Today in sports: Baseball at 6:30 p.m.
Sports
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
PAGE 7
Braving the Wave LSU to face Tulane in midweek matchup
By Johanathan Brooks Sports Writer
The No. 8 LSU baseball team finds itself in an unfamiliar position going into tonight’s matchup against Tulane in Alex Box Stadium. The Tigers (26-6, 8-4) lost their first Southeastern Conference series last weekend when they dropped back-to-back games Saturday and Sunday against Auburn at Plainsman Park. It was the first time LSU lost a conference series since April 2009 and the first time the Tigers did not win on Sunday in 11 SEC road series. “We won all five series last year plus Tennessee this year, which we swept, which means we won on Sunday,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “In 2008, even in the two series that we lost at Florida and Ole Miss, we lost the first two games, but won on Sunday. This was the first time in a long time where we had to board transportation back to Baton Rouge
HILARY SCHEINUK / The Daily Reveille
LSU sophomore outfielder Mikie Mahtook attempts to catch a fly ball March 31 in the Tigers’ game against Binghamton. The Tigers will face Tulane tonight at 6:30.
without having won on Sunday.” LSU’s lack of timely hitting may be one of the reasons for the Tigers’ recent struggles. The Tigers left 20 runners on base in the losses, but senior first baseman Blake Dean said the team isn’t panicking because of their recent lack of success in that department. “We’ve just got to figure it out a little bit more,” he said. “Maybe lock in a little bit more or be a little more relaxed. I don’t know what the situation is or what the problem is with it, but something does need to occur. But like I said, there’s no panic or anything to that effect.” LSU has left 271 runners on base this season — ranking them No. 10 in the SEC in that category. “It’s just the way the game goes,” Dean said. “You can’t push, and you can’t press. People just have to relax and let it happen.” The Tigers won’t have a lot of time to relax as Tulane (21-12, 5-4) will be making the short trip TULANE, see page 11
“Certainly, having lost two games in a row is a very distasteful feeling, and we want to get that taste out of our mouths as quickly as we can.” Paul Mainieri, LSU baseball coach
SOFTBALL
LSU moves past losing streak, faces Nicholls By Chris Branch Sports Writer
LSU softball coach Yvette Girouard is tired of hearing about losing streaks. Her No. 15 Tigers suffered through a five-game losing streak to Florida and Alabama, respectively. LSU rebounded with a sweep of Mississippi State this past weekend. “I think it was important for our psyche to have some success,” Girouard said. “Those losses will sting for a while. We’ve moved on. We want to stop talking about that and get to Nicholls.” The Tigers (32-9, 11-5) will travel Wednesday to Thibodaux to face Nicholls State (20-11) at the Colonel Softball Complex. The same Nicholls squad made an appearance in Tiger Park on March 23, only to be sent home with a 7-0 loss. But things could be different in Thibodaux. Last season, LSU narrowly escaped with a 2-1 victory on the road against the Colonels. The Tigers expect much of the same effort from Nicholls. “In-state schools are always tough,” said LSU senior pitcher Cody Trahan. “It’s always a big game for them at home. There’s always a big crowd. If we just stay concentrated on the game itself and not worry about that, we’ll be fine.” Girouard agreed. She said the SOFTBALL, see page 11
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Tigers have storied past in NBA 34 LSU alumni have played in pros Editor’s Note: This story is the second in a five-part series involving former LSU athletes competing in the professional ranks. By Michael Lambert Sports Contributor
The New Orleans Hornets played one game in the PMAC after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. That game against the Phoenix Suns wasn’t the first time fans saw professional-level talent on the floor of the PMAC.
Many former LSU basketball players played on the same floor before starting careers as NBA journeymen, starters, superstars and Hall of Famers. Thirty-four former Tigers played in the NBA or ABA after donning purple and gold, according to DatabaseBasketball.com. Bob Pettit and Pete Maravich are in the NBA Hall of Fame after extending their success at LSU to the NBA. Shaquille O’Neal and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, formerly known as Chris Jackson, are still playing but have already secured their legacies at the professional level. LSU coach Trent Johnson said those four players stack up against the best pros from any college.
“I challenge See the you to find any database of other college former Tigers with those caliber of players,” who later played Johnson said. in the pros on “That’s a pretty lsureveille.com. good team right there.” Former LSU coach Dale Brown said most people never guess that LSU is one of two schools with three players on the list of the league’s 50 greatest players announced in 1996. “Everyone gets that one wrong,” Brown said. “Nobody guesses that it’s LSU.” Pettit was the first NBA player NBA, see page 11
GERALD HERBERT / The Associated Press
Former Tiger and current New Orleans Hornets guard Marcus Thornton drives to the basket Sunday past Minnesota Timberwolves’ Ryan Hollins, right, in New Orleans.