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LSU and Florida have been two heavyweight programs in college baseball for years. Tonight, both powerhouses met in a winner take all game for the national championship after the Gators exploded for 24 runs on Sunday. LSU returned the favor to their SEC foe, scoring 3 or more runs in four different innings en route to their seventh national championship in an 18-4 victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Wyatt Langford picked up right where he left Sunday’s game, launching a two-run home run to the left-field bleachers to put Florida ahead early in the game.
LSU came roaring back in the second, with Jordan Thompson delivering an RBI single for just his second hit of the College World Series. Then, back-to-back walks from Jac Caglianone of Cade Beloso and Dylan Crews brought two more runs in to give LSU a 3-2 lead with only one out. The bases remained loaded for Tommy White, who hit an RBI single through the left side of the infield for his 103rd of the year and a 4-2 lead for LSU. Later in the inning, a sacrifice fly from Tre Morgan and an RBI single from Tre Morgan quickly made it 6-2 Bayou Bengals.
Florida threatened in the third inning, but two incredible plays from Dylan Crews in center field get the Gators from scoring along with a key punchout from Thatcher Hurd.
Brayden Jobert came up with two outs in the fourth and doubled down the right-field line. Jordan Thompson got his second RBI of the game with a single and moved to second on the throw to home.
Next, Josh Pearson launched a two-run homer to right field to give LSU a seven-run advantage. Later in the inning, Alex Milazzo scored from first on an RBI single from Beloso but suffered an injury when he landed awkwardly on his left leg.
In the seventh, the Tigers worked the bases loaded before Florida walked Hayden Travinski to bring in another run to make it 11-2.
Florida answered after the seventh-inning stretch when Ty Evans launched his fifth homer of the CWS into right field to take one run back in the game.
Dylan Crews got a triple in the eighth before White brought him in with an RBI single to make it 12-3. With the bases loaded, Brayden Jobert reached on an RBI fielder’s choice to make it a 10-run lead for the Tigers. Then, Jordan Thompson hit a sacrifice fly to score Morgan and make it a 14-3 game in the eighth.
Florida hit another solo homer to add to their impressive total in this World Series as Cade Kurland hit one near the LSU bullpen to make it 14-4.
In the ninth, Tommy White laced an RBI double to score Crews before Morgan brought White in on an RBI double of his own to make it 16-4 in the winner take all game. Brayden Jobert continued the scoring party with a two-run blast to right field to make it 18-4 in the ninth.
Gavin Guidry closed the door for LSU as the Tigers win their seventh national championship with an 18-4 win.
BIG NUMBER: 7
The victory captured the seventh national championship in program history for LSU, a team that nicknamed itself “The Powerhouse of College Baseball” in 2023.
BIG NUMBER II: 24
LSU set a new record for hits in a CWS game with 24, just one day after Florida set the new record against the Tigers with 23.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Thatcher Hurd
Hurd pitched six innings for the Tigers, allowing two runs on two hits while striking out seven. He was dominant on the mound and used a great offensive performance to be more aggressive in his approach.