Key injuries created and amplified bullpen issues and, as Riley Cooper said, “.if we had a crutch all year it would be the bullpen.” LSU limped into the NCAA postseason going 7-7 over its final 14 games. ![]() 1 ranked team and were ranked for 12 consecutive weeks atop all the polls, then adversity struck. The Tigers were the consensus preseason No. ” Johnson said, “when we got here (to LSU), I had 2023 in mind (as the year to return to Omaha.)Įveryone, though, envisioned 2023 as LSU’s year. Jay studied Skip and uses his techniques to this day.”įranques, who has worked as LSU’s baseball communications director since 1989, said Johnson knows “about as much about LSU baseball as I do. ![]() He knew all about them, had bought Bertman’s motivational tapes back in the 90s. “His regard for Skip, Skip’s coaching habits and motivational techniques. “I’ve always been impressed by how deep Jay’s knowledge of LSU’s baseball history is,” Bill Franques said. “We had 40 wins,” Johnson offered in defense, but he was then obviously still in the shadow of the Great One. Johnson’s first season at LSU saw an improved 40-22 overall record, 17-13 in the SEC and a trip to a super regional, a road super, another no-no. See his statue outside of the stadium with the field bearing his name which you can navigate to by driving down the road named after him. Not to mention, seven-year droughts are biblical signs of punishment.Īlso, LSU’s expectations are directly attributable to The Shadow – the one cast by the progenitor of LSU baseball himself, the legendary Bertman. In 2018, 20 (2020 was the COVID year), LSU went 45-45 in the SEC – finishing 8 th, 5 th and 9 th in the best baseball conference in America – where it just means more.Ī record of 45-45, in a word – unacceptable – to most LSU baseball fans. So now as Super (Regional) Champions, LSU is back where it belongs after living through three seasons plus a COVID-year anomaly of mouth-spewing mediocrity, and then, of course, a grace-bestowed first season for Johnson. This year, according to Johnson, LSU was one rained-out game (South Carolina) from likely winning the SEC regular season championship,” which he said “might be (arguably is) more difficult to do” than going to Omaha every year. Moreover, Johnson – hired on J– to replace Paul Mainieri as LSU’s coach was expected to return LSU to this exact place, right? Not only should LSU be finishing its season in Omaha, according to LSU fans, but the Tigers should be the pre-eminent team in the SEC every season. Occasional lapses, perhaps permissible, though perilous. Omaha is expected to be the place where the Tigers finish their season every year. Yes, on this particular raucous weekend in the jam-packed ‘Box’ LSU baseball returned to normalcy and punched its proverbial ticket to return to Omaha and the College World Series – for the first time in seven years.īut this is LSU baseball. 1-ranked Texas A&M to win two finals games in one day and take the College Station Regional coming out of the losers’ bracket. The first epoch in LSU baseball came in 1989 under Skip Bertman when LSU upset No. It was an epoch-making moment for LSU baseball, the second epoch in its illustrious history.Įpochs are defined as a period of time in history or a person’s life, typically one marked by notable events or particular characteristics. The Tigers’ grit and tenacity, their maturity, their discipline at the plate, their ability to develop and respond to adversity, over the long haul and in the moment, was on full display. However, Sunday’s 8-3 LSU win was different. ![]() But any time Skenes pitches LSU is virtually a given to win, and win big – the talent level disparity Skenes adds to LSU’s inherent offensive prowess often dictates as much. Not to take anything away from the 14-0 historical whipping administered by LSU on June 10 in the highly-anticipated, seven-hour ‘rainless’ delay game where “America’s Ace” Paul Skenes skened the Wildcats in the top of every inning, and the Tigers jacked bombs relentlessly in the bottom halves of what seemed like almost every inning (a record 6 HRs).
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