Foster regains eligibility

Published 10:57 am Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Former Barbe High star Jared Foster is back on the LSU baseball team.

The No. 1-ranked Tigers’ senior starting second baseman, who was ruled academically ineligible before last weekend’s series against Missouri, was reinstated Tuesday night shortly before LSU played at New Orleans and will make the trip for the final regular season series at South Carolina.

LSU head coach Paul Mainieri confirmed Foster’s return after the Tigers beat UNO 9-1.

“He basically was never ineligible,” Mainieri said. “I’m happy to welcome Jared (back) onto the team. He hasn’t been an ounce of trouble in four years.”

Foster, according to sources, reportedly won an appeal Tuesday over a grade in the academic course that was in question but, even without the appeal, he was never academically ineligible by NCAA rules.

A statement from LSU late Tuesday cited an NCAA bylaw that “allows for a student-athlete enrolled in his last two semesters prior to earning a degree to use all hours earned to meet NCAA certification requirements.”

Foster is on track to graduate in December.

Mainieri called it an obscure rule that LSU discovered only after ruling Foster ineligible last Friday.

Athletes have to pass six credit hours that count toward their degree to be eligible following the end of the semester.

“If you pass class and they can be used toward another major at your institution, then you can still have credit for having passed the class with the six-credit rule,” Mainieri explained.

“Point is, he passed the classes, he just didn’t pass them with a high enough grade in his specific major. But … they still count as having passed credit in the six-hour rule thing.

“We’ve never applied this rule. It’s a rule put into place to help seniors that would have already finished their credits towards their degree and may they didn’t get a grade satisfactory to their degree.

‘We found out about it. We confirmed it with the NCAA office … and SEC office … both told us absolutely, basically, he was never ineligible.”

Foster was elated.

“I’m very glad that this misunderstanding has been resolved,” Foster posted on his Twitter account. “I take full responsibility for being in this situation but am glad the facts are coming out.”

The versatile Foster played in the outfield his first three seasons at LSU, but his taking over at second base, his high school position, was a key element in settling the Tigers’ lineup early this season.

Although in a bit of a slump in recent weeks, he has eight home runs — tied for second on team — batting from the No. 9 spot in the lineup. Foster is batting .275 with a .506 slugging percentage.

ULL football coach Mark Hudspeth (Associated Press)