Throughout history, sibling rivalries have devised some of the greatest stories ever told.
The book of Genesis alone displays two of the most embedded tales of sibling rivalry with the violent account of Cane and Abel and the devious chronicle of Jacob and Esau.
This year’s LSU baseball team has its own potential sibling rivalry story, but Clay and Will Harris said they are pleased to take the field together.
“It makes it real fun,” Clay said. “It’s like having your best friend out there with you.”
While playing together at Slidell High School, the Harris brothers did not have to compete for playing time because they played different positions.
Clay played third base and pitcher, while the younger Harris played first base and also pitched.
At LSU, both the Harris brothers are slated in the same position, first base. Will periodically resides as the Tigers designated hitter, but Quinn Stewart has established himself as the Tigers’ starting DH.
“There is really no rivalry,” Clay said. “Whoever plays, it doesn’t matter. It’s fine with both of us.”
Before his younger brother came to LSU, Clay said Will was the better player and continues to give his brother praise.
“He swings the bat awesome,” Clay said. “And he’s only a freshman. He’s only going to get better.”
Will seems to agree. When asked if he was better than his older brother, Will replied, “Oh yeah, I’m better.
“But we’re the same type of player. If I’m doing something wrong, he can tell me what I need to fix, and I can do the same for him.”
Following the three-game weekend series with Kansas on Feb. 16, LSU head coach Smoke Laval said if a fight ever broke out between LSU and the opposing team, he would “stand behind the Harris boys.”
At 6-foot-4, both Clay and Will Harris are the most imposing figures on the LSU baseball team. Will weighs 230 pounds, about five pounds more than his older brother, which he said could come in handy one day.
“If we were to get in a wrestling match, I think I could take him because I’m bigger,” Will said. “But in a real fight, I wouldn’t mess with my older brother.”
Will has played sparingly this season and is batting .250 with one home run and four RBIs. He hit his first home run as a Tiger last weekend in his first Southeastern Conference game at Georgia.
“I’m really glad to see him get one,” Clay said of his younger brother’s homer. “He can do it many more times if he gets the chance.”
Will said it was nice to finally hit his first home run and was glad his older brother got to see it.
“It was cool,” Will said. “I was here for [Clay’s] first home run too, but that was a grand slam. Those are some pretty big shoes to fill.”
Clay hit his first home run as a Tiger in the seventh game of the season last year when he launched a grand slam.
The season continued looking favorable for Clay as he got off to a great start but soon hit a cold streak, and he fell out of the starting lineup.
This season Clay has gotten off to another great start. He didn’t start the first few games, but since the Winthrop series he has taken over first base duties.
He currently is hitting .383 and has knocked three homers and driven in 15 runs.
“I’m pleased with the way things are going right now,” Clay said. “But I can’t be satisfied. I don’t want what happened last year to happen this year.”
The Harris brothers have a positive sibling rivalry in comparison with the Osmonds or the Jacksons, but LSU hopes they can push each other enough to lead the Tigers to another College World Series title.