• By ROBBIE NEISWANGER
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: May 4, 2009

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — LSU coach Paul Mainieri called dual-sport athlete Chad Jones his secret weapon when he brought the left-hander out of the bullpen for a relief stint against Auburn last weekend.

After another strong stint in a tight spot during the Tigers’ 4-3 win at Arkansas on Sunday, the sophomore earned a new moniker: LSU’s left-handed specialist.

Jones helped the Tigers (36-13, 16-8 Southeastern Conference) win the weekend series and remain tied for first in the SEC’s overall standings when he replaced LSU starter Austin Ross with a runner on base in the seventh inning. Jones faced four left-handed hitters, allowed one walk, and kept the Razorbacks (31-14, 14-9) off the scoreboard in a one-run game.

Jones gave way to closer Matty Ott, who threw two more shutout innings to earn his 11th save. But it was Jones, who made just his second appearance on the mound, who was remembered most.

“I knew there was going to be a time this weekend when I’d use him,” Mainieri said. “I saw the lineup (Sunday) and saw four straight left-handed hitters in the middle of the order there, and I figured that was going to be a time for Chad.

“I didn’t know which inning it would be, but I knew it would be somewhere in the seventh or eighth inning, and he came in and did a tremendous job for us.”

It was similar to the previous Sunday, when Mainieri turned to the lefty in the eighth inning against Auburn.

Jones, who had convinced LSU to give him a chance to pitch and wowed Mainieri with a bullpen session before the Auburn series, struck out Hunter Morris and Ben Jones to help LSU preserve a 7-6 win.

He faced the third, fourth, fifth and sixth hitters in Arkansas’ lineup in the seventh inning Sunday.

“I’ve definitely been comfortable facing left-handers all my life,” said Jones, the football team’s starting free safety and an outfielder until his recent work out of the bullpen. “It puts a smile on my face when left-handers come up to bat.”

LSU, which won its 11th SEC series in the past 12 tries dating to last season, got all the offense it needed in the early innings Sunday.

LSU scored the game’s first run in the third, when designated hitter Blake Dean, who went 1-for-4, hit an RBI double off Arkansas starter Brett Eibner (4-3). The Tigers scored three more in the fourth, two of which came on a two-run single by right fielder Jared Mitchell.

Mitchell finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run.