Ben McDonald dishes on where Jay Johnson ranks among the all-time greats in LSU history

In winning his first national crown with the LSU baseball program in just his second year in Baton Rouge, Jay Johnson has already begun to put himself in rarified air in Tiger program history. He’s approaching the rarified territory of such coaching greats like Skip Bertman and Paul Mainieri. On Wednesday evening, during LSU’s national championship celebration at Alex Box Stadium, former Tiger legend Ben McDonald took some time to speak with Matt Trent of WBRZ in Baton Rouge.

Does McDonald think that he’s on the same trajectory as Bertman and Mainieri? Where does he think Johnson’s 2023 campaign rank among the all-time best?

Ben McDonald discussed where Johnson ranks among LSU greats

“I mean, if you think about it. I mean, second year you win a national championship. Are you kidding me?” McDonald began. “I’ve never seen a coach that was so devoted to baseball as I’ve seen Jay Johnson. And look, even before he became a Tiger, I remember covering him in Omaha with Arizona. And the word on the street about Jay, two or three years ago was, you ain’t gonna outrecruit him, you ain’t gonna outwork him, you ain’t gonna out prepare him. That’s what we’ve seen since he stepped….”

The former legendary LSU pitcher couldn’t say enough good things about Johnson’s work ethic:

“I mean, the guy’s up here [Alex Box Stadium] at 7 o’clock every morning breaking down film. I don’t think there’s anybody that prepares his players any better in today’s game than what Jay Johnson [does].

McDonald also believes in Johnson so deeply, that he thinks this year’s national championship is just a taste of things to come for the Tigers’ baseball program.

“And to be honest with ya, national championships are extremely hard to win. But I think this is only the beginning for what’s gonna be another run for LSU baseball,” McDonald said on Wednesday evening.

LSU baseball adds yet another trophy to their storied history

LSU baseball just secured their seventh national championship in program history after defeating their SEC rival Florida 18-4 in Game 3 of the championship series. And as impressive as the baseball program was in capturing their seventh national championship, their first since 2009, the school’s record in championship games and series is even more special.

LSU has played in a grand total of 13 national championship games and/or series: eight in baseball, four in football, and one in women’s college basketball. And in those thirteen appearances, the Tigers are a staggering 11-2, per SEC Network’s Peter Burns.

LSU’s two losses when a national championship was on the line came in the College World Series in 2017 and in the BCS national championship game in 2012. Surprisingly enough, both of those losses came at the hands of fellow SEC programs; Florida beat LSU in the 2017 CWS 2-0, and the Crimson Tide took down the Tigers 21-0.

On3’s Justin Rudolph also contributed to this article.