The LSU baseball team ended its season at the same spot where it began: the No. 1 team in the country, After defeating Florida 18-4 in Game 3 of the Men’s College World Series final in Omaha, Nebraska, the nation’s number one team won its seventh national title in program history.
The Tigers were able to recover in the winner-take-all game on Monday night thanks to a dominant pitching performance by starter Thatcher Hurd and offensive production throughout the lineup, with each starting position player receiving at least one hit. In spite of the fact that the Tigers gave up a record-setting 24 runs in Game 2, the MCWS won the series.
In the decisive game, the Tigers outhit the Gators 24 to 5 and forced Florida to use six pitchers. Hurd was unhittable, giving up just two hits in the first inning and striking out seven in six innings to win the game after giving up a two-run home run to Wyatt Langford in the bottom of the first.
LSU turned its early two-run deficit into a four-run lead, scoring six runs in the top of the second after batting around and chasing Gators starter Jac Caglianone. Caglianone, who looked like Shohei Ohtani, hit two home runs and had five RBI in Game 2 for the Gators.
In the top of the fourth, the Tigers’ offense added four runs, highlighted by Josh Pearson’s two-run home run to right. The final run of the inning was scored by catcher Alex Milazzo, who came around to score from first base after Cade Beloso hit a single. The only bad news for LSU that night was that Milazzo had to have help getting to the dugout because he hurt his leg scoring. Behind the dish, Hayden Travinski took his place.
Before Ty Evans homered for Florida in the seventh inning, the Tigers scored a run in the top of the seventh on a bases-loaded walk to Travinski. The Gators’ Cade Kurland hit a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth, while LSU added three more in the top of the eighth.
Dylan Crews, the 2023 Golden Spikes Award winner and potential No. 1 LSU outfielder, He finished his remarkable season as the Tigers’ No. 1 pick in the MLB draft in 2023 by reaching base in each of their 71 games and going 4-for-6 with three runs scored in the final game.
Even in the ninth inning, the offense of the Tigers did not falter. Tommy White, a third baseman who is 4-7 and has three RBI, doubled in Crews, giving him the lead. Tre’ Morgan (3-for-6, three runs scored) hit a double for White, and Brayden Jobert (4-for-7, three RBI) hit a home run to right for the deciding run.
The Tigers’ roller coaster regular season comes to an end with the national championship victory. Preseason’s No. LSU was the number one team in the USA TODAY coaches poll for the first ten weeks of the regular season. However, the Tigers’ regular-season record of 5-5 and SEC tournament record of 1-2 cast doubt on their future.
The No. LSU, a 5 seed in the NCAA tournament, won both its super regional and regional rounds to reach Omaha. after succumbing to No LSU needed to win three consecutive games to advance to the final round, and it did so by defeating Wake Forest in its second MCWS game. To advance to the championship game, the Tigers defeated Wake Forest twice and eliminated Tennessee in an elimination game.
LSU has won seven national championships, including its first since 2009, making it the only Division I baseball team with more titles than Texas. The Tigers are only one title behind Southern California, which has won 12 titles.
LSU fans are leaving Omaha with their own championship, breaking the Jell-O Shot Challenge record at Rocco’s Pizza and Cantina, as if the national title win couldn’t get any better.
