For people who live in the state of Louisiana, one thing that is just as sacred as football is LSU baseball. Over 11,000 fans collectively stand and cheer when the team takes the field at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field, and that is especially the case for the Regional and Super Regional games.
It has a profound effect on everyone in the stands, and in 2012 that feeling particularly affected a young teenager from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, who was in the stands on his first visit to LSU for a Regional game against UL-Monroe. The teenager? Alex Lange.
“When I was down here for the first time, the first game I ever went to was a Regional game when (former LSU ace Aaron) Nola was pitching on the mound his freshman year, and the atmosphere was just insane,” explained Lange. “I was sold (on LSU). 11,000 people were screaming, and I called my mom and said, ‘Mom, I’m coming here. This place is awesome.'”
“We have the best fans in the country. It’s the greatest program in the country. If you bring a recruit on campus and they turn it down, they’re crazy.”
For Lange, that spotlight he witnessed Nola pitch in wasn’t anything that was particularly new to him. Throughout his prep career, Lange demonstrated that he was a master of his craft. He was named the 2014 Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year and a Perfect Game All-American. He posted a 12-0 record and a 0.82 ERA in 2014 while collecting 114 strikeouts in 68.1 innings pitched. Lange also participated in the 2013 Area Code Baseball Games and was named to the 2013 Under Armour All-America Team.
“Obviously, it’s a tremendous honor and blessing to be considered for that kind of stuff, but I don’t really think about it,” said Lange. “I just want to go out there and give my team the best chance to win. It’s cool at the end of the year to look back on, but I’m a forward mindset type of guy. I always want to get better, and I always think there are things to improve on. I try not to focus on those things.”
Despite the tremendous amount of success Lange achieved in high school, he was just hoping for the opportunity to earn innings at LSU, where he wasn’t sure how his freshman year would pan out.
“For me, I just kind of wanted to get some innings and get my feet wet,” explained Lange. “I wanted to be as successful as I could. I didn’t know what role I was going to be in. I just wanted the chance to get the ball and earn my spot.”
Lange’s expectations proved to be too modest, as he became an instant star in his freshman season. He garnered First-Team All-American Honors and National Pitcher of the Year accolades while also taking the title of SEC Freshman of the Year.
Lange started 17 games on the mound, posting an impressive 12-0 record with a 1.97 ERA with 131 strikeouts. He made a name for himself pitching on the biggest stages, defeating Cal-State Fullerton in a complete game in Omaha during the College World Series and working eight innings in a no-decision against UL-Lafayette in the Super Regional. He was voted the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional, shutting out UNC-Wilmington in the process.
With the amount of success Lange achieved last year, expectations are sky high for the 2016 season, and that is something that he realizes comes with the amount of exposure he received due to his numerous accomplishments his freshman year.
“I came into this year in feeling in better shape and more confident in my pitches. I’m just going to take it one game at a time, and do what I can that weekend and try to improve on that,” said Lange. “Once you start putting yourself in front of the team, that’s when bad things happen. We’re trying to just lift this team up and go out there and get some W’s.”
Through the first 33 games of the 2016 season, Lange is 3-2 with a 4.74 ERA in eight appearances, adding 62 strikeouts in 49.1 innings pitched. While his stat line isn’t as glamorous as it was last season, Lange fully believes in his team and his ability to go out and square off with the best of the best.
“I haven’t made some big pitches in some places that I should have. It’s something that I did last year, but I think the (March 25) game against Texas A&M was a big step in that direction,” said Lange. “I think this team is coming along, and we’re right there. The results aren’t quite there yet, but they’re coming, and we’re just going to stay the course and try to get better.”
And for Lange, the course he takes will be where the lights are brightest and where he has to lay everything out on the mound in order to help lift his team to a highly sought after championship.
“(Making it to) Omaha and winning a national championship is the only thing we’re setting our sights on, so anything short of that is not going to be a good season for us” said Lange. “We have some work to do, but we’re ready, and we’re excited for that.”