What He Said: LSU Baseball's Anthony Eyanson Discusses National Championship Win

The LSU Tigers are National Champions once again after taking down the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers on Sunday afternoon in the College World Series Finals.

Jay Johnson and Co. handled business in Omaha after going 5-0 during College World Series play with the program now bringing hardware back to Baton Rouge.

On Sunday, it was right-handed pitcher Anthony Eyanson who earned the start where he catapulted the Tigers to a win.

Eyanson (12-2) worked 6.1 innings and limited the Chanticleers to three runs on seven hits with one walk and nine strikeouts, firing 99 pitches.

“There’s one player every summer in this crazy new recruiting world that we’re living in that you know it’s going to tip the scales for you to have an opportunity to be here and do what we just accomplished, and that player was Anthony Eyanson," Johnson said.

Eyanson addressed the media alongside Chase Shores and Chris Stanfield on Sunday.

What They Said: National Champion Edition

Q. Chase, Coach kind of mentioned your duration through your LSU career -- not necessarily the injury, how you dreamt it happening, but what does it mean to be on the mound in the final out of the College World Series?

CHASE SHORES: It means everything. Being a part of that '23 was special. But just to play a part in this run in Omaha was a dream come true. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I'm super thankful to do it with great teammates like Chris and Anthony.

Q. Anthony and Chris, the idea that you were battle tested coming into this thing. You've seen probably a little bit of everything. Obviously the first inning in this one got off to a wild, whacky start. But then you had to settle in and play ball for eight more innings. Speak to the resilience and understanding that this thing was a long way from being over.

ANTHONY EYANSON: Like you said, we've been tested all year. I was just waiting for adversity to hit me in the game. Right when that happened I knew that's when I put my pedal to the metal and pushed a little more, pushed a little bit more, and just continue to fight for the team. And knowing I got guys behind me that, obviously we just won this thing, so they're pretty good at baseball.

But they just did their job behind me. So super grateful for that.

CHRIS STANFIELD: I'd say we have been tested all year. We've been through some ups and downs. And there's no one I'd do it with besides this team. It's been amazing. Starts at the top with Coach Johnson and the staff and just keeping us ready and prepared day in and day out.

When we went down 1-0, that's really nothing for us because we know the whole game is ahead of us and we've got the best team.

Q. Anthony, now that you're a national champion, what did that Little Rock win, the last one, do for your guys' confidence?

ANTHONY EYANSON: I think we were confident before that, but I think just coming back from that game really showed us what we were about. Obviously they played very well that weekend. Just us staying to our plan and our approach and just continuing to be ourselves really helped us out going forward.

Q. Anthony, I assume when you made the decision to come to LSU that winning a national championship was a major reason behind that decision. Now that you're here, how does this compare to maybe what you dreamed it might feel like?

ANTHONY EYANSON: I remember hugging my parents right now with the natty hat and shirt on. When I dreamed about this place -- and even on my visit, looking at all the history on the wall, this is what I dreamed literally -- throwing pitches, starting the game for the final game of the national championship.

Just super grateful for Coach Johnson giving me the opportunity, and thankful for God, obviously.

Q. Chase, what were you thinking when you came in there? You went through a tough situation, they got close. What How was your heart pounding and what was going through your mind?

CHASE SHORES: I was just trying to take it one pitch at a time. I just kept thinking about my teammates, just really wanted to get the job done for them. I feel when you try to do something for your teammates it kind of takes the pressure off of you and just allows me to go in there and focus on the job.

Q. What does Coach Johnson do to bring the group together and get you guys together, especially with so many new faces in the building?

CHRIS STANFIELD: He's the man. I say that all the time, but we come in and we know what our jobs are. And he lays it out for us and makes it very easy to understand. So for us to just go out there and be ourselves and play our game, like, that's what LSU is.

CHASE SHORES: For sure. I'm super thankful for Coach Johnson. I've really appreciated these past three years. And I mean, like Chris said, he's the man.

He outlines everything before the game and makes our job a lot easier because he says what's going to happen before the game, and we've just got to go out there and execute.

ANTHONY EYANSON: It feels like a movie when he talks about the lineup before the game talking about everybody's role, how they can contribute to scoring runs on the offensive side, it's fun to watch.

But nobody more prepared obviously than Coach Johnson. He puts in so much work that none of us see just preparing the team and preparing the coaching staff to tackle any obstacle.

Q. Chris, talk about that two-RBI single giving you guys the lead. Kept the lead after that. Kind of just talk about that, your thought process going up to the plate.

CHRIS STANFIELD: I went up there with a clear mind, and like Chase said, I was just trying to do it for the guys. It was one on at the time. I knew if I came through it would put us on top.

It was really just getting a good pitch and putting a good swing on it, like all year.

Q. I think we can all agree that Jay's the man, but how about Nate as well? The job that crew has done developing pitchers and making this place a place that pitchers want to come pitch at. I guess you two can speak to it different avenues. But what have you seen in the development in both of your games and Kade's game that really has established LSU as maybe the place to be for pitchers?

CHASE SHORES: Coach Yeskie is great. He holds us to a really high standard. He always says he's coaching us for the player he thinks we're going to be, rather than the player we are right now. So just holding us to the higher standard just allows us to go out there and just work really hard and do our job.

ANTHONY EYANSON: Yeah, just like Coach Johnson, he works day in and day out. So much time that nobody sees. Just helping the pitching staff find out who they are as pitchers. I think that's most important going forward trying to figure out your identity as a pitcher. He just does a really good job being really transparent with everybody.

Q. Chris and Anthony, when you guys were in the transfer portal and Coach Johnson is giving you his pitch, what did he pitch, and how did he execute on that recruiting pitch?

CHRIS STANFIELD: In June, we were on the phone, and he told me, do you want to come play for the best program in the country. That was a no-brainer.

But after that, just really belief, and communication's really been the biggest. Just coming here, knowing the main goal, playing at LSU there were already seven of them. So, why not get another?

ANTHONY EYANSON: I just remember Coach Johnson calling me. I was still waiting to wake up from my dream. I didn't really believe it until I talked to him on the phone. But he would just text me every day, sending me pictures of the pinstripe jerseys. That's why I wore them, honestly.

Just telling me, Friday night, carving dudes. 24, what number do you want? 24, it's yours. Just super persistent and credit to him, he made it clear that this is the place to be.

Q. Chase talked about the story a couple times, but you decommitted from a school before coming to LSU. What was sort of your thought process behind that decision? And how did he sort of execute the plan that Jay laid out for you up to tonight?

CHASE SHORES: Pretty similar to Chris and Anthony. Coach Johnson just made me feel wanted. He was persistent in the way he was recruiting me. Same thing -- what number do you want? Number 34.

Just kind of executing and telling me everything that was going to happen in my freshman season, and it did happen. We won a national championship.

And I think once you get to campus, he keeps recruiting you, because that's just the coach he is. He's a great coach. I'm really thankful I ended up coming to LSU.

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