OMAHA, Neb. – LSU head baseball coach Paul Mainieri exited the tunnel, headed toward the Tigers’ locker room and lifted his arms Tuesday.
“The curse of TD Ameritrade Park has been lifted,” he said with a wry smile. “Thank you, Lord.”
It was a “curse” that lasted just three games over the span of two years, but that’s far too long in Tiger country. This program with six national titles doesn’t go for 2-and-barbeque.
“I don’t want to do that again,” Mainieri said. “That’s an awful feeling. It almost feels like you shouldn’t have even come when you do that.”
The Tigers’ bats, following a slew of lineup changes from Mainieri (one probably wasn’t supposed to happen), awakened and freshman ace Alex Lange settled down after a rough debut inning at the College World Series as LSU survived its first elimination game with a 5-3 victory against Cal State Fullerton.
“After the game, everyone took a one, two, three (exhale),” senior right fielder Mark Laird said. “We got a deep breath and relaxed.”
Following Sunday’s loss to TCU, one Mainieri described as “a disaster,” the Tigers’ bench boss vowed to push the buttons to shake LSU’s struggles on the north side of town. It was a task Mainieri viewed as just another part of his job description, one that helps coaches “earn” their money.
In an effort to ditch the bad juju at TD Ameritrade — LSU was 0-3 — Tuesday, Mainieri rattled the Tigers’ lineup and chose a new wardrobe.
Sunday, every choice Mainieri made seemed to backfire. The tables turned Tuesday. Mainieri looked like a genius, even if one of the moves may have been dumb luck.
The most obvious change Tuesday came at the top of LSU’s lineup. Thinking LSU would face a lefty Tuesday, Mainieri moved senior Alex Bregman, the No. 2 overall pick in the most recent Major League Baseball Draft, to the leadoff position for just the third time in his career and first this season.
Bregman (from No. 3 hole) was one of five batters (Mark Laird from No. 1 to No. 8, Kade Scivicque from No. 4 to No. 3, Connor Hale from No. 5 to No. 4 and Chris Sciambra from No. 8 to No. 5) positioned in a different slot in the lineup Tuesday than in the Tigers’ opener. Those five batters had 11 hits in 20 at-bats, scored four of LSU’s five runs and collected three RBIs against the Titans.
“We had a team meeting and it was real personal — (Mainieri) wasn’t like he was talking to us as a coach,” Sciambra. “He was real positive about the history and the things that could happen if we come out and play like we should. He gave us all a great attitude coming into this game.”
It’s been six years since the Tigers last won a College World Series under Mainieri, who admitted there have been plenty of calories consumed in that period. That’s why he’s chosen to wear a jacket in the dugout during games.
“I’ve put on a few through the years,” he said. “I don’t wear a uniform all that well.”
Mainieri pushed plenty of buttons prior to Tuesday’s game, but his players had a request of their own. They wanted him to wear a jersey, just like he did when the Tigers won it all at Rosenblatt Stadium in 2009.
“We have a lot of history and tradition at LSU,” Mainieri said. “They know a lot about the past. There are constant reminders — championship flags, photographs and intimidating billboards.”
Impressed by the Tigers’ sense of history, he obliged.
“That was definitely the key to our victory,” Mainieri joked. “You get down one game from elimination at the College World Series, you do whatever the players want you to. I would have coached standing on my head if they wanted me to.”
Tuesday was the first of four hurdles LSU must clear just to get to next week’s championship series.
If there are more buttons to push and bellies to show Thursday night, Mainieri wasn’t ready to divulge.
“I haven’t thought that far ahead,” he said. “I’m just happy we won this game.
“We scored more runs than the other team (Tuesday); that usually works out well.”
Via- Roy Lang III, the advertiser