2008 LSU Tigers baseball team
Encyclopedia
The 2008 LSU Tigers baseball team represented Louisiana State University
in the NCAA Division I baseball
season of 2008. This was the final year for the team in the original Alex Box Stadium
. A new stadium was built during the season and opened on opening day of the 2009 season.
The team was coached by Paul Mainieri
who was in his second season at LSU. In his first year at LSU, Mainieri's team
posted a 29-26-1 record and failed to make the SEC Tournament
or the NCAA Tournament
.
In a dramatic turnaround, Mainieri led the Tigers to an unexpected appearance in the 2008 College World Series
.
clubs, eight High School All-Americans and three first team junior college All-Americans among the 19 players the Tigers brought in. Baseball America
ranked LSU's recruiting as the #2 ranked class in the nation, behind San Diego
..
In February 2008, the SEC baseball coaches picked LSU to finish 5th (out 6 teams) in the SEC Western Division in the 17th annual preseason SEC coaches poll.
Also, starting pitcher Jared Bradford was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association preseason third-team All-America squad. Bradford was also named to the watchlist for the 2008 Brooks Wallace Award
, which is presented to the nation’s top collegiate baseball player in conjunction with the College Baseball Hall of Fame
’s annual induction festivities.
During the offseason, former LSU baseball head coach Jack Lamabe
died. Lamabe coached the Tigers for five season from 1979 until 1983.
play began.
In its first conference series of the year, LSU traveled to Knoxville, TN to face the Tennessee Volunteers
. The Tigers were swept 3 games to none but were competitive in all games. LSU then defeated their rival Tulane
in a midweek game at home before playing host to the Arkansas Razorbacks
in another conference series. The Tigers won the series 2 games to 1.
After splitting two midweek games, including a tough loss to the University of New Orleans
, LSU headed to Gainesville, FL for a conference series again Florida
. The Tigers lost the first two games of the series but salvaged the last one and rode a 4 game winning streak until finally losing to Alabama
in game two of their series. But the Tigers won the third game of the series and improved to a 5-7 record in SEC games.
Next on the schedule was rival Ole Miss
. The Tigers lost the first game 2-1 in a close matchup and then proceeded to lose the next game as well. LSU managed an 8-2 win on Sunday to avoid the sweep.
After a midweek game against Nicholls State, the Tigers traveled to Maestri Field
for their second of three games again the University of New Orleans
. New Orleans again pulled away late and won the game by a score of 6-5.
Georgia
then came into Alex Box Stadium for a conference series. At the time Georgia led the SEC and would eventually go on to be the SEC champions. The Tigers played the Bulldogs tough but Georgia managed to win the first two games. In the Sunday game, LSU blew a lead and allowed Georgia to tie the game and send it into extra innings. After 12 innings of play the travel curfew rule came into effect and a tie was declared.
After the Georgia debacle the Tigers had a 6-11-1 conference record and looked to be on the outside looking in for the SEC Baseball Tournament
.
The Tigers were able to turn things around, however, as they began a winning streak that they rode all the way to the end of the regular season and into the postseason.
They started the streak in New Orleans against bitter rival Tulane
. They then continued it into their conference series again South Carolina, who was at that time a top-10 team. LSU managed an improbable sweep against the Gamecocks and then moved on to a series against Kentucky
in Cliff Hagan Stadium
. At that time the Wildcats had only lost 2 games all season in their home stadium. The Tigers again pulled off the improbably sweep and they were now sitting at 12-11-1 in conference, the first time all season that they had been over .500 in conference games.
Mississippi State
came into Alex Box Stadium for the final 3 regular season games ever to be held in that stadium. The fans showed up in droves to see the Tigers sweep their third straight conference foe and send "the Box" out in style.
Next up for the Tigers was their final regular season game against the University of New Orleans
in the annual Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic at Zephyr Field
in Metairie, LA. New Orleans had already won the previous two meeting and they were riding a 13 game win streak coming in to this one. It was the longest winning streak in college baseball. LSU's streak was in second place at 12 games. It looked like New Orleans might extend their winning streak but the Tigers pulled ahead late in the game and won it.
