LSU baseball will be returning a former national champion to the program, former outfielder Leon Landry, as an undergraduate assistant coach.
Landry joins a long list of players including Blake Dean and Sean Ochinko who returned to the LSU baseball program when their professional careers ended.
Coach Paul Mainieri feels that Landry has a lot to offer to the young Tiger team because of his championship experiences.
“Leon is a very articulate and bright young man,” Mainieri said. “He’ll be the first base coach, he’ll work with our outfielders and work with our base stealers and hopefully be able to throw batting practice.”
Landry added that he has been practicing with the fungo bat, and it’s taking some getting used to.
“I’ve been working hard on hitting line drives with guys throwing 95,” Landry said. “But now I’m popping the ball up to myself working on trying to hit ground balls and pop flys for the outfielders.”
With LSU returning outfielders Zach Watson and Antoine Duplantis, Landry said the professional knowledge he gained in the minor leagues is something he will look to pass on to the young and hungry duo.
“I got to pick the brains of a lot of guys who played in the major leagues,” Landry said. “Those two guys have one tool you can’t teach and that’s speed. I can help create a situation for them where we read different angles and how to get on our routes properly.”
Returning to LSU to get a degree is what Landry decided on after retiring from professional baseball a few months ago.
“What better place to start a coaching career than LSU,” Landry said. “I’m very excited to get my foot in the door from a coaching aspect and can add this to my resume.”
Mainieri admired Landry’s decision to come back to school and finish his degree. Landry had a scouting offer from a major league ball club but chose to go the school and coaching route instead.
“By getting a degree he may decide that coaching is what he wants to do,” Mainieri said. “He could decide to become a front office type person or even scouting but at least he’ll have options after earning his degree.”
Landry reminisced about the 2009 season. That last win over the Texas Longhorns made the Tigers national champions.
“In the ninth inning when we were about to beat Texas,” Landry said. “The entire stadium went player by player starting with me in left field and chanted each player’s name. They didn’t stop chanting until each guy raised their caps.”
A three year starter in the outfield for the Tigers, Landry batted .304 with 23 career home runs and 112 RBIs. Landry was later drafted in the third round of the 2010 MLB Draft to the Los Angeles Dodgers.