With a newly minted dent on face, LSU junior outfielder Greg Deichmann sat with his father in the hospital and a message for him.

“I’ll play with a dent in my face,” Deichmann told his father. “I’m not missing Friday night.”

Luckily for Deichmann, he won’t miss any time after taking a pitch off his face from freshman pitcher Blair Frederick, during a scrimmage last week. 

Deichmann received facial surgery earlier this week — a procedure that took only an hour — and will be in the starting lineup for No. 4 LSU on Friday.

Initially, Deichmann said he was in a lot of pain, but as time progressed it started to subside.

“When it first hit me, first of all, it kind of shocked me,” Deichmann said. “You never get hit in the face with a ball. It hit me and I dropped and took my helmet off. I felt in my cheek, so my jaw is what was hurting at first.”

Deichmann will play this weekend with a special helmet, which has a guard on the right the side.

The new helmet won’t bother or affect his vision this weekend, Deichmann said.

The recovery period took 48 hours and Deichmann has started to do some light practicing, coach Paul Mainieri said.

“The doctor gave him 100 percent clearance,” Mainieri said. “He actually practiced yesterday and all he did was face batting practice from the machine. He wants to be in there so badly, and I wouldn’t do it if the doctor had not given absolutely 100 percent, no reservation, 100 percent and go ahead and do it.”

Deichmann was a key figure for LSU’s offense last season, belting 11 home runs and 57 RBIs last season and will assume his regular spot in the Tigers’ lineup.

“He’ll be in right field, batting four hole,” Mainieri said.

Adams to start at DH

LSU is still dealing with the injury bug.

Senior catcher Jordan Romero is “limited” because of ankle injury he suffered in a scrimmage, Mainieri said. 

The New Orleans native will not start on Friday. Romero was slated to be the designated hitter in LSU’s starting lineup, instead that spot will go to senior infielder Bryce Adams.

“Romero’s ankle is still not 100 percent,” Mainieri said. “Yesterday was the first day he hit since a week ago Tuesday. He still has not done any catching drills and has not done any running.”

Adams transferred to LSU from Delgado Community College in 2015 and only played in 13 games last season with the Tigers, batting .150 with one home run.

“He’s a real feel good story for me,” Mainieri said about Adams. “[He] never really got into the mix last year, and we were hoping for big things out of him. He just kind of never really got it going. He had a good summer up in the Northwoods League … He hits .315, hits a half a dozen home runs and he hits a bunch of RBIs. You see him come back in the fall and he’s carrying himself with a much different aura.”

On the mound, junior pitcher Alex Lange will start in the season opener, followed by senior pitcher Jared Poche’ and freshman Eric Walker to close out the series.

Mainieri said the trio will be limited this weekend.
“Lange will be three to five innings maximum,” Mainieri said. “Probably 65 to 70 pitches. I would say Poche’ and Walker will be in the 80 to 85 range. That’s on the assumption that they are pitching well to stay in the game.”