by Bill Franques, Senior Associate Sports Information Director
BATON ROUGE -- The 2009 national champion LSU baseball team received a special proclamation Friday from Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal during a reception at the Governor’s Mansion.
Jindal, who visited individually with each member of the squad, presented the proclamation to LSU coach Paul Mainieri. LSU Chancellor Dr. Michael Martin and his wife, Jan, joined the Tigers for the ceremony.
“These young men are role models, and they represent the people of our state with character and honor,” Jindal said. “The way these student-athletes carry themselves on and off the field is a tribute to their parents and coaches.”
“This is a very special group of young men,” Mainieri said. “What they’ve accomplished can’t solely be measured by statistics. They care about one another, and to a man, it was their goal to bring this championship home to the people of Louisiana.”
Friday’s reception marked the second time Jindal played host to an LSU baseball event since the Tigers defeated Texas in June to claim the College World Series title.
In August, Mainieri, outfielder Blake Dean and pitcher Anthony Ranaudo joined members of the Louisiana National Guard in feasting on barbeque sent from Texas by Gov. Rick Perry.
Perry shipped the barbeque to Louisiana as a congratulatory gesture after LSU prevailed over the Longhorns in the CWS Finals.
