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LSU defeats Wake Forest with Tommy White home run, advances to College World Series final

IMG_0985by:Griffin McVeigh•06/22/23•

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Tommy White, LSU Tigers third baseman
LSU third baseman Tommy White poses after getting on base in a game on May 14, 2023. (Scott Clause / USA TODAY Sports)

Tommy White is officially a hero in Baton Rouge.

In an all-time classic between LSU and Wake Forest, White hit a first pitch, no doubt home run to send the Tigers to the College World Series championship series. Euphoria in the LSU dugout, while Wake Forest’s season ends in heartbreaking fashion.

If there was one way to describe Thursday’s game, it was a pitching duel. Everyone spent the day hyping up LSU’s Paul Skenes vs. Wake Forest’s Rhett Lowder. Not only did the matchup deliver but it went further than anyone could imagine. Something college baseball fans will not forget for a long time.

Lowder went seven innings and was pulled while his pitch count was still relatively low. Skenes was extended a little more, going into the eighth inning and surpassing 100 pitches. Neither gave up a run before the respective head coaches turned to the bullpen.

Unfortunately for one of Skenes and Lowder, one of their teams had to be on the losing end.

White made sure it was going to be LSU walking off the field with smiles on their faces. When asked by Kris Budden what kind of pitch he was looking for, White admitted he wanted a fastball. It was in fact not a fastball but White swung away.

A truly awesome moment for those who wear purple and gold. Now, it’s time to move on to the championships series.

Florida on the other side, waiting for LSU in CWS championship series

While LSU and Wake Forest were fighting for their lives on Thursday, Florida was sitting back and relaxing. They punched their ticket to the championship series on Wednesday, going 3-0 on their side of the bracket. All three were one-run games as well, playing through some tense moments.

Now, the championship series is set. Florida will take on LSU, with Game 1 taking place on Saturday. The two teams will be back on Sunday afternoon and if a winner-take-all Game 3 is needed, it will take place on Monday.

An all-SEC championship series makes the event even more interesting. Florida and LSU have not played each other to this point of the season, avoiding each other in the regular season and at the SEC Tournament. Commissioner Greg Sankey has to be happy with how things are going in Omaha.

The college baseball season is nearly over, as we are potentially just two games away from having a national champion.