Everything Anthony Eyanson said after LSU baseball's national championship win

USA Today

23-06-2025

Anthony Eyanson powered LSU baseball to the national championship in Game 2 of the College World Series against Coastal Carolina.
The right-handed pitcher went 6.1 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits while striking out nine. His composure with traffic on the base paths gave the Tigers' bats a chance to come alive late to secure the victory.
LSU won the last nine games that Eyanson pitched in, showcasing the junior's pivotal role on the pitching staff. He provided the back end of the one-two punch, following up Kade Anderson as the regular Saturday starter.
Eyanson's effort helped LSU cap a 5-0 showing in Omaha, the first team to do so since UCLA in 2013. The transfer from UC San Diego finished his first season of SEC baseball with a 3.00 ERA and 152 strikeouts through 108 innings pitched.
Here is everything Eyanson said following his quality start in the College World Series finals.
How Eyanson handled adversity during the game
All three runs given up by Eyanson on Sunday came from home runs but didn't let that deter his confidence.
"We've been tested all year. I was just waiting for adversity to hit me in the game. Right when that happened, I knew that's when I put my pedal to the metal and just push a little bit more, push a little bit more, and just continue to fight for the team. To know that I got guys behind me that obviously, we just won this thing, so they're pretty good at baseball. But they just did their job behind me, so super grateful for that."
The Tigers' last loss came against Little Rock during the regional round. Eyanson spoke about how the team bounced back.
"I think we were confident before that, but I think just coming back from that game really showed us what we were about. Obviously, they played very well that weekend, and just us staying to our plan and our approach and just continuing to be ourselves really helped us out going forward."
Eyanson talks move to LSU, relationship with Jay Johnson
"I remember hugging my parents right now with the natty hat and shirt on when I dreamed about this place. Even on my visit, just looking at all the history on the wall, this is what I dreamed of, literally, throwing pitches, starting the game for the final game of the national championship. [I'm] just super grateful for Coach [Jay] Johnson for giving me the opportunity, and thankful for God, obviously."
"It feels like a movie when he [Johnson] talks about the lineup before the game, talking about everybody's role, how they can contribute to scoring runs on the offensive side. It's fun to watch, but nobody is more prepared, obviously, than Coach Johnson. He puts in so much work that none of us see, just preparing the team and preparing the coaching staff to tackle any obstacle."
"I just remember Coach Johnson calling me. I was still waiting to wake up from my dream. I didn't really believe it until I talked to him on the phone, but he would just text me every day, sending me pictures of the pinstripe jerseys. That's why I wore them, honestly. Just telling me Friday night, you know, carving dues, 24, what number do you want? 24 is yours. Just super persistent and a credit to him. He made it clear that this is the place to be."
Working with pitching coach Nate Yeskie leveled up Eyanson's game
"Just like Coach Johnson, he [Yeskie] works day in and day out so much time that nobody sees. Just helping the pitching staff find out who they are as pitchers. I think that's the most important going forward, trying to figure out your identity as a pitcher, and he just does a really good job of being really transparent with everybody."