How LSU pitcher Alex Lange, a driven, meticulous star, sees each pitch before he throws
Two hours and five minutes before junior right-hander Alex Lange throws the first pitch of the 2017 LSU baseball season, he will arrive at Alex Box Stadium — not two hours before, or two hours and 10 minutes before, but precisely 125 minutes before.
There is purpose to this. Lange is a stickler when it comes to organization and precision of his pregame schedule. He needs 125 minutes to flawlessly execute his routine, and Lange is obsessed with execution — so much so that you’ll have to excuse him if he doesn’t notice you on game day.
There was a moment last year when teammate Austin Bain waved his hand in front of Lange’s face in the hours before a game. Lange was focused, but not on Bain. He stared straight ahead as if he didn’t notice his teammate.
“I don’t remember even seeing him,” Lange said. “I don’t know; I just try to block everything out and block out all the noise.”
At this stage of the day, Lange is in the zone, that place he’s created in his mind where the big, bad, nasty pitcher resides. He hopes his demeanor doesn’t hurt feelings, he apologizes if he’s ever been unnecessarily curt — but he’s not in the mood for small talk on days where he pitches.
