National champion LSU Tigers pack punch offensively, but they hang hats on pitching under Johnson
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — During its rise as a national power in the 1990s, LSU built its identity on prodigious home run numbers, a style coined 'Gorilla Ball.'
The game changed over the decades, and so did the Tigers. They still have plenty of offense, but pitching is the name of the game in the bayou nowadays.
LSU's pitching prowess was omnipresent in the College World Series as the Tigers won their second national championship in three years with a two-game sweep of Coastal Carolina in the finals.
The Tigers posted a CWS-best 2.60 ERA over five games, and opponents batted .205 and just .145 with runners in scoring position.
Most Outstanding Player Kade Anderson, who threw a three-hit shutout in Game 1 of the finals, had an 0.56 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 16 innings over two starts.
Anthony Eyanson turned in a strong start in Sunday's 5-3 win in Game 2, striking out nine over 6 1/3 innings.
Chase Shores made four relief appearances, earned two saves and retired seven of the Chanticleers' last eight batters in the title-clinching win.
'If you're a pitcher and you don't want to come here right now, you're out to lunch,' Tigers coach Jay Johnson said. 'You're not thinking clearly, because that's three dudes that pitched in the series that are all going to be in the major leagues within 18 months.'
The 2023 championship team had one of the most potent offenses in the country with Dylan Crews and Tommy White, but it didn't overshadow the pitching staff.
Paul Skenes, the CWS Most Outstanding Player, was the No. 1 pick in the MLB amateur draft, right ahead of Crews. Ty Floyd, the Tigers' No. 2 starter, also was a first-rounder.
Since 2022, Johnson's first season at LSU, 18 of the Tigers' 26 draft picks have been pitchers. That includes two of four in 2022, eight of 13 in 2023 and eight of nine in 2024.
Three of the four LSU players listed among MLB.com's top 85 prospects for next month's draft are pitchers. Anderson's performances in Omaha could put him in line to be the second No. 1 overall pick in three years for LSU.
The Tigers have maintained consistency on the mound even though they've had three pitching coaches in four years. The first was Jason Kelly, who left to become head coach at Washington. Wes Johnson was in charge in 2023 and left to become head coach at Georgia. Nate Yeskie just finished his second year after being hired away from Texas A&M.
'He always says he's coaching us for the player he thinks we're going to be rather than the player we are right now,' Shores said. 'So just holding us to the higher standard just allows us to go out there and just work really hard and do our job.'
Johnson said he was happy Shores was on the mound when LSU locked down the championship. The 6-foot-8, 252-pound right-hander was a weekend starter to open 2023 and injured his right arm six weeks into the season. He had Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2024 season. He was throwing 100 mph as he closed out Coastal Carolina on Sunday.
'He had to go through the 18-month recovery rehab and persevered through all of that,' Johnson said. 'And there's nobody I would have rather had finish the game tonight for the second national championship than Chase Shores.'
Shores originally pledged to Oklahoma State before flipping to LSU three years ago. Johnson laid out a plan for him and told him he would make a run at a national championship if he went to LSU. Shores won two.
'Coach Johnson just made me feel wanted,' he said. 'He was persistent in the way he was recruiting me. Once you get to campus, he keeps recruiting you, because that's just the coach he is. I'm really thankful I ended up coming to LSU.'
___
AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
41 minutes ago
- USA Today
Star catcher Carson Tinney has transferred from Notre Dame to Texas
The biggest development for Notre Dame baseball this offseason is how they will replace its star catcher Carson Tinney, who opted to leave the program shortly after the season concluded. As one of the nation's top backstops, he was going to be a wanted transfer, and on Monday he announced that he has committed to the Texas Longhorns. The SEC program is one of the best in the country, as they won the conference regular season title in its the first year after dominating the Big XII previously. The Longhorns hosted a College World Series sectional as the national No. 2 seed, but didn't make it out to the Super Regionals. Regardless, Texas had a much better season than Notre Dame, and while Tinney had a ton of success in South Bend, it was clear that he wanted to play for a chance at a national championship. We wish Carson the best of luck, and hope to see him get selected high in next year's MLB draft.
