When the LSU Tigers baseball team takes on the Alabama Crimson Tide this weekend, Alabama in��elder Rocky Scelfo will be the only player to have the claim of donning both uniforms.
Scelfo, a graduate of St. Thomas More in Youngsville signed with LSU out of high school. He spent the first year as a red shirt under coach Skip Bertman participating in 47 games.
The next year was under current coach Smoke Laval. When Laval took over, Scelfo was presented with less playing time forcing him to move his career elsewhere. Scelfo spent one year at a junior college before completing his last two years of collegiate play at Alabama. Scelfo has been described as the most versatile player on the Alabama roster. With his collegiate career winding down, Scelfo took a few minutes to re��ect on his days at LSU, the complications of switching schools and his new home at Alabama.
Tabby Soignier: After attending two Southeastern Conference schools — LSU and Alabama — what are the biggest differences?
Rocky Scelfo: It’s not too much different. Of course you got different guys and different players. Each school has its own identity. Alabama is different than Louisiana because Louisiana is considered more of the South. There are a few different things but it all blends in together.
TS: Although you red-shirted your ��rst year, describe your freshman season at LSU, speci��cally being one of the players on the last team coached by Skip Bertman.
RS: Being able to be coached by Skip Bertman is probably one of the biggest honors in college baseball. It was an experience to learn from Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot and hang out with those guys and learn more about baseball. It was one of the most memorable experiences to be around that sort of atmosphere.
TS: How would you describe Bertman as a coach?
RS: As everybody knows he is the best there is obviously, hands down. He’s got the trophies to prove it. He’s a great person on and off the ��eld. He is a great guy when it comes to helping his players out. He is a man of his word.
TS: Alabama coach Jim Wells has also played under Bertman. Do you see similarities in their coaching styles?
RS: They try to run the same system here. It seems to be going around the SEC. Every coach wants to coach like him. His philosophy worked so well. So everyone is trying to do what Skip did.
TS: After completing your freshman season playing 47 games with 31 starts, how did coach Smoke Laval approach you about future playing time?
RS: Actually coach Laval told me to stick around and see how things worked themselves out. It was one of those things where I wanted to help out a little bit more. At the time I didn’t see it, so if I wanted to do a little bit more I felt I had to move on to do that. I was starting against lefties — and I was playing a good bit — but I wasn’t sure if I was going to play that much. I didn’t know if I was going to be an everyday guy. Most guys would sit around and wait, but I wanted to play right away. That’s why I felt like I needed to go somewhere where I could do that.
TS: Do you respect coach Laval as a coach?
RS: Definitely. I still talk to him, and he still talks to me. He is a very good baseball coach. He has only been at LSU three years, and he’s been to Omaha twice and a Super Regional once. He knows the game — obviously. If he didn’t Skip would have never hired him. He is hired by the best in the country, and he’s obviously doing a very good job.
TS: Do you feel your collegiate career would have prospered more if you stayed at LSU?
RS: Maybe it could have, maybe not. It’s something you shouldn’t look back on. I made a decision and went with it. Everything happens for a reason.
TS: What made you decide to join the Alabama squad?
RS: They had a pretty good tradition here, and it was a good chance to get back into the SEC. I liked the atmosphere. It was a good chance to play for a big school — not just playing baseball, but graduating from a big university in the SEC.
TS: What is the Tide expecting to face with the LSU team this weekend?
RS: Obviously it’s going to be our biggest test. LSU is the biggest team we will face this season. They are going to come out and come right at us. We’re going to have to play our best baseball and score more runs to be able to beat them. If we don’t hit the ball like we can, we could be in trouble.
TS: You only spent two years with the Tigers — one as a red-shirt and one as a player — but what is your fondest memory of the school?
RS: Being with the guys. I met a lot of good people at Alabama, but me leaving LSU was hard. It was hard for me to leave my close friends as far as the guys I grew relationships with, and I’m still close to a lot of those guys. Leaving was one of the toughest things I’ve done in life. I’ve grown from it. My fondest memory is playing with those guys in post season play.
TS: After completing your senior season this year, do you have any regrets pertaining to your baseball career?
RS: No, you just have to go with the ��ow. You make decisions and go with it. You don’t look back on it. You just have to keep going.
Q&A with Soiginer
March 31, 2005