It's easy to overlook just how unlikely LSU's road was to its 7th national title after they landed in the loser's bracket. All that's left to decide might be who gets the movie rights.
Looking at the road ahead of their first of three consecutive elimination games in Omaha, Bobby Hebert declared that if the Tigers could manage to win a title in 2023, it'd probably be the most impressive run of all time. Well, they did, and present day Bobby still agrees with his past self.
"Considering the adversity and expectations, this is the greatest baseball championship in LSU history," Hebert said on SportsTalk this week. "I’m not talking about a dark horse like Ole Miss, what they did last year. I’m talking about the LSU program and all that they established and living up to those expectations of being preseason No. 1, and not just going to Omaha. Because you know, we always say ‘Omaha or bust.’ Well it turned into not only Omaha or bust, but we’ve got to win the damn thing. And guess what? They won the freaking championship."
Listen to the full conversation from SportsTalk in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
There were so many title-shaping moments to remember, but one of the most impressive: The redemption of Jordan Thompson. LSU's shortstop had struggled mightily in Omaha, going 1-for-30 and committing a pair of errors that cost the Tigers five runs in a 24-4 loss in Game 2.
After the loss, LSU head coach Jay Johnson affirmed his confidence in the veteran shortstop, and that faith was answered. With Thompson facing an 0-2 count against future MLB star Jac Caglianone, he came through with an RBI single to set the tone for what was ultimately an 18-4 beatdown by the Tigers, flipping the script from a day earlier. He also delivered two more RBIs and had a clean day in the field.
"That’s like a movie. That is truly a movie what the LSU fighting Tigers did," Hebert said. "And you want to talk about game after game after game, you played eight games in 10 days. So to me, just by playing eight games in 10 days, no, you are truly the champion."
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One other added bit of sweetness in the title win: It came against Florida, the same team that stopped the Tigers just short of a title in 2017. There's also a twist of the knife in the fact that LSU was able to do it without ace Paul Skenes even throwing a pitch.
"That’s why if you’ve got any Florida fans … and they might want to do the Gator chomp in your face," Hebert continued. "They can maybe do that with one arm now, because they got humbled."
The LSU squad is now back in Baton Rouge and will celebrate with its fans Wednesday evening at Alex Box Stadium, with the event beginning at 7:30. You can listen to the action live on WWL.
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