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Head Coach Paul Mainieri on Andrew Stevenson:
"Like Laird, Andrew is another speedy, left-handed, in-state outfielder from St. Thomas More High School in Lafayette. He is a very hard-nosed player who hustles everywhere and plays the game with great intensity and passion. With the ability to line the ball in the gaps once in a while, Stevenson will be another guy we will want to handle the bat well from the left side, put the ball on the ground, and use his speed to create consistent offense. He brings to our team qualities that we needed very much...great outfield speed/defense, a left-handed bat, ability to bunt for hits, and speed on the bases. He was named 3rd team All-America by Baseball America magazine."

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Head Coach Paul Mainieri on Sean McMullen:
"Sean is another left-handed hitting outfielder who comes to us from Delgado CC in New Orleans. Sean also possesses outstanding foot speed; he is an advanced hitter at this point and has a lot of pop in his bat for his size. Sean hit .452 with 21 doubles, 9 triples, and 5 homeruns last year at Delgado; and was a 2nd team JUCO All-America. We are expecting Sean to come in and be a big offensive contributor right away."

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Head Coach Paul Mainieri on Mark Laird:
"Mark is one of the fastest players you will ever see on a baseball field. He will bring a left-handed hitting presence to the lineup that can handle the bat and absolutely fly around the bases. A standout wide receiver and center fielder at Ouachita Christian High School, Mark was named the LHSAA 1A MVP in baseball in 2011-2012. He also was the MVP of the state championship football game as a wide receiver and defensive back. Laird is one of those guys a coach loves to have on his team because he possesses a tool that cannot be taught, game-changing speed. How quickly he adapts to SEC caliber pitching will determine his playing time."

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Head Coach Paul Mainieri on Hunter Devall:
"Hunter is a lefty from Clinton, La. but attended Centreville Academy in Mississippi. He is an absolute bulldog on the mound who believes he can get anyone out in any situation. He has a ¾ arm slot from the left side and a good breaking ball that is very tough on left-handed hitters. He is a guy that we are going to look for to be reliable out of the bullpen in intense situations, probably even as a freshman."

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Head Coach Paul Mainieri on Christian Ibarra:
"Christian is a smooth, sure-handed middle infielder that comes to us from Rio Hondo Community College in southern California. Although he is small in stature, Ibarra makes all of the defensive plays look easy and has arm that touches 90 mph across the infield. After the departure of Austin Nola, we are looking forward to Ibarra possibly being able to step in and fill that always important defensive role at shortstop."

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Head Coach Paul Mainieri on Geonte Jackson:
"Geonte' is a very athletic infielder that we were able to get out of the baseball talent-rich Houston, Texas area. He has very loose actions in the infield and moves very well laterally at third base. At the plate, Geonte' is a gap to gap hitter who we believe will develop into more of a power threat as his career goes on and he gets stronger from being in the weight room. He has quick hands and a flat bat that will bode well for getting hits against the tough SEC pitching."

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Head Coach Paul Mainieri on Chris Chinea:
"Chris is a stout, very strong catcher from Miami, FL who runs well for a catcher and is athletic enough to play multiple positions. His ability to really hit, as well as run above average, will open up his options to play early on as a freshman at places other than catcher. Chris has been a very advanced hitter his whole life and has hit on every team he's ever been on. He and Bregman come into LSU as the power threats that we so desperately need. We definitely see that trend continuing for him at LSU. Only his strong commitment to LSU kept him from being drafted in the top 10 rounds. He was names 2nd team All-America by Baseball America magazine."

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Posted by Lester Earl

Member since Nov 2003

278147 posts

Posted on 11/13/12 at 4:56 pm to Lester Earl

quote:
Head Coach Paul Mainieri on Mitch Sewald:
"Mitchell is a 6'5 right-handed pitcher who comes to us from Rummel High School in Metairie. He is the classic case of a guy whose body is continuing to mature as he came onto the recruiting scene relatively late. In just one year's time, Mitchell went from throwing 83-85 mph as a junior in high school to throwing 90-94 mph as a senior this past year. He also features a 12-6 breaking ball which he can locate in the zone and drop in for a strike whenever he wants. Mitchell has a very high ceiling as a pitcher and we are ecstatic to see him fulfill his potential at LSU."

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Head Coach Paul Mainieri on Chase Rivett:
"Chase is a physical, right-handed hitting outfielder from an area that has a rich LSU history in Gonzales, La. He attended the same school as former Tiger great Buzzy Haydel, East Ascension High School. He is also an above average runner who will add to our team speed this year. Chase has big time power and will need to demonstrate it against the caliber of pitching he will see at this level."

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Head Coach Paul Mainieri on Will LaMarche:
"Will is a hard throwing right-hander out of Chabot Community College in California whose fastball routinely sits in the mid-90s and has topped out at 97 this summer. He attended Long Beach State out of high school and then had Tommy John surgery after his freshman year. He then transferred to Chabot CC for this past year, which is where recruited him from. In addition to a mid-90s fastball, Will also has very hard and sharp breaking ball that he can use as a strikeout pitch. We are extremely excited about the progress that LaMarche will make this season under pitching Coach Alan Dunn."

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Head Coach Paul Mainieri on Taylor Butler:
"Taylor is a right-handed pitcher that helped lead Barbe High School to a state title in 2012. His fastball sits in the mid to high 80's, occasionally touching 90 mph, and uses a big 12-6 breaking ball in any count, and he shows a good change up. Taylor has a lot of experience pitching in big games and he will add depth to our talented pitching staff."

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Head Coach Paul Mainieri on Jaime McClure:
"Jaime is a local product of Catholic High School in Baton Rouge but has attended Panola Junior College in Texas the last couple of years. He has fought through some injuries in his career and is now ready to blossom into the pitcher many believed he would become. We have had good fortune with previous Catholic High grads. Hopefully, Jaime is the next in line to help the Tigers. He has a live arm and is a tremendous competitor. I am excited to see how he can contribute to our squad in 2013."

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Head Coach Paul Mainieri on Russell Reynolds:
"Russell is an athletic right-hander from right here in our own backyard and had a great career Parkview Baptist in Baton Rouge. Russell has been committed to us for two years now and we are very excited to finally have him on campus. He features a low 90's fastball and a hard, wipeout slider that he uses to get a lot of strikeouts. Russell is another guy that has a lot of potential and we cannot wait to see how he develops under Alan Dunn."

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Head Coach Paul Mainieri on Hunter Newman:
"Hunter is a tall, slender, right-handed pitcher who we were able to recruit out of the great baseball state of Georgia. Hunter has a very fluid delivery and loose arm action that will enable him to increase his arm speed and velocity in his time at LSU. He already has a fastball that sits 89-91 mph and locates it well in the zone. We are excited about Hunter working with Alan Dunn to sharpen up his off-speed pitches and make him into a possible weekend starter down the road.

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Posted by Macintosh504