BATON ROUGE (AP) – Star pitcher Kevin Gausman said he’s considering a return to LSU for his junior season – instead of signing a contract with the Baltimore Orioles, who made him the No. 4 overall selection in last month’s Major League Baseball draft.

But LSU coach Paul Mainieri sent out a message late Monday night telling fans not to get too excited. The signing deadline is 4 p.m. Friday.

Gausman was the Tigers’ No. 1 pitcher last season, going 12-2 with a 2.77 ERA and 135 strikeouts in 123.2 innings.LSU lost to Stony Brook in three games at the Baton Rouge Super Regional last month at Alex Box Stadium.

The 6-foot-4 right-hander from Centennial, Colo., a first-team All-American, was the first pitcher taken in the MLB draft and seemed a virtual shoo-in to sign with the Orioles.