With Paul Skenes on the mound, it often feels like any crooked number on the scoreboard would be enough, and Gavin Dugas made sure the Tigers weren't waiting long.
The 5th-year senior turned around a 94 mph fastball from Tennessee ace Andrew Lindsay and sent it well into the left-field bleachers for the Tigers' first run of a long-awaited visit return visit to Omaha.
Check out Dugas' homer in the video below. Can't see the embed? Click here.
It was fitting for the early hero to be Dugas, who led the entire Southeastern Conference in 2021 but has been flying under the radar throughout the 2023 season on a roster featuring superstar talent like Dylan Crews and Tommy White.
Skenes made sure to do his part, pounding the zone with 100-plus MPH fastballs and seven strikeouts over the first three scoreless innings.
LSU and Tennessee were battling for a spot in the winner's bracket, where top-seeded Wake Forest awaits after a comeback win over Stanford. Those games will be held on Monday.
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