Their final 3 regular season games came against a slumping Auburn
team in Auburn, AL. LSU swept their 4th straight conference series and finished the regular season with a 39-16-1 record and a 18-11-1 conference record. Georgia won the outright SEC title but LSU was able to win the SEC West division title. The Tigers headed into the SEC Baseball Tournament as the #2 seed in to tournament.
on a NCAA-best 16 game winning streak. In Game 1 of the tournament, LSU faced South Carolina, a team they had swept earlier in the season. The Gamecocks took a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the 9th inning but LSU rallied to tie the game and take it into extra innings. In the bottom of the 10th inning, LSU's Blake Dean hit a walk-off home run to end the game at a score of 5-4.
In their second game of the SEC Tournament, LSU defeated defending tournament champion Vanderbilt by a score of 8-2. The Tigers extended their winning streak to 18 games and earned a day off before having to play their next game.
In LSU's third game in the tournament they faced Alabama. The Crimson Tide took an early lead but the Tigers came back to tie the game at six runs and then LSU's Blake Dean padded his tournament MVP resume by hitting a grand slam
to break the tie. The Tigers went on to win the game by a score of 12-8 and moved onto the championship game.
The Tigers faced Ole Miss in the championship game, and like many of their games this season, they fell behind early only to rally back to win the game. LSU won the game by a score of 8-2 and claimed the SEC Tournament
title for the first time since the 2000 season.
On Sunday May 25 it was announced that LSU was selected as a host site for the 2008 NCAA Tournament
for the 18th time in the history of the program and for the first time since the 2005 season. When the full NCAA Tournament bracket was released the next day, LSU was awarded the #7 national seed in the tournament, guaranteeing them home field advantage throughout the Super Regionals as long as they won the Regional round. It was the third time LSU earned a national seed since the advent of them in 1999. In 2000 the Tigers were the #2 national seed and went on to win the College World Series. In 2003, LSU again earned the #2 national seed. They made the College World Series that year but went 0-2 and were eliminated quickly.
In the Baton Rouge Regional, LSU was designated the #1 seed, Southern Mississippi
earned the #2 seed, the University of New Orleans
, who beat LSU two out of three times during the regular season, earned the #3 seed and Texas Southern
earned the #4 seed.
LSU opened the Regional against Texas Southern in an afternoon game on Friday, May 30. LSU grabbed a quick lead in the 1st inning and cruised to a 12-1 victory. The Tigers then awaited the results of the night game between New Orleans and Southern Mississippi to find out who their next opponent would be.
Southern Mississippi beat New Orleans and moved on to face LSU in the night game on Saturday. The Tigers defeated the Golden Eagles by a score of 13-4 to advance to the championship round of the Regional.
Southern Mississippi climbed back through the losers bracket to make the championship round and face LSU again. But the Tigers again put the Golden Eagles away by winning 11-4 and moving on to the Super Regionals. The win brought LSU's winning streak to 23 consecutive games and set a new SEC record. The previous record was 22 games set by South Carolina in 2000.
won the Lincoln, NE regional and moved on to the Super Regional to face LSU in Alex Box Stadium
in Baton Rouge, LA. UC-Irvine won the first game 11-5 based on a strong performance by their ace pitcher, Scott Gorgen. The Anteaters looked to be on their way to a second straight trip to the College World Series as they took a lead into the 9th inning of game 2, however the Tigers fought back and won the game in comeback fashion by a score of 9-7. LSU wasted no time in game 3 cruising to a 6-0 lead with three consecutive home runs in the 1st inning and eventually winning the game 21-7. The Tigers celebrated the school's 14th trip to the College World Series in what was the last game in the 70-year history of Alex Box Stadium
.
, was named the new head coach of the University of Central Florida
baseball team. Rooney stayed with LSU until the end of the CWS.
