BATON ROUGE – Five former LSU players appear on Major League Baseball active rosters as the 2011 MLB season opens Thursday.
The active players include first baseman Brad Hawpe (San Diego), infielder Aaron Hill (Toronto), infielder Ryan Theriot (St. Louis), infielder Mike Fontenot (San Francisco)and left-handed pitcher Brian Tallet (St. Louis).
Another former LSU player, reliever Brian Wilson of the San Francisco Giants, is on the disabled list with a strained oblique muscle and is eligible to be re-activated on April 5. Wilson, a right-hander entering his sixth MLB season, led the majors in saves last season with 48 as he fueled the Giants’ drive to the World Series title.
Tallet, who began his career with Cleveland, is in his ninth MLB season, while Hawpe, a 2009 National League All-Star, is entering his eighth big-league year.
Theriot is in his seventh MLB season, his first with the Cardinals. Fontenot, who earned a World Series ring with the Giants last season, is a six-year big-league veteran.
Hill, a 2009 American League All-Star and the ’09 AL Comeback Player of the Year, is in his seventh season with the Blue Jays.
Nine former Tigers appeared on major league rosters during the 2010 season. LSU has produced 43 MLB players since 1987, including 23 pitchers and 20 position players.
The Tigers have had at least one former player make his MLB debut in 18 of the past 20 seasons.