The LSU Tigers punched their ticket to head back to Omaha for the College World Series for the first time since the 2017 season where they eventually were eliminated by the Florida Gators. We will look book at each of the Tigers 18 Appearances at the College World Series and each of the 6 National Championships the Tigers have won.
We start back 3 seasons before LSU made their 1st of 18 College World Series appearances when LSU hired Stanley “Skip” Bertman as their head baseball coach on April 25, 1983, In Bertman's inaugural season in Baron Rouge the Tigers failed to make post season play which was nothing new for the tigers. At that point LSU's lone NCAA post season appearance was in 1975. In his second season in 1985 ,as the skipper for LSU Bertman had the tigers in NCAA post season play for the second time in program history.
From that point on the Tigers have been a regular in both Omaha and in NCAA postseason play. Bertman followed up the 1985 season with the programs first ever trip to the College World Series in 1986. A place they would return 3 of 4 seasons from 1986-1989, with the only year they missed being was 1988. Although, they were becoming a mainstay in Omaha the Tigers always fell short of the ultimate goal of winning a National Championship.
That changed in Baton Rouge as the Tigers would go on to make the 90's the decade of LSU Baseball in America. The Tigers went on to make 8 of 11 College World Series appearances all the while winning a staggering 5 National Championships in that span with the 1st coming in 1991 as Bertman's boys beat Wichita State in the Finals of the College World Series and posted a record of 55-18.
1992 was one of the years in the 90's that the Tigers fell short of Omaha. They followed that up with a 2nd National Championship in 1993 as the Bayou Bengals, again by defeating Wichita State in the finals and posting a record of 53-17. That team had the equivalent of today's Dylan Crews in Todd Walker who was a Golden Spikes Award Finalist, All-America First Team, SEC Player of the Year, All-SEC First Team and College World Series Most Outstanding Player.
They then reappeared in Omaha in 1994 only to fall short and then missed in Omaha in 1995. They then Returned to Omaha in 1996 they won their 3rd National Championship in 6 years. 1996 is the famous Warren Morris game where LSU walked off the Miami Hurricanes, 9–8, on a home-run from Warren Morris. In the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs and the tying run on third base. Morris saved the best for last as it was his 1st dinger of the season. The Tigers posted a final record of 52-15.
In the 1997 Brandon Larson hit .381 on the season with 40 Homers and 118 RBI . Larson would have post season magic giving the Tigers a narrow defeat of the Rice Owls with
home run in the bottom of the seventh gave LSU a 5–4 victory. Bertman and crew would go on to win back-to-back championships in a defeat of the Crimson Tide 13-6 in the finals, winning the programs 4th championship. They posted a 57-13 record on the season. The Tigers would return to Omaha in 1998 but would not attain a championship as they had become accustomed after winning 4 in 7 years. They would miss an opportunity to go to Omaha in 1999 after losing the Baton Rouge Regional to the Texas Longhorns in a 2-1 series.
In 2000 the LSU Tigers capped off a decade of dominance in Omaha as they would defeat the Stanford Cardinals in the Finals of the College World Series, winning it's 5th National Championship in 11 years and posting a 52-17 record and a 13-0 post season record. In 2001, Bertman's final year at the helm the Tigers failed to make the College World Series.
Post Bertman the Tigers were managed by Smoke Laval from 2002-2006 and Paul Mainieri from 2007-2021 and managed to make it to Omaha at total 4 times leading up to the 2009 season where LSU would win it's 6th National Championship by winning a best of 3 series against the Texas Longhorns. From 2009 to 2022 when current Head Coach Jay Johnson took over the Tigers would only make Omaha 3 times. To most programs that would be an excellent run but the LSU faithful have grown restless after finishing as runner-up in 2017 to the Florida Gators. Only the first time the Tigers would lose in a College World Series Final.
Fast forward to the 2023 season and 2nd year under Head Coach Jay Johnson and the Tigers of LSU are headed to Omaha for the 1st time in 6 years. The Tigers are currently 48-15 and are making their 19th College World Series appearance. The Tigers will need a minimum of 6 wins to add the 7th National Championship to the trophy case.
The Tigers are headlined by the best pitcher in LSU history in Paul Skenes who is more than likely going to break Ben McDonald's single season strikeout record . Then there is Dylan Crews who is arguably the best position player to ever wear the purple and gold. The talent does not stop there as Tommy White is also one of 3 All-Americans with Skenes and Crews. White is tied for 2nd in the nation with 97 RBI. There have been so many who have stepped up as well such as Ty Floyd ,Thatcher Hurd and Elite Freshman Gavin Guidry in a closer role who has a wicked breaking ball. Brady Neal has gone down at catcher mid season and Hayden Travinski has been an absolute force at the plate over the back half of the season where he has 10 HR and 29 RBI in only 82 at bats this season.
The Tigers will open up their College World Series taking on the Tennessee Vols on Saturday a 6pm CST on ESPN.
If you enjoyed this article please like and leave a comment
Comments