GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
More than any other sport, baseball lends itself to talking about it. Hence, the iconic phrase, “Talking Baseball,” and the memorable 1981 song “Talkin’ Baseball (Willie, Mickey & The Duke)” by Terry Cashman.
Here are 20 of the best comments from the LSU Baseball program’s 12-night stay in Omaha, Nebraska, at the College World Series that culminated in the Tigers’ eighth national championship with a 5-3 win over Coastal Carolina on Sunday.
20. “Two years ago, the walk-off homer by Tommy White against Wake Forest, I felt something in my body I’ve never felt before. Greatest moment in my life. It now is tied for first with the ninth-inning with Jared Jones’ line drive over the second baseman’s head.”
… LSU coach Jay Johnson last Wednesday after Jared Jones’ two-out, walk-off single beat Arkansas, 6-5, and completed a three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth to put the Tigers in the best-of-three national championship series against Coastal Carolina.
LSU is flying high in Omaha … with a layover until Monday or Tuesday.https://t.co/1nekuovyKw
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) June 19, 2025
19. “I thought he had caught it honestly. But once I saw the ball hit the grass, I just blacked out in the moment, just celebrating with my teammates. Super grateful. There’s no clock in baseball. There’s 27 outs.”
… LSU first baseman Jared Jones after delivering the Tigers’ sixth walk-off hit at the CWS since 1993 that followed the only CWS game LSU ever lost by a walk-off – on Paul Carey’s grand slam for Stanford in the bottom of the 10th against freshman Ben McDonald in the semifinal round in 1987 for a 6-5 win, setting up Stanford’s national title.
18. “I’m literally at a loss for words. It’s about getting to the ultimate. I’m so proud of them for that. But literally, it’s about getting five more days with them. This is a model team. The mental toughness is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”
… Jay Johnson after the win over Arkansas.
17. “I don’t even know if they’re in North Carolina or South Carolina, honestly.”
… LSU pitcher Kade Anderson last Thursday – two days before starting the first game of the best-of-three national championship series against Coastal Carolina, which is in Conway, South Carolina.
16. “It’s a cool number, but it’s not really something that matters.”
… LSU pitcher Jaden Noot on Coastal Carolina’s 26-game winning streak entering game one vs. LSU.
15. “This was honestly not nearly as bad as it was in the Super Regional (in Baton Rouge). And it wasn’t even comparable, honestly. That’s the real benefit in playing in Louisiana.”
… LSU pitcher Kade Anderson of Madisonville on throwing a nine-inning, three-hit, 1-0 win over Carolina amid temperatures in the 90s, but a dry heat with humidity only reaching 60 percent.
14. “As an umpire, I feel like it’s your job to manage the game – the national championship game – with some poise, some calmness and a little bit of tolerance.”
… An absolutely correct Coastal Carolina coach Kevin Schnall on one of the worst ejections in sports history by over-officious jerk home plate umpire Angel Campos in the bottom of the first inning of game two of the national championship series on Sunday, only seconds after Schnall entered the playing field. Campos never clearly warned Schnall beforehand, and should have handled the situation so early in a game with more professionalism and warned him clearly and let him stay in the game at that time.
Umpires Angel Campos and Casey Moser at College World Series final Sunday should have been ejected and should be suspended for all of next postseason. Column:https://t.co/eGoqoN9Llr
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) June 23, 2025
13. “That’s my friend, and somebody I have great respect for. I didn’t have any reaction because I was so locked into what we needed to do in the game. But they don’t like that when you argue balls and strikes. It’s a tough situation.”
… LSU coach Jay Johnson on Schnall’s ejection. Schnall should have been more focused on his team with a runner on second base and one of his best hitters up, instead of his argument, but he still should not have been tossed.
12. “I feel a little gutted right now.”
… Schnall after losing 5-3 to LSU on Sunday.
11. “It means everything. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
… LSU pitcher Chase Shores, who struck out four and allowed one hit in two and two-thirds innings of relief for the save of the Tigers’ 5-3 title win on Sunday and was on the mound for the last out on a double play.
10. “On my visit to LSU, looking at all the history on the wall, this is what I dreamed literally – starting the final game for the national championship.”
… LSU pitcher Anthony Eyanson, who got the start and the 5-3 win over Coastal Carolina on Sunday for the national title one year after transferring from UC-San Diego.
9. “It feels like a movie when he (Jay Johnson) talks about the lineup before a game, talking about everybody’s role, how they contribute – it’s fun to watch.”
… Eyanson on Johnson’s detailed preparation for every game.
Jay Johnson dropped a bombshell after winning the national championship Sunday. 2B Daniel Dickinson broke his hamate bone in his wrist in the NCAA Regional opener and has played with it. Same injury Warren Morris had:https://t.co/evqFqdjJ4u
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) June 23, 2025
8. “He’s been playing with a broken hand since the first game of the NCAA Tournament. Listen to what I just said. He broke his hamate bone (in his left wrist) in a game he hit two homers in at the NCAA Tournament (vs. Little Rock on May 30), and just got six hits in Omaha. If that’s not toughness, I don’t know what is. Massive hats off.”
… Jay Johnson on LSU second baseman Daniel Dickinson, who had surgery Tuesday on the same bone that Warren Morris broke in 1996 before coming back to hit the biggest walk-off in college baseball history in 1996 for the Tigers’ third national championship under coach Skip Bertman.
7. “We don’t win the game last night without his defense.”
… Jay Johnson on third baseman Michael Braswell III, who fielded four balls and threw all four batters out for assists and had two other putouts in the Tigers’ 1-0 win over Coastal Carolina in game one of the best-of-three title series.
6. “It (probably would have made more sense to play Tanner Reaves. We have a meeting where we talk through the lineup. When I put Braswell on the board, somebody tried to raise their hand. But I said, ‘No, this is what we’re doing tonight.'”
… Jay Johnson on keeping Braswell in the lineup Saturday before game one of the championship series despite his .189 average, .000 in the CWS (0-for-9) and .048 in the NCAA postseason (1-for-21).
5. “If you’re a pitcher, and you don’t want to come here right now, you’re out to lunch. You’re not thinking clearly. Because that’s three dudes that pitched in the series who are all going to be in the Major Leagues within 18 months.”
… Jay Johnson on game one and two starters and winners Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson and game two closer Chase Shores, who got the save and the final out.
4. “Congratulations to coach Schnall and Coastal. To win 26 in a row is insane. It’s ridiculous. It took the best team in the country to beat them. LSU is the best team in the country this year, not just the national champion.”
… Jay Johnson.
“We’ve got it all.”
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) June 23, 2025
-LSU coach Jay Johnson, who needs some Ray-Bans now:https://t.co/ka8fVyKnWE
3. “Unbelievable. I’m so proud right now. It’s not to be taken for granted being here two years ago. That was special. Greatest night of my life. This is equal, and maybe even tops in some ways.”
… Jay Johnson on winning his second national title in three years at LSU.
2. “We can do a couple more. It’s okay. We just won the national championship. We can stay here all night.”
… Jay Johnson after the over-officious jerk (there’s that term again from former Buffalo coach Marv Levy) press conference moderator said “Last question” trying to hurry Johnson out of his national championship presser at 5 in the afternoon?
1. “I love you guys. I will do anything for you the rest of your life. Amazing. You did this. It would not have happened without you.”
… Jay Johnson at the postgame press conference after the title win to pitcher Anthony Eyanson, center fielder Chris Stanfield and pitcher Chase Shores.
And three more for lagniappe.
“Love you, coach,” Anthony Eyanson said.
“Love you, too,” Chris Stanfield said.
“Love you, coach,” Chase Shores said.
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