 Photo By: USA today Da Boot Sports 6/26/2023 By:Jason Watson Jr. OMAHA, NE- For the seventh time in program history, your LSU Tigers are Men’s College World Series champions. Capping off their road to redemption, LSU defeated the Florida Gators in Game three of the final series by a score of 18-4. Jay Johnson became the first head coach in NCAA Division I baseball history to lead their team to a championship through their first two years with a new organization. "I don't know where to start. I'll do the best I can with this. The national championship team, I think the most gratifying part of it is they were national championship people every single day of this thing. And kind of feels like a two-year win, if that makes sense." Jay Johnson said. "I think about meeting with Cade right when I got the job and said, hey, we're going to go to work and change a lot of things. And just his coachability, amazing. Dylan is the best player in college baseball history, in my opinion. And just so thankful. And frankly, it was a big reason that I accepted the job. I probably would have looked at LSU anyways, but knowing that I was going to have once-in-a-lifetime player on my team for two years was a big deal to do that. I think about Thatcher. I told him, you know, when he said, yes, that he was going to come to LSU, I said, hey, big guy, you might be the most important recruit of my entire career, because I knew what the other three on the stage would do. But to get to the national championship and get to the NCAA Tournament we needed real aces. And that's an ace right there, and one of the best pitchers in the country. It's kind of cool to feel that full circle. I don't know that I'll ever have children like Jordan is as close to what I would consider a son as anybody. And I'm so proud of him. I think Dylan and Jordan are the only two players that have started every single game for the last two years." Johnson would go on to add. "What a championship performance, heartbeat of our team. And I'm so proud of them. That kind of gives you some insight into it. Some other thoughts. I really believe this will go down in one of the best teams in college baseball history. So consistent in the regular season. I think the SEC Tournament is the only week of the year we had a losing record, if you think about that. Not only one losing week for an entire regular season. 11 wins in the postseason, six of them against SEC teams. And I really believe we played and beat every team, the best team that we could have played along the way throughout the entire tournament at that spot. So I love these guys. I'm so proud of them. And they are a worthy champion, if there ever was a worthy champion." After being defeated by the Gators in 2017, LSU gritted out big time victories all throughout the CWS behind the heavy swinging bats up and down the lineup in conjunction with dominant pitching from both starters and a bullpen whose come to life down the stretch. After a dismal performance in Game two, the Tigers flushed a 24-4 loss out of their minds and quickly moved on to make their own piece of history in Omaha. Florida got the scoreboard moving early in the game with a leadoff single from Cade Kurland followed up with a deep two run home run from Wyatt Langford, picking up right where they left off Sunday afternoon. 2-0 Gators, headed to the 2nd inning. LSU got a little swing of momentum going their way when Gavin Dugas earned a walk and advanced to second off a wild pitch. Brayden Jobert got on with a single to left, putting runners on the corners. Jordan Thompson, who has had a rough go of it in the College World Series, brought home the Tigers’ first run of the night with an RBI single as cheers rained out in Charles Schwab field. An Alex Milazzo walk loaded the bases, starting the second time round the lineup. Cade Beloso is batting first in the rotation after Jay Johnson made some pregame adjustments in an effort to rejuvenate his offense. After being hit on the belt by the first pitch of the game, the Metairie native was struck once again, this time forcing across a run. LSU ties the game at 2 apiece. The Gators then walked Dylan Crews and another run across in the process. Kevin O’Sullivan had seen enough from his starter and brought in Cade Fisher for relief; a critical early pitching change for Florida. Tommy White came up to plate and battled to a full count before lining a ball out to left field for an RBI single. A sacrifice fly to deep center field from Tre’ Morgan allowed Beloso to come across the plate, making the score 5-2 Tigers. Gavin Dugas came up big in his next at bat as he singled into left, sending Dylan Crews home for the Tigers’ sixth and final run of the inning. Thatcher Hurd forced a 1-2-3 inning from the Gator lineup in the bottom half of the frame, earning two strikeouts. In the top of the 3rd inning, Crews delivered a two out single to right field, putting runners at first and second after another Milazzo walk. O’Sullivan went to his bullpen for the second time, this time bringing in Ryan Slater to face Tommy White. A ground out to short would end the half inning. LSU’s bats came to play again in the top of the 4th inning. With two outs, Jobert got a double to fall in deep right field and was sent across home with a single from Thompson. Thompson would scurry to second base as Florida attempted to get the out at the plate. Josh Pearson drove a two run dinger out to right on a 1-2 pitch, making the score 9-2. Milazzo singled and forced the Gators into another mound substitution. The catcher hustled home on a single from Cade Beloso and although the run scored off a late throw, Milazzo appeared to suffer a fracture to his left shin; a difficult blow dealt to the already injury plagued catcher room of LSU. Dylan Crews grounded out to retire the side, but not before the Tigers could put up a four spot extending the lead to eight. After a quiet 5th and 6th innings from both teams, LSU’s Morgan and Dugas got into scoring position by way of a wild pitch after a single and walk put them on base respectively. Florida’s Tyler Nesbitt would walk the bases loaded to Pearson before being pulled for Blake Purnell. Purnell would walk Travinski (in for the injured Milazzo) and gives LSU another unearned run; 11-2 Tigers. Riley Cooper came in relief of Hurd to begin the bottom of the 7th inning for the Tigers. Hurd would finish with seven strikeouts and two hits given up through six innings pitched. Florida cut the Tiger lead down to eight with a solo HR from Ty Evans off of Cooper. Jobert made a leaping attempt at the robbery, but had the long ball just bounce out of his glove and over the fence in right. Crews tripled to lead off the 8th inning. He would be driven home off a single from Tommy White. Following a Morgan single, Gavin Dugas would get walked to load the bases. Jobert would ground into a fielder’s choice and Thompson would hit a SAC fly to deep left, scoring two more runners. The Tigers would eventually be retired and head to the bottom of the stint leading 14-3. Gavin Guidry came in for the Tigers as the closer on the mound. Florida got a lead off knock from Kurland, making the score 14-4, off an almost meaningless run. Guidry would battle back to get the three outs in the inning and force the Gators to stare at the would-be final inning of their season. In what would prove to be his final at bat in an LSU uniform, Dylan Crews led off the 9th inning with a single to center. White would double down the third base line to send Crews home, adding just one more run to an incredible collegiate baseball career. A double from Morgan and a homerun from Jobert would extend the Tiger lead to 18-4. A combined effort from Guidry, Thompson, and Morgan shut down the Gators in the final frame. Two groundouts from short over to first and a swinging strikeout delivered from the bump to end the game sent LSU fans and players into a frenzy as the 2022-23 winners were crowned. Jay Johnson hoisted the trophy and handed it off to his squad who jumped and celebrated their season. LSU ace, Paul Skenes, was officially named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player. An argument could have been made for a number of Tigers to take home the award, but Skenes is nonetheless deserving. Truly, an incredible contest was put out on display for the Tigers to send their best players and seniors out on a high note with a victory closing out the season at Charles Schwab Field. Until next baseball season… GEAUX TIGERS! WE ARE CHAMPIONS! *John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior) A huge Thank You to Cardio Health Solutions owned by Ron Sancho for sponsoring our publication!
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