After Monday’s crushing defeat to the top team in the country, the LSU Tigers have their backs against the wall.
They must win three straight games, two of them coming against Wake Forest, to play for a national championship this weekend.
Now, while that task sounds very daunting, this group has been in this position before.
In a 2023 season that includes a record of 49-16, Jay Johnson’s team has faced defeat, including three separate instances where they dropped back-to-back games.
But how did they respond to those scenarios?
Iowa loss: 13 wins
A&M loss: one win
Arkansas loss: 5 wins
Tennessee loss: one win
SC loss: 3 wins
UK loss: one win
UL loss: 3 wins
Nicholls loss: 5 wins
Two Auburn losses: 2 wins
Two MSU losses: 3 wins
SEC Tourney: 6 wins
As you can see, there have been six instances this season where LSU has responded from either one or two losses with three or more wins.
When he spoke after the game Monday night, Jay Johnson said that he knows his team is prepared.
“I have zero concerns about these guys,” Johnson said ” They’re preparing well, coming in and competing and executing our plan. We’re going to have to do it against Drew Beam who’s one of the best pitchers in the country. So it’ll be a really good challenge, and we’re gonna have to be ready for it.”
Johnson has also led a team back from this position. In his first year as head coach of Arizona in 2016, the Wildcats found themselves in an elimination game in Omaha and won three straight to advance to the Championship Series.
“The short version is keep doing what we’ve been doing all season,” Tre Morgan said. “We go out every time and our plan is to win one pitch at a time as a team like I said. We go out there and play together like it’s our last time playing the game so nothing changes.”
LSU will begin their road back to the College World Series finals on Tuesday night against Tennessee with a 6:00 p.m. first pitch.