Paul Mainieri said he's had as much fun coaching over the last two weeks as he had all season, and Tigers fans made sure to add to that feeling as LSU baseball departed Thursday for Knoxville to face Tennessee in the Super Regionals.
Mainieri spoke about his impending retirement, and how making the official announcement was "a great sense of relief" off his shoulders as his team headed out to the Eugene regional. His team responded by winning four elimination games, all of which could've marked Mainieri's final game as LSU coach, to advance in the NCAA Tournament.
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"When I put the uniform on in the hotel [out in Eugene], I didn't know every day if it was going to be the last time I put a uniform on," Mainieri said before the Tigers boarded the team bus. "And when you've done it your whole life -- I'm going to be 64 years old this summer -- and I can't remember not putting a uniform on in my lifetime. ... So every time I put it on in Eugene it was pretty emotional for me."
And that emotion was echoed by a large group of fans standing outside Alex Box Stadium, raising "Geaux Tigers" signs, one reading "Road Dogs are Super Winners" as Mainieri emerged in his LSU gear and wearing an ear-to-ear grin as he high-fived some children, took photos and thanked those in attendance.
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Mainieri now has at least two more games to put on that LSU jersey, with a chance for a third if the Tigers take at least one of the games on Saturday or Sunday in Knoxville. If the Tigers can take two of the three-game set against Knoxville, his 15-year career would culminate in Omaha at the College World Series.
But that will be a challenge for LSU against the 4th-ranked Volunteers. while LSU has adopted the nickname "Road Dogs" during a season in which they've excelled away from Alex Box Stadium, they return to the site of their lone SEC series loss earlier this season. Since that sweep in March, LSU has gone 12-6 in games away from Alex Box Stadium, including wins in their final four road series in SEC play.
First pitch on Saturday in Knoxville will be at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.