From the Football Field to the Baseball Diamond, Freshman Outfielder Maurice Hampton Adjusting to New Team
LSU freshman outfielder Maurice Hampton didn't want to go to the White House. After missing five months of baseball, winning a national championship in football as a safety, all Hampton wanted was to get to work and ingratiate himself into the baseball program.
Only coach Paul Mainieri wouldn't allow it. Mainieri was in Amite when he caught wind that the football team had been invited to the White House for a ceremony honoring its accomplishments.
"I called Mo and told him that I heard the football team was going to Washington," Mainieri said. "So lets talk about how we're going to make up that time."
"Oh I'm not going to go," Hampton told Mainieri without hesitation.
"I said what do you mean you're not going to go?" Mainieri asked.
"Well I'm already so far behind in baseball. I don't want to miss two days of individual workouts," Hampton would tell Mainieri.
"I said Mo, you are going to Washington, we will make up these workouts," Mainieri told Hampton. "Don't worry about it, I want you to have this experience, it's one you'll never forget."
The buses were slated to leave the football operations building for Washington D.C. early that Thursday afternoon. So what did Hampton do?
"He came to the office at 9 a.m. on Thursday morning because he wanted to hit," Mainieri said. "So he hit here, got on the bus and flew to Washington, flew back Friday evening and landed at 8 p.m. He called coach [Eddie] Smith, met him at the stadium, turned on the lights and took batting practice at 10 p.m. that night. How about that level of dedication and commitment?"
That dedication to baseball doesn't start and stop with that White House analogy from Mainieri. Hampton would head over to the batting cages on Sunday's during the fall by himself to make sure he didn't forget how to swing a bat.
The one thing Hampton wasn't able to do in the fall by himself was go against live pitching so naturally, there's some rust he needs to knock off. Being one of the fastest players on the roster, Mainieri has Hampton competing in center field with sophomore Giovanni DiGiacomo.
"He's such a great athlete, you stick him out there in center field and runs the ball down," Mainieri said. "You can tell he's going to get better as a hitter because he's so athletic and strong, it's just going to take a little time."
"I think the outfield will be an easy adjustment," Hampton said. "Just running around the outfield, catching balls, it's pretty easy. I play middle of the field safety so it's basically like playing center field. I think the biggest adjustment will be hitting and getting my timing back."
LSU football won the national championship on a Monday night and on that Tuesday afternoon, Hampton appeared for his first baseball meeting. Hampton went through individual practices the Wednesday before the football team's trip to Washington D.C.
In high school, Hampton said football season would end in November and baseball wouldn't start until February. With just one day in between the LSU football season ending and baseball beginning, the adjustment was quick for Hampton, but that's what he wanted.
"Coming out here the next day, it was different but it was a transition I had to make and it hasn't been too tough," Hampton said.
There were literally no days off between the two seasons for the freshman outfielder. That's the dedication Hampton has shown to his football and baseball coaching staff, which is why Mainieri think he'll be able to succeed in both sports.
"My understanding is he interacted with the baseball players frequently on campus," Mainieri said. "It's really refreshing to me to see a youngster that is that committed and dedicated and loves the game that much."
It was a major sacrifice for Hampton to even show up on LSU's campus at all. Hampton turned down $1.8 million out of high school from an MLB team in order to play college football and baseball for the Tigers. Hampton hasn't discussed with Orgeron or Mainieri about what his athletic schedule will look like come spring ball, with those details likely to be hammered out down the line.
Until that time, Hampton will spend the next few weeks knocking off some of the baseball rust before the Tigers first game at Alex Box on Feb. 14 against Indiana. Hampton takes great pride in being a two sport athlete.
On Friday, the reserved, shy freshman that suddenly had 20 reporters in his face was asked what meaning baseball provides him that football doesn't.
"Failure, I mean you fail a lot over here with baseball and I feel like that keeps me motivated to keep working hard and doing it over and over again," Hampton said. "I would just say failing and trying to improve myself everyday."
