What the LSU baseball and women’s basketball teams had in common
By John Fye
The LSU baseball team are 2023 National Champions. Such is not surprising, considering all that they had in common with LSU’s women’s basketball team.
The parallels between the 2023 LSU baseball and 2022-23 LSU women’s basketball teams were obvious. So obvious that fans like me bit our tongues out of respect for luck and superstition.
Indeed, the 2023 LSU baseball story is one of a second-year head coach in Baton Rouge, leading a roster aided by high-profile transfer players and staring down high expectations. Jay Johnson’s team was stellar for most of the regular season but exposed some flaws down the stretch and underwhelmed in the SEC Tournament.
Nevertheless, the LSU baseball team dominated several stages of the College World Series tournament while squeezing out close wins in others. In the end, the Tigers destroyed their opposition to win the final game of the season and capture another national championship.
All the above rivals the context in which the LSU women’s basketball team reigned supreme on the hardwood. The individual comparisons are somewhat eerie.
Johnson led his team to a championship in his second season following the move to Baton Rouge from another Power 5 program. LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey did the same. Transfer forward Angel Reese largely enabled Mulkey’s latest basketball title. Likewise, Johnson’s team was catapulted by the performance of Air Force transfer and starting pitcher Paul Skenes.
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I recall my disappointment after the LSU baseball team was upset by Tennessee during the SEC Tournament. Then, I remember the Tigers’ loss to Wake Forest in the College World Series and thinking, “Well, at least LSU baseball fans now own the jello shots record.” I experienced similar doubts and disappointment during the LSU women’s college basketball postseason. I didn’t give up on either team but scaled back my expectations.
However, I realized the LSU baseball team had a certain mojo and team of destiny vibe that rivaled Mulkey’s Tigers.
Few championship-winning teams are perfect, and the LSU baseball and women’s college basketball squads were no exception. But the Tigers in both sports leveraged their strengths in pivotal moments and played their best when their backs were against the wall. But, of course, having players like Dylan Crews (Alexis Morris), Cade Beloso (LaDazhia Williams), and Gavin Guidry (Flau’jae Johnson) helps.
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LSU football head coach Brian Kelly and men’s basketball coach Matt McMahon are entering their second seasons. Moreover, both coaches are also reliant on marquee transfer talent. Are national championships in their immediate future as well?