In my opinion, the streak of 13 consecutive victories to end the 2000 season winning the SEC tournament, the regional, the super regional and the CWS. This has to be the best stretch of LSU baseball ever. LSU 6, Stanford 5 (June 17 at Omaha, Neb.) LSU 6, Florida State 3 (June 15 at Omaha, Neb.) LSU 10, Southern California 4 (June 12 at Omaha, Neb.) LSU 13, Texas 5 (June 10 at Omaha, Neb.) LSU 14, UCLA 8 (June 3 at Baton Rouge, La.) LSU 8, UCLA 2 (June 2 at Baton Rouge, La.) LSU 5, Louisiana-Monroe 3 (May 28 at Baton Rouge, La.) LSU 21, Louisiana-Monroe 0 (May 27 at Baton Rouge, La.) LSU 19, Jackson State 1 (May 26 at Baton Rouge, La.) LSU 9, Florida 6 (May 21 at Hoover, Ala.) LSU 6, Alabama 5 (May 20 at Hoover, Ala.) LSU 18, Alabama 12 (May 18 at Hoover, Ala.) LSU 11, Georgia 3 (May 17 at Hoover, Ala.)
I don't have the numbers on this (and I don't feel like doing the research), but the '97 team went on a tear after losing the last game of the regular season in Tuscaloosa something like 20-2. They may have lost between then and the rematch win over Bama in the CWS final, but they were hot in that streak.
They went 57-13 for the year, 188 HR, and won 20 in a row to start the season. They actually lost 28-2 to Alabama earlier in the year.
Here is the 1997 season from the SEC tourney on: LSU 13, Alabama 6 (June 7 at Omaha, Neb.) LSU 13, Stanford 9 (June 4 at Omaha, Neb.) LSU 10, Stanford 5 (June 1 at Omaha, Neb.) LSU 5, Rice 4 (May 30 at Omaha, Neb.) LSU 15, South Alabama 4 (May 26 at Baton Rouge) LSU 14, South Alabama 4 (May 26 at Baton Rouge) LSU 14, Long Beach State 7 (May 25 at Baton Rouge) South Alabama 11, LSU 5 (May 24 at Baton Rouge) LSU 14, Oklahoma 3 (May 23 at Baton Rouge) LSU 14, UNC-Greensboro 0 (May 22 at Baton Rouge) Alabama 12, LSU 2 (May 18 at Columbus, Ga.) LSU 12, Alabama 7 (May 17 at Columbus, Ga.) LSU 12, Tennessee 5 (May 16 at Columbus, Ga.) 143 runs in 13 games which equates to 11 rpg....that regoddamdiculous I would say maybe this is the 2nd best stretch. Offensively I would say it is the best however. And yes in the last 2 series of the regular season they suffered ugly losses to Arkansas 16-1 and Bama 28-2.
I was witness to all 13 games...and at that time, I calculated based on signing bonuses alone that LSU mowed through better than $12,000,000 of major league baseball talent... Some of the arms would include UCLA's two youngsters (I can't recall their name), Texas' bonus baby Beau Hale, Southern Cal workhorse (and former Vanderbilt Freshman All-American) Mark Prior, Edmund Muth and Joe Borchard... Some studs, to be sure...That LSU team had a sense of purpose...It was amazing...They just totally and unequivocally flipped a switch in the SEC Tournament. Lots of young guys that acted professionaly. As if they knew the responsibility of the team and the tradition, their own futures, and the responsibility to each other... From the Jawja game to open up the Tournament where Theriot "bounced" his one-hopper over the wall in right center (The longest hit in his LSU career, without question), to when Jeff Lipari & Wally Pontiff tore it up... I can remember these guys talking about, "Working on their resumes for the paychecks," and "remembering what LSU is all about." There was just a sense of purpose and a look in their eyes that this team didn't have just yet... But, we're working on it...
Is this the game Larson hit the bomb that still hasn't landed? Who was the Rice pitcher. I think he was a 1st rounder. Or was that 1996?
My old boss brother's son played for Rice that year (He was a reserve)... He remarked about how bad Brandon Larson made everyone look that year...Kyle Peterson, the announcer for ESPN's CWS Broadcasts, has also made mention of Larson's that year in collegiate baseball. He also talked about how much "smaller" Brandon looked once he got to the minors...
1997 The output the 1997 baseball team had will never be touched again by any college D-1 team...everyone on the team had at least 1 hr (minus pitchers). That is impressive!
