Tag: Ty Floyd

Former LSU outfielder announces transfer to Big 10 school

After spending the last two years at LSU, Josh Stevenson is headed to Ohio State.

After spending the last two years at LSU, [autotag]Josh Stevenson[/autotag] is headed to Ohio State.

Stevenson played in 40 games as a freshman in 2022, finishing the season with a .200 batting average, four doubles, a homer and 9 RBI. Last season, Stevenson only appeared in 24 games and had 10 at-bats. He was mainly used as a late-inning defensive replacement.

The Buckeyes finished last season 31-25 and failed to make the Big Ten conference tournament. Hopefully, Stevenson will go to Columbus and be successful.

As for LSU, the Tigers are gearing up for Sunday’s MLB draft where they will see multiple names called in the first round. [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag], [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] and possibly [autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag] may all hear their names called early tomorrow night. The 2023 MLB draft starts at 6 p.m. CT.

After the draft, we should know more about who LSU is pursuing in the transfer portal as well.

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Where Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes land in ESPN’s latest 2023 MLB mock draft

We’re just a couple days from learning where Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes will play professional ball.

We’re just over 48 hours away from the start of the 2023 MLB draft, and when the festivities begin on Sunday night, all eyes will be on a pair of former LSU players.

Both outfielder [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] and right-handed pitcher [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] have been largely seen as the top-two prospects in the draft all season. However, a recent MLB.com mock showed a change with high school center fielder Max Clark going with the top pick, instead.

ESPN baseball insider Kiley McDaniel recently released the 3.0 version of his 2023 mock draft, and he has Skenes ultimately going with the top pick to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

According to what McDaniel is hearing, Crews is looking for an over-slot deal worth nearly $10 million if he goes in the top spot. Due to the fear of not signing the top pick in a loaded draft class, McDaniel predicts that the team will make the safer move and draft Skenes.

Skenes, Wyatt Langford and Max Clark are the three real options at the top pick. Clark has worked out for the Pirates privately, and (news alert) Langford did so earlier this week, now that his college season is over. I think the question here is, for roughly comparable prices, do the Pirates want to pick Langford or Skenes — and if they want to save a bit more money, do they take the high school player in Clark?

The Pirates may not know the answer to this question yet, and I’m pretty certain they haven’t talked numbers with the reps for any candidate, but I’m confident this is the state of play right now.

To account for saving some on this pick and having a big 5% bonus pool overage, I have local-ish product Kevin McGonigle (21st in my final rankings) going to the Pirates with their next pick, 42nd overall. You’ll see a lot of prep players who get past pick No. 20 or so finding their way to a club’s second pick for more money, but neither the teams nor the agents involved have a good idea how that will play out yet.

While he may not get the deal he ultimately wants if this projection holds true, McDaniel doesn’t have Crews waiting very long with the Washington Nationals taking him at the No. 2 spot.

Taking famous collegiate draft prospects for enormous bonuses is the formula the Nats used to land Anthony Rendon, Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg, which eventually led to a World Series title. Is Crews putting out a huge signability ask because he has a landing spot worked out or because he’s confident he’ll get what he wants? I’ve heard for months the Nats’ draft board has Crews and Skenes at the top, and literally no other players are being taken seriously at this pick, despite some buzz they’re considering Langford. I think an LSU player is extremely likely to be the Nats’ first pick.

Somewhat surprisingly, McDaniel also has [autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag] as a first-rounder. The College World Series hero is projected to go 24th overall to the Atlanta Braves.

I don’t think the Braves are looking at over-slot options here, and they are mostly on position players. As mentioned in my updated rankings, there’s a faint whiff of Spencer Strider to the Georgia native Floyd’s operation on the heels of his College World Series heroics, so the savings here (Floyd was eligible last year and this is about as high as he projects to go, floor around pick 40-50) would give the Braves flexibility down the board to take multiple over-slot swings.

Regardless of how it all plays out, both Skenes and Crews will certainly hear their names very early in the 2023 MLB draft, which begins on Sunday night at 6 p.m. CT.

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LSU Tigers flood the LSWA awards list

LSU has nine on the list and won four out of five major awards.

The Louisiana Sports Writer Association has released its All-Louisiana teams and the winner of the season accolades. LSU has nine on the list and won four out of five major awards.

The only major award LSU didn’t win was Freshman of the Year. That title went to Jacob Mayers from Nicholls State. Mayers had a 9-1 record with a 1.93 ERA and 97 strikeouts.

