LSU coach Paul Mainieri said one of the most disappointing moments of the season was when freshman pitcher Anthony Ranaudo developed elbow tendinitis.
Ranaudo, who was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 11th round of the 2007 MLB draft, has missed most of the season. The time lost, Mainieri said, has hurt Ranaudo’s development.
“It has put him behind schedule so much,” Mainieri said. “We had – and still have – high hopes for what this young man is going to do at LSU. Obviously his freshman season was very much affected by the sore elbow, but as long as he’s OK, we still think he’s going to have a tremendous career at LSU.”
Ranaudo said he passed up the opportunity to play in the Majors because he liked what he saw when LSU recruited him.
“It was like a dream come true,” he said. “I didn’t sign with the Rangers out of high school, and I came down here, and I was real excited to work with [Assistant head] coach [Terry] Rooney and be a part of a program with such history.”
After coming back from winter break, Ranaudo developed tendinitis which forced him to sit out. He said it was hard watching his friends play.
“We’re a relatively young team, and a lot of my good friends – freshmen and sophomores – are all out there contributing,” he said. “You want to get out there and contribute too.”
The 6-foot-7-inch freshman has recovered from the injury and played in two games this season.
His most recent appearance was a two-inning stint Wednesday against McNeese State. He retired all six of the batters he faced, striking out two.
“It felt great to get back on the field,” Ranaudo said. “We’re starting to play well again and it just feels really good to be out there.”
Mainieri said he decided not to redshirt the Jackson, N.J., native because Ranaudo could be instrumental in a push toward the postseason.
“We felt that he could still help the team this year,” Mainieri said. “The innings that he’s pitched so far may seem irrelevant in the opportunity to win those two games, but I don’t think they’re irrelevant at all. He’s gaining experience. He’s proving to himself that his elbow is feeling good.”
The Tigers’ postseason hopes are still in the balance when they host No. 9 South Carolina in a three game series this weekend.
The Gamecocks (31-11, 11-7) are second in the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division standings and are 9-1 in their past 10 games. Their lineup features two of the conference’s top-five home run hitters in junior first baseman Justin Smoak and senior catcher Phil Disher, who have 16 and 14 home runs respectively.
Four South Carolina players also have more than 40 RBIs, and junior infielder James Darnell leads the conference in that category with 56.
“They’re loaded,” Mainieri said about South Carolina. “They’re a great hitting team. They’ve got a solid pitching rotation, and they’re one of the best teams in the country and have been for years.”
Junior pitcher Blake Martin will start for LSU on Friday. Junior pitcher Jordan Brown will handle the starting duties Saturday, and junior pitcher Ryan Verdugo will take the mound Sunday.
—-Contact Johanathan Brooks at [email protected]