Nice comebacks by Deichmann and Robertson

Two years ago, LSU swept won five consecutive games at The Box in the regional tournament and the super-regional series to advance to the College World Series.

When the Tigers arrived at Omaha for the CWS, neither Greg Deichmann nor Kramer Robertson was on the active roster. Deichmann, a freshman in 2015, was already playing summer baseball in the Northwoods League. Robertson had his sophomore season end early due to an arm injury.

LSU will begin its 2017 run to Omaha on Friday at The Box against Texas Southern (2:30 p.m. Central/SEC Network). Deichmann and Robertson could be considered the top two offensive threats on this team.

Deichmann is batting .330 with 19 homers and 67 RBIs. The 19 home runs are the most by a Tigers player in seven seasons when Matt Gaudet also hit 19. His 67 runs batted in are the most by a LSU hitter since Mason Katz had 70 in 2013.

Robertson, who has been on a hot streak over the past few weeks, is batting .314 with eight homers and 39 RBIs. In his three previous seasons, Robertson hit three home runs and drove in 64 runs. Robertson has scored 76 runs – the most by a Tigers player since Mike Fontenot scored 93 runs in 2000.

Both Deichmann and Robertson admitted that what happened two years ago is well back in the past.

“My freshman year was tough,” said Deichmann, who had just eight official at-bats in 2015. “The season started off with an injury. We had a veteran team which made it hard to crack the starting lineup. In the fall, I was competing for third base. I had a real shot at it. The injury took me out of the running.”

Robertson only had 56 official at-bats in 2015. Robertson, who hit .232 that season, had been relegated to a utility infielder at the time of the injury. For the last two years, Robertson has been the starting shortstop – replacing Alex Bregman. He has batted better than .300 both seasons.

“I’m 22 years old now and more mature,” Robertson said. “I try to stay more even keeled. When I got here, I was talented. But, I was very raw. I played football, basketball and baseball in high school. I wouldn’t pick up my baseball glove for a while. Coach (Paul) Mainieri really developed me.”

Robertson was given the chance to be the Tigers’ starting second baseman in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. However, he failed to keep that spot both times.

“I always thought Kramer was a good ball player,” Mainieri said. “He had the ‘it’ factor. I tried to get him to believe in being the type of player ne needed to be. Kramer wanted to be a big slugger. He needed to be someone who would bunt and hit the ball to the opposite field.

“In his first two years, I was on him a lot. I wanted him to be a great ball player. My job is to get the most out of the players. I wasn’t sure Kramer could be our shortstop. At the start of last year, I was hoping he would be a terrific second baseman. Now he’s earned my confidence. He is like a coach on the field.”

Robertson is the son of Baylor women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey, a very tough-minded individual. Robertson acknowledged that it was no picnic playing as a freshman for Mainieri.

“My mother is pretty critical of me,” Robertson said. “We try not to talk about baseball. I don’t tell her when she calls a bad play. I don’t need to hear her two cents all the time.

“It was tough for me as a 19-year old freshman. Coach Mainieri was as hard on me as anybody. He was all over me. He saw the potential in me. He was right. I didn’t see it. I now see the little details I never thought of before. Coach made me the player I am today.”

Mainieri always felt that Deichmann would become the player he is as a junior. Deichmann is projected to be a top-five round draft pick in the Major League Baseball draft in ten days.

“Greg just needed to get healthy and get a lot of at-bats,” Mainieri said. “I still remember some of the balls he hit his first fall. My jaw dropped. He was hitting opposite-field home runs on a line. I knew he had it in him. The consistency was not there yet.

“Greg didn’t have opportunities for him after the injury his freshman year. I didn’t how great he would be – hitting about 20 home runs, showing a good eye at the plate and not striking out much.”

That summer in the Northwoods League was the turning point for Deichmann.

“My freshman year was rough mentally,” Deichmann. “I went to summer ball early and played about 75 games. LSU’s season was still going on for the first 15 games. That was going to motivate me and not break me.

“Coach Mainieri called me after the year. He was planning for next year and wanted to know my plans. He really wanted me to come back. He could see what kind of player I could be. It’s human nature to have thoughts creep into your head when things aren’t going well. That phone call uplifted me.”

Deichmann was moved to first base for his sophomore year. He batted .288 with 11 homers and 57 RBIs. Deichmann was draft-eligible following his sophomore season. He was chosen in the 26th round by the Minnesota Twins. Mainieri shifted Deichmann to rightfield this year.

“This year has gone better than I could have expected,” Deichmann said. “I am another year closer to a college degree and I can make another run at a national championship. One of the things I felt coming back is that I would improve my draft stock. That’s played out pretty well.”