LSU had four players earn First-Team honors ([autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag], [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag], [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] and [autotag]Cade Beloso[/autotag]), three earned Second-Team honors ([autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag], [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre Morgan[/autotag]), and two earned honorable mention ([autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] and [autotag]Gavin Dugas[/autotag]).

Crews won Hitter of the Year, Skenes won Pitcher of the Year, White won Newcomer of the Year and [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] won Coach of the Year.

Why this LSU baseball national title is more special than the rest

You can’t define this team with one play, which makes LSU’s title run all the better.

Championship runs are often boiled down to a single moment. One great play that stands out.

It’s shown over and over again on the stadium big board and finds its way into every preseason hype video until the end of time.

It comes naturally. You recognize it right away and say, “That was special.”

For LSU on its way to winning the 2023 College World Series, there wasn’t just one moment. You can’t define this team by one play or one player.

On the surface, it looks simple. The program with the most national titles in the last 30 years added another trophy to the case with a team led by the top two MLB draft prospects. Nothing about that is a Cinderella story. It’s LSU doing what LSU expects to do.

But it wasn’t that simple.

You can ask five LSU fans what their favorite moment from this College World Series was and you could get five different answers.

Maybe it’s Tre Morgan charging a bunt down the first-place line to throw a Wake Forest runner out at home and preserve a 0-0 tie in an elimination game. Or it’s [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] hitting a walk-off home run later that night.

It’s [autotag]Josh Pearson[/autotag] making a leaping grab in left, taking a walk-off hit away from the best player in the country not on LSU.

It’s [autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag] punching out 17 batters for the best start of his career or [autotag]Cade Beloso[/autotag], the homegrown fourth-year senior, hitting the winning homer in extra innings.

Some might point to [autotag]Riley Cooper[/autotag], who became a dominant force out of the bullpen, flipping the script on what we thought about that unit all year.

It’s [autotag]Jordan Thompson[/autotag], who played the worst game of his life on Sunday only to be the spark on Monday.

It’s LSU facing rivals Oregon State, Tennessee and Florida over the last month and sending them all home, avenging losses of previous teams.

Nowhere in that did I mention [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] or [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag], two of the greatest players in LSU history who spearheaded the title run.

That’s why this one is so special. We watch sports for those individual moments. The ones that get the crowd stomping and make viewers at home leap off the couch.

Baseball, in particular, is built around this. It doesn’t have the unflinching momentum of a football game or the quick back and forth of a basketball game. Because of that, the biggest moments on a baseball field fall with even more thunder. Tension builds and builds until something special happens.

An LSU had a whole lot of special happenings in Omaha.

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Ty Floyd breaks down elite performance in Game 1 of College World Series final vs. Florida

Floyd threw 17 strikeouts while leading the Tigers to a Game 1 win on Saturday night.

LSU entered the College World Series final against Florida with a pitching disadvantage as [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] was unavailable to start.

But thanks to a career game from [autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag] on the mound, the Tigers neutralized that advantage and took a 1-0 series lead with a 4-3 extra-innings win over the Gators.

It was the kind of outing from Floyd that will be remembered in Baton Rouge for a long time, especially if LSU is able to capture the national championship.

After the game — in which Floyd went eight innings, allowing just three runs and striking out 17 batters, which tied for the second-most in any CWS game — he said he was feeling confident throughout the start.

“I felt good,” Floyd said postgame, per On3. “With as many people as were here tonight, the adrenaline felt good and stuff. I knew that throwing my fastball at the top of the zone, being able to mix in off-speed pitches enough to get them off was the biggest thing tonight.

“I think it was just staying mentally strong about it and just knowing that my stuff is going to play. Just having confidence in myself and knowing what I do well.”

It wasn’t all perfect from Floyd, who ultimately wasn’t credited with the win after allowing a go-ahead home run to BT Riopelle, his only major slip-up of the night. Still, Floyd said he trusted his team to overcome the deficit, which it ultimately did.

“I knew my stuff was going to play,” Floyd said. “I know he put a really good swing on a fastball. You’ve got to tip your cap. But I knew that I’ve got a great offense behind me that’s going to back me up and get us back in the game.”

LSU only needs to win one of the next two games to capture a national title, but it’s still going to be operating at a pitching disadvantage compared to the more rested Gators.

The Tigers will hope that the bullpen can replicate the type of performance Floyd delivered on Saturday night.

