OMAHA, Neb. – LSU baseball fans know a trip to Omaha, Neb., means a shot at a Tigers national championship.
And while those fans may cherish the opportunity to travel to the College World Series, some Nebraskans seem just as grateful to see the Tigers make the trip.
An LSU flag waves in front of Barrett’s Barleycorn Pub & Grill with the flags of the series’ other teams sitting behind it around the Barrett’s back patio.
Inside, a purple and gold “Deep South Tigers” banner stretches along one wall across from a gold rectangle around a purple “LSU” painted above the grill.
The owner, Karen Barrett, said she and her bar “adopted” LSU in 1991 – the Tigers’ first College World Series appearance in the 90s.
“We ran into a bunch of fans at one of the hotels and told them we had a bar,” Barrett said. “And they just started coming down that night, and from then on it just kind of snowballed. They liked us; we liked them.”
Barrett said she and the staff became friends with LSU fans over the years.
“They started crashing at the bartenders’ houses, you know, if they couldn’t get a hotel room,” Barrett said. “Everybody really got good friends out of it. And also … one of my friends married one of the fans who was up here.”
Barrett said her former employee and the LSU fan got married about 10 years ago during the College World Series and now live in Baton Rouge.
Chris Darbonne, originally from Baton Rouge, moved to Nebraska six years ago. He spent his Wednesday afternoon sitting with his friend Colin Ricci under a purple LSU tent outside Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium, grilling and waiting for the next baseball game.
“I’ve been to the World Series every year since I’ve lived here,” Darbonne said. “I’m from Louisiana. I live and breathe LSU.”
Darbonne said LSU fans come to Omaha for the series every year, but things are more exciting when the Tigers make college baseball’s biggest stage.
“In the past years that I’ve been here, this is the most LSU fans,” Darbonne said. “But they’re here every year regardless of if LSU’s here or not, but I’ve seen so much LSU gear at Rosenblatt this year – it’s exciting, and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Ricci, originally from Omaha, was quick to point out that he was not an LSU fan, but he enjoyed seeing the Tigers make the trip.
“I’m not an LSU fan – I don’t care if they win or lose,” Ricci said. “But I like to see that purple and gold. It makes a better atmosphere. It’s good for Omaha.”
Jonathan Gaubert, a pharmacist from Monroe, was among the purple-and-gold clad fans who made the trip from Louisiana for his first College World Series.
“It’s exceeded my expectations,” Gaubert said. “The atmosphere out here is a great baseball atmosphere. It’s a great field. Really I could probably see myself coming back any time whether a team I’m pulling for is in it or not.”
Gaubert said he and friends made the trip to Omaha and were pleased with the availability of tickets, saying “part of the good baseball experience is it’s not extremely over-priced.”
The sister-in-law combination of Del Lambert and Danni Pecue said that as ecstatic as they were to be in Rosenblatt Stadium, the locals seemed just as thrilled to have LSU back in Omaha.
“The people have told me they are so happy LSU is back,” said Pecue, who has attended Tigers sporting events since 1958.
LSU has even picked up some new fans along the way to Omaha.
Steve and Paul Parashac, a father and son duo from Pennsylvania, sat in the stands at Creighton University and watched the Tigers practice Wednesday.
“We started watching them when they were coming through the regional and super regional,” Steve Parashac said. “We liked their play, their determination, their confidence, their never-say-die attitude – all good things about college baseball – the way they’re prepared. When we had this opportunity to attend one of their practices, we jumped at it.”
Paul Parashac added one of the most impressive things about the LSU fan base was their knowledge of the game. He said it was clear they were “not just casual fans.”
But no matter what the story or how far someone had to travel to get to the College World Series, everyone agreed that anyone who considered going should definitely attend.
“It’s up there with any baseball experience out there,” Gaubert said. “If you’re a baseball fan, you’ll enjoy it out here. Regardless on if your team’s playing in it or not, I would highly recommend it. It’s worth the trouble; it’s worth the trip.”