Braswell reflects on offensive struggles, fan support as a champion

By Hunt Palmer

Michael Braswell always dreamt of striding to the plate at the College World Series with the crowd roaring.

He lived that dream over the weekend. Kind of.

In all of Braswell’s at bats in the national title series, the purple and gold that swarmed Charles Schwab Field rose to its collective feet and offered support.

“It was surreal,” Braswell said. “It’s a dream to have a fan base behind you. Obviously, it’s not a dream to be hitting .150, but it’s a dream to have a fan base wrap their arms around you and try to pick you up. It’s an out of body experience. I’m sitting there, and I almost feel like a have to get a hit.”

Braswell’s senior season never got going offensively. Prior to hit final at bat of the season, he was one for his last 40 at bats. His batting average sunk to .184, by far the lowest of his four-year college a career.

Still, the Tiger fans continued to stand and cheer at bat after at bat.

In his final plate appearance, Braswell dug in with Daniel Dickinson at first and one out in the eighth inning of a two-run game. Head coach Jay Johnson decided to call a hit-and-run to take the swing decision for Braswell. With Dickinson on the move, he didn’t have to identify ball or strike. It was an automatic swing.

“First pitch we had a hit and run on, and a sinker guy throws a ball that almost hits me,” Braswell said. “I’m like, god dangit. Danny’s mad at me because I didn’t hit it. I was like, man, and then I just remember the last pitch was a slider low and away. I stayed through it and dumped it into left field. I’m sitting there praising God. I told the first base coach, ‘it’s good to see you.’”

Braswell will always have the memory of that single in Omaha. And the hardware that goes with winning a national championship.

While he won’t wear his season-long .189 batting average as a badge of honor, he’ll forever be able to take pride in the journey of the season it shaped. The Atlanta native was LSU’s everyday shortstop in 2024. He ceded that job to sophomore standout Steven Milam in 2025 and began to share time with junior college transfer Tanner Reaves over at third base.

After hitting .310 in SEC games in 2024, Braswell scuffled early in 2025 which became increasingly disheartening.

“It was really difficult at first, really difficult,” Braswell said. “It’s worse when you’ve been there, and you’ve done it at the SEC level, and you know you can do it, and you’re not doing it. That’s the hardest part. If I had just come here and not hit, that would be better than doing it and then not being able to do it.”

Playing time became sparse, only starting the games against left-handed starters. Many seniors in Braswell’s position could have checked out, pouted. Braswell did the opposite.

“It would be different if I were hitting .300 and not playing,” Braswell said. “I see what everybody else sees. I’m very self-aware. I’m batting .100. I wouldn’t play myself either if I was the coach. I understand. I got in the lab with Chief (hitting coach Mark Wanaka) and them. Tried to work and improve. Work on my defense at third. Do whatever I can do to help the team win.”

That part did come.

LSU started the season 21-1 and stayed near the top of the SEC standings beginning to end. Braswell never truly turned the corner on offense, but his defense at third base remained steady. That ‘why he eventually became the everyday starter despite his sinking batting average.

Milam shined at shortstop, playing one of the best defensive seasons in LSU history at the position. Braswell matched him. The senior only made three errors all year and didn’t make one after April 5, a string of 58 consecutive plays made.

The left side of the Tiger infield spearheaded the best fielding percentage in LSU history.

“It’s another thing Coach Johnson preaches, man,” Braswell began. “Not doing your job at the plate, doing one thing wrong, if you let that turn into doing multiple things wrong, you’re letting the team down more with that. Going 0-for-3 in a day doesn’t hurt you as much as going 0-for-3 on the day and then sulking in the field, booting one, and now the team loses. Now it’s really compounded.”

Though his outward response to the offensive struggles appeared strong. Internally, Braswell says he battled it.

His offseason goal went up in smoke early.

“If people remember last year, I struggled a lot in non-conference,” Braswell said. “Then I picked it up in SEC play. Going into the year, my main goal was to not struggle in non-conference again. Having that happen again, mentally, it was just hard.”

LSU’s resources inside the baseball program reach much further than a big stadium with a pitching lab and unlimited video and scouting data charters flights and custom Marucci gloves.

“Coach Johnson does a great job with the mental part of the game,” Braswell said. “We have our own mental health specialist in Karlene (Pick). She helped me a lot keeping me in a positive mindset every day just trying to one step every day. You just stay positive and stay within the team concept.”

Braswell kept working, and LSU kept winning.

His defense allowed the Tigers to hold off Coastal Carolina for a 1-0 win in game one of the championship series. He gloved a great bunt attempt and made a tough throw to first in the eighth inning and made a nifty play moving to his left in the ninth to get the first out.

When the infield dust settled in Omaha, Braswell and his teammates hoisted the trophy. Was it worth it?

“1000 percent,” Braswell said. “We reached the ultimate goal. Anything I could do to help my team reach the ultimate goal. I’m blessed to be able to do that. I told the guys, I’d got 0-for-50. I don’t care. I’d bat .005 if it meant we win the national championship.”

(The quotes in this story come from Michael Braswell’s hour-long Tuesday sit down with Matt Moscona on After Further Review.)