The LSU Tigers are national champions again.
Fifth-seed LSU crushed No. 2 Florida 18-4 Monday night in the decisive Game 3 of the Men’s College World Series finals in Omaha, Neb.
The Tigers have now won seven national championships under three head coaches. This is Jay Johnson’s first in only his second year at the helm after replacing Paul Manieri, who guided LSU to the 2009 championship.
Skip Bertman led the Tigers to championships in 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 2000.
LSU and Florida both finished 54-17.
“National championship team,” Johnson said. “I think the most gratifying part of it is they were national championship people every single day of this thing. Kind of feels like a two-year win if that makes sense.
“I really believe this will go down as one of the best teams in college baseball history. I love these guys. I’m so proud of them. They’re a worthy champion if there ever was a worthy champion.”
LSU’s lopsided victory came one day after Florida forced Game 3 with a 24-4 victory.
“We got punched in the mouth yesterday (Sunday),” said LSU junior outfielder Dylan Crews, the Golden Spike’s award winner as the nation’s best player. “That’s the beauty of baseball. You get to wake up in the morning and do it all over again.
“As soon as the game was over everybody forgot about it. We woke up today and you could just see on everybody’s face they were ready to go. And there was no one in the country, in the world, that was going to beat us today.”
As LSU got within one out of the title, LSU shortstop Jordan Thompson said he started getting a little emotional.
“I looked at (pitcher) Gavin (Guidry) and almost started tearing up,” he said. “We had to get one more out but I wanted that last ball too.
“I just can’t be more prouder of my guys the way that we came out all year and just competed a fought through adversity. When guys went down guys stepped up. That just speaks about the character of our team. We just handle our business and own our deal every single day. It’s very rewarding for what we were able to accomplish not only tonight but the whole season.”
The Gators got off to a good start. Wyatt Langford crushed a two-run home run in the bottom of the first.
After that it was all LSU.
The Tigers batted around in the second, scoring six runs. LSU added four more in the fourth for a 10-2 lead.
The Tigers scored eight over the final three innings.
Thatcher Hurd got the start and the win. He allowed two runs on two hits in six overs innings. He struck out seven and walked two.
“When the offense is producing like that my job is to get them back in the dugout as soon as possible,” Hurd said. “That feels suffocating for the other team. I just kind of told myself don’t give them an inch.”
Riley Cooper allowed one hit in the seventh. Guidry pitched the final two innings.
LSU had 24 hits off six Florida pitchers. Eleven Tigers had at least one hit.
Crews, Brayden Jobert and Tommy White had four apiece. Tre’ Morgan had three. Thompson and Cade Beloso had two each.
Jobert and Josh Pearson hit home runs.