2020 Season Notebook

Jaden Hill received All-America recognition after recording 17 strikeouts and two saves in four relief appearances.

• Paul Mainieri earned his 600th LSU win on March 6, when the Tigers defeated UMass Lowell in Alex Box Stadium … Mainieri became just the 12th coach in SEC history to compile 600 wins at a league school … his record currently stands at 603-260-3 (.698) in 14 seasons at LSU … the .698 winning percentage is the third-highest by an SEC coach in league history; former LSU coach Skip Bertman is No. 1 with a 870-330-3 (.724) mark in 18 seasons (1984-2001), and former South Carolina coach Ray Tanner is No. 2 with a 738-316-0 (.700) record in 16 seasons (19972012).

• Paul Mainieri has a 1,467-752-7 career record in 38 seasons as a collegiate baseball coach … he is No. 2 on the NCAA Division I Active Coaches Wins List … Mike Fox of North Carolina is No. 1 with 1,487 victories.

• LSU completed the pandemic-shortened 2020 season with a five-game win streak, and the Tigers won nine of their final 11 games.

• Sophomore centerfielder Giovanni DiGiacomo batted .471 (8-for-17) during LSU’s five-game win streak and raised his cumulative batting average from .261 to .351 in the five-game span … he finished as the team leader in batting average.

• Freshman shortstop Collier Cranford batted .538 (7-for-13) during LSU’s five-game win streak with two doubles, five runs and five RBI … Cranford has also played outstanding defense during the season, as he did not commit an error in 40 chances.

• Freshman second baseman Cade Doughty hit .500 (9-for-18) in the Tigers’ final five games with one homer, seven RBI and four runs.

• Junior rightfielder Daniel Cabrera had seven RBI in the final five games of the season, and he tied for the team lead in RBI with 12 (along with first baseman Cade Beloso, DH/catcher Saul Garza and second baseman Cade Doughty) … Cabrera and Beloso shared the team lead in hits, as each recorded 20 on the year. • Junior right-hander Devin Fontenot recorded a win and two saves in his final three appearances … he worked five scoreless and hitless innings in the three-game stretch with two walks and 11 strikeouts … Fontenot was 1-0 on the year with a 0.90 ERA, four walks, 17 strikeouts and four saves in 10 innings, and he ranked No. 3 in the SEC in saves.

• Sophomore right-hander Jaden Hill fired four perfect innings with three strikeouts in his final outing on March 7, earning a save versus UMass Lowell … Hill allowed just one hit in 11.2 innings this season while recording 17 strikeouts … opponents batted .028 (1-for-36) against Hill this year.

• The LSU pitching staff finished No. 3 in the SEC with a .186 opponent batting average and a No. 4 in the league with a 2.38 ERA … the .186 opponent batting average is the lowest given up by an LSU staff in the past 24 seasons (since 1997, when digital records first became available) … the previous low in that time span was .200 by the 2017 LSU pitching staff.

• LSU led the nation in total college baseball attendance for the 25th straight season. The Tigers’ final home attendance figure was 133,848, an average of 10,296 per game.

• Two LSU players were selected in the 2020 Major League Baseball Draft, which was shortened to five rounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pitcher Cole Henry was selected in the second round by the Washington Nationals, and outfielder Daniel Cabrera was selected in the second round by the Detroit Tigers.

• LSU right-hander Matthew Beck was named to the 2020 SEC Community Service team Throughout his career at LSU, he has been heavily involved in the Tigers’ community service program. On February 27, 2020, he was presented with the Shriners Hospital for Children College Classic Service Award in recognition of his philanthropic activity.

• LSU junior catcher Saul Garza was named to the 2020 College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District First Team. Garza was voted to the Academic All-District squad in District 6, which includes the states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Garza, a product of Edinburg, Texas, held a 3.55 gpa in kinesiology, and he was voted in 2019 to the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll.

• LSU pitchers Devin Fontenot and Jaden Hill were named 2020 third-team All-Americans by Collegiate Baseball newspaper. Fontenot, a junior right-hander from The Woodlands, Texas, was 1-0 on the year with a 0.90 ERA, four walks, 17 strikeouts and four saves in 10 innings, and he ranked No. 3 in the SEC in saves. He recorded a win and two saves in his final three appearances of the 2020 season, working five scoreless and hitless innings in that three-game stretch with two walks and 11 strikeouts. Hill, a sophomore right-hander from Ashdown, Ark., allowed just one hit in 11.2 innings this season while recording 17 strikeouts. Opponents batted only .028 (1-for-36) against Hill during the 2020 season. Hill earned his first LSU career save in a February 28 win over Texas with a dominating three-inning performance. He fired three scoreless frames, allowing no hits with one walk and six strikeouts, preserving the Tigers’ 4-3 victory.

Devin Fontenot earned an All-America designation after collecting 17 strikeouts and four saves in 10 innings of work. Matthew Beck was voted to the SEC Community Service team, and he received his bachelor’s degree in May 2020.

• Four members of LSU’s 2020 squad received their degrees on May 15 during the university’s virtual commencement ceremonies. Earning degrees were pitchers Matthew Beck, Eric Walker and Aaron George, and undergraduate assistant coach Hunter Kiel.

• LSU coach Paul Mainieri’s commitment to academic achievement has been illustrated by the Tigers’ performance in the classroom, as 98 LSU baseball players have earned their degrees during his coaching tenure. Mainieri has coached 133 players who have completed their collegiate eligibility at LSU, and 132 of those players have earned a degree and/or played professional baseball. In addition, LSU players have received SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition on 141 occasions over the past 14 seasons.