LSU's win over Wake Forest on Wednesday didn't just save their season, it saved Paul Skenes' shot at SEC and LSU history.
Skenes took the ball on short rest for a winner-take-all rematch for a shot at the College World Series title game, and he did so with 200 strikeouts on the year. He needed just three to break the longtime record of 202 set by Ben McDonald in 1989.
It took Skenes only six Wake Forest batters to hit that number on Thursday at Charles Schwab Field. First he caught slumping power hitter Brock Wilken to close out the first. Next up was a swinging strikeout of Danny Corona on a changeup to tie McDonald's mark.
The record-breaking strikeout came one batter later when he punched out Justin Johnson.
Skenes and LSU were showing down with Rhett Lowder and Wake Forest, the only two teams to be ranked No. 1 throughout the year. LSU lost 3-2 to Wake Forest on Monday, then bounced back with a 6-3 win over Tennessee on Tuesday, followed by a 5-2 win over Wake on Wednesday. The winner of the do-or-die final game will advance to a showdown with Florida, who beat TCU on Wednesday to advance out of their half of the bracket.
Skenes is widely believed to be a top-five pick in the upcoming MLB draft.
Related
