Head LSU baseball coach Jay Johnson has been named the 2023 National Coach of The Year by Collegiate Baseball newspaper. Johnson led the Tigers to their seventh national championship in just just his second year in Baton Rouge.
Those Tigers finished the 2023 season with a 57-14 record as they capped off the season with an 18-4 win over the Florida Gators to secure a National Championship in Omaha, Nebraska. In the College World Series, LSU won and took down opponents like the Tennessee Volunteers, the number one ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons, and the Gators, who was led by projected top three pick Wyatt Langford.
The LSU Tigers were the top-ranked team during the preseason through the first 12 weeks of the regular season. They became number two in the nation after losing two out of three during the May 5-7th weekend series to the Auburn Tigers. LSU then fell to fifth the following week when they lost games two and three to Mississippi State, including a 14-13 loss in extra innings that Sunday.
On the way to winning LSU their seventh championship in baseball, Johnson’s squad was highlighted by Collegiate Baseball’s National Player of The Year right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes and CB first-team All-Americans Dylan Crews and Tommy White. The team produced throughout the season as they averaged 8.9 runs per game while hitting 144 home runs, which was 2nd in the nation. LSU was also runner-up in the nation in walks received with 413, hit-by-pitches with 143, and on-base percentage of .432, and pitcher strikeouts per nine innings with 11.7.
LSU was also first in the nation in runs scored at 634 and shutouts by its pitching staff with 12.
The pitching staff finished the season with 798 strikeouts, which was led by Skenes’ school and SEC record 209 and right-hander Ty Floyd’s 120.
Johnson had the number-one recruiting class in the nation last fall that brought in 21 new players with 14 high schoolers, five high-profile NCAA Division I transfers, and two junior college transfers.
The Tigers’ head man will look to do more of the same as players like Skenes and Crews will be top picks in this upcoming MLB draft and pitching coach Wes Johnson taking the job at Georgia as LSU plans to repeat at champs.
Previous Collegiate Baseball National Coaches of The Year include:
2022: Mike Bianco, Mississippi
2021: Chris Lemonis, Mississippi St.
2020: Mike Bianco, Mississippi
2019: Tim Corbin, Vanderbilt
2018: Pat Casey, Oregon St.
2017: Kevin O’Sullivan, Florida
2016: Gary Gilmore, Coastal Carolina
2015: Brian O’Connor, Virginia
2014: Tim Corbin, Vanderbilt
2013: John Savage, UCLA
2012: Andy Lopez, Arizona
2011: Ray Tanner, South Carolina
2010: Ray Tanner, South Carolina
2009: Paul Mainieri, LSU
2008: Mike Batesole, Fresno St
2007: Pat Casey, Oregon St.
2006: Pat Casey, Oregon St.
2005: Augie Garrido, Texas
2004: George Horton, Cal. St. Fullerton
2003: Wayne Graham, Rice
2002: Augie Garrido, Texas
2001: Jim Morris, Miami (Fla.)
2000: Skip Bertman, LSU
1999: Jim Morris, Miami (Fla.)
1998: Mike Gillespie, Southern Calif.; Mike Batesole, Cal. St. Northridge
1997: Skip Bertman, LSU
1996: Skip Bertman, LSU; Andy Lopez, Florida
1995: Augie Garrido, Cal. St. Fullerton
1994: Larry Cochell, Oklahoma
1993: Skip Bertman, LSU
1992: Andy Lopez, Pepperdine
1991: Skip Bertman, LSU
1990: Steve Webber, Georgia
1989: Dave Snow, Long Beach St.
1988: Larry Cochell, Cal. St. Fullerton
1987: Mark Marquess, Stanford
1986: Jerry Kindall, Arizona
1985: Ron Fraser, Miami (Fla.)
1984: Augie Garrido, Cal. St. Fullerton
1983: Cliff Gustafson, Texas
1982: Ron Fraser, Miami (Fla.)
1981: Jim Brock, Arizona St.
1980: Jerry Kindall, Arizona