LSU Baseball releases billboard to celebrate national championship

The LSU Tigers accomplished exactly what many people believed they would before the 2023 college baseball season — bring home their seventh national crown. Their loaded roster of pitchers and batters combined to step up at the right moments when the Tigers desperately needed them in the NCAA Baseball Tournament. In sports, the best team doesn’t always win. LSU left no doubt as they capped off their championship series with Florida with a resounding 18-4 thrashing. On Thursday, LSU baseball unveiled a billboard to celebrate their latest national championship.

Take a look below.

The difficult we do immediately. The impossible takes a little longer.

Catch @Paul_Skenes & @Milazzo__7 on billboards in the BR area now! pic.twitter.com/9Ezeeqb5Qb

— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) June 29, 2023

It’s got the picture of superstar pitcher Paul Skenes carrying his teammate, Alex Milazzo, onto the field, after the Tigers won it all. Milazzo suffered a shin injury earlier in the game and got a piggyback ride from his teammate, who’s soon to be one of the top prospects selected in the 2023 MLB Draft. It’s just one of the many lasting images fans will remember from the Tigers’ magical run to the national crown.

For more on Milazzo’s performance in LSU’s national championship run, check out the article below from On3 Staff Reports.

LSU catcher Alex Milazzo was an important piece of the run

It takes some special performances to win in Omaha. Well LSU got more than a few, but the one by catcher Alex Milazzo in place of the injured Hayden Travinski was certainly up there.

Milazzo was nails at the College World Series, helping LSU advance past Tennessee and Wake Forest to reach the final against Florida. He was equally good in guiding the Tigers past the Gators to win it all.

He was the star LSU needed. And perhaps least expected.

“How about the at-bats he gave us all year long?” coach Jay Johnson said. “I remember looking at that stat line in ’21 when I took the job, and, I mean, I had fans like sending me emails right when I got there, ‘Get rid of Milazzo, he can’t hit, terrible, worst hitter I’ve ever seen. Shouldn’t be a Division I baseball player.’

“I looked up at the board tonight. I’m pretty sure he hit over .290. One of the best defensive catchers in college baseball.”

Alex Milazzo’s work behind the plate helped LSU win a three-game series against Florida in which ace Paul Skenes didn’t even pitch. He simply helped guide the likes of Ty Floyd and Thatcher Hurd to tremendous starts, protecting the plate in key spots.

“More importantly than that, and that’s all throughout this team, whatever we needed him to do when we needed to do it, he did it,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t like I need more playing time, I need this. He was ready the whole way. Wasn’t the starter. And four years into a career, when a freshman beats you out to be able to stay with it, be a great teammate, be ready to make your contribution, quadruple your production from an offensive standpoint, have every pitcher want to throw to you, like, there’s a good chance he’ll be on our coaching staff some day. That would not surprise me.”

That’s the culture LSU has built. Star players absolutely matter, and LSU had plenty of those, from Skenes to Dylan Crews to Tommy White. But it also had the glue guys like Alex Milazzo.

And Milazzo’s game smarts were as good as anyone’s.

“I always say, in practice, sometimes, when we’re doing like a trick play or something, “Milazzo, when you’re the head coach at Zachary High School you’ll be able to do it with your team,” Johnson said. “He’s special. All LSU.”

Even after suffering an injury in the final game and having to come out, sporting a boot the rest of the way, Alex Milazzo was a key part of the team’s championship celebration.

As he should have been.

“I was thinking, in the ninth inning, wait, this is going to happen,” Johnson said. “Somebody’s got to pick him up and throw him on top of the dogpile with a broken foot.”

On3 Staff Reports also contributed to this article.