Tech roster showcases local talent

• By RANDY ROSETTA
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Nov 13, 2009

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While LSU usually has its pick of top-notch recruits around the state, including in the Baton Rouge area, Louisiana Tech has found plenty of fertile recruiting ground in the Capital City.

The Bulldogs roster includes five players from Baton Rouge or nearby, as well as a handful from the outlying areas.

The Baton Rouge-area Tech players are running back Daniel Porter (Istrouma), left guard Ben Harris (University), defensive tackle Mason Hitt (Parkview Baptist), defensive end Matt Broha (Catholic) and offensive guard Kevin Saia (Dutchtown). Tym Toussaint of Northside-Lafayette and Antonio Baker of Amite are also on the Bulldogs roster.

Porter, Harris and Broha are starters, while Hitt and Saia — the son of Dutchtown coach Benny Saia — are on the two-deep.

Baker is out for the season with a leg injury suffered last week. When his career ended, the former Warrior was third on the active list for career tackles with 352, ninth in Tech history.

One other familiar name is on the Bulldogs roster. Backup quarterback Steven Ensminger is the son of former LSU quarterback and Baton Rouge native Steve Ensminger.

The younger Ensminger played at West Monroe and started his collegiate career at Auburn when his dad was an assistant coach there before transferring following the 2007 season.

Series stuff

LSU is 17-1 against Tech. This will be the third meeting this decade after a 62-year hiatus ended in 2003.

The Tigers have notched 12 shutouts in 18 games vs. the Bulldogs. Tech has scored only 42 points all time against LSU, with 10 in each of the last two losses: 47-10 in 2003 and 58-10 in 2007.

Tech talk

-- During a three-game losing streak, Tech has lost at Utah State, at Idaho and against Boise State by a total of 13 points.

-- The Bulldogs trailed their season opener at Auburn by 13-10 at halftime.