Omaha Bound: Three Takeaways From LSU's Super Regional Victory

The LSU Tigers are Omaha bound for the first time since 2017 after Jay Johnson’s group punched their ticket to the College World Series on Sunday.

Led by Dylan Crews and Cade Beloso at the plate, the Tigers defeated the Kentucky Wildcats in the Baton Rouge Super Regional to claim their spot in Omaha.

For this program, it was an emotional night in Alex Box Stadium. From Crews’ final swing at home to Coach Johnson tearing up in joy for his squad, the scenes were spectacular, but the job isn’t finished yet.

Against Kentucky, there was sheer dominance from the Tigers in all aspects of the game, but a few stood out from the rest.

Here are a few takeaways from Super Regionals:

Pitching Rotation Shines

Paul Skenes. What else is there to say? The National Player of the Year did what he does best on Saturday night; handling business on the mound for the Tigers. Skenes went 7.2 innings with nine strikeouts on the night while allowing no runs.

It was a dominant performance once again in his final start at Alex Box Stadium, but receiving a boost from the bullpen shined bright. For freshman Gavin Guidry, the moment is never too big, and his showing was a big part in what the Tigers did on Saturday.

Fast forward to Game 2 on Sunday and Ty Floyd got the start for LSU. It wasn’t Floyd’s best night on the bump, allowing three solo home runs, but veteran Riley Cooper hopped on the mound in relief to give the Tigers some much needed help.

Cooper single handedly kept LSU in front of the Wildcats, and after he shined during his time on the bump, Coach Johnson went back to Guidry to close things out. The lights are never too bright for Guidry as he once again got it done to push the Tigers to Omaha.

The Tre Morgan Show

At times, Morgan gets “forgotten” about on such a star-studded roster with Crews, Skenes and Tommy White, but he’s been about as impressive as it gets. In Game 1 on Saturday, Morgan blasted two homers to help the Tigers annihilate Kentucky 14-0, but he didn’t stop there.

The defensive efforts also gave LSU the edge. Coach Johnson elected to put Morgan at first base this weekend, his bread and butter, where he made a handful of elite-level plays. A gifted two-way player, Morgan provided the Tigers with a spark in several ways against the Wildcats.

Moving forward, the Louisiana native will need to continue his hot streak once this program arrives in Omaha. He’s been their glue guy all season long, giving a boost both at the plate and in the field, but he’s as important as they come for this program to achieve their ultimate goal of winning a title.

Offensive Juggernaut

Morgan was a key factor in LSU’s success at the plate, but it was an all-around incredible showing from this program all weekend. The Tigers blasted a season-high six home runs in Saturday’s showdown with slugger Tommy White hitting two of his own as well.

It was the consistency of the entire lineup that ballooned their lead in Game 1 and their success carried over into the second game as well.

On Sunday, veteran Cade Beloso got it done for LSU, smashing a three-run homer to give the Tigers life and wake up Alex Box Stadium. From then on, it was all LSU.

This program is clicking on all cylinders at the right time as they prepare to travel to Omaha on Wednesday, and with an offense this hot, LSU has high hopes as they dial in for the College World Series.