To see a video of Louis Coleman breaking down his pitching, click here.
LSU pitcher Louis Coleman sat down Saturday night with a big grin on his face after getting a 5-3 decision against Rice.The right-hander had scattered nine hits, including two home runs, in eight innings but gave up only three runs while striking out five. While the performance was not his best this year, only one decision in the game mattered – the senior’s choice to come back to school for his final year of eligibility.”It’s the greatest decision I’ve ever made in my life,” he said, with his eyes noticeably beginning to water up. “I wouldn’t change it for the world.”The Washington Nationals drafted Coleman in the 14th round of last year’s MLB draft, giving him an easy exit to a big check and a pro career. But Coleman felt the chance to get back to Omaha with a veteran ball club would mean more than any sum the Nationals could pay him.After Coleman told LSU coach Paul Mainieri of his decision to remain with the team, Mainieri was blunt with the senior.”I’ll remember these conversations I had with him last summer until the day I die,” Mainieri said. “When he decided he was going to come back, I said, ‘Louis, you will make all the difference in the world with our team. You are the final piece of our puzzle for next year’s team. We are going back to Omaha because of you.'”Coleman’s decision to make a return to LSU was important for more reasons than just him being the catalyst of the team. If there was any question about LSU’s baseball squad heading into this season, it was pitching.The Tigers lost all three weekend starters — Blake Martin, Ryan Verdugo and Jared Bradford — to the majors after last season. The team also lost Jordan Brown to a career-ending injury and two major pitching recruits to the draft.But Coleman decided to stick with the team.The Schlater, Miss., native said there were two major factors in his decision to return — the friendships with his teammates and the bitter taste from last season’s trip to College World Series.Coleman gave up a grand slam on a hanging slider to North Carolina catcher Tim Federowicz in the top of the ninth inning with the elimination game tied, 3-3. It was only the second home run he gave up all season, and it was his first loss on the season.Coleman, who was named Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year this season, has bounced back since that grand slam with a 2.76 ERA in 114 innings pitched. He has compiled a 13-2 record in 21 appearances with 124 strikeouts.He has also been the go-to man this season for the Tigers, a role Coleman said he enjoys.”It gives me a lot of confidence because I know they have that much faith in me,” Coleman said. “When the game is on the line, I know they are looking to me.”Mainieri added while he doesn’t like to play favorites with his players, it is hard for him to not do so with Coleman.”Every time he’s given the ball, he gives the greatest effort that any human being could possibly give for his school,” Mainieri said. “He’s certainly going to go down in history with me and my coaching career as one of my all-time favorite kids.”—-Contact Andy Schwehm at [email protected]
Baseball: Coleman returns for senior season, carries Tigers back to College World Series
June 8, 2009