Seven months after LSU lost to Rice in the 2005 NCAA regionals, the popping sound of baseballs hitting leather gloves and the pinging of aluminum bats will return to Alex Box Stadium this weekend.
The 2006 baseball alumni weekend begins today, and fans will notice a few changes in this year’s schedule.
This season’s program will feature two games Saturday – the Legends Alumni game and a Purple-Gold game.
Jeramie Moore, administrative assistant for baseball, said two teams consisting of LSU baseball alumni will compete in the legends game. Familiar faces such as Jordan Faircloth, Pat Garrity and Lane Mestepey will be in attendance.
The Legends Alumni game will begin at 2:30 p.m. Saturday followed by the Purple-Gold game at 5 p.m.
The Purple-Gold game will be similar to an intra-squad game. Current LSU players will team-up with former LSU players who are active in professional baseball to make two teams.
Coach Smoke Laval said having the alumni spend time with his players is valuable.
“We’ll all join and come in and out of one dugout so they’ll get to know the [alumni] and visit and ask ‘hey, how is it in the big leagues?'” Laval said.
Fans can expect to see former players Kurt Ainsworth, Nate Bumstead, Mike Fontenot, Clay Harris, Ryan Theriot, Russ Johnson, Ryan Patterson, Greg Smith, Brian Tallet and Shane Youman in the Purple-Gold game. Former catcher Brad Cresse will participate in both games.
In previous years, the alumni weekend would feature just one game where the current LSU team would compete against a team of LSU alumni active in professional baseball.
Laval said changes needed to be made because of an impending NCAA scheduling rule that could reduce the regular season schedule to 52 games.
“In the near future, the alumni game would count against one of our 50 cities,” Laval said.
No matter the foreseable changes, junior pitcher Clay Dirks said the alumni weekend allows the freshmen to get their feet wet and other players to meet with some players in the pros.
“It’s really for the younger guys to have a game under the lights with the fans here before the season really gets going,” Dirks said. “It’s fun too, you get together with some of the older guys that have been through the same things you’re going through.”
 
Contact Kyle Whitfield at [email protected]