LSU pitcher Jake Latz returns to throwing, will report early for Spring practice

quote:

---

LSU freshman left-handed pitcher Jake Latz has returned to throwing and “is feeling great,” coach Paul Mainieri said.

Latz, an Illinois native and an 11th-round pick in the MLB draft, missed the fall season with a stress reaction in his elbow. He has been throwing for about two weeks, Mainieri said.

“Feeling great,” the coach said of Latz. “Each day he’s progressing a little bit further, a little bit more intensity.”

Latz, along with three other rookie hurlers, will return to campus from Christmas break a week earlier than normal to prepare for the 2015 season. Missourian Alex Lange, South Carolina native Doug Norman and Jake Godfrey of Illinois are planning to return to Baton Rouge on Jan. 6 to get out of the cold weather, Mainieri said.

All four are expected to be key figures on the 2015 staff and will likely compete for spots in the starting weekend rotation.

Pitchers Austin Bain and Russell Reynolds have begun throwing after injuries forced them to miss at least some of fall practice.

---