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PHOTOS: LSU outlasts Florida in extra innings to take Game 1 of College World Series final

The Tigers survived extra innings to take down Florida in Game 1.

It was another thriller for LSU in Game 1 of the College World Series final against Florida.

Despite not having [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] available, [autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag] looked just about as dominant, pitching eight innings with 17 strikeouts while allowing just three runs. LSU’s offense struggled in turn, though, and the Tigers found themselves trailing by one run in the eighth inning.

[autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] tied the game with one swing of his bat, and the game ultimately went to extras. Things were quiet until the top of the 11th, when [autotag]Cade Beloso[/autotag] broke the tie with a solo shot that ultimately proved decisive.

LSU won 4-3 and is now one win away from capturing the seventh national title in program history. Here were the best pictures from Saturday night’s win.

Reactions from LSU’s Game 1 extra-innings win over Florida in College World Series final

The Tigers are one win away from a national title.

The Tigers started off the championship series the right way on Saturday night, outlasting Florida in extra innings 4-3 to take a 1-0 series lead in the College World Series final.

[autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag] had a career night on the mound, pitching eight innings while allowing just three runs with one walk and striking out 17 batters, the second-most of anyone in a CWS game.

Still, LSU’s offense struggled to take advantage, and this was a tight game down the stretch. Florida held a late 3-2 lead, but [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] ended that with a solo shot in the eighth.

The game went to extras, and another homer from [autotag]Cade Beloso[/autotag] in the 11th proved to make the difference. Now, LSU just needs to win one more game to take home the seventh national title in program history.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the Game 1 win.

5 takeaways from LSU’s Game 1 win over Florida in the College World Series final

Here are five takeaways from LSU’s thrilling win over Florida.

The College World Series final began on Saturday night with another LSU thriller.

For the second game in a row, LSU needed extra innings to win it. And again, it was a late-inning homer that pushed LSU over the edge for the 4-3 win over Florida.

The pitching staff continued its best run of the year and LSU got just what it needed from starter [autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag], who offered up another double-digit strikeout performance. His 17 Ks set a College World Series single-game record.

Teams that win the first game of the CWS final are 12-7.

Game 2 will take place Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. CT on ESPN. Here are five takeaways from the first game of the College World Series final.

Ty Floyd throws a masterpiece as LSU beats Florida in extra innings to take Game 1 of the College World Series final

Ty Floyd waited until Game 1 of the College World Series final to have his most masterful performance of the season.

[autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag] waited until Game 1 of the College World Series final to have his most masterful performance of the season.

Floyd worked eight full innings and allowed three runs on five hits, one walk, and 17 strikeouts. Those strikeouts tied a College World Series record for the most strikeouts in a nine-inning world series game, and a go-ahead home run from Cade Beloso in the 11th inning ultimately gave the Tigers a 4-3 win in extra innings

Beloso got the Tigers started in the top of the first with an RBI single to score [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] and give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

[autotag]Gavin Dugas[/autotag] hit a solo homer in the top of the third inning to give LSU a 2-0 lead over the Gators.

The Gators cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI groundout to make it 2-1. In the bottom of the fifth, the Gators tied the game on an RBI groundout. In the bottom of the sixth, the Gators took the lead on a solo homer by BT Riopelle to give them a 3-2 lead.

In the top of the eighth inning, [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] hit another tank to left field to tie the game at three.

In the top of the eleventh inning, Beloso hit a belly bomb to right field to give the Tigers a 4-3 lead!

[autotag]Riley Cooper[/autotag] got a flyout and two strikeouts to win the game for the Tigers. LSU is now one win away from a national championship.

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How to watch No. 5 LSU baseball take on No. 2 Florida in Game 1 of the College World Series final Saturday

The Tigers will look to flip the script on the Gators in a rematch of the 2017 championship series.

It’s championship time in college baseball.

After digging themselves out of a hole in the losers’ bracket with three-straight wins, two of which came against the No. 1 seed in Wake Forest, LSU clinched a spot in the College World Series final.

The Tigers will face a Florida team that had the advantage of rest after going 3-0, and the Gators will likely have ace Brandon Sproat on the mound for Saturday night’s Game 1. LSU is expected to start [autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag].

This is a rematch of the 2017 series, which Florida won in two games. That was the last time either team reached the championship series, and LSU will hope for a different result this time around.

Here’s what you need to know to watch Game 1 on Saturday night as UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan aims to capture his second national title while [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] looks to claim his first.