In Game 3 of the Men’s College World Series, LSU defeats Florida to claim the title.

Being a Tiger now is fantastic. After defeating Florida 18-4 in Game 3 of the Men’s College World Series title in Omaha, Nebraska, LSU baseball finished the season as the No. 1 team in the nation, winning its seventh national championship in program history. The Tigers recovered in the winner-take-all game on Monday night despite giving up an MCWS-record 24 runs in Game 2.

This was made possible by starter Thatcher Hurd’s outstanding pitching effort and offensive production throughout the whole lineup, with every starting position player earning at least one hit. In the pivotal game, the Tigers outhit the Gators 24 to 5, forcing Florida to use six pitchers.

After allowing Wyatt Langford to smash a two-run home run in the bottom of the first, Hurd was unhittable, allowing just the two hits in the first inning while recording seven strikeouts over the course of six innings to secure the victory. After batting around and chasing Gators starter Jac Caglianone, LSU turned its early two-run deficit into a four-run lead by scoring six runs in the top of the second inning.

With two home runs and five RBI in the Gators’ victory in Game 2, the Caglianone, who resembles Shohei Ohtani, was strong in the batter’s box. With four runs added in the top of the fourth, four more runs were added by the Tigers offense, capped by Josh Pearson’s two-run homer to the right. The final run of the inning was scored by catcher Alex Milazzo, who moved from first base to score after Cade Beloso singled.

The only negative development for LSU that night was when Milazzo needed assistance getting to the dugout after breaking his leg while scoring. Behind the dish, Hayden Travinski took his spot. Before Florida’s Ty Evans homered for the Tigers in the bottom of the eighth, the bases were loaded when Travinski walked, scoring a run for the Tigers. Cade Kurland hit a single home run for the Gators in the bottom of the eighth, but LSU added three more runs in the top of the inning.