Skip to main content
Join
Team Avatar
LSU

Jay Johnson previews the difficulty of playing at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha

IMG_0985by:Griffin McVeigh•06/13/23•

griffin_mcveigh

LSU v Arkansas
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - APRIL 16: Head Coach Jay Johnson of the LSU Tigers walks to the dugout during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Baum-Walker Stadium at George Cole Field on April 16, 2022 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Tigers 6-2. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

For the first time under Jay Johnson, LSU is heading to Omaha. It will be the fourth time the program has played at Charles Schwab Stadium, while Johnson is experiencing the venue for the second time. Since opening in 2011, the general consensus has been it’s more of a pitcher’s park compared to Rosenblatt Stadium.

Unfortunately for LSU, their bats have been a real strength all season. Lead by the likes of Dylan Crews, Tre Morgan, and Tommy White, the Tigers are familiar with hitting a few home runs. Just ask Kentucky about Game 1 of the Baton Rouge Super Regional.

Johnson will have to prepare his team for Charles Schwab Stadium, though. As with every team at the College World Series, adjustments will have to be made by LSU heading into Saturday’s opener against Tennessee.

“I think it’s bigger,” Johnson said. “What is a hitter’s ballpark? I think it’s a little relative to what Rosenblatt used to be like, which was a launching pad. I think it’s evolved into more fair recently. Winning baseball is winning baseball and then there’s creating some things that might be unique about it. So, we’ll spend some time doing that and make sure we’re plugged in and dialed into what we need to do.”

There is another aspect to pitching excelling in the ballpark for Johnson. Maybe teams who are one of the final eight have really good pitching. Sometimes, opposing pitchers can be the reason why runs are not being produced at nauseam.

“I think the thing that gets lost in it not being a hitter’s ballpark is that if you’re in Omaha, you have great pitching,” Johnson said. “As we do, as all these other teams do. It’s just flat-out harder to score when you’re facing the opponents that are usually there.”

There’s a pretty good chance we get a good pitching matchup in primetime on Saturday. If both LSU and Tennessee throw their aces out there, Paul Skenes and Chase Dollander will face off for the second time this season. Round 1 in Baton Rouge went to Skenes during a regular season matchup.

Putting them in a pitcher’s park and the matchup becomes even more interesting. But Johnson will still make sure the Tigers are ready to go against Dollander. After all, one of the best offenses in the country is not going to be intimidated by a larger ballpark.