Who are the new look LSU Tigers after its 2017 College World Series run?
Who are the new-look LSU Tigers after its 2017 College World Series run? NCAA.com
(via ) — NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) Two other freshman -- infielder Hal Hughes and outfielder Nick Webre -- will likely play a pivotal role in the Tigers' 2018 plans. One will do it with his glove, while the other will look to show the SEC his big bat, and could challenge a returner like Beau Jordan for DH at bats.
CHAMPS
PRESENTED BY The LSU Tigers enter the college baseball season in a familiar spot, a consensus Top 20 team. The roster, however, has a bit of an unfamiliar feel after last season's run to Omaha. RELATED: Head coach Paul Mainieri lived a coach's dream last season. Cole Freeman, Jared Poche', Kramer Robertson and Greg Deichmann were all drafted after the 2016 season, but agreed to return with the common goal of winning a national championship. It was a wild ride that saw them nearly fulfill their dream, falling to Florida in the finals. “Last year was one of those things that doesn’t happen very often," Mainieri told NCAA.com. "We had four players decide not to take their opportunity to go into professional baseball and instead return to LSU for one more year. Certainly that made a big difference.” Uniforms are starting to arrive!! Getting closer to Opening Day!! — LSU BSB Equipment (@LSUBaseballEQ) Once again following the season, the same four were drafted; but this time, so was ace Alex Lange and starting catcher . That's a lot of big peices gone from the team that finished 2017 No. 2 in the land. MORE: Replacing behind the plate will be another JUCO transfer Hunter Feduccia. He swung a big bat for LSU-Eunice last year, hitting .394 with seven homers, but more importantly was the team's Defensive Player of the Year two years running. That will be invaluable with a new look pitching staff. Starters Poche' and Lange are now big leaguers. Freshman breakout Eric Walker is on the shelf for 2018 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. While the names are familiar in the new rotation, the weekend rotation will have loftier expectations in 2018. “LSU is not a program that rebuilds. We reload.”- — LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) Mainieri will have to look toward freshman to make an immediate imapct, but that's something he's long been used to. One does not find the success Mainieri has had at LSU by relying on upperclassman alone on an annual basis. “I’m not one to make excuses, you’re always going to count on freshman," Mainieri said. "Given a choice between veteran players and first-year players, you take veteran players all the time. But the reality is you become accustomed to having first-year players. When you look back to last year, sure all those veteran players play pivotal roles, but so did some of the freshman. Offensively, there are a few freshman that earned Mainieri's praise. None moreso than Daniel Cabrera, who Mainieri feels could be the next legend to be born at Alex Box Stadium. Every player, at every level has dreamt of this moment...(via ) — NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) Two other freshman -- infielder Hal Hughes and outfielder Nick Webre -- will likely play a pivotal role in the Tigers' 2018 plans. One will do it with his glove, while the other will look to show the SEC his big bat, and could challenge a returner like Beau Jordan for DH at bats.