The LSU pitching staff has some question marks, which means the Tigers’ defense may play a large role in validating LSU’s preseason Top 5 ranking and the infield is loaded with experience fit to do that.
Senior hurler Nate Bumstead, the staff’s workhorse last year, recently suffered a shoulder injury and his status is unclear. Junior pitcher Lane Mestepey is coming off of a year of rehab to his previously injured shoulder.
With so much pressure riding on the infield, experience helps.
Three of the four infielders from 2003’s College World Series team return to bolster the infield. And the fourth starter this year was scheduled to start last year before a season-ending shoulder injury knocked him out of action.
The right side of the infield is loaded with experience.
Clay Harris, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound junior, will return to the starting position at first base, where he is coming off a First Team All-Southeastern Conference performance as a sophomore.
After struggling at the plate his freshman year in limited plate appearances, Harris exploded onto the scene in 2003, batting .332 with a team-leading 16 home runs to go along with 62 RBIs. Harris said a year of experience really contributed to his successful sophomore campaign.
“Of course the pitching is better in college from high school,” Harris said. “I was just trying to find my swing. I had to shorten up my swing a bunch. And working with the coaches here really helped me out and I found my swing.”
Harris is also an option for coach Smoke Laval as a relief pitcher or third baseman if necessary. The Slidell native said wherever he is needed, he is happy to play.
“Obviously, we don’t want to get anybody injured,” Harris said. “But if that did happen, wherever they put me, I’d be fine and happy with it.”
Blake Gill, a fourth-year junior with 105 starts under his belt, will man second base in the season opener. But if needed, he is also an option to move over to shortstop.
Gill was a Second Team All-SEC selection in 2003 when he hit .304 and was a run-producing machine with 54 RBIs.
Gill’s double-play mate at shortstop will be Matt Horwath, a redshirt freshman who began 2003 as the starter at shortstop.
But Horwath suffered a shoulder injury that forced third baseman Aaron Hill to move back to shortstop. Hill went on to become the SEC Player of the Year and was a first-round pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2003 Major League Draft.
Horwath also missed his senior season at Lake Mary High School in Lake Mary, Fla. due to injury, and he just wants to play baseball against another team. Central Florida, LSU’s first opponent this Friday, is located in Horwath’s hometown of Orlando.
“I was injured my senior year of high school and last year,” Horwath said. “To go home and open up this year is going to be fun.”
Horwath said he and Blake Gill have developed a solid combination up the middle for double play balls.
“Even when I wasn’t throwing sometimes and ground balls up the middle came to me, I would flip it to him and he’d throw it to first,” Horwath said. “So it’s good. It seems like we know where each other are going to be and everything is good between us.”
At third base is senior Ivan Naccarata, who started 61 games last season in his first year in the program. Naccarata hit .320 with six home runs and 53 RBIs and stole nine bases in 11 attempts.
Last year he reported to LSU in January and was immediately thrown into the fire. This year he has the advantage of knowing the program as well as his teammates.
Lending depth around the infield is junior Bobby DiLiberto, who redshirted last year, and Will Harris, Clay Harris’ younger brother.
Laval said no matter who plays in the infield, the one game at a time mantra usually reserved for football will definitely apply for baseball.
“All in all, what we are trying to do is start thinking,” Laval said. “All the accolades that we have received are probably well deserved, being ranked in preseason so high. That is the bar that these kids have raised.”