LSU coach Paul Mainieri insisted after his team’s 23-16-1 start last season that the Tigers would be closing out old Alex Box Stadium with a postseason appearance.
He made good on that.
Mainieri’s second dream was to open the new Alex Box Stadium with postseason play.Today, the NCAA announced that Mainieri would make good on that dream also, as LSU will host a regional and possibly a super regional if the Tigers win their regional.
The Tigers will enter the NCAA tournament as the No. 3 national seed behind No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Cal State Fullerton.
While some experts had the Tigers as a No. 1 or No. 2 seed, Mainieri said his ballclub is happy to have heard its name announced to play more baseball.
“I’m absolutely not disappointed at being ranked third,” Mainieri said. “As long as you are a top eight national seed, that is all that matters.”
LSU (46-16) will open regional play at 1 p.m. Friday against No. 4 seed Southern (30-15), whom LSU defeated earlier this season, 11-5.
If they win, the Tigers will face the winner of the matchup between No. 2 Minnesota (38-17) and No. 3 Baylor (29-24).
LSU is 44-2 all-time against Southern, 7-3 against Baylor and 14-3 against Minnesota.
Mainieri said he doesn’t know much about Baylor and Minnesota, but he is happy for Southern to make the postseason.
“They are playing their best ball of the year,” Mainieri said. “There is no chance of us looking past them.”
LSU senior pitcher Louis Coleman said he is happy with the team’s draw. He added that the team showed what it is capable of by winning the Southeastern Conference tournament after losing their first game.
“We can play with anyone in the nation, even with our backs against the wall,” Coleman said.
Mainieri has not yet decided who will start the first game of the regionals.
EXTRA BASES:The Southeastern Conference and Big 12 tied for the most teams in the field with eight each.
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Vanderbilt join the Tigers from the SEC.
Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas A&M will represent the Big 12.
Florida and Ole Miss join LSU as SEC teams hosting regionals.
The Atlantic Coast Conference will host the most regionals with four in Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech and North Carolina.
If LSU advances through the regional round, the Tigers will face the winner of the Houston Regional between Rice, Kansas State, Xavier and Sam Houston State.
The eight teams that advance through the regional and super regional rounds will begin the College World Series on Saturday, June 13, at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb.
The most recent national seed to win the national championship was Rice in 2003.—-Contact Andy Schwehm at [email protected]