Great Story On LSU Pitcher Louis Coleman

Tonight starts the big series against Florida. But here is a great side story that is up

From LSU Sports Net

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Louis Coleman Hopes to Lead LSU Back to Omaha
“That bitter taste I had in my mouth at the end of last season ... I wanted to come back and correct that.”
You can still hear the frustration in senior Louis Coleman’s voice when he speaks through clinched teeth about the way the magical 2008 season ended for LSU.
With LSU and North Carolina tied 3-3 in the top of the ninth in an elimination game at the College World Series in Omaha, North Carolina’s Tim Federowicz stepped to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded to face the hard-throwing Coleman.
What happened next could only resonate with Coleman as a “bitter taste.”
Federowicz’s grand slam put the Tar Heels up 7-3 and sent the Tigers home, as one of the most memorable seasons in LSU history was over.

Without that story, you might not know this story.

This story is one of dedication and determination and it’s told every time Louis Coleman takes the mound in a Tiger uniform.

Before last year’s NCAA Super Regional against UC-Irvine, Coleman was selected in the 14th round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Washington Nationals, but his commitment to LSU outweighed his potential professional baseball contract.

“I was old enough and ready to go play pro ball,” Coleman admitted. “But my decision to come back was completely for LSU. I don’t think there’s a minor league system that’s any better than playing one more year at LSU.”

His decision to stay has paid dividends for LSU as Coleman is the anchor of the Tigers’ weekend pitching rotation. Heading into the Arkansas series last week, Coleman led the SEC in wins with eight and was also second in the conference in strikeouts with 86, only four behind teammate Anthony Ranuado.

So far this season, Coleman has been brilliant on the mound as both a starter and a reliever. He notched a complete game-win against Kentucky and also had a 10-strikeout performance in a win against Ole Miss.

“I definitely have not regretted my decision to stay,” Coleman said. “I knew I wasn’t helping my draft status by staying for my senior season, and the money doesn’t matter. I just wanted another chance to get back to Omaha.”

The competitive spirit has always burned inside Coleman since his humble beginnings at Pillow Academy in Greenwood, Miss. where he was a five-sport letterman. Baseball was where he excelled the most. As a senior, he compiled a 10-1 record with a 0.51 ERA and 109 strikeouts and four complete game shutouts and one no-hitter. He was also selected in the 28th round of the MLB draft by the Atlanta Braves.

Being from such a small school though, Coleman still expected to end up at a junior college.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I was going to play here,” Coleman said. “Coming in as a freshman, I didn’t care where I got in. I just wanted to pitch.”

Not only did Coleman get to pitch as a freshman, he emerged as the Friday night SEC starter and posted consecutive wins against Tennessee and Alabama. He was also savvy coming out of the bullpen, as he threw three scoreless innings of relief against No.1 Rice.

Things were looking up for Coleman until he ran into a sophomore slump in 2007, a year in which he made only 22 appearances and four starts. He went 2-3 that season, posting a 5.59 ERA as a middle reliever.

“That sophomore year was a really frustrating year,” Coleman said. “I got knocked around a few times and went from starter to bullpen to throwing from my ankles to throwing sidearm. It was just a really frustrating process. My goal in my junior year was just to have more of a role.”
That’s when LSU fans saw the resiliency in Coleman. During LSU’s historic 23-game winning streak, Coleman erupted with a 7-1 record and 1.91 ERA and 45 strikeouts in that span. Also during that time, opponents were hitting only .271 against him. He also earned the win in LSU’s College World Series comeback win over Rice.

There’s no question that Coleman is an invaluable asset to the LSU pitching staff for his work on the mound, but there’s another area that Coleman invests a little more stake in.

“Of course I care about wins and losses and having a low ERA, but that’s just baseball,” Coleman said. “I want people to know I’m a nice, humble guy and I want kids in elementary schools to be like, ‘Hey that’s the guy I want to be like, I want to have fun like he’s having fun.’”

His humility can be heard in his voice when he talks about the opportunity to play at LSU and that humility reaffirms his belief that one more year at LSU is worth more than one year in the minor leagues.

“Being able to play here is unreal,” Coleman said. “Every day I put the uniform on I really feel like I want to represent LSU the way Coach Mainieri talks about and I want people to know that I really do want to be here.”

So while his baseball achievements are remarkable and his altruistic personality and character are admirable, Coleman says there’s one thing that surpasses all of that and it’s the mark he hopes to leave on the LSU program.

“I want people to know I’m a Christian,” Coleman said. “I went out there and pitched for the glory of God, and the opportunity to do that is always going to mean more than the wins or losses.”
The silver cross drawn on the back of Coleman’s glove serves as a constant reminder of his mission on the mound. Hopefully it’s Louis Coleman’s mission on the mound that will serve as a constant reminder to the LSU baseball program of the power of dedication, determination and faith.