A great ending to a fun season. I’m sure coach Johnson is already contacting recruits and portal players to mine the good feeling around the program after winning the championship again. Our baseball l team is in good hands. I am optimistic that this will not be the last for Johnson at LSU.
There just seems to be a vibe for LSU baseball that says, just get us to Omaha, and everything will take care of itself. I still don't feel like we had national championship calibre talent, aside from the Anderson-Eyanson duo - but I do have to acknowledge the bullpen (esp. Chase Shores) really elevated its game in Omaha. What this team did have is supreme self-confidence and the ability to rise to the occasion. So many guys stepped up and delivered when they had to; Milam, Jones, Curiel, Brown, Hernandez, Cowan, Evans, even Braswell, who didn't let his troubles at the plate impact his play at 3rd. Arky and CC absolutely cracked under the pressure, LSU did not. The "chest" to handle the moment is as important as talent when the moment arrives.
2 weeks till the MLB draft after which Coach Johnson can evaluate and start the reload process in earnest.
Anyone remember Chase Burns from Tennessee? I'm a Reds fan, so I've been following his call up, and perhaps the strangest two games to start a major league career in history. Made his debut last week against the Yankees, and got the first six outs of the game by strikeout, including the first 5 he faced. Eventually went 5 innings, gave up a couple of runs and got a no decision (Reds won the game), but everyone was pretty delirious. Then in his second start Tuesday, at Fenway, got completely shelled, gave up 6 runs through one out in the first inning before he got the hook. Looks like he was tipping his pitches, could see almost as soon as he started his windup whether he was bringing fastball or slider, and the Red Sox hitters were putting dents in the Monster. Even the Red Sox home TV announcers caught it.
That’s the thing about moving from college to pro ball (baseball, basketball, & football). If you have a weakness, it will be exposed and exploited. How many good college hitters quickly look silly when they face a MLB curve ball. I remember back in the early 90’s the Houston Rockets drafted a kid out of college who looked really good in his first 20-30 games. Other teams realized that he had issues driving to his left so everyone overplayed him to the right to force him to go left. Soon he was on the bench and never made it to season #2. BTW, I have been a Reds fan since the big red machine days. Sadly they have been hard to follow for years.
MLB.com is giving us Reds/Phillies for free today. Abbott pitching, they jumped in him for 3 in the first, Noelve Marte back in the lineup from rehab.
