After 2,579 at-bats in the minor leagues, former LSU baseball player Ryan Schimpf finally got the chance to play in a Major League baseball season.
On June 14, Schimpf took advantage of the opportunity, notching a double in his first at-bat in the MLB. With the San Diego Padres’ everyday second baseman Cory Spangenberg on the 15-day disabled list, Schimpf has started six games and made a pinch-hit appearance.
The Padres decided to call up Schimpf, continuing a trend for the LSU baseball program. The 5-foot-9 infielder became the 12th former player under LSU coach Paul Mainieri to play in majors.
Right before his call-up, Schimpf was having much success in Triple-A El Paso, batting .355 and leading the team with 15 home runs. The Covington, Louisiana native was a key piece in the 2009 LSU Championship and was a second-team All-SEC selection.
Currently, 11 former LSU players are playing in the majors. Three of Mainieri’s former players, Colorado Rockies second baseman D.J. LeMahieu, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola and Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Mikie Mahtook have had some success the past few seasons.
LeMahieu was selected in the second round of the MLB draft by the Chicago Cubs, but the Rockies acquired him via trade in 2011 and since then has settled into a starting role. During the 2015-16 season he set career highs in batting average, home runs and hits.
The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan native is currently batting a career-high .324 through 65 games right before the All-Star break. His career at LSU included a championship with the 2009 baseball team and being named to the 2009 College World Series All-Tournament team.
It didn’t take long for Nola to reach the big leagues. Nola became the first Phillies pitcher to make his major league debut a year after he was drafted since Pat Combs in 1989. The 22-year-old righty’s first season with the Phillies ended with a 6-2 win-loss record and a 3.59 ERA.
While this season hasn’t been as kind to Nola and the Phillies, Nola has turned into a No. 1 starter for Philadelphia. Nola’s LSU career ended with lists of recognition, including being named the 2014 National Pitcher of the Year.
After being drafted in the first round of the 2011 MLB draft, Mahtook finally made his big league debut last April and has since been in and out of the majors. In the 41 games he appeared, Mahtook belted nine home runs and batted .295.
This season, the Lafayette, Louisiana native filled in for Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier after he broke his hand and will be out for 8-10 weeks. But the injury bug caught Mahtook, who recently broke his hand and was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
At LSU, Mahtook racked up many awards, including a first-team All-SEC selection and a Baseball America first-team selection in 2011.
In total, 70 former Tigers have played in the majors, including Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Louis Coleman, Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kevin Gausman and Seattle Mariners pitcher Charlie Furbush, and at least one LSU player has made their debut 24 out the last 26 seasons, which adds to the long history of the LSU baseball program.

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