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Paul Mainieri previews 2020 season as Tigers open preseason practice


LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri was still feeling the effects of the football team’s perfect season and national championship during his media day address Friday.

Mainieri spoke of the euphoria that leeched into the baseball squad’s team meeting the day after the football team thumped Clemson. He ticked off how well the other Tiger sports programs were doing and threw it out as a challenge to his players.

“Across the board, LSU athletics has never been stronger,” Mainieri said. “Now it’s time for the baseball program to uphold its end of it as well.”

Mainieri won’t get any argument from the fans, who are probably still somewhat disappointed at last year’s failure to make the College World Series after opening the season at No. 1 in three different polls. LSU is No. 11 in two polls (Collegiate Baseball and D1 Baseball) and No. 12 in another (USA Today) but Mainieri pegged the 2020 season as one full of question marks, perhaps more than any other of his 14 seasons.

The Tigers lose three major players in shortstop Josh Smith and outfielders Antoine Duplantis and Zach Watson. The everyday lineup will be changing every day as Mainieri sorts through a mixture of up-and-comers and newcomers while hoping to rely on a pitching staff that returns 13 arms and comes with the caveat “if we can stay healthy.”

A rash of injuries to the pitching staff in 2019 contributed to LSU falling short but if all goes well in 2020, that group will carry the burden until the lineup comes together.

“It hasn’t been often in the 14 years we had so many unknowns about a team as we have this year with our position players,” Mainieri said. “As we went through fall practice, all of them showed great things, just not consistently. Even after the season begins, there is going to be some fluidity to our lineup. I don’t think the lineup we start with on opening day is going to be the same for 56 games and the national championship.

“While we are trying to figure out the right combination and put the pieces of the puzzle together in our lineup, I think our pitching staff is going to be at a level that allows us to win games even while we are learning about our team.”

When LSU opens the season on Feb. 14 against Indiana, sophomore Cole Henry is expected to take the ball to the mound. He overcame an injury to earn freshman All America honors with a 4-2 record and a 3.39 earned run average in 58.1 innings.

Mainieri has high hopes for Henry, calling him a “potential All American and first round draft pick.” Henry, who established himself as the staff ace until arm troubles hit him in late April, said he’s ready to take charge.

“I feel great so far, the whole fall, no problems,” he said. “Every start felt good. Going into spring taking it one day at a time and doing everything to keep myself healthy.”

Mainieri listed three pitchers behind Henry, vying for the two remaining weekend spots and the midweek job. A surprise among them was A.J. Labas, a 2018 freshman All American who missed all of 2019 because of Tommy John surgery.

“He out-pitched everybody in the fall,” Mainieri said of the 6-3, 223-pound sophomore who got a medical redshirt for 2019. “He threw strikes, had great command and his velocity was up to about 93. He looks like a starting pitcher.”

Sophomore Landon Marceaux and junior Eric Walker are also in the mix. Marceaux had a strong freshman year with a 5-2 record and 4.66 earned run average. Walker struggled with control with his comeback season after Tommy John surgery.

Mainieri also has a pair of wildcards in the deck in Jaden Hill and Nick Storz. Hill looked strong in a couple of early outings but was shut down and missed most of 2019. He pitched one dominant inning at the end of fall and hit 97 miles per hour. He could start out as the closer. Storz, a hard-throwing righthander, is ready to compete after three surgeries in his first two seasons, Mainieri said.

Those two plus holdovers like Devin Fontenot, Ma’Khail Hilliard, Matthew Beck and Trent Vietmeier, who combined for 173 innings last year, give LSU depth and experience. Fontenot led LSU with seven saves and Beck was 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA in 44 innings.

While the batting order is a bit sketchy, the hitting may get a boost from new hitting coach Eddie Smith, who may help a team that struck out 485 times in 2019. Players seem to have taken to him quickly.

“Eddie’s a quiet guy but he gets passionate about hitting,” first baseman Cade Beloso said.

The LSU offense will center around Daniel Cabrera, whose .284 average with 12 homers and 50 RBI was a bit of a disappointment. But much will be expected as Cabrera was voted as the player to wear jersey No. 8, marking the player with the most passion and dedication to LSU baseball. The number originated with Mikie Mahtook and has been worn by Alex Bregman and last year Antoine Duplantis.

“It’s one of the coolest things ever,” Cabrera said. “I’ve worn No. 2 my entire life. This is something I couldn’t pass on. It’s a great honor. You look at the players that wore it, what they meant to the program, how they carried themselves on and off the field. It’s awesome.”

Cabrera will return to right field after playing in centerfield in fall practice. Sophomore Giovanni DiGiacomo inherits the centerfield spot with competition from football player Maurice Hampton while Drew Bianco, Gavin Dugas, CJ Willis and Wes Toups among those competing in left field.

The infield will be revamped with shortstop Josh Smith gone to Major League Baseball after starting three seasons. Light-hitting Hal Hughes will likely open the season there but Mainieri is high on junior college transfer Zack Mathis, who possess some of the same leadership qualities as Smith.

Mainieri said he hopes Mathis wins the third base job and expects him to bat in the 3-hole. Freshman Zach Arnold was being counted to compete for a middle infield spot but surgery to remove a rib will keep him out until mid-March.

Dugas and freshman Cade Doughty could figure into the battle at second base. Mainieri said he may use Dugas in the outfield to get his offense in the lineup and settle him down. Dugas had some good games in 2019 until he was sidelined by torn thumb ligaments.

First base is rock solid with Cade Beloso coming off a freshman year when he hit 10 homers and knocked in 52 runs while batting .279.

Mainieri said catcher Saul Garza overcame injuries last year and may have been the Tigers best hitter in the final month. He batted .303 with five homers and 27 RBI, but was hampered by torn thumb ligaments during summer ball and missed fall practice for the second straight year.

Backing up Garza is freshman Alex Milazzo, who is strong defensively but might not be ready to hit consistently at the college level, and freshman Alex Travinski.

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