LSUTAF - Tiger Athletic Foundation

The LSU Tigers, 2009 national champions of college baseball, will return to Alex Box Stadium for a championship celebration on Thursday at 4 p.m.  The event is free and open to the public.

Fans will hear from players and dignitaries and enjoy a video recap of the Tigers’ accomplishments.

All seating will be general admission. Gates open at  2 p.m.

he Team of the 90s has returned to the top of 21st-century college baseball. The LSU Tigers brought home a sixth national championship to decorate its new Alex Box Stadium by besting top-seeded Texas, 11-4, in the third and deciding game of the 2009 College World Series on Wednesday.

• Read the official Press Release
• Buy Gear on www.LSUshop.net
• Buy Photos on www.LSUpix.net
• Pre-Order DVD's on www.LSUdvd.net
• Bid on exclusive items on www.LSUauction.net

LSU (56-17) won its first national championship since 2000 after former head coach and athletics director Skip Bertman put the "football school" on baseball map with five titles in 10 seasons.

Third-year coach Paul Mainieri -- who wasn't hired to bring the Tigers back to Omaha, but to win championships -- fulfilled his destiny. When he hired the 25th baseball coach in school history on June 28, 2006, Bertman said, "It would take someone special to lead this program ... someone who would thrive in the high expectations of a championship program. I believe LSU has found that man." More

PHOTO: Head Coach Paul Mainieri (LSUsports.net)

Be the first to own a piece of LSU baseball history. Baseball National Championship gear, photos, DVD's and auction items are now available through LSU Athletics' family of websites. The LSU baseball team captured its sixth College World Series championship and its first since 2000.

LSUshop.net - Exclusive official merchandise and apparel

LSUpix.net - Photo prints of your favorite players and plays in the College World Series and throughout the season.

LSUauction.net - Unique items up for bid, including the last of the opening night at new Alex Box Stadium bases -- this one autographed by the starting lineup from that game.

LSUdvd.net - Pre-order a DVD of the Tigers' championship game victory over Texas.

PHOTO: LSU Baseball (LSUsports.net)

After being named Most Outstanding Player of the 2009 College World Series, LSU rightfielder and first-round draft pick Jared Mitchell was stopped by The Buzz on the field at Rosenblatt Stadium. ESPN's Erin Andrews got the first interview. Watch the second one interview.

Watch all editions of "The Buzz from Omaha" right here on LSUsports.net.

For more coverage of the College World Series on LSUsports.net, click here.

 

PHOTO: LSU's Buzzy Haydel (LSUsports.net)

Welcome to LSU's 'Press Box Blog' presented by Taco Bell on LSUsports.net. On Thursday, June 11, the LSU baseball team arrived in Omaha for the 2009 CWS. On this blog, we'll attempt to give Tigers fans tournament insight that they cannot find elsewhere.

Questions? E-mail lsusports@lsu.edu.

Wednesday, June 24

9:50 p.m.
Tigers Win!!!

Be the first to own a piece of LSU baseball history. Baseball National Championship gear, photos, DVD's and auction items are now available through LSU Athletics' family of websites. The LSU baseball team captured its sixth College World Series championship and its first since 2000.

LSUshop.net - Exclusive official merchandise and apparel

LSUpix.net - Photo prints of your favorite players and plays in the College World Series and throughout the season.

LSUauction.net - Unique items up for bid, including the last of the opening night at new Alex Box Stadium bases -- this one autographed by the starting lineup from that game.

LSUdvd.net - Pre-order a DVD of the Tigers' championship game victory over Texas.

More

PHOTO: LSUsports.net

To celebrate the 200th birthday of Louis Braille, who pioneered the braille tactile reading system for the blind, non-profit publishing company National Braille Press has produced a 20-panel traveling exhibit. The display will visit LSU’s Middleton Library from June 18-July 12 and will be housed in the library’s lobby. The LSU stop is one of only 20 appearances for the exhibit across the United States.
The exhibit, which features both print and braille versions, takes the viewer through the highlights of Braille’s life, the braille production process and why braille remains important today.
Born in France on Jan. 4, 1809, Braille became blind in an accident when he was three years old. The bright, creative student earned a scholarship the Royal Institution for Blind Youth in Paris. At age 15, he devised what is now known as braille, which uses six raised dots to correspond to written language for the blind. Braille proved so flexible, that it has been adapted for virtually every language, as well as music, mathematics and the sciences. Worldwide celebrations will be held throughout the year to recognize Braille’s unparalleled contribution to literacy.
Several complementary exhibits will highlight resources from the LSU Libraries collections. Education Resources will focus on library services to patrons with disabilities through a variety of books, games, and equipment. Emphasis will be on services for the visually impaired, but resources for patrons with other disabilities will also be included. Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped at the State Library of Louisiana is a major purveyor of library services for the disabled and will also contribute materials and equipment for this display.
Government documents issued in braille will be on display in the Government Documents Department. Publications include lists of books in braille as well as those on human resources and social security. Of related interest are patents issues for equipment for the visually or physically impaired.
LSU Special Collections, housed in Hill Memorial Library, will also display braille materials from several archival collections to show its importance in a historical context.
Middleton Library’s hours are Monday-Thursday from 7:15 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday from 7:15 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sunday from noon-10 p.m. Hill Memorial Library’s hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Tuesday from 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; and Saturday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The museum is closed on Sunday.
LSU Libraries has a long tradition of providing public access to unique and rare materials, across a diverse spectrum of interest.  Support for the LSU Libraries is an important part of the Forever LSU campaign, an historic effort by the LSU community to raise more than $750 million in support for our university by the end of 2010.  To find out how you can join the campaign for LSU’s future, visit www.foreverlsu.org.

LSU's gumbo of talent was just too hot, fast and peppery even for Texas.

It's almost too much for Jared Mitchell to wrap his mind around. Already a national champion in football and a first-round draft pick in baseball, Mitchell ended his college career Wednesday night with an NCAA title in baseball and the College World Series Most Outstanding Player Award.

Quite a way to go out.

Nine years ago, most of the players on LSU’s current roster were still just young boys whose baseball futures were only beginning to take shape on baseball diamonds all over Louisiana as well as in corners as far away as New Jersey, Michigan, California and Florida.

For many of them, watching the mighty Tigers carve out their place as college baseball’s dynasty of the ’90s was central to what they wanted to do someday.

At the heart of their baseball dreams.

Sometimes, dreams come true.

For the first two games of the College World Series championship series, Texas kept the pressure on LSU.

In the first game, Texas took the lead and LSU had to rally late to win in extra innings. In the second game, the Longhorns jumped to the lead and starting pitcher Taylor Jungmann never let the Tigers back in the game.

With one swing of the bat early in LSU’s 11-4 win Wednesday in the game that decided the national championship, Jared Mitchell changed that trend.

When LSU first baseman Sean Ochinko found out from coach Paul Mainieri Wednesday that he was not only back in the starting lineup but at the heart of the Tigers batting order for the first time in a while, he didn’t flinch.

He just delivered.

Louis Coleman didn’t want Monday to be his last game pitching for LSU.

LSU’s baseball national championship had a football flavor to it.

991

In Its fifth CWS appearance, LSU won the school’s first national championship by bombing Florida 8-1, Fresno State 15-4 and then Florida 19-8 to take on Wichita State in the final.

LSU started the 2009 season with a No. 1 ranking, high expectations and a $36 million ballpark.

The Tigers delivered a season worthy of all that and more.

LSU, which two years ago wasn't good enough to qualify for its conference tournament, is the best team in college baseball again.