5 takeaways from LSU’s national title win in Omaha over Florida
For the seventh time in program history, LSU baseball won a national title.
Jay Johnson became the first second-year coach to ever win a title behind a star-studded team led by Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews.
LSU fought off elimination in the bracket earlier in the week and again in the final.
For veteran stars like Dylan Crews and Tre Morgan, it was a Cinderella ending. Skenes was named tournament MVP, and program staples like Cade Beloso and Gavin Dugas got one last chance to shine.
Here are five takeaways from LSU’s title-clinching win in Omaha.
Offense catapulted by big second inning
Florida jumped on LSU first and carried a 2-0 lead into the top of the second.
The lead didn’t hold for long. LSU’s offense did something it hadn’t done in a while. It played good situational baseball without relying on a homer.
From top to bottom, there were contributions. It was a switch-up from the top-heavy lineup LSU threw out there all week.
Crews, who was batting second, got to hit with runners on. He drew a walk and scored a run.
Later that inning, Tre Morgan drove a fly ball to center field for a sac fly that scored another run. Morgan, in an 0-2 count, remained calm and did what he needed to do to drive in a run. It was a microcosm for LSU’s success that inning and representative of what had been lacking all week.
This was the best offense in the SEC this year and maybe the sport. It didn’t do that by just slugging or only playing small ball. LSU had a balanced attack. On Monday, LSU got back to its identity and it resulted in a title.
The pitching
Outside of the implosion on Saturday, LSU’s staff was a revelation in Omaha.
Johnson knew what he had in Skenes — a bonafide ace. However, questions loomed around the rest of the staff. Even after they showed promise in the tournament leading into Omaha.
Thatcher Hurd got the start on Monday. He allowed two runs and two hits over six innings, lowering his CWS ERA to 0.75 and picking up the win.
Hurd, like many LSU pitchers, struggled all year only to pitch the best ball of their career at the College World Series.
Who knows what led to the turnaround for this bullpen and pitchers not named Paul Skenes. But it came at just the right time.
Bounce-back
Sunday was a shocker.
Florida’s offense lit up LSU to the tune of 24 runs. LSU’s offense couldn’t keep up.
It can be tough to respond after a day like that. All of the momentum could have shifted to Florida.
LSU didn’t allow that and made sure it turned the page and responded. The Tigers offense broke the hit record that Florida set a day prior.
This was a team that, despite the talent, had to scratch and crawl through close games all week long. LSU fought out of the losers bracket to get here and responded when faced with more adversity in the final.
Fan support
This was Baton Rouge North all week long.
Everytime LSU took the field, the stands were filled with purple. You could hear it too.
It’s always hard to gauge how much a difference this makes but when you’re at a neutral site playing close game after close game, the crowd can be a jolt of energy. Its an advantage LSU had over every other team.
Expectations met
This team expected to be here. To be frank, anything short of a national title was going to be considered a dissapointment.
It isn’t always easy. There are “dream teams” that don’t work out.
Even when LSU slipped from the No. 1 spot in the polls, the talent was still there. This team had more inconsistencies than once thought. The bullpen was unreliable throughout conference play and many thought that would come back to bite in the postseason, including me.
At the same time, this team had two of the best players in the country with Crews and Skenes. Tommy White and Morgan were stars at the peak of their powers, too.
Everything came together and LSU met the hefty expectations that hovered over the team all year long.
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