LSU faced North Carolina
in the first game of the 2008 College World Series
. The Tar Heels defeated the Tigers by a score of 8-4, giving LSU its 5th consecutive CWS loss and sending them to the losers bracket. The Tigers faced the Rice Owls
next and looked to be headed home with an 0-2 CWS record again after trailing by a score of 5-0, however, in typical Tiger fashion, LSU rallied in the bottom of the 9th inning and won the game on a 3-run double by All-American Blake Dean
.
The Tigers then had to face North Carolina again, who had lost to Fresno State
. The game started on June 19 but was delayed by weather and completed on June 20. The game went into the top of the 9th inning tied 3-3 but a grand slam home run, the first in the College World Series since 2001, gave North Carolina a 7-3 lead. LSU was unable to rally in the bottom of the 9th, and their season was ended.
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
in the NCAA Division I baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
season of 2008. This was the final year for the team in the original Alex Box Stadium
Alex Box Stadium (1938)
Alex Box Stadium, sometimes prounounced as "Elec" or "Alec" Box was a baseball stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was the home field of the Louisiana State University Tigers college baseball team. The stadium was located across the street from Tiger Stadium, which is visible in right field...
. A new stadium was built during the season and opened on opening day of the 2009 season.
The team was coached by Paul Mainieri
Paul Mainieri
Paul Mainieri is the current head coach of the LSU baseball team. Prior to that position he was the head coach of the Notre Dame baseball team from 1995–2006, the United States Air Force Academy baseball team from 1989–1994 and the St. Thomas University baseball team from 1983–1988...
who was in his second season at LSU. In his first year at LSU, Mainieri's team
LSU Tigers baseball
The LSU baseball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I college baseball.Along with the other LSU athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the West division of the Southeastern Conference...
posted a 29-26-1 record and failed to make the SEC Tournament
SEC Baseball Tournament
The SEC Baseball Tournament is the conference championship tournament in baseball for the Southeastern Conference . It is a double-elimination tournament and seeding is based on regular season records. The winner receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament...
or the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Division I Baseball Championship
The NCAA Division I Baseball Championship tournament is held each year from May through June and features 64 college baseball teams in the United States, culminating in the College World Series....
.
In a dramatic turnaround, Mainieri led the Tigers to an unexpected appearance in the 2008 College World Series
2008 College World Series
The 2008 College World Series was held June 14 through June 25, in Omaha, Nebraska. Eight NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a 64-team bracket to play at historic Rosenblatt Stadium...
.
Pre-Season
In September 2007, Collegiate Baseball newspaper ranked LSU's recruiting class as the top ranked class in the nation. LSU's recruiting class included 9 players that were drafted by Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
clubs, eight High School All-Americans and three first team junior college All-Americans among the 19 players the Tigers brought in. Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
ranked LSU's recruiting as the #2 ranked class in the nation, behind San Diego
University of San Diego
The University of San Diego is a Roman Catholic university in San Diego, California. USD offers more than sixty bachelor's, master’s, and doctoral programs...
..
In February 2008, the SEC baseball coaches picked LSU to finish 5th (out 6 teams) in the SEC Western Division in the 17th annual preseason SEC coaches poll.
Also, starting pitcher Jared Bradford was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association preseason third-team All-America squad. Bradford was also named to the watchlist for the 2008 Brooks Wallace Award
Brooks Wallace Award
The Brooks Wallace Award is an award given by the College Baseball Foundation to the best college baseball shortstop of the year. The award has been given annually since 2004. Until 2008 the award was presented to the nation's most outstanding player; however in 2009 the recipient list was changed...
, which is presented to the nation’s top collegiate baseball player in conjunction with the College Baseball Hall of Fame
College Baseball Hall of Fame
The National College Baseball Hall of Fame, located in Lubbock, Texas, is a museum operated by the College Baseball Foundation serving as the central point for the study of the history of college baseball in the United States...
