Jay Johnson: Ty Floyd is one of the most underrated, underappreciated players in college baseball

LSU head coach Jay Johnson has been blessed to see many elite pitching performances this season but Ty Floyd might have provided the best one of the year Saturday.

Against Florida in Game 1 of the Men’s College World Series finals, Floyd threw 17 strikeouts over eight innings of work. His 17 K’s were the most by a pitcher ever in a Men’s College World Series finals.

He allowed just three runs over those eight innings as the Tigers went on to win the game, 4-3, in the 11th inning.

“He’s had a terrific season,” Johnson said after the game. “Nothing better than that tonight. But we’re not sitting here in this position without Ty Floyd. I feel like he’s one of the most underrated, underappreciated players in college baseball this year.”

His final line for the game was eight innings pitched, five hits, three runs and 17 strikeouts.

Floyd pitched his first two games of the season out of the bullpen before returning to the starting rotation, where he spent most of last season.

“When you have a guy that’s as talented as that, sometimes you have to get them to the point they understand what they need to be successful, give them a path to execute that and get them believing in themselves,” Johnson said. “That’s really all we’ve tried to do over two years. And I mentioned he finished the season really strong last year. He was very unselfish at the beginning of this thing the first two weeks of the season. We needed him in the bullpen until we figured out who we were going to be. And he did that. Helped us get off to a good start there.”

Floyd and the rest of the LSU pitching staff haven’t been in the spotlight much throughout the season because of the remarkable year of Paul Skenes. The potential No. 1 pick in the draft, Skenes has had a 2023 year for the ages — topped off by his incredible performance against Wake Forest in Thursday’s elimination game.

But pitchers like Floyd, Riley Cooper and Nate Ackenhausen have stepped up in the Men’s College World Series and reminded people that it is not a one-man staff in Baton Rouge, La.

“I think it’s probably just because of Paul — you know what I mean? — and Paul being so out-of-this-world good,” Johnson said. “Nobody’s really paid attention to him. But the pro people are. He’s not going to last very long on the draft board. Somebody will be very, very happy with Ty Floyd. I think he’ll pitch for a very long time. Like I mentioned with a couple of the other pitchers in the game on Thursday night, there’s a chance for it to be a short arc from Omaha to a big league stadium for him.”