Blake Dean

Blake Dean, Louisiana State University (LSU) outfielder and designated hitter is this year’s All Sports Association Collegiate Athlete of the Year.  In 2009, as a junior Blake started in 72 of LSU’s 73 games, batting .328 (85-for-259) with 18 doubles, 17 homers, 71 RBI and 67 runs.   LSU’s leading hitter in SEC regular-season games he was a cornerstone for the Tigers winning the College World Series. 

In the post season Blake batted .322 (19-for-59) in LSU’s 17 postseason games with five doubles, three homers, 13 RBI and 19 runs.  He batted .333 (14-for-42) in the NCAA Tournament with three doubles, three homers, nine RBI and 14 runs.  Blake hit .273 (6-for-22) in the College World Series with two doubles, two homers, six RBI and seven runs, and  hit .571 (4-for-7) in NCAA Super Regional vs. Rice with one double, one RBI, four runs.  Blake was voted to the SEC All-Tournament team after batting .294 (5-for-17) with two doubles, four RBI and five runs and named SEC Player of the Week on April 13 after leading LSU to a series victory at Alabama by hitting .500 (6-for-12) with one double, two homers, 10 RBI and two runs scored.  His two-run double in the fifth inning of Game 3 broke a 3-3 tie and proved to be the game-winning hit in the Tigers’ 12-7 victory.  For the entire week of April 6-12,  Blake hit .412 (7-for-17) in four games with one double, two homers, 11 RBI and two runs.  He led LSU to three wins in four games during the week of April 27-May 3 as the Tigers defeated Tulane and won two games at Arkansas;  Blake hit .500 (7-for-14) for the week with two doubles, three homers, seven RBI and five runs .  Blake combined with teammate Ryan Schimpf to accomplish a rare feat in the Tigers’ 13-2 win over Tulane.  Both Blake and Ryan launched back-to-back home runs twice in the same inning, highlighting a 10-run LSU uprising.

Selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 10th round of the 2009 MLB Draft, Blake elected to return to LSU for his senior season.  He enters the season No. 8 on the all‐time LSU home run list with 44 homers and No. 6 on the LSU career RBI list with 190. A highly-touted and versatile athlete, Blake will be LSU’s starting first baseman in 2010.  He earned first-team All-America recognition in 2008 as he emerged as one of the best hitters in the nation.

Blake is a graduate of Crestview High School and a four year letter winner in baseball.  In his senior year Blake was named a Louisville Slugger High School All-American and named one of Baseball America’s Top 300 High School Players of 2006. He earned second-team 5A all-state honors as a junior pitcher, received second-team 5A all-state recognition as a sophomore and honorable mention 5A all-state selection as a freshman.  Blake played on the USA Baseball Youth National Team and was invited to attend the Top 100 East Coast Professional Showcase and also participated in the Tournament of Stars in Joplin, Mo., and the World Wood Bat Series.   

Blake is the son of Mike and Georgina Dean of Crestview.