’s annual induction festivities.
During the offseason, former LSU baseball head coach Jack Lamabe
Jack Lamabe
John Alexander Lamabe was a former professional baseball player. He was born in Farmingdale, New York. He was a pitcher over parts of seven seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs...
died. Lamabe coached the Tigers for five season from 1979 until 1983.
Regular season
LSU entered the regular season ranked #30 in the Collegiate Baseball poll and #34 in the NCBWA poll. They dropped from the ranking after the first weekend of play which saw the team win 2 out of 3 games against Indiana. The Tigers then rebounded and went on a 9 game winning streak before losing the last two games before Southeastern ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
play began.
Tennessee Volunteers baseball
The Tennessee Volunteers baseball team represents the University of Tennessee in NCAA Division I college baseball.Along with most other Tennessee athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Eastern division of the Southeastern Conference. The Volunteers play all on-campus home games at...
. The Tigers were swept 3 games to none but were competitive in all games. LSU then defeated their rival Tulane
Tulane Green Wave
Green Wave, the nickname of the sports teams of Tulane University, was adopted during the 1920 season, after a song titled The Rolling Green Wave was published in Tulane's student newspaper in 1920. From 1893 to 1919, the athletic teams of Tulane were known as the Olive and Blue for the official...
in a midweek game at home before playing host to the Arkansas Razorbacks
Arkansas Razorbacks baseball
The University of Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team, sometimes referred to as the Diamond Hogs, is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Southeastern Conference , and is currently coached by Dave van Horn. The program started in 1923, and will enter its 89th season of...
in another conference series. The Tigers won the series 2 games to 1.
After splitting two midweek games, including a tough loss to the University of New Orleans
New Orleans Privateers
The New Orleans Privateers are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of New Orleans, located in Lake Terrace/Lake Oaks neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
, LSU headed to Gainesville, FL for a conference series again Florida
Florida Gators baseball
The Florida Gators baseball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of baseball. The Florida Gators compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletics Association , and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference . They play their home games in Alfred A...
. The Tigers lost the first two games of the series but salvaged the last one and rode a 4 game winning streak until finally losing to Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide baseball
The Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team represents the University of Alabama in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other Alabama athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. The team plays its home games on campus at...
in game two of their series. But the Tigers won the third game of the series and improved to a 5-7 record in SEC games.
Next on the schedule was rival Ole Miss
Ole Miss Rebels baseball
The Ole Miss Rebels baseball team represents the University of Mississippi in NCAA Division I college baseball. The team participates in the West division of the Southeastern Conference. They are currently coached by head coach Mike Bianco and assistant coaches Carl Lafferty and Matt Mossberg. They...
. The Tigers lost the first game 2-1 in a close matchup and then proceeded to lose the next game as well. LSU managed an 8-2 win on Sunday to avoid the sweep.
After a midweek game against Nicholls State, the Tigers traveled to Maestri Field
Maestri Field
Maestri Field is a baseball stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the home field of the University of New Orleans Privateers baseball team...
for their second of three games again the University of New Orleans
New Orleans Privateers
The New Orleans Privateers are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of New Orleans, located in Lake Terrace/Lake Oaks neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
. New Orleans again pulled away late and won the game by a score of 6-5.
Georgia Bulldogs baseball
The Georgia Bulldogs baseball team represents the University of Georgia in NCAA Division I college baseball.Along with most other Georgia athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Eastern division of the Southeastern Conference...
then came into Alex Box Stadium for a conference series. At the time Georgia led the SEC and would eventually go on to be the SEC champions. The Tigers played the Bulldogs tough but Georgia managed to win the first two games. In the Sunday game, LSU blew a lead and allowed Georgia to tie the game and send it into extra innings. After 12 innings of play the travel curfew rule came into effect and a tie was declared.