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Paris Saint-Germain beats the Seattle Sounders 2-0 to reach Club World Cup round of 16
SEATTLE (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain didn't allow a single shot on goal as the European powerhouse beat the Seattle Sounders 2-0 on Monday and advanced to the Club World Cup round of 16. Paris Saint-Germain opened the scoring in the 35th minute when a shot from Vitinha that would've finished well wide of the net hit teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and deflected into it. The UEFA Champions League winners scored again in the 66th minute as the Sounders' transition defense broke down. Seattle failed to locate Achraf Hakimi, who was wide open by the back post. Bradley Barcola's pass found him with plenty of time to control and strike. Paris Saint-Germain won Group B on a goal-differential tie after Atlético Madrid defeated Botafogo 1-0. The 68,740-capacity Lumen Field was lively with 50,628 fans. Key moment Jordan Morris returned to the pitch for the Sounders for the first time since April to a massive home-crowd ovation. It was a meaningful moment for fans as Morris, who grew up in the area, played a key role in helping his longtime franchise qualify for the Club World Cup. Takeaways Paris will play the runner-up of Group A on Sunday in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Seattle has been eliminated from the cup. ___ AP soccer:
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
The NBA draft will have tons of international talent, which is to be expected
There's no Victor Wembanyama in the class headed to the NBA draft this week. There's no Zaccharie Risacher, either. For the first time since 2022, the first pick in the draft will not be someone from France. Wembanyama had that title in 2023. Risacher had it last year. This year, Duke's Cooper Flagg is almost certain to go No. 1. That doesn't mean there isn't going to be a ton of international representation in these 59 picks. Far from it. It's not outside the realm of possibility that somewhere around one-third of the picks called on Wednesday and Thursday will be players who either originally or currently hail from outside the United States — from the Bahamas, South Sudan, Russia, Canada, China, Australia, Lithuania, Spain, Israel, France and more. Some went to college in the U.S., others will be looking to come play in this country (or Canada, if the Toronto Raptors come calling) for the first time. 'The guys who came before us, these are guys that kind of created a path, like prepared the NBA to welcome Europeans and to make life easier for us,' said Stanford center Maxime Raynaud, a first-round prospect from France. 'And I think the best way to pay respect to that is just coming in with the hungriest mentality and the best work ethic possible.' The one-third estimate — if it works out that way over the draft nights — might sound like a lot, but it isn't. It actually is consistent with where the game is now, considering that roughly 30% of the players in the NBA this past season were born somewhere other than the U.S. Some are names that are known in the U.S. from playing in college: Baylor's VJ Edgecombe hails from the Bahamas and almost certainly will be a top-five pick, and Duke center Khaman Maluach — originally from South Sudan, and someone still learning the game — is a top-10 candidate. 'If you told me three years ago, I didn't think I would be sitting here,' Maluach said. 'But I knew one day I would be sitting here.' A few stories from the international perspective to watch on Wednesday and Thursday: He is a 6-foot-10 power forward who plays for the German club Ratiopharm Ulm. He is going to be drafted and almost certainly as a lottery pick. Whether he gets to the draft is anyone's guess; his team is still playing in its league championship series, so getting to New York might be tough. It could clinch Tuesday, so a Wednesday arrival isn't entirely impossible. At 6-foot-11 with a wingspan of about 7-4, Beringer — who played professionally in Slovenia — is intriguing because of his combination of size, footwork and high-level knowledge of how to play defense. Expect him to go somewhere around the middle of the first round. He debuted with Real Madrid in 2023 and long has been considered someone who'll lead the next wave of players on Spain's national team. That is extremely high praise for the 6-6 wing. A very intriguing point guard, the 6-3 (but very slender) teenager should be a first-rounder, but where he actually will land is a bit of a mystery. It's not going to be a surprise if he's one of at least three Frenchmen in the first 20 or so picks. The inevitable Yao Ming comparisons will follow Yang into the NBA, but a solid showing at last month's draft combine have the Chinese center — who stands 7-1 and still may be growing — listed by many as a serious first-round prospect. He has excellent footwork and passing ability, and he knows he can still get much better. ___ AP NBA:
