It wasn’t a rigorous training program or a new batting stance that transformed LSU freshman Jake Fraley into a budding outfielder in Alex Box Stadium.
All it took was a batting cage, a tee and a trip home.
Fraley was a highly touted player coming out of Caravel Academy in Middletown, Del., but he slowly fell down the list of outfielders fighting for playing time in fall practice as LSU prepared for its 2014 season opener against the University of New Orleans in February.
The freshman struggled with the mental toll of adjusting to his new surroundings in Baton Rouge.
“It was a big culture shock,” Fraley said. “The biggest part was just getting used to everything with the routine, and then obviously baseball. For the most part, it was just getting used to everything and getting in a routine so I feel comfortable for myself.”
Fraley wasn’t in Delaware anymore, something that was never more apparent than when he faced Tigers’ ace Aaron Nola. He said he had never stepped to the plate against a pitcher like Nola before, and his confidence was clearly affected — manifesting most noticeably in his lack of offensive production in practice.
Two weeks before leaving for LSU’s annual winter break, Fraley said he worked with Tigers’ hitting coach Javi Sanchez on perfecting his swing before leaving Louisiana for a Delaware reunion.
It was exactly what he needed.
Fraley immediately began working on the lessons Sanchez taught him. For the weeks they were together, the freshman and his father used their old routine to help improve his new approach at the plate.
“I told [my father] everything that me and Coach Javi worked on throughout the fall, and he just kind of applied it in a way to where I would understand it a bit more,” Fraley said. “Just the fact that he was there with me and working with him … he applied it so it was a lot easier for me to translate it through my mind so I could just apply it quicker.”
His father, Marvin Fraley, was an integral piece of Jake’s success on the diamond growing up — he was the mentor Jake looked to throughout his high school career.
“Going to all these different showcases with all these top prospects, they were all talking to me saying, ‘I’ve got this hitting coach that I’ve had for four years,’ or ‘I’ve got this guy that my dad has been paying thousands of bucks for,’” Jake said. “I’m like, ‘I’ve got my dad. He’s my hitting coach.’”
Fraley arrived back in Baton Rouge with renewed confidence, and the results have shown.
Through his first 16 games, he has batted .500 in 14 at-bats with one home run, one triple, two doubles, 10 RBIs, 10 runs scored and a stolen base.
The level of play has been more consistent with Fraley’s time at Caravel Academy, where he was a phenom throughout his junior and senior seasons with the Buccaneers, hitting .536 and .492, respectively, and earning All-State recognition after both campaigns.
With LSU entering its second Southeastern Conference series against Georgia, Fraley has taken on an increased role with his newfound confidence.
In a series-opening victory against SEC rival Vanderbilt, LSU coach Paul Mainieri pinch-hit Fraley with two outs in the top of the eighth inning — Fraley reached on an error, eventually bringing sophomore center fielder Andrew Stevenson to the plate, who drove in the winning run for the Tigers.
As the season has pushed on, Mainieri has turned to the freshman more often than not.
“If we weren’t so deep right now in the outfield, I’d be getting him more playing time because I think he’s coming on,” Mainieri said. “I have a lot of confidence when we put him in there. He seems to handle the situation with a lot of poise.”
Fraley said the atmosphere in Alex Box is relaxing, a mindset that differs from the one he held last fall.
“At first, it was overwhelming, as much as I don’t want to say it was,” Fraley said. “I probably just mind-triggered myself in the beginning. After working with the coaches day-in and day-out, I got that comfort feeling with myself mentally and physically.”
“At first, it was overwhelming, as much as I don’t want to say it was. I probably just mind-triggered myself in the beginning. After working with the coaches day-in and day-out, I got that comfort feeling with myself mentally and physically.”

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Charlotte Willcox

LSU freshman outfielder Jake Fraley runs to the dugout between innings Wednesday, March 19, 2014 during the Tigers' victory against South Alabama at Alex Box Stadium.