Mission Accomplished: LSU Tops Florida To Win 2023 National Championship
The LSU Tigers have done it. The “Superteam Down South" has won the 2023 College World Series Finals and will bring a National Championship back to Baton Rouge after defeating the Florida Gators in Omaha.
Jay Johnson and his program entered the season with lofty expectations, and after a rollercoaster year, it ends with hardware making its way back to one of the most historic programs in college baseball history.
It’s LSU’s seventh National Championship, and for Coach Johnson, he now delivers a title to Baton Rouge in just his second season at the helm of this program. The first coach to ever do so.
An Omaha experience that provided Tiger fans all the emotions, it ends in pure bliss with the purple and gold reigning supreme in a college baseball season that saw its fair share of star-studded rosters.
Now, the Tigers stand above them all as National Champions with hardware making it’s way back home.
Here are a few takeaways from LSU’s Game 3 victory over the Gators to clinch the title:
Offensive Explosion
On a night where the Tigers needed contributions from their entire lineup, this program received just that. From Jordan Thompson hitting his stride at the plate to Brayden Jobert doing what he does best, LSU was clicking on all cylinders.
Jobert ended the night with a home run, a double and 3 RBI, picking up where he left off after launching a homer in Game 2.
Aside from Jobert, Dylan Crews and Tommy White pulled through to help lead the charge offensively to put runs on the board in a hurry. After LSU got punched in the gut in the first inning, the Tigers wasted no time to respond, putting six runs on the board in the second inning and never looking back.
This program saw production from 1-9 on a night where hits came in bunches. In order to get across the finish line, it was imperative the Tigers capitalized with runners in scoring position, and on Monday night they did just that with every starter recording a hit.
Pivotal Pitching Performance
It was the talk of the town ahead of Monday’s matchup. Which direction would the Tigers go on the mound? With Paul Skenes on limited rest, Jay Johnson’s staff gave Thatcher Hurd the nod in the biggest game for this program since 2017.
Hurd started off slow, giving up two runs in the first inning, but the response is what gave LSU the edge. After giving up two hits in the first, Hurd went on to provide five straight hitless innings where the Tigers ballooned their lead to 10-2 at the end of six innings.
The UCLA transfer ended the biggest game of his life with 7 strikeouts and 2 hits allowed in 6.0 innings of work. After he left the bump, Riley Cooper and Gavin Guidry put the icing on the cake.
The dynamic duo out the bullpen came on to pick up where Hurd left in order to get LSU to the finish line.
Super Seniors
Gavin Dugas and Cade Beloso became an unstoppable force during the Tigers 2023 College World Series run, and once again, the “old heads” delivered against the Gators. It was Beloso who became the catalyst in earning a Game 1 victory and Dugas put the cherry on top in Game 3 to take it home.
The seasoned veterans took advantage of the moment. In their last go around in the purple and gold, they made the most of it with clutch at-bat after clutch at-bat. For Dugas, his Game 3 performance helped give this program the spark they needed to dig deep and take home the National Championship.
Dugas once again found a way to get on base with his contributions sparking an early start for the Tigers. Even when getting hit by pitches at the plate, it gives this program a boost when needed. Once again, it was Dugas and/or Beloso to give this program a boost when needed.
Crews Control
Dylan Crews was named the 2023 Golden Spikes Award winner just minutes before Game 2 got underway. What did he do? The slugger once again made his presence felt on the diamond and proved why he’s the nation’s top player. On Monday, he did it once again.
Crews has been the heartbeat of this LSU baseball program ever since his arrival, and with one final box to check off, he’s done it. Crews is a National Champion and his heroic efforts once again paved the way for the Tigers to win the title.
On Monday, the two-time SEC Player of the Year did what he does best. Crews’ ability to get on base is uncanny, and after reaching base in his 75th consecutive game, it provided LSU the chance to balloon their lead.
Crews ends his storybook career as a National Champion with the LSU Tigers completing their legendary 2023 season at the top.