LSU coach Paul Mainieri to receive Musial Award in November

BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri will be honored this fall in St. Louis at the annual Musial Awards, which celebrate the greatest moments of sportsmanship in North America.

Mainieri will receive an award for conducting special tributes to the military academy teams that faced LSU in Alex Box Stadium in February. During a break between innings of its respective games versus Army and Air Force, the entire LSU squad walked to the opposing dugout and engaged in a “Soldier Salute,” shaking the hand of each cadet and thanking him for his service to our country.

The Musial Awards, named for St. Louis Cardinals legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Stan Musial, will be held on Saturday, November 18 at the Peabody Opera House. The event, which has taken place each year since 2005, honors individuals for remarkable acts of class, character, kindness, selflessness, perseverance and integrity in sports. Award winners represent all levels of athletics – pro, college, high school and youth – and are connected to the most amazing and heartwarming stories.

“We wish to recognize Coach Mainieri for the tremendous class he showed and the sportsmanship he instilled when LSU hosted its military appreciation weekend in February,” said Marc Schreiber, vice president of the St. Louis Sports Commission. “Specifically, his gesture of having his players walk across the diamond in the middle of the game to shake hands with and thank their opponents from Army and Air Force was a unique, inspiring and wonderful example of respect and appreciation on the playing field.

“That act in itself is worthy of Musial Award recognition, and the fact that Stan was a veteran makes the honor all the more appropriate. But add the dignity, humility, generosity and commitment to excellence Coach Mainieri has shown throughout his career, and it’s clear he embodies the sportsmanship virtues the Musial Awards seek to celebrate.”

For more information and to view a video about the event, visit www.MusialAwards.com.