If last year proved anything about Paul Mainieri, it’s that the LSU baseball coach is always trying to improve his team, and he’s certainly not shy about it.The opening-day lineup in February for last season’s team looked quite different from the starting eight position players in the deciding national championship game against Texas in June.Only four Tigers started in the same position in the first and last games of the season, and one of those Tigers — Derek Helenihi — lost his starting job for most of the season at third base to then-freshman Tyler Hanover.”I have never had a season in my 27 years of coaching where the lineup on day one was the same on the last day of the season,” Mainieri said.Mainieri is a strong advocate of hard work and dedication in practice leading to playing time off the bench. Mainieri has a case in point in his starting lineup this season for his bench players to look to. In fact, he has three.Hanover and fellow sophomores Austin Nola and Mikie Mahtook started out their freshman campaigns on the bench before gradually moving into starting roles one at a time.”Opening the year as reserve players was a big adjustment for them,” Mainieri said. “Nola was starting for Catholic High [in Baton Rouge] since he was a ninth grader. The other two, I’m sure, were in similar situations. But they kept working hard, and when the opportunity was there, they took advantage of it.”The Tigers may not have that same luxury this season looking for players to make an impact from the bench, as they have only 16 position players this year, compared to 21 last season.Mainieri said four bench players — junior Kyle Koeneman, sophomore Matt Gaudet, and freshmen Alex Edward and Mason Katz — are one-dimensional guys in terms of being mostly offensive players who don’t play a variety of defensive positions.”We don’t have as many numbers depth-wise, and we don’t have as much versatility depth-wise this season,” Mainieri said.Although Mainieri expects almost all bench players to make an impact at some point in the season, he pointed to sophomore outfielder Johnny Dishon and sophomore infielder Grant Dozar to make the biggest impact. Dishon plays all three outfield positions, while Dozar plays first and second base along with serving as backup catcher.”In high school, I played infield, so playing second and first isn’t too difficult,” Dozar said. “I started catching when I got to LSU and spent most of last season learning the position. I’m getting as much work as possible at each position daily.”Dozar said coming off the bench isn’t easy, but it’s part of being a baseball player.”If you’re in the game from the start, then you know the situations,” Dozar said. “On the bench, you are playing the game mentally, trying to keep your mind sharp. It’s just a matter of getting in there when coach calls your number and taking advantage of it.”Dozar saw action in 27 games last season, including six starts. He hit .265 in 34 at bats with two homers.”Coach is not afraid to give the young guys opportunities,” Dozar said. “Any time you get in, that may be your opportunity to crack that starting lineup. So you have to work like a starter throughout the year.”Despite that lack of depth in some areas, Nola said he won’t take his starting role at shortstop for granted this season.”I feel a lot more comfortable at my position this year, but you can’t ever settle in because you always have people behind you,” Nola said. “I’ve got to earn my job.”–Contact Andy Schwehm at [email protected]