Wasn't that long ago when Ty Ross was a bright-eyed freshman whose head was swimming as he stepped onto the Alex Box Stadium field as LSU's starting catcher without an ounce of college experience.?
Now, the sturdy junior is regarded as one of the best catchers in the country and has taken on a role as a sage veteran leader at a position that the Tigers have counted as a major strength for the last five seasons.
Ross will be the starter for the third season in a row when No. 3-ranked LSU launches the 2013 season against Maryland this weekend, and one thing that has always remained the same with the Florida native is a gregarious approach to the game.
How important is that this season? Besides aiding Ross as he has emerged as a team leader, his effervescent personality is also a valuable tool with a young crew of catchers who will vie for the starting job after this season.
While Ross' role as the starter is as cut-and-dried as anything as the Tigers begin a new season with high hopes, part of his responsibility this season is also to get Tyler Moore, Chris Chinea and Michael Barash ready -- both as his backups this season if he encounters an injury and as his heir apparent.
Ross is draft-eligible after this season and is expected to be one of the first college catchers on most pro teams' wish list.
"I was thrown right into the fire when I was a freshman, and I feel like I can help them correct the things I didn't know right out of the gate as far as slowing the game down and helping the pitchers as much as possible," Ross said.
"These young guys want to step up and show how good they are to the coaches and sometimes they get overanxious. I had that a lot my freshmen year - trying to be more than I needed to be. Being able to help them is good for them because I have the same outlook they did when I was younger."
Make no mistake, though. As important as Ross' role as a teacher will be, his No. 1 responsibility is to give the Tigers' pitchers a security blanket behind the plate and more or less remove the running game from the opponent.
Last season Ross threw out 16 of 29 base runners trying to steal. With a rocket arm and arguably the best ball-blocking skills of any catcher in the SEC, Ross has emerged as the Tigers' baseball version of a shutdown cornerback.
"Ross has just continued to mature and evolve, and quite honestly, I wouldn't trade him for any defensive catcher in the country," LSU coach Paul Mainieri said. "He's going to completely shut down other teams' running games. Our guys can't run on him in practice, and they know how to read our pitchers. As long as our pitchers give him minimal help in holding runners on, he's going to completely take that part of the offense away."
While Ross will understandably get the majority of innings behind the plate, Mainieri said it's vital that LSU has seasoned catchers ready to play behind Ross.
Last season Ross missed a key series at the end of the regular season at South Carolina when he had an emergency appendectomy and was limited at the SEC Tournament and the early part of the NCAA tournament.
Jordy Snikeris stepped in as the starter and was serviceable, but he also got hurt and Moore was thrust into duty and he helped solidify the position until Ross was healthy enough to return.
Moore is the clear-cut backup, and Barash arrived in college a semester early and with a similar skill set to Ross. Chinea might be the best power hitter of the four, and could get some time at first base and as the designated hitter.
"We all push each other and that's what we need to do," Ross said. "It helps me to have three talented young guys pushing me. I always think I can bet better. As long as I'm playing this game, I want to keep improving and those guys motivate me to keep doing that."
Where Ross is also invaluable is in his relationship with the pitching staff.
He came to LSU with Ryan Eades and worked with Aaron Nola last season, so the Tigers' top two starters are comfortable with him. Besides those two, LSU's blend of veterans and freshmen should also benefit from his experience -- which includes 100 games as a starter.
"It's big to me to make whoever it is out there feel as comfortable as possible," Ross said. "I can't get too high or too low. I have to maintain that even attitude because other guys feed off of the catcher, especially the guy on the mound."
Ross doesn't hesitate that he has ulterior motives for helping the LSU pitchers be as effective as they can be.
"I have to do anything I can to work with the pitching staff and help us continue to get better," he said. "We want to get to Omaha and take a shot at winning the national championship. That's why every one of us came to LSU."
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DEPTH CHART: Catcher
(2012 statistics)
Starter
(No., Name, Year, B/T)
26 Ty Ross, Jr., R/R (.292, 19 R, 6 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 41 RBIs)
Off the bench
(No., Name, Year, B/T)
2 Tyler Moore, So., L/R (.261, 14 R, 4 2B, 4 HR, 27 RBIs)
Freshmen
(No., Name, Year, B/T)
11 Michael Barash R/R (Boca Raton, Fla./West Boca Raton)
20 Chris Chinea R/R (Miami/Gulliver Prep School)
Source: http://www.nola.com/lsu/index.ssf/2013/02/lsu_baseball_season_preview_ti.html
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