The 2009 LSU Tigers baseball team represented Louisiana State University in the NCAA Division I baseball season of 2009. This was the first year for the team in the new Alex Box Stadium.
The 2009 team was coached by Paul Mainieri who was in his third season at LSU. During his first year at LSU, Mainieri's team posted a 29–26–1 record, but failed to make the SEC tournament or the NCAA tournament. The team improved during his second year posting a 49–19–1 record, while claiming the SEC Western Division Title, SEC Tournament championship, and earned the No. 7 National Seed for the 2008 NCAA tournament. They advanced to the 2009 College World Series.
Previous season
Paul Mainieri completed his second season as head coach at LSU in 2008. The Tigers won the SEC West division title which earned them the No. 2 seed in the 2008 SEC baseball tournament. The Tigers would go on to the win the tournament and secure a spot in the NCAA post-season.
After winning the SEC Tournament, it was announced that LSU was selected as a host site for the 2008 NCAA tournament for the 18th time in the history of the program and for the first time since the 2005 season. When the full NCAA tournament bracket was released, LSU was awarded the No. 7 national seed in the tournament, guaranteeing them home field advantage throughout the Super Regionals as long as they won the Regional round. LSU was able to sweep the Baton Rouge regional to secure a spot in the Super Regional round.
UC-Irvine won the Lincoln, NE regional and moved on to the Super Regional to face LSU. After losing the first game, LSU's hopes of a national title were slim going into the 9th inning of game 2. However the Tigers fought back and won the game in comeback fashion by a score of 9–7. LSU wasted no time in game 3 cruising to a 6–0 lead in the 1st inning and eventually winning the game 21–7. The Tigers celebrated the school's 14th trip to the College World Series in what was the last game in the 70-year history of Alex Box Stadium.
LSU faced North Carolina in the first game of the 2008 College World Series. The Tar Heels defeated the Tigers by a score of 8–4, giving LSU its 5th consecutive CWS loss and sending them to the losers bracket. The Tigers faced the Rice Owls next and looked to be headed home with an 0–2 CWS record again after trailing by a score of 5–0, however, in typical Tiger fashion, LSU rallied in the bottom of the 9th inning and won the game on a 3-run double by All-American Blake Dean.
The Tigers then had to face North Carolina again, who had lost to Fresno State. The game started on June 19, 2008 but was delayed by weather and completed on June 20, 2008. The game went into the top of the 9th inning tied 3–3 but a grand slam home run, the first in the College World Series since 2001, gave North Carolina a 7–3 lead. LSU was unable to rally in the bottom of the 9th, and their season was ended.
The 2008 squad compiled and overall record of 49–19–1, which included a 23-game win streak.
Pre-Season
Coaching changes
On June 12, 2008 Terry Rooney was named Head Baseball Coach at the University of Central Florida.
On June 23, 2008 it was announced that Cliff Godwin would join Rooney at Central Florida as an assistant coach.
On June 26, 2008 Paul Mainieri announced the hiring of David Grewe as associate head coach. Grewe previously coached under Mainieri at Notre Dame before leaving in 2005 to become the Head Coach at Michigan State.
It was also announced that Javi Sanchez and Will Davis were promoted. Sanchez was promoted from volunteer assistant to a full-time assistant. He replaced Godwin as the Tigers hitting coach and supervisor of base running. Davis was promoted from Director of Baseball Operations to volunteer assistant.
The final change to Mainieri's staff that was announced on June 26 was the appointment of Kyle Beerbohm. Beerbohm was appointed as an undergraduate student assistant coach, and is a former Tiger pitcher.
On August 20, 2008 it was announced that Ross Brezovsky was hired as the Coordinator of Baseball Operation.
2008 Recruiting Class
Key Losses
Michael Hollander
Jared Bradford
Matt Clark
Ranked #1
On December 22, 2008, the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper released their NCAA Div. 1 Pre-Season Poll with LSU ranked #1. LSU reached a No. 2 ranking in 2008, but had not been ranked No. 1 in quite some time.
On January 22, 2009, LSU was also ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/ESPN baseball pre-season poll. They narrowly beat out North Carolina for the top spot.