June 30
June 30, 2009
Elsie Rhodes Theriot Andrews
July 2, 2009
Morgan City native Grant Dozar could not have envisioned a better start to his college baseball career at LSU.
The 19-year-old freshman got to open the new Alex Box Stadium, hit his first collegiate home run off a good friend and capped the season with a national championship last Wednesday in Omaha.
The Tigers (56-17) took two out of three games from the Texas Longhorns, including an 11-4 win in the finale, to claim their sixth title in school history – their first since 2000.
“As we were getting closer, I was counting down the outs, but I wanted to stay focused and make sure the game ended like it was supposed to,” Dozar said. “Louis Coleman got on the mound and coach (Paul Mainieri) told him to finish it. He’s one of the best closers in the nation, and he made it a reality. It still hasn’t sunk in yet. It was a dream come true when it finally happened.”
The moment was more special because Dozar was able to share it with his family and friends. His parents, Briant and Laura, and his grandmother stayed in Omaha for the entire two-week tournament, and his aunts and uncles drove up for the championship series.
But it was especially thrilling for his dad, a former Nicholls pitcher from 1976-80.
“It was definitely an emotional experience. We became so close through baseball and this is the ultimate goal to win a national championship,” Dozar said. “We both played college ball. This was something he never got to experience, but we got to experience this together. It was a big moment.”
“My dad and I have been in the game since I could walk,” he added.
Dozar’s only action during the College World Series was playing first base in the ninth inning of LSU’s 14-5 victory over Arkansas on June 19. It may have been short, but it was sweet enough for Dozar.
“That’s the stage every college baseball team wants to play on,” he said. “Not many college freshmen get to step on the field at Rosenblatt Stadium, and it was a privilege to do that.”
Dozar kept in touch with his high school coach Richey Garrett. They exchanged text messages before game 2 against Texas.
“He said he was confident they would win. He said don’t worry we’re going to win it,” Garrett said. “It’s a great honor to see Grant represent Morgan City High School like that.”
Dozar was a two-time District 8-4A MVP in baseball at Morgan City High. In his senior season, he batted .500 with eight homers and 43 RBIs, while posting a 7-3 mark on the mound with a 1.25 ERA and 89 strikeouts.
There was never a doubt Dozar would swap the Morgan City Tigers’ green and white for the LSU Tigers’ purple and gold. However, that meant putting his pitching days behind him to play the infield.
In his freshman season, Dozar batted .265 with two home runs and six runs batted in. He played in 27 games, starting six games at first base.
Despite the limited field time, Dozar said playing under Mainieri has been a perfect situation for him.
“He cares about the right things, teaches the right things,” Dozar said. “He preaches one game at a time and that’s the philosophy the team played with all season. It worked out for us. He does a great job running the program.”
Dozar admitted his main adjustment from prep to collegiate baseball is the game speed, particularly seeing good pitching every day.
“You see high school aces every game in college baseball,” he said. “You also have to be able to think on your feet a little quicker and make sure decisions in the middle of the play.”
Among the memorable experiences Dozar had in 2009 was getting an at-bat in the first game of the new Alex Box Stadium. He drew a walk, but playing in front of 9,500 people and having a big fireworks display before the games was amazing, he said.
Dozar got his first collegiate start, hit and RBI against Central Florida on Feb. 28. His first home run came March 3 versus UNO. With LSU holding a commanding lead, Mainieri put some of the freshmen in the game.
“I was batting against David Burch who is from Morgan City (Central Catholic High). He’s a few years older than me so I never faced him before,” Dozar said. “We’re good friends; our dads are really good friends. I just put a good swing on the ball, and it went over the wall. It was pretty neat.”
He returned to Morgan City High twice during the season to talk with his former teammates about the work ethic in college baseball and reminded them of the opportunities they had in front of them.
“I told them to hold on to the moment and treasure everything. High school baseball was an awesome experience – making lifelong friendships, ” he said. “Time is short, and high school just flies by. Savor the moment.”
The next time he revisits, he will have a shiny national championship ring to display. But can the Tigers make it back-to-back titles? Dozar believes they have a chance.
“We’re losing a lot of big-time players who did a lot to get us here,” he said. “I feel this freshman class is very gifted and talented. We had some freshmen step up this year and play some key roles on the team. Hopefully, I can contribute more next season. The sophomores that are staying around, like (pitcher) Anthony Ranaudo, he’s one of the best in the nation. If we can get a few young arms to step up, I think we definitely have a realistic shot at the title next year.”
Dozar’s role on the team is presently unclear. LSU is losing its starting and reserve first basemen, plus injuries moved infielders to various positions around the diamond.
“I don’t know if I’ll be at first base next year, but I’ll be in the infield hopefully competing for a starting position,” Dozar said.
Two years ago, LSU wasn’t good enough to make the Southeastern Conference tournament. In 2009, they started and ended the year No. 1.
Dozar hopes his small role in this season’s title blossoms and propels a second wave of Tigers national championships.
“The program was kind of down, but we were fortunate enough to win it all this year,” he said “It was really special to be a part of it, especially in my freshman season.
“It was always a dream to play baseball at LSU, for seasons like this,” he added. “I have no regrets with my decision – probably the best decision I ever made. I couldn’t be happier.”
Morgan City native Grant Dozar (middle) celebrates the 2009 College World Series national championship with his LSU teammates. * Photo courtesy of GRANT DOZAR FAMILY
