LSU knows the road only gets more difficult after a 5-0 win over Tennessee to stay alive in the College World Series, and they're just fine with that.
The Tigers clawed their way into the semifinals in Omaha, fighting through the loser's bracket after a 3-2 loss to the Demon Deacons on Monday that could have easily gone the other direction if not for some stellar fielding and missed opportunities late in the game.
This time LSU will have the benefit of some extra scouting, but one thing is very clear, as Jay Johnson explained Tuesday evening.
"Yea, they’re legit," he said, simply, noting that he's got a long 24 hours of prep ahead to prepare for the matchup. Wake had the day off awaiting their opponent.
Johnson also added that in his three trips to Omaha -- the previous two with Arizona -- he'd never seen it more loaded with talent.
"This is the best field," Johnson said, having also made it in 2016 and 2021. "There’s the most good players and good pitchers of the times I’ve been in the College World Series. They are certainly part of that."
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LSU faced Josh Hartle and a slew of talented bullpen arms in the first matchup, and it'll be another difficult combination on Wednesday. Johnson had previously stated that he believes Wake Forest and Tennessee to be the two most talented pitching staffs in the country. But he'll double-down on his own pitching staff, too, one that has been elite through three games behind gems from Paul Skenes, Ty Floyd and Nate Ackenhausen, with Riley Cooper and Thatcher Hurd working in relief.
Johnson wouldn't tip his hand as to his pitching plans, but indicated he was very comfortable with where things stand. He said there were nine pitchers available going into Tuesday, and only two were used.
"We’ve had a pretty good year from the mound, but because of some of the injuries and because of two speed bumps through the best conference in the country, there’s this thought that we don’t have a great pitching staff," Johnson said. "I think we have a great pitching staff and we have plenty of guys to execute in a way that can give us a chance to be successful. I feel great about it.”
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That claim will be tested in the biggest way possible on Wednesday, and the best result for the Tigers will be a chance to do it all again on Thursday. The Tigers wouldn't want it any other way.
"They have more [pitchers] that they can go to. Offense, they have their way, and they do their thing really, really well," Johnson said. "So, wouldn’t want to be playing anybody else. I feel like the four best teams in the country are the four best teams still playing in Omaha right now.”