Ben Alsup has Developed into a Vital SEC Pitcher
Patience is a virtue, one with which senior Ben Alsup is all too familiar.
The pitcher from Ruston, La. was a member of Coach Paul Mainieri‘s first recruiting class at LSU. After making five relief appearances as a freshman in 2008, he looked to play a bigger role in his sophomore season.
However, in 2009, a loaded pitching staff led by the talents of Louis Coleman and Anthony Ranaudo made this a daunting task. Although he appeared in 15 games with three starts, Alsup didn’t make the cut for the 25-man travel roster. He wasn’t able to travel to the College World Series, where the Tigers won their sixth national championship.
“It was very tough seeing your team on the road,” Alsup said. “I didn’t even travel on the weekends. It was hard watching my teammates on TV having a blast playing, and not being able to be a part of that.”
Still facing adversity, Alsup looked to his veteran teammates for advice and support.
“I learned a lot from Jared Bradford,” he said. “Anthony Ranaudo and I were really good friends, and I also learned a lot from Louis Coleman. Waiting made me mature and grow up. It took me a little bit longer than some of the other guys, but now I’m here.”
“Here” came late for Alsup last season.
A complete-game, one-hitter against Ole Miss in the SEC tournament became Alsup’s defining moment. The performance put him on the SEC All-Tournament team and set the stage for his senior season.
“I couldn’t have done it without my team making huge plays behind me,” Alsup said. “The way the guys played defense made my job easy. The offense was also great for run support. I feel that game was a huge confidence booster for me.”
That game not only boosted Alsup’s confidence, but the coaching staff’s as well.
“Ben Alsup epitomizes the guy that grew up in a program and persevered through some lean times individually,” Mainieri said. “He never got discouraged, he kept working to get better and he improved. Midway through his junior year he became a very vital guy on our team, and now here he is as a senior who has pitched some enormously big games for us.”
Alsup has been an indispensable weekend starter this season. His notable appearances include eight-inning performances in wins over Ole Miss and Auburn. In addition to controlling the mound, he also gives advice to a very young and talented pitching staff.
“I’ll throw in a couple of pointers if I see something,” Alsup said. “If a guy comes to me and asks me about a certain mechanic or a grip to a pitch, I’ll tell them what I do and what works for me. They also have to know what works for them, too.”
Alsup and fellow senior pitcher Daniel Bradshaw were thrust into leadership roles this season due to the early exits to pro baseball of accomplished players like Ranaudo, Leon Landry and Micah Gibbs. Work ethic was the most important lesson they wanted to instill in the younger players.
“Our job, mine and Bradshaw’s, as well as Mikie (Mahtook), Matty (Ott) and the rest of junior class, is to instill in their minds how hard we work,” Alsup said. “We don’t take anything less than 110 percent. Once we implanted that, they were workhorses. It was fun to see those guys mature and bind to the system so quickly.”
Freshman pitcher Kurt McCune heeded the advice of Alsup and the veterans, using it to earn himself a starting spot in the weekend rotation.
“Ben has been a great leader since I arrived on campus,” McCune said. “Not having experience under my belt as a starter was definitely a downside to me, but Ben was there to help me out and teach me things. He has been like a brother to me. He took me under his wing and he helped me fulfill my potential.”
It was fulfilling his own potential, along with perseverance, that has given Alsup success as an LSU Tiger.
“Even though he didn’t play as much as he probably would’ve liked to early in his career, Ben has really gotten as much out of the program as anyone could possibly get out of it,” Mainieri said. “I think he should be very proud of his career here.”
Looking back at his career, Alsup is proud of what he has accomplished and acknowledges he couldn’t have done it alone.
“It was tough not being able to go out and make an impact right away, but I never gave up,” Alsup said. “I kept fighting and working hard. With the support of my family, teammates and the coaching staff, things came around. It just turns out I had to wait my turn, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”