After the Georgia debacle the Tigers had a 6-11-1 conference record and looked to be on the outside looking in for the SEC Baseball Tournament
SEC Baseball Tournament
The SEC Baseball Tournament is the conference championship tournament in baseball for the Southeastern Conference . It is a double-elimination tournament and seeding is based on regular season records. The winner receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament...
.
The Tigers were able to turn things around, however, as they began a winning streak that they rode all the way to the end of the regular season and into the postseason.
They started the streak in New Orleans against bitter rival Tulane
Tulane Green Wave baseball
The Tulane Green Wave baseball team represents Tulane University in NCAA Division I college baseball.The Green Wave baseball team competes in Conference USA...
. They then continued it into their conference series again South Carolina, who was at that time a top-10 team. LSU managed an improbable sweep against the Gamecocks and then moved on to a series against Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats baseball
The Kentucky Wildcats baseball team represents the University of Kentucky in NCAA Division I college baseball and competes in the Eastern division of the Southeastern Conference...
in Cliff Hagan Stadium
Cliff Hagan Stadium
Cliff Hagan Stadium is a baseball stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. It is the home field of the University of Kentucky Wildcats college baseball team. The stadium, which currently holds 3,000, opened in 1969 as part of the Bernie A...
. At that time the Wildcats had only lost 2 games all season in their home stadium. The Tigers again pulled off the improbably sweep and they were now sitting at 12-11-1 in conference, the first time all season that they had been over .500 in conference games.
Mississippi State
Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball
The Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team represents Mississippi State University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The team participates in the West division of the Southeastern Conference. They are currently coached by head coach John Cohen. They play home games in Dudy Noble Field,...
came into Alex Box Stadium for the final 3 regular season games ever to be held in that stadium. The fans showed up in droves to see the Tigers sweep their third straight conference foe and send "the Box" out in style.
New Orleans Privateers
The New Orleans Privateers are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of New Orleans, located in Lake Terrace/Lake Oaks neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
in the annual Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic at Zephyr Field
Zephyr Field
Zephyr Field is a 10,000-seat baseball park in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, that hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 11, 1997, as the tenants of the facility, the New Orleans Zephyrs, defeated the Oklahoma City 89ers, 8-3. The ballpark hosted the 1998 and 2001...
in Metairie, LA. New Orleans had already won the previous two meeting and they were riding a 13 game win streak coming in to this one. It was the longest winning streak in college baseball. LSU's streak was in second place at 12 games. It looked like New Orleans might extend their winning streak but the Tigers pulled ahead late in the game and won it.
Their final 3 regular season games came against a slumping Auburn
Auburn Tigers baseball
The Auburn Tigers baseball team represents Auburn University in NCAA Division I college baseball.Along with most other Auburn athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Western division of the Southeastern Conference...
team in Auburn, AL. LSU swept their 4th straight conference series and finished the regular season with a 39-16-1 record and a 18-11-1 conference record. Georgia won the outright SEC title but LSU was able to win the SEC West division title. The Tigers headed into the SEC Baseball Tournament as the #2 seed in to tournament.
SEC Tournament
The Tigers entered the 2008 SEC Baseball Tournament2008 SEC Baseball Tournament
The 2008 SEC Baseball Tournament was held at Regions Park in Hoover, AL from May 21st through May 25th. LSU won the tournament and earned the Southeastern Conference's automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.-Regular Season Results:...
on a NCAA-best 16 game winning streak. In Game 1 of the tournament, LSU faced South Carolina, a team they had swept earlier in the season. The Gamecocks took a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the 9th inning but LSU rallied to tie the game and take it into extra innings. In the bottom of the 10th inning, LSU's Blake Dean hit a walk-off home run to end the game at a score of 5-4.
In their second game of the SEC Tournament, LSU defeated defending tournament champion Vanderbilt by a score of 8-2. The Tigers extended their winning streak to 18 games and earned a day off before having to play their next game.
In LSU's third game in the tournament they faced Alabama. The Crimson Tide took an early lead but the Tigers came back to tie the game at six runs and then LSU's Blake Dean padded his tournament MVP resume by hitting a grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
to break the tie. The Tigers went on to win the game by a score of 12-8 and moved onto the championship game.
