All-American and the SEC Co-Freshman of the Year, established the LSU single-season saves record with 16, surpassing the previous mark of 14 set by Rick Greene in 1991.
Ott, a sophomore right-hander from Chalmette, La., recorded a 4-2 mark and a 2.68 ERA in 37 appearances, collecting six walks and 69 strikeouts in 50.1 innings. He earned the relief win over Texas in Game 1 of CWS Finals on June 22, firing three shutout innings while allowing no hits with one walk and three strikeouts.
The top candidates to join Ranaudo in LSU’s weekend starting rotation are junior right-handers Austin Ross and Daniel Bradshaw. Ross, a native of Shreveport, La., started 17 games last season, posting a 6-8 mark with a 5.18 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 83.1 innings. Ross was named SEC Pitcher of the Week on two occasions, including after a brilliant eight-inning, two-hit outing against Ole Miss.
Bradshaw, a product of West Monroe, La., was 4-0 in 25 appearances (four starts) last season with a 3.04 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 50.1 innings. He was named to the SEC All-Tournament team after firing a seven-inning shutout against Georgia.
Senior right-hander Paul Bertuccini, who has made 79 career appearances, will again be one of the Tigers’ top relievers. Bertuccini, a Metairie, La. native, was 2-0 last season with a 3.86 ERA in 25.2 innings (28 appearances) while recording three saves and 31 strikeouts. Junior right-hander Ben Alsup, a product of Ruston, La., also figures prominently in the Tigers’ pitching plans. Alsup made 20 appearances (three starts) in 2009, recording a 1-0 mark and 24 strikeouts in 29.1 innings.
The Tigers will count upon sophomore left-hander Chris Matulis (6-2, 4.82 ERA, 46.2 IP, 39 SO), a native of Boynton Beach, Fla. who started seven games last season. Sophomore right-hander Shane Riedie also returns after earning a save in four relief appearances last season.
A pair of transfers – sophomore right-hander Joey Bourgeois (LSU-Eunice) and junior right-hander Mitch Mormann (Des Moines CC) – are hard-throwing hurlers that should make a strong impact on the mound.
Four true freshmen – right-hander Michael Reed and left-handers Forrest Garrett, Jordan Rittiner and Zach LaSuzzo – should also contribute on the hill this season.
PRIMARY PITCHERS RETURNING
Player, R/L, Cl.-Exp., W-L, ERA, IP, BB, SO, Notable
Anthony Ranaudo, R, Jr.-2L, 12-3, 3.04, 124.1, 50, 159, 2009 Third-Team All-American
Matty OttR, So.-1L, 4-2, 2.68, 50.1, 6, 69, School-record 16 saves in 2009
Paul Bertuccini, R, Sr.-3L, 2-0, 3.86, 25.2, 15, 31, 2009 SEC Academic Honor Roll
Austin Ross, R, Jr.-2L, 6-8, 5.18, 83.1, 22, 76, Two-time SEC Pitcher of the Week in 2009
Daniel Bradshaw, R, Jr.-2L, 4-0, 3.04, 50.1, 11, 33, 2009 SEC All-Tournament Team
Ben Alsup, R, Jr.-2L, 1-0, 6.14, 29.1, 10, 24
Chris Matulis, L, So.-1L, 6-2, 4.82, 46.2, 15, 39
TOP NEWCOMERS-PITCHERS
Player R/L, Cl., Hometown (2009 School)
Joey Bourgeois, R, So., Paulina, La. (LSU-Eunice)
Michael Reed, R, Fr., Houston, Texas (Stratford HS)
Mitch Mormann, R, So., Manchester, Iowa (Des Moines Area CC)
PRIMARY PITCHERS LOST
Player, R/L, Exp., W-L, ERA, SV, IP, BB, SO, Reason for leaving
Louis Coleman, R, 4L, 14-2, 2.93, 0, 129.0, 23, 142, 5th-round draft choice of Kansas City Royals
Nolan Cain, R, 4L, 5-0, 4.01, 0, 33.2, 10, 38, signed free-agent contract w/ Detroit Tigers
Ryan Byrd, L, 4L, 1-0, 5.81, 0, 26.1, 8, 24, completed eligibility
Chad Jones, L, 1L, 0-0, 2.70, 0, 6.2, 7, 7, declared for NFL Draft