No matter how the season ultimately ends for LSU, [autotag]Nate Ackenhausen[/autotag] forever etched his name into program lore on Tuesday night.
The junior college transfer from Eastern Oklahoma State Community College hadn’t started a contest all season entering the College World Series elimination game against Tennessee, and he hadn’t gone longer than 3 2/3 innings all season.
But Ackenhausen delivered six scoreless innings, striking out seven batters, in a nearly flawless performance as LSU shut out the Vols 5-0. The Tigers knew they would need bullpen arms to step up to survive in the postseason, and Ackenhausen came through.
Now, LSU advances to face Wake Forest on Wednesday night in a semifinal rematch. The Tigers will need to win back-to-back games to make it to the championship series.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to Ackenhausen’s unreal performance.