For many LSU baseball players, this will be their last weekend in the Box.
After the Tigers’ Super Regional matchup with Mississippi State, the bright lights of Alex Box will be turned off until next spring. Some will return to play once more on the green grass and dirt of Skip Bertman Field, but many will not.
With the MLB draft fast approaching on Monday and graduation dates having already passed, this weekend will be the last for close to fifteen Tigers in Alex Box.
For seniors such as second baseman Cole Freeman, shortstop Kramer Robertson, and pitchers Jared Poche and Hunter Newman time is almost out.
Coach Paul Mainieri said he has been preparing his guys for this moment for the past two months, and that it is one of the harder things he has to navigate through as a coach.
“There is a finality about it,” Mainieri said. “This place has meant an awful lot to these kids, and it will be the last time they get to play in this stadium. I hope it is not the last time they get to put on this uniform. It’ll be easier to handle it if it is a successful weekend.”
One of the players Mainieri mentioned was junior pitcher Alex Lange, who is expected to be an early round pick in Monday’s draft along with juniors Michael Papierski and Greg Deichmann.
“I had a nice talk with him yesterday,” Mainieri said. “We sat down in the bullpen and talked about a lot of the issues that were going on in the world, and it was great. I’m going to miss him so much, he’s such a wonderful young man. I love him to death.”
Mainieri announced that Lange and Poche, who is once again attempting to tie LSU’s all-time wins record, will be making their last starts for LSU at Alex Box in the first two games.
“Poche is a great person,” said Papierski, who is also expected to be taken early in the draft, “He’s from Lutcher, wherever he’s from. It’s hard to understand him, but he’s a great dude.”
The catcher has said he has thought about his final moments in the box, but his main focus is on winning and going to Omaha.
For Deichmann, he said he has been trying to take time to enjoy the atmosphere one last time in the Box.
“I’ve been trying to do that all year,” Deichmann said. “You try to take a step back and look at all the colors in the stands and kind of soak in what the crowd sounds like. It’s hard to do that in the midst of a game, but a try to take a moment to myself to enjoy it because this is my last year.”
For Robertson, the chance to wrap up his career with a win at home to go to Omaha is something he’s been dreaming about. The shortstop was a highly touted recruit out of high school, but struggled to find time his first two years playing behind Alex Bregman.
“It’s going to be pretty emotional for me this weekend coming from where I came from and having the opportunity to go out on top,” Robertson said. “Like I said you can’t write it any better. To start where I started and to have a chance to finish where we can finish this weekend is going to be pretty cool.”
“When that last at-bat comes hopefully I’ll know it’s my last at-bat and hopefully I’ll be able to soak it all in and cherish the moment.”
“I’m proud of our team,” Mainieri said, “I’m proud of what we accomplished, I love these guys. They give you everything they’ve got whether in practice or in the games. I don’t want to get emotional talking about it, but it is a sad thought to think that I don’t get to coach them anymore pretty soon.”
“If we are fortunate enough to lift the trophy up in Omaha, I’m still going to be upset knowing it was my last chance to coach those guys.”
