Photo by LSU Athletics
By Rivers Hughey
LSU Baseball is heading back to Omaha.
Speaking with 104.5 ESPN’s Jacob Hester on Off the Bench, LSU head coach Jay Johnson reflected on the moment and the mindset it’s taken to get back to the College World Series.
“There’s eight players from that 2023 team, and everybody else…it’s their first time,” Johnson said. “They deserve to be here. Whether we won two games last weekend or not, this team earned their way to Omaha by how they’ve done everything.”
Johnson emphasized that the focus began long before the postseason. From winter workouts to the regular season grind, the Tigers earned their way back.
LSU opens its CWS run with a familiar foe in Arkansas, a team they saw just four weeks ago. But Johnson is approaching it with a clean slate.
“I kind of have a rule: when you play a team in the postseason, start over,” he said. “Young players change fast. Four weeks is a long time. And playing them at our place is different than playing them (in Omaha).”
Johnson said he’s watched Arkansas’ most recent games closely, putting extra focus on their super regional performance, rather than relying too heavily on their previous series.
Mind Games at the Plate
Facing an ace like Arkansas’ Zach Root, Johnson knows the battle begins before the batter even steps in the box.
“Familiarity helps…you recognize pitches quicker,” he explained. “But if you start guessing, especially against elite arms, you’re in trouble. It’s about eliminating pitches, attacking the ones you want, and battling with two strikes.”
Bullpen Weapons Still Fresh
LSU didn’t need to go deep in their pitching staff to close out their recent Super Regional.
“We had a plan for how we were going to use them, but Chase Shores came in throwing 120 miles an hour,” he joked.
Shores looked every bit the imposing presence LSU hoped he’d become.
“He’s one of the first big recruits we landed when I got here,” Johnson said. “He stayed bought in even through his injury. That performance, finishing it out like that, I was proud of him.”
Staying Locked In
With the unpredictability of Omaha, whether it’s two games or a week-long run, Johnson is keeping the Tigers focused on the task at hand.
“You don’t talk about the next step until you climb the one in front of you,” he said. “We’ve trained for this all year. Pitch by pitch. Game by game. These are all championship teams here…our guys know that.”
