• By RANDY ROSETTA
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: May 25, 2009

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HOOVER, Ala. — For the first time all week, LSU center fielder Mikie Mahtook wasn’t sure what to do.

The All-Southeastern Conference tournament team had been announced to the remaining crowd at Regions Park, and Mahtook landed a well-deserved spot.

It so happened he was the final player whose name was called to go and accept a crystal trophy from SEC Commissioner Mike Slive.

Before Mahtook could get back to his gaggle of teammates — most whom were razzing the gregarious freshman a little — he was also declared the tourney MVP. He stopped, his eyes wide, and started back toward Slive, who waved him back to his team.

Mahtook already had the bigger trophy designating him as the MVP.

“I wasn’t sure I heard right, and then I looked down and it said MVP,” Mahtook said. “It’s really an honor. I had no idea I was in the running. I grew up watching a lot of these guys play in tournaments like this. I came here last year and saw Blake Dean win this.

“It’s a dream come true. I couldn’t have dreamed it any better than this.”

Mahtook claimed MVP honors because he was the toughest hitter in the tournament to get out. He collected 10 hits in 22 at-bats (.455), stole a base, scored twice and drove in three runs.

Blake Dean, the Tigers designated hitter, and LSU shortstop Austin Nola were also voted to the team and sophomore Daniel Bradshaw was one of two pitchers named after he notched the only shutout of the five-day event.

Been there, done that

By winning five games in four days, top-seeded LSU (46-16) became the second team in three years to come back form the losers bracket and win the tournament championship.

Vanderbilt, the team the Tigers knocked off for the crown, turned the same trick in 2007.

“It mirrors what we did in 2007,” Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin said. “We had the same path. It’s just tough, but if you have tough kids and you have kids that will take the ball, they you can get through it.”