Around the Horn: My final salute to the LSU National Champions

Colby Halter sliced a foul ball over the third base dugout. Jay Johnson marked it in his scorebook.

LSU led Florida by 14 runs with two outs in the ninth inning. The tidal wave of purple and gold that had consumed Omaha for the better part of two weeks stood inside Charles Schwab Field, roaring.

The outcome was decided, but Johnson didn’t deviate from his routine except to wipe a tear from his welling eyes.

Gavin Guidry’s next offering was whiffed by Halter. I don’t think Johnson marked that one. His team swarmed the infield. Johnson embraced his staff.

The journey was over. The 2023 Tigers were No. 7.

Football championships don’t feature many low points. If three show up, you can erase some goals off the white board. Baseball doesn’t work like that. It allows for failure, but only to those teams strong
enough to overcome it.

Every title team at LSU has dealt with its share of issues. The 2000 team was swept by Houston at The Box. In 2009, LSU lost two of three to Illinois and surrendered two of Tennessee’s 11 league wins that year.

A putrid Mississippi State team punching back from down nine runs down will be remembered as a low point for this team. But there were many others for a team that was No. 1 in the preseason and No. 1 at the end.

Grant Taylor needed Tommy John surgery before he could become LSU’s second starter or primary reliever. So Garrett Edwards and Chase Shores became the primary relievers…until they weren’t.

Thatcher Hurd earned a weekend rotation spot entering SEC play. He lost it. Riley Cooper was a weekend starter. Then demoted to reliever. Then demoted again to low leverage inning eater. Josh Pearson lost his job to a freshman. So did Alex Milazzo. Cade Beloso lost his job two years ago. And then he blew out his knee on Opening Night of 2022. Guidry fought two teammates for the second base job. He finished third.

As we bask in the glow of another national championship, you know how those stories ended.

Johnson told everyone who would listen back in January that this team had to learn selflessness if they were going to achieve their only goal. He recounted the stories of Warren Morris and Kurt Ainsworth redshirting. He talked about Austin Nola and Mikie Mahtook waiting their turn. He told them about Leon Landry, as a junior, taking on a reduced role.

Johnson said Wednesday was the first time he had ever coached a team he truly believed could win a national title, an admission of inexperience. Yet he piloted the team through waves of turbulence like he’d done it five times. 

Some of that comes from bending the ear of the guy who actually has. Some of it is because LSU has the best baseball coach in the country.

And the guys bought in.

The Golden Spikes winner bought in. The Dick Howser winner bought in. The last guy on the bench bought in.

All of it manifested in Omaha.

Paul Skenes manhandled Tennessee and Wake Forest. Tommy White blasted crucial homers. Tre Morgan made the play of the year. Dylan Crews was Dylan Crews.

But Nate Ackenhausen showed up for six shutout innings. And Alex Milazzo got on base three times in the title game. Josh Pearson made a game-saving catch. And Guidry finished it off…as a pitcher.

Everyone contributed to the program’s seventh title, passing Texas for second all time. They all deserve a truckload of credit for it.

LSU overtook Omaha, on the field and in the city. Every hotel, bar and restaurant was bursting at the seams with Tiger fans. Waitresses commented to me about how many Tiger fans had traveled. 

Same with Uber drivers and concession stand employees. I read on a Florida message board, “how are there so many LSU fans there?”.

It’s what we do.

Year in and year out there are plenty of baseball teams who can compete with LSU. There are no programs that can compete with LSU in terms of tradition, fan support, branding and passion.

LSU isn’t a blue blood. LSU is THE blue blood.

Johnson took the program over two years ago this week. His ability to surround himself with elite coaches and players has been obvious. He’s maneuvered injuries and obstacles with a steady hand and unwavering confidence. This title is his. Paul Mainieri’s fingerprints are on it as well. Of the 12 position players who played in the clinching game, Mainieri coached, signed or secured a commitment from 11. Tommy White was the exception. 

Mainieri also coached Ty Floyd who was historically brilliant in Game 1.

Without Skenes, White, Riley Cooper and Thatcher Hurd, LSU doesn’t win it, though.

In the era of the transfer portal and NIL, LSU is positioned to go on another run. I’ve said many times that LSU baseball fans may have learned how tough winning a championship really is. As of Monday afternoon, LSU had won just one in 23 years.

As grueling as that week and a half was, I can hope perspective has been retained, but there’s something about that confetti falling that creates a sense of entitlement. I’ll let that be for now.

While winning remains brutally tough, LSU has the right man at the top and momentum in bunches.

I’ll be back out there in the fall, ICEE in hand, headphones in. I won’t see Crews, Morgan or Skenes. That stings. 

But the next group of guys ready to embark on a journey will be backhanding ground balls and ripping gappers.

I’ll be back at home until we’re back home in Omaha.