One area of hot contention last season for LSU’s baseball team was a lack of ability to turn double plays, as the Tigers only turned 35 last season.This season may be a little different.LSU coach Paul Mainieri is already raving about his sophomore middle infield duo of shortstop Austin Nola and second baseman Tyler Hanover.”Our double-play combination — that’s as good as you are going to get in college baseball,” Mainieri said. “Hanover and Nola defensively can turn the double play, they have range, they have solid arms and they have consistent hands.”Both Hanover and Nola said their chemistry throughout fall practice and the first few weeks of spring practice is noticeable.”We’ve been practicing double plays so much I feel like I could do it with my eyes closed sometimes,” Nola said.Hanover, who played third base last season, will return to second this year, a position said he has played since he was young.While he is getting adjusted to life back at second — the fourth position on the scorecard — he will be in another four hole as the cleanup hitter on opening day.”Every day you try to get better offensively,” said Hanover, a .321 hitter last season. “You hit well — you play well.”LSU’s middle outfield will be sure-handed and experienced, but the corners may be a little shakier.Senior Blake Dean will move from his traditional outfield position to first base for the first time in his life, which Mainieri said is a unique situation for a left-handed thrower.”You are limited to pitcher, first base and the outfield as a left-hander,” Mainieri said. “His whole career has been as a pitcher and outfielder. So he reluctantly tried first base, almost as a favor to me. But he’s starting to grow into it and realize that is where his future is.”At third base, redshirt freshman Wet Delatte will see his first major collegiate action and first full-time action as an infielder.As a two-time First Team All-State selection at St. Amant High School in Prairieville, Delatte played the majority of his time as a pitcher because he was the best player on the team.”He was one of those guys who had the team jump on his shoulders, so he knows how to handle the spotlight,” Mainieri said. “But he needs to get a little more consistent defensively. He’s got the ability to do it, but he’s clearly the best guy we have.”Mainieri said he will have to be more patient with the two corner infielders as they get adjusted early on in the season and make a few mistakes. He added he knows both players will get better as the season goes on.In contrast to the relatively new-look infield behind the pitcher, the man behind the plate is someone Mainieri is referring to as the “rock” of the team: junior catcher Micah Gibbs.”Gibbs is not spectacular defensively. He’s just as solid as can be,” Mainieri said. “He very rarely doesn’t block a ball in the dirt … He doesn’t have the strongest arm in the country, but he always seems to throw guys out in the clutch.”Gibbs may have a breakout season offensively, Mainieri said. The Pflugerville, Texas, native had the team’s lowest average among players who started at least 40 games (.294). “He’s worked extremely hard on his hitting, and he’s had a good preseason,” Mainieri said. “I’d be very surprised if you don’t see his numbers improve dramatically from last season.”Mainieri admitted he will be looking at Gibbs and Nola to be standout players on the team this year.”I’ll say this about Micah and Austin Nola: You won’t realize how good those guys are until they are gone,” Mainieri said. “I’ve had teams without a quality catcher or a quality shortstop, and it just puts a team on edge.”—-Contact Andy Schwehm at [email protected]