Putting a bow on LSU baseball's national championship season
As we head into the dog days of summer with the start of LSU preseason football camp a month away, here’s one last comprehensive look at the 2023 Tigers’ baseball national championship season.
LSU not only captured the College World Series but also won just about every major coach and player national award and dominated the NCAA season statistics.
AWARDS
Head coach Jay Johnson: National Coach of the Year by American Baseball Coaches Association and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
Center fielder Dylan Crews: Golden Spikes Award winner, Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger of the Year, SEC Player of the Year, first-team All-American by National College Baseball Writers Association, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and D1 Baseball, American Baseball Coaches Association Gold Glove team, College World Series all-tournament team, NCAA Baton Rouge Regional Most Outstanding Player, NCAA Baton Rouge Regional all-tournament team, All-SEC first team, All-SEC Defensive team.
Pitcher Paul Skenes: Dick Howser Trophy for best Division 1 player, Golden Spikes finalist, College World Series Most Outstanding Player, College World Series all-tournament team, NCAA Baton Rouge Regional all-tournament team, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper National Player of the Year, D1 Baseball National Player of the Year, first-team All-American by National College Baseball Writers Association, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and D1 Baseball, SEC Pitcher of the Year, All-SEC first team.
Third baseman Tommy White: First-team All-American by National College Baseball Writers Association, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, All-SEC first team, College World Series all-tournament team.
First baseman Tre’ Morgan: College World Series all-tournament team.
Second baseman Gavin Dugas: College World Series all-tournament team.
Designated hitter Cade Beloso: College World Series all-tournament team, NCAA Baton Rouge Regional all-tournament team.
Pitcher Ty Floyd: College World Series all-tournament team.
Catcher Hayden Travinski: NCAA Baton Rouge Regional all-tournament team.
Shortstop Jordan Thompson: NCAA Baton Rouge Regional all-tournament team.
Left fielder Josh Pearson: NCAA Baton Rouge Regional all-tournament team.
Pitcher Thatcher Hurd: NCAA Baton Rouge Regional all-tournament team.
First baseman/designated hitter Jared Jones: Second team Freshman All-American by National College Baseball Writers Association, All-SEC freshman team.
NCAA FINAL STATS RANKINGS
INDIVIDUAL
Crews: No. 1 in the nation in runs scored (100) and walks (71), No. 2 in on-base percentage (.567) and base hits (110), No. 3 in batting average (.426), No. 4 in runs per game (1.41) and No. 8 in total bases (184).
Skenes: No. 1 strikeouts (209), strikeouts per nine innings (15.33), WHIP (0.75), tied for No. 1 games started (19), No. 2 in the nation in ERA (1.69), No. 3 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (10.45), No. 5 in hits allowed per nine innings (5.28) and No. 13 walks allowed per inning (1.47).
White: No. 1 in RBI (105), No. 3 in total bases (198), No. 4 in RBI per game (1.59) and No. 11 in homers (24) and doubles (24).
Dugas: No. 1 in hit-by-pitch (33), No. 5 in hit-by-pitch per game (.49).
Floyd: Tied for No. 13 in games started (17).
Pitcher Riley Cooper: Tied for No. 17 in appearances (32).
TEAM
No. 1 in the nation in runs scored (634) and in shutouts by its pitching staff (12).
No. 2 in homers (144), walks received (413), hit-by-pitches (143), on-base percentage (.432) and strikeouts pitched per nine innings (11.7).
No. 4 in hits (744) and homers per game (2.03), tied for No. 4 in win-loss percentage (.761).
No. 5 in the nation in slugging percentage (.554).
No. 6 in hits allowed per nine innings (7.67) and No. 8 in scoring (8.9 runs per game).
No. 10 in WHIP (1.30).
No. 19 batting average (.308).
FANS
No. 1 in home college baseball attendance, 447,527 in 40 games (11,188 per game).
No. 1 in Rocco’s Jell-O shot competition in Omaha at the College World Series, a record 68,888 at $5 each ($344,440).
SCHOOL SEASON RECORDS SET
INDIVIDUAL
Runs: Dylan Crews, 100
Hits: Dylan Crews, 110, ties Brandon Larson (1997)
Pitching strikeouts: Paul Skenes, 209 (also an SEC record)
Pitching strikeouts per nine innings: Paul Skenes, 15.33
TEAM
Pitching strikeouts: 798
Pitching strikeouts per game: 11.2
Left on base: 635
GO FIGURE
7: Different spots in the batting order each for Brayden Jobert, Josh Pearson and Hayden Travinski
9: LSU players hit by 20 pitches in 13 NCAA tournament games
11-2: LSU’s NCAA tourney record this season (3-0 Baton Rouge Regionals, 2-0 Super Regionals, 6-2 College World Series)
15: Run-rule wins by the Tigers
17: Strikeouts by LSU pitcher Ty Floyd in CWS vs. Florida, a CWS record for a nine-inning game
19: Games in which LSU scored 5 or more runs with two outs
24: Games with 3 or more LSU home runs
26: Game-hitting streak for Dylan Crews, a team-best
28: Multiple RBI games for Tommy White, a team-best
29: Consecutive games with at least one Tigers’ home run
37: Multiple hit games for Dylan Crews, a team-high
48: Runners left on base by LSU in three-game championship series vs. Florida
71: Starts for Dylan Crews and Jordan Thompson, the only Tigers’ to start in every game this season.
75: Consecutive games on base for Dylan Crews (4 last season, all 71 games this season).
95: Runs scored by LSU in the sixth inning this season, the Tigers’ highest-scoring inning
103: Strikeouts by 12 LSU pitchers in eight College World Series games
222: Runs scored (3.1 per game) by LSU this season with two outs