Designated hitter Blake Dean will return to LSU for his senior season, his father said early Friday afternoon. The decision was confirmed in an afternoon press conference with Dean and LSU coach Paul Mainieri.Blake updated his Facebook status to read “Coming back to Tiger Nation for one more YEAR!!! Who The Champ!!!” on Friday.Mike Dean confirmed shortly after the update that his son was going to talk to LSU coach Paul Mainieri after lunch about his decision to stay.
Dean said he didn’t make up his mind until about 20 minutes before he called Mainieri. He added the process was a tough decision.
“It came down to what I wanted to do,” Dean said.Mainieri said Dean called him just as he was about to eat lunch with former coach Skip Bertman.He added he felt like “a teenager whose been waiting to hear from a girl for two days about a date.”
“He said, ‘Well, you are going to have to put up with me for one more year,'” Mainieri said. “His value is beyond his [offense]. He’s such a great leader.”Dean decline a contract offer from the Minnesota Twins of about $150,000-$200,000, The Advocate reported.The Twins drafted Dean in the 10th round of last month’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.”Our recruiting class just got a lot better,” Mainieri joked. “Blake’s decision to return is going to be a huge boost to the team and the program. He’s our most outstanding hitter and an RBI guy. Having him back for one more year has me very excited.”Dean is the first LSU player this summer to decide to return for a senior season. He is also one of two seniors on next season’s roster, along with pitcher Paul Bertuccini.”I think it’s a great decision for him, personally,” Mainieri said. “His chace to get to the Major Leagues will be greatly enhanced by his decision to stay here.”Dean will have minor surgery on his throwing shoulder on Wednesday. Mainieri and Dean said it is nothing serious, but it needs to be done. He will have to wait three months before he can throw and four months before he can swing a bat.Mainieri said Dean will play either left field or first base, whichever works better once the time to play again comes around.Dean said he would not have come back had he felt the team would not win the national championship again next year.”It would be hard to leave, especially after winning a national championship,” Dean said. “I wouldn’t have come back if it was going to be a rebuilding process.”First baseman and catcher Sean Ochinko and outfielder Jared Mitchell have already signed with the Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago White Sox, respectively, and will forego their senior seasons.Sophomore DJ LeMahieu and junior Ryan Schimpf have until August 15 to decide to either sign professional contracts or return to school.—-Contact The Daily Reveille’s sports staff at [email protected]