Mason Katz Hopes for Another Trip to Omaha
Every collegiate baseball player dreams of stepping into the batter’s box in Omaha, Nebraska. Last summer, senior first baseman Mason Katz was able to experience that feeling for the first time in his LSU career as a participant in the 2012 TD Ameritrade College Home Run Derby.
“I had fun, but it wasn’t the same without my team,” said Katz. “That is really what I want to do this year.”
This season Katz has been on a mission to do exactly that. Katz believes there is something special within this year’s group of Tigers that can help lead LSU to a familiar journey to the Midwest.
“We definitely have a different swagger,” Katz said. “We feel like we have something to prove. We still feel that we are better than what people give us credit for.”
LSU coach Paul Mainieri most admires Katz’s selfless nature.
“Mason loves LSU, and his concern is always representing the university and the baseball team in the right way,” Mainieri said. “He’s not worried about professional baseball or his draft status; his goal is to do whatever it takes to help our team realize all of its goals this season. He’s a truly unselfish young man who also happens to be a great baseball player.”
So far in 2013, Katz is just one member of the LSU batting lineup that has demonstrated tenacity on the field. He had a month to remember in March, delivering 11 home runs. Against Washington, Nicholls State and Mississippi State, Katz connected for seven long balls in five games.
“I credit it to the guys in the lineup,” Katz said. “Every time I came up to the plate there was someone on base. They couldn’t pitch around me.”
Growing up in Harahan, La., Katz always envisioned one day wearing the Purple and Gold, admiring the swings of former Tigers Eddy Furniss and Ryan Theriot. As a kid, he also tried imitating “The Kid.”
“I was a Ken Griffey Jr. fan,” Katz said. “I started to switch-hit when I was younger, just because he hit left-handed. I loved the way he swung the bat.”
Just like Griffey, Katz has astonished fans with his defense. He has flashed the leather in the infield and outfield throughout his baseball career.
“I’ve done it my whole life,” Katz said. “When I was nine years old, I played centerfield and shortstop.”
Katz now prepares to take the field at Alex Box Stadium for the final time before postseason play. He will never forget the supporters he has had during the past four seasons.
“The fans are the best in the country by far,” Katz said. “You develop friendships with these people. They are not just fans that you see come and go. They are here forever.”
“The Box” is truly a magical place during postseason play. It’s a sacred place; a place where legends are made, and memories of a lifetime are born. Katz witnessed countless dingers off the bat of Furniss in 1998, and Theriot rounding third and sliding into home plate in the 2000 College World Series. He will soon have the opportunity to create more legendary moments of his own, and that’s something that Katz lives for.
“When you step up to the plate in a big situation and hear 11,000 fans cheering your name; it’s exhilarating,” Katz said. “That is really what I will remember most.”