LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri’s stressful summer has finally come to an end.The anxiety of awaiting word from prospective players is over, but now Mainieri must deal with the loss of LSU commitments choosing to play professional baseball instead of for the Tigers.Six players selected in the 2010 MLB draft will keep their commitment to LSU, while five recruits signed MLB contracts and will not take the field for the Tigers.Pitcher Anthony Ranaudo inked a deal Monday for $2.55 million with the Boston Red Sox.Mainieri said Ranaudo will be missed, but playing for the Red Sox will be a great opportunity for the pitcher.”He called me at 11:01 p.m. last night,” Mainieri said. “He literally could not talk to me because he was so emotional over the phone. He said, ‘I thought this would be happy day for me but its really not because I realized I’m never going to put the LSU uniform on again.'”Ranaudo was picked with 39th pick in the draft but ended up receiving the largest contract out of any right-handed pitcher in the draft.Quarterback and pitcher Zach Lee was a last-minute signee by the Los Angeles Dodgers last night.”I didn’t really know what was going to happen with Zach,” Mainieri said. “Two weeks ago I would have guessed [there was a] 90 percent chance he was staying. It was a surprise when it started happening but in the end I wasn’t surprised he signed.”Lee enrolled in summer classes at LSU and participated in fall football camp, but the McKinney, Texas pitcher signed a $5.25 million, five-year contract Monday night with the Dodgers.”I don’t know how anyone can turn down that much money,” Mainieri said.Pitcher Cameron Bedrosian and fielders Delino Deshields, Garin Cecchini and Lucas LeBlanc were the other players who committed to LSU but decided to go pro.The Tigers did receive good news Monday with pitcher Kevin Gausman.Gausman, who was selected in the sixth round, rejected the Dodgers’ offer and will suit up for LSU this season.”Most everyone assumed he would be a first round pick,” Mainieri said. “This kid has the chance to be a Ranaudo-ish.”Pitchers Ryan Eades, Tyler Jones and Mitchell Hopkins could also contribute to the young pitching staff this season after sticking with their pledge to LSU.Eades was a 19th round draft pick out of Northshore High School and Jones comes from a junior college after playing for Marquette High School in Milwaukee, Wisc.Hopkins hails from University High School and won a national championship with LSU-Eunice last season.Two incoming fielders, Tyler Ross and JaCoby Jones, will add depth and vie for starting positions.Mainieri spoke highly of Ross, a catcher from Naples, Fla.”This time last year my biggest concern in our recruiting and holding on to recruits was the catcher position,” Mainieri said. “Holding on to Tyler Ross to me was a very critical aspect of this signing class.”Mainieri compared JaCoby Jones to junior outfielder Mikie Mahtook.”I can’t tell you how excited I am about having this kid,” Mainieri said. “This kid is an electric player.”The Richton, Miss., native was the 2010 Mississippi High School Player of the Year.
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