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Cade Beloso reflects on career journey to CWS finals

On3-Social-Profile_GRAYby:On3 Staff Report•06/24/23
Cade Beloso, LSU Tigers first baseman
LSU first baseman Cade Beloso raises his hand during a game against Wake Forest at the College World Series on June 21, 2023. (Steven Branscombe / USA TODAY Sports)

As LSU gets set to play for a national title against Florida, some of the program’s veterans have had a chance to reflect on their career journey leading into the CWS finals.

It’s been a long one for first baseman Cade Beloso, the star of a 5-2 LSU win over Wake Forest in the middle of the week.

“I mean, it just goes to show you no matter what’s going on, just keep your head down, keep working and good things will eventually come your way,” Beloso said. “Had some tough breaks through prior postseasons, but wouldn’t change anything for the world.”

The Tigers are seemingly a perennial postseason contender, but the team hadn’t reached the College World Series since 2017. That year, LSU faced Florida and fell in the CWS finals.

LSU will be looking for a different result this time, especially after some painful postseason exits in recent years.

Beloso was a part of the LSU squad that was knocked out of the 2019 Baton Rouge Super Regional in two games by Florida State. He was one the 2021 squad that was bounced the same way by Tennessee in the Knoxville Super Regional.

And he was on last year’s team that didn’t make it out of the Hattiesburg Regional.

“We were all in Knoxville, Tennessee at that Super Regional and Florida State, et cetera, but it made us tougher as a team, made us better for the moment,” Beloso said. “Might have sucked in the moment, but it paid off. We’re here, playing for a national championship. So wouldn’t change it any other way, do it ten times over.”

LSU will have its work cut out for it thanks to its path to the championship series.

The Tigers were forced to play out of the loser’s bracket, and while they did so successfully, it required throwing ace pitcher Paul Skenes on Thursday in a winner-take-all game for the right to move to the CWS finals.

Skenes wouldn’t be available until a potential third and deciding game on Monday and even then he’d be on extremely short rest.

So it’ll be up to veterans like Beloso to power the team to favorable outcomes in Omaha over the next few days. Florida and LSU are set to get underway at 7 p.m. ET in Game 1 on Saturday, with a broadcast on ESPN.