Those five letters.
O-M-A-H-A.
“We have Omaha written right on the wall in our team meeting room,” said sophomore reliever Parker Bugg. “[LSU] Coach [Paul Mainieri] turned around and pointed to those five letters in our first meeting this season. This is where we want to be and where we want to go.”
The No. 1 LSU baseball team (53-10) celebrated as it defeated the University of Louisiana-Lafayette (42-23) 6-3 on Sunday at Alex Box Stadium. The victory guaranteed the Tigers a chance to play in their 17th College World Series in program history. LSU has won the last seven-of-eight Super Regional championships held at Alex Box Stadium.
ULL’s season came to an unwanted end in Baton Rouge, but the Ragin’ Cajuns did not go down easily.
The Cajuns seemed to have the upper-hand in the game through the opening six scoreless innings. ULL struck the ball well, but struggled when placing runners in scoring position (2-for-12) — forcing Poche’ to overcome obstacles throughout the game.
LSU’s pitching staff was less than perfect tonight, using four pitchers through its last two innings, but Mainieri said Jared Poche’ transformed after senior catcher Kade Scivicque sealed a one-run lead for the Tigers with a home run in the seventh inning.
“Jared Poche’ is one of those pitchers that when you give him a lead, he shifts into another gear,” Mainieri said. “There is an extra competitive juice running through his veins. Once he gets that lead, he smells the victory. That is when he is at his best.”
The Tigers held onto their small lead, eventually growing it into a 5-run barrage in the eighth inning. But ULL did not leave the gap lengthy for long.
The Cajuns pushed Poche’ to five hits, including his 100th of the season. One pitch after the century-mark, Poche’ was replaced with sophomore reliever Russell Reynolds.
But Poche’ did not exit his last home game of the season without a standing ovation.
“I just wanted to go out there and give my team the best chance to win,” Poche’ said. “The rest of the defense played great behind me. It was a good night.”
The Box roared after Poche’ completed 7.2 innings of play with seven strikeouts — one shy of his career high. He gave up only one run in five hits, but the Tigers were not risking any defective pitching as it had an arsenal of relievers ready to play.
In six pitches, Reynolds walked the first batter he faced and nearly hit the next. Mainieri had seen enough.
Senior reliever Zac Person followed Reynolds, feeling the mound for the first time this postseason. Person lasted for 1.1 innings before being substituted with Bugg, who finished the game for LSU.
Unlike Saturday when Bugg ended the game on the mound in 14 pitches, tonight’s effort only took two pitches, then the party started.
“I got two outs in two pitches so I will take that,” Bugg said. “It’s not bad. We knew [ULL] was not going to go away.”
As LSU’s available pitching staff dwindled, its offensive production caught fire — widening the margin of victory from 1-1 to 6-1 in the eighth inning.
It all started when senior catcher Kade Scivicque smashed a ball deep into left field, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the top of the seventh inning. The lead was small, yet substantial, as the Tigers grew upon Scivicque’s home run — gathering the offensive momentum it had lacked thus-far in the game.
Senior All-American shortstop Alex Bregman submerged himself into a hitting-drought until his last at bat in the eighth inning in Alex Box Stadium. After 16 at bats, Bregman stayed hitless during the postseason until a two-RBI line-drive into center field widened the Tigers’ lead.
LSU’s hitting coach Andy Cannizaro said Bregman’s slump-busting hit was beyond relieving for the Tigers’ star.
“Once that ball went through the middle, it looked like the weight of the world was lifted off of his shoulders,” Cannizaro said. “He is the best amateur player in America.”
Bregman, a key feature in tomorrow’s Major League Baseball draft, solidified his spot in second-place for single-season stolen bases on Sunday. He captured his 37th of the season, releasing his tie with Jared Mitchell at 36.
Senior third baseman Connor Hale joined Bregman with a two-RBI triple to right field in the same inning. Junior right fielder Mark Laird claimed one RBI of his own as he popped a single in the ninth inning, which sealed the victory for LSU.
In the ninth inning, ULL rallied back. It forced LSU to rotate through four different pitchers in two innings. The Cajuns’ scored three runs on a couple of late-game singles into the outfield, but the rally was not enough to force a Game 3 in Baton Rouge.
LSU will play next Sunday against the winner of TCU and Texas A&M in first round of the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
You can follow Christian Boutwell on Twitter @CBoutwell_TDR.

Gallery • 5 Photos

Javier Fernández

LSU junior infielder Chris Chinea (26) reacts after catching the game ending fly ball during the Tiger's 6-3 final victory in the NCAA Super Regional against ULL on Sunday, June 7, 2015 in the Alex Box Stadium.