The Tigers faced Ole Miss in the championship game, and like many of their games this season, they fell behind early only to rally back to win the game. LSU won the game by a score of 8-2 and claimed the SEC Tournament
SEC Baseball Tournament
The SEC Baseball Tournament is the conference championship tournament in baseball for the Southeastern Conference . It is a double-elimination tournament and seeding is based on regular season records. The winner receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament...
title for the first time since the 2000 season.
NCAA Tournament: Regionals
2008 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament was held from May 30 through June 25, 2008 and was part of the 2008 NCAA Division I baseball season. The 64 NCAA Division I college baseball teams were selected out of an eligible 286 teams on May 26, 2008...
for the 18th time in the history of the program and for the first time since the 2005 season. When the full NCAA Tournament bracket was released the next day, LSU was awarded the #7 national seed in the tournament, guaranteeing them home field advantage throughout the Super Regionals as long as they won the Regional round. It was the third time LSU earned a national seed since the advent of them in 1999. In 2000 the Tigers were the #2 national seed and went on to win the College World Series. In 2003, LSU again earned the #2 national seed. They made the College World Series that year but went 0-2 and were eliminated quickly.
In the Baton Rouge Regional, LSU was designated the #1 seed, Southern Mississippi
Southern Miss Golden Eagles
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles represent The University of Southern Mississippi in Division I athletics. The teams compete in Conference USA....
earned the #2 seed, the University of New Orleans
New Orleans Privateers
The New Orleans Privateers are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of New Orleans, located in Lake Terrace/Lake Oaks neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
, who beat LSU two out of three times during the regular season, earned the #3 seed and Texas Southern
Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University is a historically black university located in Houston, Texas, United States....
earned the #4 seed.
Southern Mississippi beat New Orleans and moved on to face LSU in the night game on Saturday. The Tigers defeated the Golden Eagles by a score of 13-4 to advance to the championship round of the Regional.
Southern Mississippi climbed back through the losers bracket to make the championship round and face LSU again. But the Tigers again put the Golden Eagles away by winning 11-4 and moving on to the Super Regionals. The win brought LSU's winning streak to 23 consecutive games and set a new SEC record. The previous record was 22 games set by South Carolina in 2000.
NCAA Tournament: Super Regionals
UC-IrvineUC Irvine Anteaters
UC Irvine's Athletics program participates in the NCAA's Division I, as members of the Big West Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation...
won the Lincoln, NE regional and moved on to the Super Regional to face LSU in Alex Box Stadium
Alex Box Stadium
Alex Box Stadium, sometimes pronounced as "Elec" or "Alec" Box, is a baseball stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is the home field of the Louisiana State University Tigers college baseball team...
in Baton Rouge, LA. UC-Irvine won the first game 11-5 based on a strong performance by their ace pitcher, Scott Gorgen. The Anteaters looked to be on their way to a second straight trip to the College World Series as they took a lead into the 9th inning of game 2, however the Tigers fought back and won the game in comeback fashion by a score of 9-7. LSU wasted no time in game 3 cruising to a 6-0 lead with three consecutive home runs in the 1st inning and eventually winning the game 21-7. The Tigers celebrated the school's 14th trip to the College World Series in what was the last game in the 70-year history of Alex Box Stadium
Alex Box Stadium
Alex Box Stadium, sometimes pronounced as "Elec" or "Alec" Box, is a baseball stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is the home field of the Louisiana State University Tigers college baseball team...
.
NCAA Tournament: College World Series
Prior to the start of the CWS, LSU's pitching coach, Terry RooneyTerry Rooney (baseball)
Terry Rooney is the head baseball coach at the University of Central Florida. Rooney was previously an assistant coach at LSU and Notre Dame under head coach Paul Mainieri....
