Father of LSU star pitcher Poche’ revives fan

OMAHA, Neb. — It has been a busy College World Series for Dr. Jerry Poche’, the father of star LSU pitcher Jared Poche’.

A family doctor who has been in private practice for 25 years, Poche’ has tended to four people during this year’s CWS, but it was a dramatic scene Monday night when he revived an 87-year-old fan who had apparently suffered a heart attack and was found with no pulse.

Poche’ was summoned by Kellie Freeman, mother of LSU second baseman Cole Freeman, in the sixth inning of Game 1 against Florida on Monday night. The elderly man was slumped on the TD Ameritrade Park concourse.

“I see an older gentleman being held up by his family, and they said he’s weak,” Poche’ said Tuesday. “He wasn’t weak. He didn’t have a pulse, and he had (laboring) respirations. He was dying.”

Poche’ said he began doing chest compressions, and Jimmy Roy, a firefighter who is the father of LSU strength and conditioning coach Travis Roy, performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for five to seven minutes until medics arrived.

“He started breathing on his own a little and his pulse came back, and we were fortunate we were able to revive him,” Poche’ said.

LSU spokesman Bill Franques said the man was a Florida fan who had an apparent heart attack. Nebraska Medical Center spokesman Taylor Wilson said the man, who was not identified, was in good condition.