When first-year Southeastern baseball coach Jay Artigues steps into Alex Box Stadium on Tuesday, he will face an LSU team similar to the Lions.
Southeastern began the 2006 season without 16 lettermen from last season’s team, four starting-position players, four reserves and eight pitchers.
“We only have one pitcher that returned with significant innings,” Artigues said.
LSU similarly lost 15 lettermen, four starting-position players, six reserves and five pitchers.
The Tigers chose to reload with high school talent such as J.T. Wise and Major League Baseball draft picks Jason Ogata and Jarred Bogany.
The Lions chose a different route.
“We have a lot of new faces but a lot of junior-college transfers,” Artigues said. “We have a lot of juniors and seniors on the field.”
The Lions, who will play their first midweek game this season, have 13 players on their 34-man roster with junior-college experience.
In game three against Stetson on Feb. 12, Southeastern started seven players that came from junior colleges.
LSU junior right-hander Jonathan Wilhite, who came to LSU after transferring from Delgado Community College in New Orleans, said junior-college baseball is very different from Division 1.
“You don’t really have a set pitching coach,” Wilhite said. “[In junior college] you have to work a lot harder on your own to get better.”
Artigues said many players head to community college not only to improve their baseball skills but also to pick up their grades to qualify for enrollment at Division 1 schools.
 
Artigues, who previously coached at Pearl River Community College, brought starting shortstop Richard Imhoff with him to Southeastern.
Imhoff leads the Lions with 17 defensive assists and a .920 fielding percentage.
Southeastern (4-2) has enjoyed some early success this season.
The Lions won two games on the road against Stetson, who was ranked in the preseason top 40 by Collegiate Baseball, and won two games at home against Jacksonville State.
“[Artigues] is going to play a lot of short ball,” said LSU coach Smoke Laval. “He’s going to bunt a lot of times and doesn’t play for the big inning - just likes to keep that pressure on you.”
Artigues said the score is less important than his players gaining experience against teams like LSU.
Laval said freshman right-hander Louis Coleman will start against Southeastern with senior right-handers Chase Dardar, Edgar Ramirez and Chris Cahill also seeing time.
Coleman earned a win in his first collegiate start Feb. 14 against Centenary.
He pitched 5.2 innings, allowed two earned runs on two hits and struck out eight batters.
Ogata and freshmen infielders Buzzy Haydel and Nicholas Pontiff may also see time at second base.
Ogata has started three games this season and has batted .250 in 12 at-bats.
“I’ll go with Ogata until somebody gives up or gets hot,” Laval said.
 
Contact Kyle Whitfield at [email protected]