On Dean’s list

• By RANDY ROSETTA
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Jul 11, 2009

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LSU’s 2010 baseball season — and specifically the Tigers’ bid to repeat as national champions — got a huge shot in the arm Friday.

Junior Blake Dean will return for his senior year, a move that elevates LSU back into the conversation of national championship contenders.

Dean informed LSU coach Paul Mainieri Friday that he will return for his senior season.

“I’m pretty fired up about coming back and doing whatever I can to help us win another national championship,” Dean said. “I wouldn’t be coming back if didn’t think we had a legitimate chance to do what we did this year. I love the idea of having a chance to win again, and I’m looking forward to being with this group of guys and spending another year at LSU.”

Drafted in the 10th round by the Minnesota Twins in the 2009 Major League Baseball draft, Dean seriously weighed the option of beginning his pro career.

But negotiations with the Twins dragged on and apparently stalled late this week.

“I didn’t want to wait all summer because there is some stuff I needed to take care of if I was going to come back,” Dean said. “I wanted to make a quick decision, and I really didn’t think (the Twins) were going to give me the money I wanted.”

He was right. After Dean gave Minnesota a number, Dean said club officials asked for a few more days to crunch the numbers on Monday and called Dean late Thursday asking for more time.

In a phone conversation Friday morning, Dean said the Twins offered a signing bonus well below the $150,000-200,000 he asked for. Dean declined the offer from Minnesota, deciding a final year at LSU was his best option.

That’s certainly a huge advantage for LSU.

Dean returns as one of the most feared power hitters and run producers in all of college baseball. He has been among the Tigers’ leaders in average and home runs the past two seasons and has topped LSU in RBIs each year with 73 as a sophomore and 71 in 2009.

“My first concern is always what is in the best interest of the player and had Blake decided to sign with the Twins, I have would supported him 100 percent,” Mainieri said. “The fact that he has decided to stay for his senior season certainly makes me happy as a coach, but I also believe it was a wise decision on his part.

“His return will have a tremendous impact on our club, and he has a chance to finish his career as one of the all-time best hitters in LSU history.”