, was named the new head coach of the University of Central Florida
UCF Knights
The UCF Knights are the athletics teams of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. All of UCF's varsity sports teams are known as the Knights, with the women's teams sometimes referred to as the "Lady Knights." The Knights, which includes the university's 16 varsity sports teams,...
baseball team. Rooney stayed with LSU until the end of the CWS.
LSU faced North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels baseball
The North Carolina Tar Heels baseball team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in NCAA Division I college baseball. They participate in the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division....
in the first game of the 2008 College World Series
2008 College World Series
The 2008 College World Series was held June 14 through June 25, in Omaha, Nebraska. Eight NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a 64-team bracket to play at historic Rosenblatt Stadium...
. The Tar Heels defeated the Tigers by a score of 8-4, giving LSU its 5th consecutive CWS loss and sending them to the losers bracket. The Tigers faced the Rice Owls
Rice Owls baseball
The Rice Owls baseball team is the interscholastic baseball team representing Rice University in Houston, Texas. The Rice Owls have been a regular fixture in the NCAA Tournament, participating in every tournament since 1995 including a victory in the 2003 College World Series, the first national...
next and looked to be headed home with an 0-2 CWS record again after trailing by a score of 5-0, however, in typical Tiger fashion, LSU rallied in the bottom of the 9th inning and won the game on a 3-run double by All-American Blake Dean
Blake Dean (baseball)
- External links :* at LSUSports.net...
.
The Tigers then had to face North Carolina again, who had lost to Fresno State
Fresno State Bulldogs baseball
The Fresno State Bulldogs baseball team represents Fresno State University in NCAA Division I college baseball.Along with most other Fresno State athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Western Athletic Conference...
. The game started on June 19 but was delayed by weather and completed on June 20. The game went into the top of the 9th inning tied 3-3 but a grand slam home run, the first in the College World Series since 2001, gave North Carolina a 7-3 lead. LSU was unable to rally in the bottom of the 9th, and their season was ended.
Coaches
| Name | Title | First Season at LSU | Alma Mater |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Mainieri Paul Mainieri Paul Mainieri is the current head coach of the LSU baseball team. Prior to that position he was the head coach of the Notre Dame baseball team from 1995–2006, the United States Air Force Academy baseball team from 1989–1994 and the St. Thomas University baseball team from 1983–1988... |
Head Coach | 2007 | Florida International University Florida International University Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park... (1980) |
| Terry Rooney Terry Rooney (baseball) Terry Rooney is the head baseball coach at the University of Central Florida. Rooney was previously an assistant coach at LSU and Notre Dame under head coach Paul Mainieri.... |
Associate Head Coach | 2007 | Radford University Radford University Radford University is one of Virginia's eight doctoral-degree granting public universities. Originally founded in 1910, Radford offers comprehensive curricula for undergraduates in more than 100 fields, and graduate programs including the M.F.A., M.B.A... (1996) |
| Cliff Godwin | Assistant Coach | 2007 | East Carolina University East Carolina University East Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in... (2000) |
| Javi Sanchez | Volunteer Assistant Coach | 2008 | University of Notre Dame University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States... (2004) |
| Will Davis | Director of Baseball Operations | 2007 | Louisiana State University Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name... (2007) |
Players
| Players | Position | Bats/Throws |
|---|---|---|
| Buzzy Haydel | INF | R/R |
| Jared Mitchell | OF | L/L |
| Chad Jones | OF | L/L |
