University students don’t have to drive to Tigerland to hear rock, rap, hip-hop and country music.
They need only go to Alex Box Stadium, where a variety of songs spout from the speakers as each LSU baseball player struts to the plate.
About a week before every season, players choose a song for their walk-up music.
“We give a lot of thought to it,” said sophomore first baseman Alex Edward. “Probably way too much, because it’s just about 10 seconds of music.”
Edward chose Drake’s “I Get Paper” after going with a country song last year, Rodney Atkins’ “These Are My People.”
“I liked the intro to it,” Edward said. “It kind of mellows me out a little bit. It helps me relax, and I like the beat.”
For others, the choice was easier.
“I’m the kind of guy that it really doesn’t matter as long as it’s something good and everybody can get into it,” said junior outfielder Trey Watkins.
Watkins selected “Move It Like Bernie,” a song referencing the 1989 movie “Weekend at Bernie’s,” which now has a new dance craze associated with it.
“I kind of have to avoid myself from laughing when I go to the plate,” Watkins said.
He said he hadn’t heard the song until a friend showed him the YouTube video shortly before the season started.
“The first time I saw it we had to have played it 20 times on repeat,” he said.
While Watkins took a modern approach, many players decided to go old school.
Freshman second baseman JaCoby Jones said he thought of his MC Hammer walk-up song two days before he had to turn in his choice.
“I was sitting in our adviser’s office, and I said something in a sentence that had ‘legit’ in it,” he said. “She’s like, ‘Oh, take “Too Legit To Quit.” That’d be perfect.'”
Sophomore outfielder Mason Katz strolls to the plate to Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music,” and junior outfielder Mikie Mahtook changed to House of Pain’s “Jump Around” this season after using Run DMC’s “Tricky” last year.
Mahtook said he stole the idea of “Tricky” from a Mississippi State player his freshman season and thought of using “Jump Around” halfway through last season.
Whatever the reason for the change, it seems to be working for the Baseball America preseason All-American, who belted four home runs last weekend.
“I don’t like the feeling of being really tense and jacked up when you go up there,” he said. “I like the crowd to kind of get into it, and I like kind of a looser type of music.”
Junior shortstop Austin Nola takes a calmer approach to walk-up music. He selected Travis Tritt’s “Great Day To Be Alive,” a country song he said he has listened to since high school.
“It’s one of my favorite songs,” said Nola, who used The Outfield’s “Your Love” last season. “I said, ‘If I can’t think of a walk-up song, then “Great Day To Be Alive” is going to be a good one to go with.'”
A select few aren’t restricted to one song. Many two-way Tigers select different music at the plate than they do warming up on the mound.
San Diego native sophomore Jimmy Dykstra went with 2pac’s classic “California Love” when he pitches and The Game’s “Purp and Yellow,” a remix of Wiz Khalifa’s “Black and Yellow,” when he hits.
Nola said former Tiger first baseman Blake Dean would change his walk-up music when he was in a slump.
“When he wasn’t hitting he’d change it back to what he had his freshman year or sophomore year,” he said.
This season’s LSU baseball team seems less superstitious. Most Tigers said they plan to keep their songs for the entirety of the season.
Follow Rowan Kavner on Twitter @TDR_Kavner.
 
  LSU baseball players’ walking-up songs (opening day lineup): 1. LF Trey Watkins – Infinity “So Awesome” – “Move It Like Bernie” 2. DH Raph Rhymes – Cali Swag District – “Teach Me How to Dougie” 3. 3B Tyler Hanover – Petey Pablo – “Raise Up” 4. CF Mikie Mahtook – House of Pain – “Jump Around” 5. SS Austin Nola – Travis Tritt – “Great Day to Be Alive” 6. RF Mason Katz – Wild Cherry – “Play That Funky Music” 7. 1B Alex Edward – Drake – “I Get Paper” 8. C Ty Ross – Atreyu – “Becoming the Bull” 9. 2B JaCoby Jones – MC Hammer – “Too Legit to Quit”
 
—-
Contact Rowan Kavner at [email protected]