Almost two months ago freshman wide receiver Jarred Mitchell was lining up against Irish defensive backs during the Tigers’ 41-14 win against the University of Notre Dame in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
Fast forward 51 days and Mitchell has traded in his shoulder pads and football helmet for a different type of jersey and a starting spot in center field for the LSU baseball team.
Balancing two sports and a full college workload may be a difficult task for most, but Mitchell said it is something to which he has grown accustomed.
“I was always on the go as a kid,” Mitchell said. “I played football, baseball, basketball, soccer and I was always on the run. I can remember changing uniforms in the car going from one game to another. I’ve always been busy so balancing two [sports] in college isn’t anything new for me.”
Mitchell enters his freshman year as a Tiger after enjoying a very successful high school football and baseball career at Westgate High School in New Iberia.
In his senior season Mitchell was named the Louisiana High School Gatorade Player of the Year after batting .506, hitting six home runs and driving in 31 runs.
Mitchell also stole 29 bases in 30 attempts and was named First Team All-State and All-District every year since his sophomore season.
“I loved every aspect of my high school career,” Mitchell said. “I’m proud of everything I did, but I’m ready to show that I can perform at the next level.”
After his senior season Baseball America Magazine ranked Mitchell as the No. 3 high school player in Louisiana and ranked him the 43rd best baseball prospect in the nation.
His skills on the baseball diamond were something LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri said make Mitchell a special athlete.
“He reminds me of an [Atlanta Braves center fielder] Andruw Jones type of guy,” Mainieri said. “He’s a five-tool athlete that can cover so much ground in the outfield. He’s going to make some plays for us this season, and I really think he is going to excite fans with what he can do.”
Although he only appeared in eight games and caught just two passes for 25 yards this past football season, Mitchell excelled at quarterback in high school.
Mitchell passed for 1,720 yards and 10 touchdowns and rushed for 834 yards and 12 touchdowns while leading the Westgate High to the Louisiana 5-A quarterfinals in 2005.
After such a stellar senior season, Mitchell said he has no regrets about what he has accomplished over the past four years.
“High school football is all about fun,” Mitchell said. “My coaches always knew I had what it took to play at the next level, and they used to tell me, ‘You’re doing something wrong if you don’t sit back and enjoy playing in high school ball.'”
After enjoying success in high school baseball Mitchell has had a sluggish start through the first seven games of the season – batting just .276 and driving in three runs.
Mainieri said his freshman center fielder has come a long way since the beginning of spring and said he believes Mitchell only will improve.
“He is one of our nine best guys,” Mainieri said. “He brings a lot to the table for us. He’s going to run [fly balls] down in center field better than anyone else we have. He’s never been a full-time baseball player so he’s going to have to learn some of the nuances, but he’s got a great attitude. We’re just going to line up with him, let him go and keep working and stay patient with him, and hopefully the other guys will make up for the days that he’s not consistent.”
St. Mary’s College coach Jedd Soto said Mitchell impressed not only him but his entire team after the Gaels played the Tigers to open the 2007 season.
“He’s very gifted,” Soto said. “He tracks the ball well and made a couple catches in this series that could have opened up our offense. At the plate he got better every day. During the first day we thought we could get him out, but as the weekend progressed he adjusted and was one of the tougher batters to get out.”
Although Mitchell has showed interest in both sports, he said he does not prefer one over the other.
“I really don’t have a particular favorite,” Mitchell said. “Football’s my favorite during football season, and baseball’s my favorite during baseball season. You kind of get caught up in the moment. You can have a lot of fun, and it’s kind of easy when you’re totally involved with one of them to forget about the other.”
—–Contact Jay St. Pierre at jstpierre@lsureveille.com