| Derek Helenihi | INF | R/R |
| Leon Landry | OF | L/R |
| Michael Hollander | INF/P | R/R |
| Rene Escobar | INF/OF | R/R |
| Matt Clark | INF | L/R |
| Ryan Byrd | P | R/L |
| Ryan Verdugo | P | L/L |
| Austin Ross | P | L/R |
| Jordan Brown | P | R/R |
| Sean Ochinko | C | R/R |
| Ryan Schimpf | OF | L/R |
| DJ LeMahieu | INF | R/R |
| Nicholas Pontiff | OF | R/R |
| Jason Lewis | C | R/R |
| Johnny Dishon | OF/C | R/R |
| Daniel Bradshaw | P | R/R |
| Kyle Beerbohm | P | L/L |
| Jared Bradford | P | R/R |
| Taylor Davis | INF/P | R/R |
| Louis Coleman | P | S/R |
| Anthony Ranaudo | P | R/R |
| Chris McGhee | INF/OF | R/R |
| Micah Gibbs | C | S/R |
| Blake Dean | OF | L/L |
| Matt Gaudet | INF | R/R |
| Blake Martin | P | L/L |
| Jordan Nicholson | P | R/R |
| Nolan Cain | P | R/R |
| Shane Ardoin | P | L/L |
| Paul Bertuccini | P | R/R |
| Taylor Martin | P | R/R |
| Cody Reine | OF | L/R |
| Ben Alsup | P | R/R |
| Stuart Peterson | C | R/R |
| Kevin Farnsworth | C | R/R |
Schedule/Results
| 2008 LSU Tigers baseball Game Log | |
|---|---|
Rankings
| Poll | Pre- season | Feb. 25 | Mar. 3 | Mar. 10 | Mar. 17 | Mar. 24 | Mar. 31 | Apr. 7 | Apr. 14 | Apr. 21 | Apr. 28 | May 5 | May 12 | May 19 | May 26 | June 3 | June 10 | Final Poll |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll (Top 25) | NR | -- | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | 22 | 21 | 13 | 7 | -- | -- | 6 |
| Baseball America (Top 25) | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | 22 | 16 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 |
| Collegiate Baseball (Top 30) | 30 | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | 23 | 16 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| NCBWA (Top 30) |
34 | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | 27 | 24 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 6 |
| Rivals.com (Top 25) | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | 21 | 16 | 15 | 6 | -- | -- | 6 |
| NR = Not Ranked | ||||||||||||||||||
^ The NCBWA ranked 35 teams in their preseason poll but only 30 teams during the season.
Awards and honors
| Player | Award/Honor |
|---|---|
| Jared Bradford | SEC Pitcher of the Week (April 28 - May 5) LSWA Pitcher of the Week (April 28 - May 5) SEC All-Defensive Team |
| Matt Clark | LSWA Player of the Week (February 26 - March 3) LSWA Player of the Week (May 12 - May 19) SEC All-Tournament Team - 1B |
| Blake Dean | LSWA Player of the Week (April 21 - April 28) SEC All-Tournament Team - DH & MVP Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week (May 20 - May 26) Baseball America First-Team All-American |
| Micah Gibbs | SEC All-Freshman Team Baseball America First Team Freshman All-American |
| Michael Hollander | SEC Baseball Community Service Team |
| Blake Martin | LSWA Pitcher of the Week (April 21 - April 28) SEC All-Tournament Team - P |
| Austin Ross | LSWA Pitcher of the Week (March 31 - April 7) |
| Ryan Schimpf | SEC Player of the Week (May 6 - May 12) LSWA Player of the Week (May 6 - May 12) SEC All-Tournament Team - 2B |
| Ryan Verdugo | SEC Pitcher of the Week (February 26 - March 3) |
LSU Tigers in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft
The following members of the 2008 LSU Tigers baseball team were drafted in the 2008 MLB Draft.| Player | Position | Round | Overall | MLB Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Verdugo | LHP | 9th | 267 | San Francisco Giants San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division.... |
| Matt Clark | 1B | 12th | 375 | San Diego Padres San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times... |
| Louis Coleman | RHP | 14th | 421 | Washington Nationals Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium... |
| Blake Martin | LHP | 17th | 516 | Minnesota Twins Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the... |
| Jared Bradford | RHP | 18th | 545 | St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to... |
| Michael Hollander | 3B | 20th | 603 | Texas Rangers Texas Rangers (baseball) The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have... |
| Jordan Brown | RHP | 39th | 1181 | Chicago Cubs Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National... |