Paul Skenes makes ridiculous play between his legs in Baton Rouge Regional
The LSU baseball team has lofty ambitions as the postseason begins today, with the Tigers having the pieces to make a deep run and one of the favorites to reach Omaha. Ace pitcher Paul Skenes is a big reason why, and he showed up to play in the Baton Rouge Regional opener against Tulane.
Skenes was working an absolute gem against the Green Wave with both his arm and his glove working for him.
The LSU star made a ridiculous play on a hard-hit grounder up the middle in the top of the fifth inning, snagging it between his legs before firing over to first base for an easy out. Check it out below.
Through five complete innings Skenes had given up just three hits and no runs. He had struck out nine by early in the sixth inning.
That’s nothing new for Skenes, of course.
The LSU ace was named the 2023 SEC Pitcher of the Year, earning a place on the first team alongside Arkansas starter Hagen Smith. Skenes put together a 10-2 record during the season, boasting a 1.89 ERA.
Skenes had worked through 90.1 innings, giving up just 54 hits. He struck out 167 while walking just 17. Skenes led the nation in strikeouts by 29 going into the Baton Rouge Regional.
LSU led Tulane 6-2 in the top of the seventh at the time of this writing.
The Green Wave were one of the surprise qualifiers for NCAA Regionals, winning the AAC Tournament to get in despite having a 19-40 overall record. But LSU coach Jay Johnson was going into the game giving Tulane plenty of respect.
The two teams had previously met on April 11, with LSU winning 11-5.
“It’s not even the same. Literally grabbed my folder, I threw it in the garbage and just started watching the last two weeks. And credit to them. They’re very well coached. And again, I think I said this the other day, massive hat tip,” Johnson said.
Whether Tulane has the pieces to do any damage in the Baton Rouge Regional remains to be seen.
But it’s hard to argue that the Green Wave didn’t come in hot, given the recent run at the AAC Tournament.
“They went through some massive adversity last year. I mean they got a player at Ole Miss, I can’t remember where the catcher transferred to. I mean, they got gutted,” Johnson said. “When you go through coaching changes now with the current dynamic, that’s going to happen. And so for them to be playing today, after all that, massive respect and hat tip.”