LSU players describe the moments leading up to final out of College World Series

For the seventh time in school history, the LSU Tigers were able to deliver a national championship to Baton Rouge, defeating Florida in the final elimination game of the College World Series 18-4 on Monday night.

With the Tigers celebrating a healthy lead in the final inning of the game, fans in Omaha and at home watched in anticipation for LSU to secure their final out of the ball game and commence in a dog pile on the mound. And after the game, a handful of players pulled back the curtain on what that moment was like for them individually, starting with shortstop Jordan Thompson.

“I mean, I got the first two ground balls of the inning. And after I got that second out, I kind of looked at Gavin [Guidry] and almost started tearing up. But knowing that we have to get one more out, I wanted that last ball, too,” Thompson said. “But I just can’t be more proud of my guys and the way that we came out all year and just competed and fought through adversity. When guys went down, guys stepped up. That just speaks about the character about our team and the way that we just handled our business and own our deal every single day. So it’s very rewarding for what we were able to accomplish, not only tonight, but the whole season.”

Thompson entered the game in a slump on offense and defense, going six consecutive games without a hit along with a pair of costly fielding errors in the Tigers’ loss in Game 2 to the Gators. But he bounced back at the perfect time in the team’s biggest game of the year, helping secure some of the final outs of the ballgame in the field and recording two hits and three RBIs on the night.

“I mean, that is the greatest feeling in the world. And it’s being a national champion, but it’s with who we did it with, every single guy right here and every guy in that locker room. It means everything,” pitcher Thatcher Hurd said.

Hurd was LSU’s starting pitcher Monday and delivered as well, giving up just two hits and two runs in his six innings pitched, all of which came in the first inning of the game.

A deep shot to center field in the third inning almost changed that stat line, but Golden Spikes Award winner Dylan Crews saved the day with an amazing catch off of the wall that was deemed the No. 1 play on SportsCenter’s Top 10.

“Yeah, man, I think we were all fighting for that last out, you know? The greatest feeling in the world. I mean, we’ve had some tough days in the fall, long days, just grinding it out,” Crews said. “We call it two-a-days where we literally sleep at the field and train twice a day. I mean looking back I wouldn’t trade anything for that, for those moments right there, because this is where we’re at now. This is the reason why we did all that stuff and it’s just a great feeling.”

Crews and his teammates watched all their hours of hard work during the offseason culminate into one moment and one pitch, as Gavin Guidry struck out the last batter in a game in a moment that couldn’t be described any better by designated hitter Cade Beloso.

“I had a different perspective, being in the dugout on that last out, but just hearing the crowd finally starting to realize what’s happening,” Beloso said. “You look over in the dugout. You’re seeing so many smiling faces. I’m holding Sammy Dutton in my arm and he’s just so happy. And watching that last strikeout, you can’t put a price tag, can’t put any feeling, words into that. It’s so exciting and it’s the sense of gratification. It’s awesome, and it’s everything that we work for.”