Freshman Spencer Ware won’t have much time to adjust from the gridiron to the diamond.
LSU coach Paul Mainieri said the left fielder could get into games as soon as tonight after rejoining the baseball team Monday following spring football.
“As soon as he’s ready to go, he’s going to get an opportunity to get right in there,” Mainieri said. “It might be [tonight], it might be Wednesday night. I’m not sure yet.”
Ware, who hasn’t started a single game this season, hit .429 in seven non-conference at-bats off the bench before leaving for spring football in early March.
“He got his feet wet,” Mainieri said. “He got used to the pace of play and the quality of pitching.”
Mainieri said he didn’t want Ware to start before spring football because he thought it would be too traumatic for the team’s chemistry once he left.
He said Ware, who went 2-for-3 with runners in scoring position and posted a perfect fielding percentage in eight games, displayed enough talent before spring football to warrant playing time following his hiatus.
“I told him … there’s all kinds of factors that it’s quite possible when spring football is over we’re going to need a spark, and you can be that sparkplug for us,” Mainieri said. “And so here we are, exactly as I predicted it would happen.”
LSU could use a jump-start after getting swept by Arkansas and falling to 3-9 in the Southeastern Conference.
The Tigers have lost 10 of their past 15 games and three of their first four SEC series.
“We’re not doing that good right now, and hopefully I can come back and give us some energy and some life in the dugout,” Ware said.
The two Tigers with at least seven starts in left field — sophomore Alex Edward and junior Trey Watkins — have struggled in SEC play at the plate. In conference games, Edward is hitting .120, and Watkins is hitting .083.
Mainieri said the duo will have to wait its turn if Ware returns to his previous form.
“We need somebody to spark our team,” Mainieri said. “At this point, Ware’s going to get his chance.”
Ware, who scored two touchdowns and led all running backs with 94 yards in LSU’s spring game, fielded balls in left field and was the first player in the batting cage Monday in his first practice after rejoining the team.
He pinch ran in one SEC game but hasn’t had an at-bat since Feb. 27 against Holy Cross.
“I’m hoping it’ll come back quick to him and we’ll get him in there,” Mainieri said. “He’s a winner, and we need some competitiveness and some toughness, and I think he’ll bring that to our team.”
Ware said he would love to return to the lineup today and is optimistic he will “rise to the occasion.”
“That would be tremendous, but the one thing is I don’t want to rush back into it and put us in a deeper hole,” he said. “I want to come in and give us some life.”
Sophomore designated hitter Raph Rhymes said any change could be positive for the struggling Tigers.
“We’re glad to have him back,” Rhymes said. “He’s a big asset to this team.”
Follow Rowan Kavner on Twitter @TDR_Kavner.
 
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