A new feature we’re implementing this semester at The Daily Reveille is the “LSU Athlete of the Week.” This week, columnist Micah Bedard went one-on-one with LSU baseball first baseman Mason Katz after the Tigers’ 9-3 victory against Nicholls State last night.
In future weeks, the nominations for Athlete of the Week will be announced on “Out of Bounds” from 6 to 7 p.m. Sundays on 91.1 KLSU. You can vote at lsureveille.com/sports.
Micah Bedard: You guys are 16-1 heading into Mississippi State this weekend. Are you content with where this team is at?
Mason Katz: Chemistry-wise, we’re in a really good spot. I love every guy on this team. Off the field, we have some goofballs that keep us loose. We’re in a really comfortable spot the way we’re playing. We’re ready to play in the [Southeastern Conference] and I’m excited to see what we do going forward.
MB: What’s something you’d like to see your team improve on in SEC play?
MK: Little mistakes here and there, certain base-running things that we can do better. We have a lot of at-bats where we can do a lot better in certain situations.
MB: You have had four homers in the last three games. What’s clicked for you at the plate?
MK: I’m really trying to stick to my approach in batting practice and trying to stay through the ball. The guys around me are getting on base and I’m getting good pitches to hit. When I come up to bat, they can’t throw balls and they can’t throw around me.
MB: You’ve already got six home runs so far this season and you’re the SEC’s returning, leading home-run hitter. Is leading the conference in homers in the back of your mind?
MK: No, not at all. Every at-bat is different. I try to go up there and make my little statement when I come up to bat, but I don’t think about those things at all. I’ve got three of the best hitters in the country ahead of me.
MB: When you have a guy like outfielder Raph Rhymes hitting in front of you, do you feel like you’re seeing better pitches to hit?
MK: Oh yeah. I’m in the best spot in the country. You have Mark [Laird], [Alex] Bregman and Raph in front of me and [Christian] Ibarra and JaCoby [Jones] behind me. Nobody wants to throw to Raph, who led the entire nation in hitting last season. I’m getting really good pitches to hit and I can’t thank those guys enough.
MB: Two true freshmen, Mark Laird and Alex Bregman, are leading the team in batting average. Did you expect them to come out of the gate this hot?
MK: You know what? We kind of did. We saw what Bregman could do in the fall — the guy just dominated like he is now. Mark was a different guy. He’s actually hitting balls hard to all fields right now, and we’re trying to help him hit balls the opposite ways because he’s so fast. He drops down bunts and it doesn’t matter how close the third baseman is playing because he’s going to be safe. We expected them to have big years and be monster parts of our lineup.
MB: What have you told the newcomers about adapting to SEC play?
MK: We talked about what it’s going to be like. Last weekend when Washington came in here, they had some really good arms that we were facing. The guy they threw on Saturday was an SEC-caliber arm. We tried to teach the guys to approach that game just like an SEC game, because that’s how we should approach every game.
MB: You guys head to Starkville, Miss., today for four days. Is there anything to do there?
MK: From what I remember from two years ago, the only thing within five miles of our hotel was a bank across the street. I played summer ball with a couple guys on the team, so after one of the games they picked me up and we ate and had to go through some woods and pastures. It’s interesting when you get there. Our hotel, if we’re staying at the same place, has a dirt pasture on the left and a grass pasture on the right. It’s different; you can’t walk anywhere.
Micah Bedard is a 22-year-old history senior from Houma.
