Now that the wounds are healing from the disappointing end to the LSU football season, it's time for Tiger fans to focus their attention on the other major sport in LSU athletics – baseball.

LSU head coach Paul Mainieri held his press conference at media today for the opening baseball season which begins on February 17^th when the Air Force Falcons travel to Alex Box Stadium.

Don't expect the return of gorilla ball to Alex Box this year or in the near future but it's quite alright to be optimistic about LSU baseball heading into the season. 

Times-Picayune sports writer Jim Kleinpeter was on top of everything Mainieri hit on today during media day.

Here are some of the more interesting tidbits spoken by Mainieri from the press conference (more of which can be read by reading Jim Kleinpeter's time line on twitter):

The last two weeks have been really tough for LSU on the recruiting trail.  First, the state's top player announced for Alabama ahead of LSU, on national television no less.   Then, LSU lost four star offensive tackle, Patrick Miller because he wanted to enroll early but LSU did not have room on the spring roster due to several other early enrollees.  One of those other early enrollees was the prize of the recruiting class, quarterback Gunner Kiel.  However, Kiel never showed and is now at Notre Dame.  Thus LSU ultimately lost Miller for no reason.  

Not long ago, LSU was at 21 commitments and had a pair of in-state guys ready to pull the trigger.  Then, LSU was in the mix for several big-time out of state players to close things out.   Suddenly, LSU found themselves at 19 commitments and with zero momentum on the out of state guys.  

For a while there, every day brought more bad news.  However, things seem to have settled and LSU now seems to have their feet back under them as far as recruiting goes.  And the timing for that is good since LSU hosts one of their biggest recruiting weekends of the year on Saturday.  LSU has even had some good news start to trickle in.

It has now been a week since LSU got shut out in the BCS Championship Game, and I'm finally sitting down to write something about it.  

Between Landon Collins announcing for Alabama, the dreadful performance in the big game, a number of Tigers deciding to leave early for the NFL and an unusual situation that drove away one of LSU's top verbal commitments, it has been a horrendous week for Tiger fans.   Throw in a pair of losses for LSU hoops and a Saints playoff loss too if you want.  And for good measure, it looks like LSU has lost their prized quarterback recruit too.  Regardless, the last ten days have felt like multiple, consecutive, swift kicks to the sack.  And I'll be honest....I didn't see any of it coming with the exception of some of the NFL stuff.  

I'll have my thoughts on the game at some point.  I'm just not ready to sit down and go over that yet.   But there is a lot going on right now, and I thought I'd do a quick post to try and keep up...

We're currently on watch until Sunday, which is the last day that players can declare early for the NFL.   If a player declares, but does not hire an agent, they have until January 18 to pull their name out.  Here is what the rumor mill is spitting out.  Nothing is official yet so take this for what it's worth:

It's been two days since that debacle in New Orleans* and LSU's coaching staff has taken its first hit. Billy Gonzales, the passing game coordinator and wide receiver's coach for the Bayou Bengals, will be taking his talents to Champaign, Illinois and joining new head coach Tim Beckman as his offensive coordinator.

Gonzales came to LSU from Urban Meyer's staff at Florida where he served as the recruiting coordinator and wide receiver's coach from 2005-2009. During his tenure in Gainesville, Gonzales coached Andre Caldwell, Percy Harvin, and Riley Cooper. All three now have careers in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings, and Philadelphia Eagles respectively.