Cade Beloso promises Jay Johnson is 'not stopping' after leading LSU to national championship

The long wait for LSU baseball fans is finally over. Monday night was national championship No. 7 for the program and the first since 2009. Head coach Jay Johnson promised to bring one home when he was hired away from Arizona. Now, just two years later, Johnson delivered on his word.

But nobody thinks the run is going to end for LSU here. College World Series championship series Game 1 hero Cade Beloso says this is just the beginning for the Tigers under Johnson. Beloso believes due to Johnson’s love of the game, many more runs in Omaha are on the way.

“This guy just loves baseball so much,” Beloso said. “There’s not a person in the room that cares more about LSU, cares more about the game of baseball, more about people than this guy sitting to the right of me. This program is so lucky to have Coach Jay Johnson. They’ll have to build a new intimidator for what he’s about to do. He’s not stopping, I promise that.”

Paul Mainieri was previously in charge, winning the ’09 title. In the following 12 seasons, LSU made the College World Series just three times. A championship series loss to Florida in 2017 was in there as well, being the furthest the Tigers made it.

Athletic director Scott Woodward decided to make a change and brought Johnson in. Beloso was a player who played under both head coaches. He gives credit to Johnson for the culture change he installed, getting LSU over the hump after just two seasons.

“It’s just the culture change,” Beloso said. “We don’t really like to throw around the word ‘culture’ but we’re a group of hardworking guys that are never going to stop and are always going the keep playing through good things, bad things, et cetera. I think that’s what changed the most.”

When LSU takes the field next season, the squad is going to look different. Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews will be preparing for their first full seasons as professionals. And then veteran players such as Beloso will be out of eligibility.

Everyone believes Johnson will have the ability to reload though. Tommy White will return for his junior year and become the program’s leader. We know how aggressive Johnson can be in the NCAA transfer portal.

Beloso believes this is not the end for LSU baseball, this is just the beginning.