LSU's Dominate Run of the 90's

    It is hard to believe, but there was a time not that long ago when the 7-time national champions LSU Tigers had zero trophies on their baseball shelf.  During the 1990s, that would all change. Under the guidance of legendary head coach Skip Bertman, LSU would go on to win five NCAA national championships (1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, and 2000), establishing the university and the SEC as a powerhouse in college baseball.  1991 may seem like ancient history to some, but let me put into perspective just how recent that is for a program to win it's first ever title.  Although the Tigers now rank 2nd all time in national championships with 7 titles, USC, who has the most titles with 12, won their first national championship in 1948, and had their 6th title won by 1970.  Texas who is right behind them at 3rd all time in natties, with 6 of their own, won their first title in 1949.  How was a team able to so quickly etch themselves between two blue bloods, establishing their team as an all time great college baseball program in the process? Let's find out!   

    In 1991, the Tigers entered the tournament as the 4th overall seed and hosted their regional.  LSU swept through their regional in Baton Rouge, advancing to Omaha for the 5th time in the school's history.  Bertman's squad opened up against familiar SEC foe Florida.  The Tigers defeated the Gators twice on their way to the championship game versus Wichita State. LSU defeated the Shockers 6–3 to capture the program's first title. The team finished the season 55–18 and was led by a strong pitching staff and clutch hitting.  Key players such as Gary Hymel & Tookie Johnson led the Tigers offense while Chad Ogea headed the pitching staff with his 15-3 record.  

    During the 1993 season, LSU had to claw their way out of the losers bracket in another Baton Rouge regional after suffering a second round loss to Kent State.  The Tigers would prevail by eliminating Baylor the next day, followed by back-to-back victories against a scrappy South Alabama club.   The Tigers were back in Omaha, and in pursuit of another title.  LSU would once again beat Wichita State, this time 8–0, capturing their second title. The 1993 club went 53–17, backed by one of the most balanced rosters in the country, led by Todd Walker and his 19 home runs.  The Tigers now had two national titles in three years, putting the college baseball world on notice.

    The 1996 season saw the Tigers sweep another regional hosted at home.  LSU defeated Wichita State in the opening round of the CWS this time, and then once again run in to Florida back-to-back games. They would win both of the match ups against the Gators, to set them up in a championship game match up with the Miami Hurricanes. LSU found themselves down one run with two outs in the 9th inning when Warren Morris stepped into the batters box.  In thrilling and dramatic fashion, Warren Morris would hit a walk-off home run down in the right field corner to give the Tigers their 3rd title in 6 seasons.  Morris' walk off home run still stands as one of the most iconic moments in college baseball history.   LSU finished 52–15, led by Warren Morris heroics and a fierce pitching staff.  The dynasty was solidified, but the Bayou Bengals were not done yet.   

    The next season in 1997, the team would have to crawl out of the losers bracket again after suffering a loss to South Alabama in their second game of the regional.  The Tigers would come back and triumph in the regional, avenging their loss to South Alabama with back-to-back wins to claim yet another Baton Rouge regional.  Back in Omaha, LSU would face Rice in game one and win a thriller 5-4.  LSU would then knock off Stanford twice on their way their second consecutive championship game.  Waiting on the other side of the championship game this time would be well established rival, Alabama.  Exploding for 9 runs in the first two innings of the game,  LSU would hold on for a decisive 13-6 victory and accomplish their quest of defending their 1996 title.  The 1997 LSU Tigers were one of the most dominant in NCAA history. Led by Brandon Larson and his astonishing 40 home runs, LSU went 57–13, hitting 188 home runs as a team (an NCAA record to this day).  A program who had never won a title before the '91 season now had 4 titles in a span of seven years, .  

    Not quite done with their run of dominance, the Tigers set out to show the college baseball world that they were still the team to beat heading into the new millennium.  With a new format, LSU would now set out to win a regional & super regional to get back to Omaha.   After sweeping through their regional, LSU was on to the super regionals with a match up against UCLA. The Tigers would also sweep the super regional over UCLA, 2-0.  Everyone's biggest fear across the college baseball landscape was back- LSU is in Omaha once again.  Back in Omaha, the Tigers would trounce their two biggest competitors in the title race, Texas & USC.  After a 6-3 victory over Florida State, LSU was back in the championship game.  LSU capped off their decade of dominance with their fifth national title, defeating Stanford 6–5 for the 2000 National Championship. The team finished 52–17, blending veteran leadership with young talent.

    From 1991 to 2000, LSU baseball won 5 national championships, primed numerous All-Americans and future MLB players, and set offensive records that stood for years.  This era cemented LSU as a perennial contender and revolutionized the Southeastern Conference’s presence in college baseball. The Tigers’ high-powered offense, fearless play, and championship pedigree became the benchmark for success in the sport.  After two more titles in 2009 & 2023, LSU moved into second place all time in national championships with seven, passing Texas who remains at six.  All 5 titles during LSU's dynasty were led by Skip Bertman: a legendary coach who not only transformed LSU into a notorious power house but also set the SEC up to become the most desirable conference to play in for college baseball. Anyone who couldn't play for LSU wanted a chance to play against the dynasty team. What LSU accomplished from 1991-2000 and the impact that it had on college baseball as a whole cannot be overstated.  It is hard to think of a college baseball world that is not dominated by LSU or the SEC, but before Skip Bertman, Louisiana State University was just another baseball team with 0 titles.