On a clear and humid night in early June 2014, LSU sophomore pitcher Alden Cartwright experienced an uncharacteristic fall from grace in an otherwise consistent freshman campaign.
LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri called upon Cartwright to start a pivotal game three in the Baton Rouge Regional after the Tigers experienced a late-inning collapse in a momentum-draining, extra-innings loss to Houston.
Cartwright, known by many of his teammates as one of the most confident Tiger players, took to the mound that Monday night dripping with confidence. After learning he would be the starter, Cartwright told the local media he was getting the ball and made a promise.
“We’re going to win that game,” he said.
But it didn’t go according to plan.
Cartwright threw a total of 11 pitches in his outing, tossing only two strikes between the three batters he faced. He was responsible for the game’s first two runs, putting the Tigers on a downward spiral from which they could never recover.
The Tigers suffered one of their worst defeats under Mainieri in Alex Box Stadium, with Houston easing its way to a 12-2 victory and earning a trip to the Super Regionals. The night still sticks in the mind of Cartwright, seven months later.
“Baseball’s a game of failure. You got to put things behind you like that,” Cartwright said. “You can’t let one moment define your life. I had a pretty good year for a freshman last year, and I can’t let that last inning get the best of me. I can still remember it today. Eleven pitches, first two were strikes and everything else were balls.”
Cartwright said while he was crushed, he will choose to dwell on the positives and move on from his outing against Houston.
“It’ll always haunt me, but … I’m going to move past it. It’s going to strengthen me, and it won’t faze me.”
The Baton Rouge native was forced to walk off the mound in disappointment as his hometown crowd looked on in silence. The energy was sucked out of the capacity crowd before they could even get started.
“It was definitely tough,” Cartwright said. “I let the situation get the better of me, but I’ve definitely moved past it, coped with it … and tried to get this season going.”
While his fiery passion and competitiveness were doused by Houston, teammates claim that night will never take away Cartwright’s competitive drive.
Junior shortstop Alex Bregman said Cartwright’s confidence and competitiveness are off the charts for a player his age.
“Alden came in here since his freshman year and worked extremely hard. He hasn’t changed that one bit,” Bregman said. “The kid shows up to the field with the same mindset everyday, and he’s very confident. When he’s on that mound he thinks he’s the best pitcher in the world, just like he should.”
Heading into the 2015 season, which LSU begins Feb. 13 against Kansas, Cartwright is expected to be a prominent contributor to a younger and more inexperienced Tigers pitching staff. The 6-foot, 190 pound right-hander, who posted a 1-1 record with a 2.41 ERA in 33.2 innings last season, has had his fair share of experience.
Cartwright started last year’s Southeastern Conference Tournament Championship Game against Florida, pitching a one-hitter through four innings en route to the Tigers capturing a 2-0 win and bringing home their 11th SEC title.
His experience on the mound against some of the best hitters in the country is an asset to the Tigers’ newly reformed rotation, and Mainieri said he’ll be a valuable arm moving forward.
“Alden is a wonderful young man. He has got more enthusiasm than 10 people combined, and nobody loves LSU and LSU baseball more than that kid,” Mainieri said. “He thinks he can do anything he wants to do. He doesn’t know what his limitations are.”
While Cartwright’s exact role in the Tigers’ rotation remains to be seen, one thing remains true: He’ll always be the most confident man on the mound.
“[I’ll do] whatever I can do,” Cartwright said. “Whenever coach gives me the ball, whether it’s one out or it’s 27 outs, I’m going to go get it done for him.”
You can reach Jack Chascin on Twitter @Chascin_TDR.