LAFAYETTE, La. – National runner-up LSU claimed four of the five major awards and dominated the 2017 All-Louisiana baseball team placing 10 members on the squad in a release Saturday night by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
The team was selected by a statewide panel of college baseball sports information directors and media members.
LSU’s Greg Deichmann claimed Hitter of the Year honors with Alex Lange being tabbed as the state’s Pitcher of the Year and Eric Walker earning Freshman of the Year honors. Head coach Paul Mainieri was named the LSWA Coach of the Year after leading LSU to the SEC regular-season and tournament title.
McNeese State’s Robbie Podorsky, named to the honorable mention team, was selected as Newcomer of the Year after leading all Division I players in stolen bases (39) during the season.
Lange, a junior from Lee’s Summit, Mo., posted an 8-5 record with a 2.59 earned run average on the mound for LSU where he was a first-team All-SEC pick and second-team All-American. The right-hander fanned an SEC-best 118 batters in 97.1 innings for the Tigers and recorded four complete games during the regular-season.
Deichmann, a first-team All-American, hit .330 during the regular season and with 19 home runs and 69 RBI. The Metairie, La., native finished third overall in the SEC in home runs, was second in RBI, and was fifth in the league in both slugging percentage (.613) and total bases (143) while earning first-team All-SEC honors.
Walker recorded a 7-1 record on the mound with a 3.78 ERA in his inaugural season for the Tigers where he was named to both the Freshman All-SEC and Freshman All-America teams. The native of Arlington, Texas helped LSU claim the SEC Tournament championship over Arkansas after tying a season-high with eight strikeouts and scattering five hits in 7.2 innings of work.
Mainieri, one of seven coaches in NCAA history to record 1,300 career wins with a national championship, guided LSU to a 43-17 record through the SEC Tournament and a No. 4 overall national seed in the NCAA Regionals. Mainieri earned his 500th career victory at LSU with a win over Missouri in the SEC Tournament.
Podorsky, who was sixth among Division I players in toughest to strikeout (13 in 235 at-bats), became McNeese’s first-ever NCAA statistical champion after going 39-for-44 in stolen bases during the season. The Prairieville, La., native hit .323 on the season for the Cowboys with five home runs, 28 RBI while hitting safely in 46 of 57 games played.
Joining Lange as first-team pitchers included Nate Harris of Louisiana Tech, Gunner Leger of UL Lafayette and Southeastern Louisiana’s Mac Sceroler. Louisiana Tech’s Brent Diaz earned first-team honors at catcher with the infield consisting of Tulane’s Hunter Williams (first base), Joe Provenzano of McNeese (second base), LSU’s Kramer Robertson (shortstop) and SLU’s Taylor Schwaner (third base).
Deichmann was joined in the outfield by Raphael Gladu of Louisiana Tech and Shane Selman of McNeese State with SLU’s Drew Avans named the top utility player and New Orleans’ Hezekiah Randolph named designated hitter.
LSU placed six players on the second team highlighted by pitchers Zack Hess, Jared Poche’ and Walker, with UL Lafayette’s Wyatt Marks earning the remaining pitching spot. They were joined by LSU’s Michael Papierski (catcher), Cole Freeman (second base) and Antoine Duplantis (outfielder), David Fry of Northwestern State (first base), Kevin Rosario of LSU Shreveport (shortstop) and Matt Gallier of McNeese (third base).
Joining Duplantis in the outfield included Centenary’s Michael Schimpf and Steven Sensley of UL Lafayette with Jonathan Washam of Louisiana Tech named the utility player and Jarrett Dehart of Tulane tabbed at designated hitter.
Honorable mention selections included Podorsky (outfielder) and LSU’s Zach Watson (outfielder), John Cable of UNO (catcher), Louisiana Tech’s Jordan Washam (second base) and utility players Ricky Ramirez, Jr. of McNeese and Louisiana College’s Seth Stevens.
2017 ALL-LOUISIANA BASEBALL TEAM
HITTER OF THE YEAR: Greg Deichmann, LSU
PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Alex Lange, LSU
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Robbie Podorsky, McNeese State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Eric Walker, LSU
COACH OF THE YEAR: Paul Mainieri, LSU
FIRST TEAM
Pitchers – Nate Harris, Louisiana Tech; Alex Lange, LSU; Gunner Leger, UL Lafayette; Mac Sceroler, Southeastern Louisiana.
Catcher – Brent Diaz, Louisiana Tech
First Base – Hunter Williams, Tulane
Second Base – Joe Provenzano, McNeese State
Third Base – Taylor Schwaner, Southeastern Louisiana
Shortstop – Kramer Robertson, LSU
Outfield – Greg Deichmann, LSU; Raphael Gladu, Louisiana Tech; Shane Selman, McNeese State
Utility – Drew Avans, Southeastern Louisiana
Designated Hitter – Hezekiah Randolph, New Orleans
SECOND TEAM
Pitchers – Zack Hess, LSU; Wyatt Marks, UL Lafayette; Jared Poche’, LSU; Eric Walker, LSU
Catcher – Michael Papierski, LSU
First Base – David Fry, Northwestern State
Second Base – Cole Freeman, LSU
Third Base – Matt Gallier, McNeese State
Shortstop – Kevin Rosario, LSU-Shreveport
Outfield – Antoine Duplantis, LSU; Michael Schimpf, Centenary; Steven Sensley, UL Lafayette
Utility – Jonathan Washam, Louisiana Tech
Designated Hitter – Jarret Dehart, Tulane
HONORABLE MENTION
C – John Cable, New Orleans; 2B – Jordan Washam, Louisiana Tech; OF – Robbie Podorsky, McNeese; Zach Watson, LSU; UTIL – Ricky Ramirez, Jr., McNeese State; Seth Stevens, Louisiana College.
