After five days of precarious speculation, Kevin Gausman made a decision both he and LSU head coach Paul Mainieri can be proud of. Dragging negotiations until the final minute, the Centennial, Colo. native chose to forego his final two seasons of eligibility and sign with the Baltimore Orioles, who chose him with the No. 4 overall pick in the MLB Draft last month. The powerful right handed pitcher who led the Tiger pitching staff with a 12-2 record and 2.77 earned run average last season told Mainieri in a phone call the deal was worth $4.32 million. “I’m so happy for you,” Mainieri told Gausman on the phone call. “You deserve this. I just wish we could have gone to Omaha.” Considered a lock to sign when he was drafted in June, Gausman told the Times-Picayune on Monday that his “heart was still at LSU,” prompting feverish conjecture that he would return to school for his junior season. Gausman becomes the third LSU first round draft pick to sign with a major league organization in the last three years. Pitcher Anthony Ranaudo signed with the Boston Red Sox after being chosen 39th overall in 2010, while outfielder Mikie Mahtook signed with the Tampa Bay Rays, who chose him No. 31 overall last season.
____ Contact Chandler Rome at [email protected]