Ranking LSU baseball's 7 national championship teams. How does 2023 stack up?
LSU baseball finished off the 2023 season exactly where many around college baseball expected it to: as a national champion.
With transfers Paul Skenes and Tommy White, Jay Johnson and his Tigers undoubtedly had the sport's best roster. Despite an early loss at the Men's College World Series to No. 1 Wake Forest, LSU bounced back to beat the Demon Deacons twice before taking the national championship series against Florida in three games.
The Tigers (54-17) closed the deal Monday night at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha with a record 24-hit night and a 18-4 victory over the Gators for their first championship since 2009 and seventh overall.
Where does this season's title team rank amongst the other winners? Let's take a look.
1. 1997
Record: 57-13
Final: Defeated Alabama, 13-6
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College World Series hero: Brandon Larson, belted the game-tying two-run homer in the bottom of the eight against Rice in LSU's opening CWS game, ultimately propelling it to go 4-0 in Omaha. In four games at the CWS, Larson tallied eight RBIs for the Tigers, including three RBIs with a 2-6 performance against the Crimson Tide to pull off the repeat.
Did you know? LSU's 1997 team won the most games in program history, 57, which still stands today. Led by Eddy Furniss, that team also set the record for home runs (188).
2. 2023
Record: 54-17
Final: Beat Florida 4-3 in 11 innings, lost 24-4, won 18-4
College World Series hero: Cade Beloso hit the go-ahead home run in the 11th inning of Game 1 of the championship series that lifted LSU and the senior designated hitter finished with eight RBIs in the Tigers' eight games at the CWS.
Did you know? All-American pitcher Paul Skenes won MOP honors at the 2023 College World Series, striking out 21 in 15 ⅔ frames. LSU also finished the season in the same spot it started it, at No. 1.
3. 2009
Record: 56-17
Final: Defeated Texas 7-6, lost 5-1, won 11-4
College World Series hero: D.J. LeMahieu, collected 12 hits during LSU's run to the national championship in Omaha that season and scored the game-winning run in the 11th inning of in Game 1 of the title series versus Texas. LeMahieu finished with nine runs scored across the six games for the Tigers.
Did you know? Paul Mainieri's squad consisted of five preseason All-Americans and finished with a pair in Louis Coleman and Matty Ott, who was a freshman. Six players were drafted off that team following the championship, highlighted by Mitchell and LeMahieu, who were first- and second-round choices, respectively.
4. 1991
Record: 55-18
Final: Beat Wichita State, 6-3
College World Series hero: Gary Hymel, LSU's catcher, was named the 1991 College World Series Most Outstanding Player.
Did you know? The first of five national titles for Tigers legendary baseball coach Skip Bertman came in 1991 and at the time, LSU's offense broke CWS records for runs per game at 12 as well as slugging percentage at .603.
5. 2000
Record: 52-17
Final: Defeated Stanford, 6-5
College World Series hero: Trey Hodges, the Tiger reliever, picked up two wins and a save across the four games his team played in Omaha, picking up Most Outstanding Player honors. He tossed four scoreless innings in relief to earn the national championship-sealing victory, holding Stanford at bay while LSU's offense mounted the comeback from three runs down.
Did you know? LSU went a perfect 9-0 during the 2000 NCAA Tournament, the second time it had done so en route to a national title with that championship marking the program's fifth since 1991.
6. 1993
Record: 53-17-1
Final: Beat Wichita State, 8-0
College World Series hero: Todd Walker batted .350, smashing three home runs and amassing 12 RBIs in five games in Omaha for LSU.
Did you know? Statistically speaking, this was one of the worst defensive teams in LSU baseball history. The Tigers overcame a program-worst 125 errors that season to hoist the trophy in the end, finishing the year No. 1, however, just as they started it.
7. 1996
Record: 52-15
Final: Defeated Miami, 9-8
College World Series hero: Warren Morris garnered arguably the most famous play in LSU athletics history, hitting the walk-off, title-winning two-run home run off Miami's Robbie Morrison with two outs to give LSU its third NCAA title in five seasons.
Did you know? The Tigers did not win the SEC West divisional crown that season, Alabama did, and they stumbled in the SEC Baseball Tournament, going 1-2. LSU headed into the NCAA Tournament with back-to-back losses to Florida and Kentucky. The Tigers then went on to win four one-run games out of eight en route to the CWS championship.
Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers and Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU/UL athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Where LSU baseball's 2023 College World Series title ranks
