LSU’ Nate Ackenhausen throws a pitch in the fourth inning against Tennessee in a baseball game at the NCAA College World Series in Omaha, Neb., Tuesday, June 20, 2023. (AP Photo/John Peterson)
By Matthew Tallarini
World Baseball Network
OMAHA, Neb. – Louisiana State University won their 50th game of the season and eliminating SEC rival Tennessee, shutting them out 5-0 in an elimination game at the 2023 NCAA Division I College World Series Tuesday evening.
LSU starter Nate Ackenhausen threw six innings allowing four hits, no walks, and striking out seven with 93 pitches.
“The changeup was really working for me. I know with the wind blowing in and how hard it is to hit a ball out of here,” Ackenhausen said. “On a normal day I was just, like, I get a 2-0 changeup call and I’d just throw it down the middle and say, let them put it in play, because you’ve seen some balls hit today that were about 108 off the bat and they were kind of at the warning track. I just pitched with confidence. I had confidence in my defense among me.”
Bayou Bengals’ reliever Riley Cooper played a big role in the shutout win, throwing three innings and allowing just four hits, no walks, and striking out seven, facing 12 batters.
“I think we have a great pitching staff,” said LSU head coach Jay Johnson. “We have plenty of guys to execute in a way that can give us a chance to be successful. I feel great about it.”
The Tigers are second in the nation with strikeouts per nine innings at 11.8.
LSU’s Cade Beloso drove a single to right center field scoring Dylan Crews for the first run of the game in the top of the first.
During the top of the sixth inning, Gavin Dugas laid down a sacrifice bunt attempt, and Volunteers third baseman Zane Denton overthrew first base, allowing Tre’ Morgan to score from second as the Tigers extended the lead to 2-0.
Volunteers starting pitcher Drew Beam threw 5.2 innings allowing six hits, one earned run, striking out nine batters, and walking two.
In the top of the eighth, during catcher Alex Milazzo’s at-bat, LSU’s Brayden Jolbert scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0.
The Tigers added insurance runs to the board in the top of the ninth when Crews lifted a two-run home run to right field, his 18th of the season, to make it 5-0.
LSU was 4-1 overall against Tennessee this season. The Tigers program has two shutouts during the College World Series. The last came in the 1993 championship game, when they beat Wichita State University 8-0.
“These guys have played so good for so many games this season and set a standard of scoring runs and hits and on-base percentage and slugging, that when you run into this park, with the wind blowing in, shadows, and then Drew Beam — you heard the best hitter in baseball call him a Major Leaguer — and that staff we saw last night that we’ll see next — it’s not going to be easy; you’ll have to win 5-0,” said LSU head coach Jay Johnson.
The LSU Tigers will play the No. 1 Wake Forest University Demon Deacons on Wednesday at 7 p.m. EDT on ESPN.