LSU junior pitcher Austin Ross was starting to look like the sure-fire ace for the Tigers next season.Ross was a consistent starter for two seasons and ended the 2010 campaign on a hot streak, throwing a solid outing against Vanderbilt in the Southeastern Conference tournament and leading LSU to a regional win against UC Irvine.But the Milwaukee Brewers came calling June 8 in the eighth round of the MLB draft.Ross was initially uncertain of his future, but he ended up signing a contract with the Brewers on Monday, choosing to forego his senior season with LSU.”We are sad to see him go because we would have liked him to have had another year here,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “I can’t stand in his way, though. He’s fulfilling his dream with an outstanding opportunity, and I can’t blame him.”The same hot streak that gave Ross a chance to be next season’s Friday night starter may have swayed his choice to leave Baton Rouge.”I definitely think it helped,” Ross said. “Anytime you throw well and throw well for an extended period of time … that helped me.”Ross went eight innings with seven strikeouts in the SEC Tournament against Vanderbilt, only giving up four earned runs.Ross had a similar outing May 21 against Mississippi State in the last series of the regular season. He allowed three earned runs in seven innings of work, striking out eight.”He gave us hope at the end,” Mainieri said. “He stayed away from that big inning and that allowed him to be a much more effective starting pitcher for us.”Ross said he was satisfied with being drafted in the eighth round.”I didn’t want to go into it  expecting something to happen and then be disappointed if it didn’t,” Ross said.Ross has been a staple in the LSU pitching rotation since coming out of Captain Shreve High School in Shreveport.Ross appeared in 21 games his freshman season and started 17 games during the 2009 National Championship season.”Austin was a very reliable starting pitcher for us,” Mainieri said. “You knew what you were going to get out of him. He did a lot of good things.”Ross finished this season with a 5-4 record and a 5.22 ERA with a team-high 98 strikeouts.”He has to be very proud of his career here,” Mainieri said. Ross’ departure leaves LSU with an unexperienced pitching staff.Junior Anthony Ranaudo will likely sign with the Boston Red Sox after he was drafted No. 39 overall.Mainieri said he plans to leave Matty Ott in the closer role for the 2011 season.That leaves rising senior pitchers Ben Alsup, Daniel Bradshaw and Mitch Mormann as well as rising juniors Joey Bourgeois and Chris Matulis and rising sophomore Michael Reed as possible starters.–Contact Michael Lambert at [email protected]