re: LSU Baseball - 2014 Post Season Thread

Day 3: Freshman # 18 Dakota Dean!



LSU Profile

Most Tiger fans should recognize this name and with good reason. Dakota is the younger brother of former LSU first baseman and All-American Blake Dean. And while there are similarities between the two (mainly their swings), Dakota sets himself apart with his versatility. He has quick feet but with a solid frame. And unlike Blake, he's right handed and can play any infield position.

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Obviously, Dakota comes from a family that is very special to LSU Baseball. When you watch Dakota play, you are going to literally think it is his brother Blake out there on the field. His baseball actions are a spitting image of Blake’s - except he throws right-handed and plays all three infield positions. Dakota possesses a smooth, lefty stroke that provides gap-to-gap power and could develop into home run power during his time at LSU. Dakota, as several of our recruits were, was a tough football player as a quarterback and defensive player back in Crestview, Florida.

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Dakota Signs with LSU

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Dean said the familiarity he had with the Tiger program went a long way in helping him make his decision.

“It feels good to go ahead and get it over with and to finally get it done,” he said. “I’ve been there a lot while I was growing up and I got to see how they work. And I’ve seen their fans and everything.”

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Day 4: Freshman # 25 Jarret DeHart!



LSU Profile

Jarret is another great addition to an already stacked LSU outfield. His style of play and areas of strength (speed, arm strength, reaction time, routes) reflect the new style of college baseball where defense trumps hitting. But Jarret is no slouch at the plate either. He has above average bat speed with power potential to all fields and regularly makes solid contact.

Paul Mainieri Quote:

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Jarret is a left handed hitting outfielder from Shawnee High School in Medford, N.J. He is the second cousin of former Tiger standout Brett Laxton, so even though he is from the Northeast he is well versed in the history and tradition of LSU Baseball. Jarret is very athletic and the kind of player who will really develop with all of the reps he will get throughout fall practice. We are hoping he can develop into a left-handed power hitter and a guy that can be a real offensive threat for the Tigers. He is another player that we felt was a legitimate risk to lose to pro ball. However, he expressed to professional baseball his strong desire to play for LSU and, therefore, went undrafted and will be on campus in August.

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DeHart Loves Baseball

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"Growing up, I just loved LSU baseball," DeHart said. "They actually were one of the last teams to offer, but once they did it pretty much was a no-brainer for me."

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"Jarret is such a smart baseball player," Shawnee coach Brian Anderson said. "He's a student of the game. He lives, breathes and eats baseball."

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Day 5: Freshman # 23 Jake Fraley!



LSU Profile

Jake is probably the most talented position player in this freshman class, and that's saying something. His speed stands out and is comparable to Laird and Stevenson :swoon:, but he is above average in all 5-tool categories.

Paul Mainieri Quote:

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Of all the players arriving on campus, Jake is probably the guy we most feared we would lose to pro ball. Jake is a frontline left-handed outfielder from Middletown, Delaware. As a high school player entering college, Jake is as close as it gets to the proverbial “five-tool player.” Along with possessing all of the physical traits to be a great ballplayer, Jake works tirelessly on becoming a better player every day which makes the sky the limit for his potential at LSU. Jake is a key component of this recruiting class, and we are ecstatic about seeing him take the field wearing the purple and gold.

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Q&A w/ Jake

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LSU is one of the best college baseball programs in the country, and the most successful over the past 10 years! I visited a lot of other colleges and talked with all of their coaches during the summer and fall of 2011. During my visit to LSU I was so impressed with the time that all four coaches spent with me and my parents. We talked about baseball of course, but also life, academics, and my family.

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Never in a million years would I have thought that the kid who at 7 years old that stood in the outfield swatting flies and playing with the grass would be having major college baseball programs recruiting him or having a feature article written about him. I am just kid from Delaware who loves to play baseball.

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