The Pontiff name and “No. 31 Always” are two things Tiger faithful associate with LSU baseball.For LSU senior outfielder Nicholas Pontiff, it means more than just sports.”I just think of all the good memories I had with Wally,” Pontiff said. “I think about play wresting with him, going out to the park and hitting baseballs with him and him pitching to me. I just remember all the fun times with him.”That “No. 31 Always” signifies the name and number of former LSU third baseman Wally Pontiff Jr., Nick’s older brother, who played for the Tigers from 1999-2002. Wally passed away on July 24, 2002, because of heart abnormalities, just after the end of his junior season as a Tiger.Now it is Nick who is carrying on his dream of playing LSU baseball.”Growing up, the major leaguers weren’t my heroes,” Nick said. “The LSU baseball players were my heroes, and watching the way Wally made such an impact here, it was always my goal to come here to play ever since he stepped foot on campus.The Tigers head into tonight’s Wally Pontiff Jr. Classic matchup at Zephyr Field against Louisiana-Lafayette coming off a 6-5 victory against Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday night in Alex Box Stadium.LSU got only seven hits in the game, including home runs by junior outfielders Blake Dean and Ryan Schimpf, while Southeastern pounded out 16 hits. But the Tigers turned three double plays in the game to help their cause.”The kids played great on defense,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “[Freshman shortstop] Austin Nola was absolutely tremendous [Tuesday], just as I had envisioned him being.”Though, Nick may not have the stats that Wally put up in his three years as a Tiger — Wally hit .344 with 20 home runs and 149 RBIs, and Nick has hit .252 with 5 homers and 37 RBI —  but former LSU hitting coach Turtle Thomas said the two have more in common on the diamond than meets the eye.”They want that LSU team to win,” said Thomas, who now is a head coach at Florida International. “They’re not worried about individual statistics. They don’t care about getting individual credit. They just want their team to win.”Wally Pontiff Sr., Nick’s dad, said their desire to win dates back to when the boys would take batting practice in a cage in their side yard when Wally was nine and Nick was four.”All I wanted them to know was if you love it and you keep the passion alive, good things will work out,” Wally Sr. said. “But it’s not about winning. It’s about developing your skills and having a good time and enjoying the people you are with.”Thomas also said both boys have the great ability to hit in the clutch.Last season on April 26, Nick hit a pinch hit, two-run homer against South Carolina in the seventh inning to tie the game at 9, a game which the Tigers eventually went on to win in 11 innings, 11-10.The New Orleans native said that hit has stuck with him for the past year, and he uses it as motivation for when he comes off the bench.”I know I’m not the greatest player on the team, so if it’s coming off the bench and providing a hit when the team needs me or staying on the bench and providing words of wisdom or providing positive feedback to young guys, I think that’s the role of a good bench player,” Nick said.This will be Nick’s final classic as a Tiger and his father’s last with a son wearing the purple in gold, but Wally Sr. doesn’t see the end as bittersweet.”I’m graduating after nine years,” he said. “It’s been a wonderful run, but … we’ve been blessed. We lost a son, but we gained a community.”- – – -Contact Andy Schwehm at [email protected]