BATON ROUGE, La. — Compared to some of the other teams in the field for this year’s College World Series, the six years LSU went in between appearances is the blink of an eye.

For everyone in Baton Rouge, it was an eternity.

LSU swept Kentucky in its super regional series, winning 14-0 in Game 1 on Saturday and 8-3 in Game 2 on Sunday, to clinch its 19th trip to the College World Series, and first since 2017. The six-year gap between appearances is the longest the program has gone since its first trip to Omaha in 1986.

“If I said I felt relief, that would be taking away what this is really about. And that’s the players working, all the blood, sweat and tears in the bucket, for this opportunity,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said in his postgame press conference after Sunday’s victory. “And I’m really just happy for them. I’m happy for our program. I’m so honored to be here. I’m happy for the fans.”

LSU will head to to the College World Series as a favorite after pulling out of a late-season slump. The Tigers (48-15) lost two of their last three Southeastern Conference series and two of three games at the SEC Tournament.

They were 6-7 over their last 13 games heading into the NCAA Tournament, but have flipped the switch back on since then. LSU is a perfect 5-0 in the tournament and has outscored its opponents 48-17.

“I think it was a spark that hit. When we lost the (SEC) tournament, really got together and told everybody it’s time to go,” said center fielder Dylan Crews, who is 11-for-19 with eight RBIs in five NCAA Tournament games. “And I think we could definitely see the shift in our approaches and our mental approaches. So it’s been great.”

Starting pitcher Paul Skenes has gotten a lot of attention as LSU’s ace, and rightfully so. Projected as a potential No. 1 overall pick in next month’s Major League Baseball draft, the right-hander has a 1.77 ERA in 17 starts. His 188 strikeouts are the fifth-highest single-season total in SEC history, and 14 behind the league record of 202 set by LSU’s Ben McDonald in 1989.

Skenes has won both of his starts in the NCAA Tournament, including Game 1 vs. Kentucky when he threw 7 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out nine.

Behind him, however, LSU’s other pitchers have stepped up after being the team’s biggest question mark for much of the season.

Thatcher Hurd had 12 strikeouts in five innings in a win over Oregon State in the Baton Rouge Regional. Riley Cooper pitched three scoreless innings in the super regional clincher against Kentucky.

Johnson said that, coming down the stretch, the bullpen has “been the strength of this team.”

“I never doubted the talent. I think we just needed to help them get lined up a little bit better mentally,” Johnson said. “I think the two things that we really focused on were making sure that they were ready to get the first hitter out when they come in the game. Like, we’re bringing you in to get that guy out to start with.”

Johnson added that freshman Gavin Guidry is ready to get all of them out. The right-hander has allowed one run in his last seven outings and earned two saves in the NCAA Tournament. He pitched the last 2 2/3 innings of Sunday’s 8-3 win over Kentucky and had four strikeouts.

“With Gavin, man, that dude is something else. He’s got ‘it,’” Johnson said. “And I was joking the other day but after the news with (pitching coach Wes Johnson) broke, after we won the Regional, he popped his head in my office, doesn’t matter who is calling the pitch, I’ll strike everybody out anyways. Have a good night. See you tomorrow.”

The bullpen’s resurgence has the Tigers feeling confident as they prepare for their College World Series return. They are talented and red hot, which makes them dangerous as they chase the program’s seventh national championship and first since 2009.

“It’s a really good record right there against a hellacious schedule. But nothing has ever been too much for them. And they kept forging forward with a little adversity. And they’re champions,” Johnson said. “They’ve earned the right to go play for a national championship. And saying that is probably the thing that gets me the most. They’ve earned the right to go play for a national championship, and that’s what we intend on going and going for it.”

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES
At Omaha, Nebraska
Friday, June 16
1 p.m. ESPN – Oral Roberts vs. TCU
6 p.m. ESPN – Virginia vs. Florida
Saturday, June 17
1 p.m. ESPN – Wake Forest vs. Stanford
6 p.m. ESPN – Tennessee vs. LSU