University of New Orleans baseball coach Blake Dean was the cornerstone of LSU coach Paul Mainieri’s first and only national championship team, but there’s something about Dean’s 2008 postseason that Mainieri recalls most easily among so many memories.
There was Dean’s performance in the 2008 Southeastern Conference tournament. The then-sophomore tournament MVP went 7-for-16 at the plate and hit three home runs, including a walk-off blast in the opening round and a go-ahead grand slam in the semifinal.
There was also his base-loaded triple in the 2008 Baton Rouge Regional championship, busting open a tight contest with Southern Miss. Then, Dean provided a game-tying RBI single during a five-run, two-out rally in the 2008 Baton Rouge Super Regional against UC Irvine, staving off elimination in the last weekend at the old Alex Box Stadium.
Not to outdo himself that year, Dean belted a game-winning, three-run double in a College World Series elimination game against Rice.
“He was just so clutch,” Mainieri said.
Dean will face his alma mater for the first time as a head coach on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Alex Box Stadium. His former coach has readied LSU for a very different UNO team than last year’s 14-win team under Ron Maestri.
With the addition of Dean’s brother, JUCO transfer third baseman Dakota Dean, the Privateers are already 13-3 on the year, including two conference wins, two weekend sweeps and a win against in-state rival Tulane.
“Obviously, [Blake’s] got some dudes,” Mainieri said. “They’re pitching well on the weekends, certainly. I’ve heard good things about their No. 1 starter. I didn’t really know much their No. 2 starter. He seems having a good year. They’ve got a good closer, and they can swing the bats.”
Mainieri will be going back to junior right-hander Alden Cartwright for the midweek start, using him for “one or two innings” before going to several different bullpen options.
Mainieri acknowledges the Tigers couldn’t solidify a fourth starter in the preceding games, forcing him to revert to the familiar “Jack Wholestaff” approach. But he is also embraces the idea of getting as many pitchers as possible work in the final game before Southeastern Conference play begins against Alabama.
“The more mound time they get, the more confident they get [and] the more comfortable they are being out there,” Mainieri said. “We are going to need them all. It’s a long year. It’s been real successful for us in the past, especially in the midweek games — for winning the games but also for keeping the guys sharp going into the weekend.”
Mainieri also confirmed freshman third baseman O’Neal Lochridge will undergo an MRI after sitting out the final two games of the Ball State series with back tightness. Although he won’t play against UNO, being replaced by either freshmen Chris Reid or Trey Dawson, Lochridge believes the injury is “gradually getting better,” and the MRI is precautionary.
The Lafayette, Louisiana native suffered a similar injury his senior year at St. Thomas More High School, but he’s been focusing on stretching, among other rehabilitation methods, to alleviate the tightness.
“I can deal with it to a certain point, but then I feel like it’s physically restricting me on my swing,” Lochridge said. “I’d rather it be 100 percent and ready for later play, than play on it while it’s constantly bothering me.”
Reid replaced Lochridge in both wins against the Cardinals last weekend, batting 2-for-7 with a pair of walks and two runs scored. Although he was hitless and struck out twice on Saturday, the hometowner was credited with three assists while manning third base in Game 2.
Despite playing mostly third base in his senior year at St. Michael High School, Reid was recruited as a catcher and practiced behind the plate for the first few weeks of individual drills during the fall. With some uncertainty on the right side of the infield, Reid was eventually moved back to third base, which is a position where he feels natural.
However, he is more than willing to be flexible.
“I’ve been versatile my entire life,” Reid said. “It’s kind of a thing my parents have ingrained in me. They’ve always told me the more positions you can play the better your chances will be.”
The Tigers could also see sophomore Bryce Jordan, who is recovering from an ankle injury, return to first base. Jordan, the team-leader in RBIs, only saw action as a designated hitter in the series win against Ball State, but he said his lateral movement is improving each day.
Likely facing UNO freshman left-hander Bryan Warzek, Mainieri is hoping the right-handed hitting Jordan can play in the infield, which would allow him to start fellow right-hander Jordan Romero at designated hitter.
And Jordan doesn’t need any time readjusting to the corner infield position.
“I feel like I’m right back where I left off,” he said.