Live Updates: LSU Baseball vs. Wake Forest in College World Series Semifinals

Tigers take on the Demon Deacons with a chance to punch their ticket to the College World Series Finals.

Paul Skenes takes the mound for the LSU Tigers as this program laces up their cleats in a win or go home contest against Wake Forest.

The Demon Deacons will roll out their ace, Rhett Lowder, for the matchup in Omaha, making it one of the most anticipated pitching battles in college baseball this season.

The winner of tonight's game will face the Florida Gators in the College World Series Finals with first pitch scheduled for Saturday at 6pm on ESPN.

Here are a few pregame notes, what Jay Johnson said of the matchup and live updates from Thursday's showdown. 

Notes

- LSU is in the NCAA Tournament for the 11th straight season and for the 35th time overall .... LSU has six national championships (1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2009), the second-most in NCAA history ... the Tigers were an NCAA Tournament Top 8 National Seed for an NCAA-record six straight seasons (2012-17) ... LSU is a Top 8 National Seed this season (No. 5) for the first time since the 2017 Tigers were the No. 4 National Seed ... LSU has the second-highest all-time NCAA Tournament winning percentage (.707, 169-70).

- LSU is participating in its 19th College World Series, and its first since 2017, when the Tigers finished as the national runners-up to Florida ... LSU is 41-27 (.603) all-time in CWS games, including a 7-3 mark in CWS championship games/series.

- The Wake Forest pitching staff has a 2.82 cumulative ERA with 748 strikeouts in 554.2 innings … the staff is allowing a .204 cumulative opponent batting average.

What Jay Johnson Said 

“Wake Forest is a great team; their talent is exceptional and their style of play is really good. They have a lot of options on the mound and a really good identity at the plate. We’re really looking forward to this game.

“They have dominated from the pitcher’s mound, and they’ve hit with a lot of power. They know what they’re doing; they can execute the small game if they need to. They play extremely hard, and they definitely mirror our team in that regard.”

Pregame 

LSU's Starting Lineup:

CF Dylan Crews

3B Tommy White

1B Tre Morgan

2B Gavin Dugas

DH Cade Beloso 

RF Brayden Jobert

SS Jordan Thompson

LF Josh Pearson

C Alex Milazzo

RHP Paul Skenes

Wake Forest's Starting Lineup:

CF Tommy Hawke 

LF Lucas Costello

3B Brock Wilken 

RF Pierce Bennett

DH Danny Corona

2B Justin Johnson

C Bennett Lee

1B Jack Winnay

SS Marek Houston

RHP Rhett Lowder

(1B Nick Kurtz has been scratched from the lineup minutes before the first pitch with a rib injury. Kurtz, who has 24 home runs and a .527 OBP, is replaced by Jack Winnay.)

*Refresh for Updates*

Live Updates

Top First 

Paul Skenes (LSU) pitching 

Hawke: Fly out to center field 

Costello: Fly out to left field 

Wilken: Strikeout 

Bottom First

Rhett Lowder (WF) pitching 

Crews: Single to shortstop 

White: Strikeout 

Morgan: Groundout to first base, Crews advances to second base

Dugas: Groundout to third base

Score Update: LSU 0, WF 0

Top Second 

Paul Skenes (LSU) pitching 

Bennett: Groundout to third base

Corona: Strikeout 

Johnson: Strikeout 

Bottom Second 

Rhett Lowder (WF) pitching

Beloso: Walk 

Jobert: Grounds into double play, Beloso out at second base

Thompson: Groundout to shortstop

Score Update: LSU 0, WF 0

Top Third

Paul Skenes (LSU) pitching 

Lee: Strikeout 

Winnay: Single to left field 

Houston: Reaches first base on fielders choice, Winnay out at second base

Hawke: Fouled out to third base

Bottom Third 

Rhett Lowder (WF) pitching 

Pearson: Groundout to first base

Milazzo: Groundout to shortstop 

Crews: Groundout to second base

Score Update: LSU 0, WF 0

Top Fourth 

Paul Skenes (LSU) pitching

Costello: Fly out to right center 

Wilken: Fly out to right field 

Bennett: Fly out to left field 

Bottom Fourth 

Rhett Lowder (WF) pitching 

White: Fly out to left field 

Morgan: Strikeout 

Dugas: Single to left field 

Beloso: Strikeout

Score Update: LSU 0, WF 0

Top Fifth

Paul Skenes (LSU) pitching 

Corona: Fly out to right field 

Johnson: Double to right center field 

Lee: Groundout to third base

Winnay: Groundout to first base

Bottom Fifth

Rhett Lowder (WF) pitching 

Jobert: Strikeout 

Thompson: Groundout to third base 

Pearson: Fly out to center field 

Score Update: LSU 0, WF 0

Top Sixth

Paul Skenes (LSU) pitching 

Houston: Strikeout 

Hawke: Strikeout 

Costello: Groundout to third base

Bottom Sixth

Rhett Lowder (WF) pitching 

Milazzo: Fouled out to first base

Crews: Groundout to second base

White: Double down the right field line 

Dugas: Lined out to third base

Score Update: LSU 0, WF 0

Top Seventh 

Paul Skenes (LSU) pitching 

Wilken: Strikeout 

Bennett: Fly out to right field 

Corona: Strikeout 

Bottom Seventh 

Rhett Lowder (WF) pitching

Dugas: Walk 

Beloso: Lined out to right field 

Jobert: Strikeout 

Thompson: Strikeout 

Score Update: LSU 0, WF 0

Top Eighth 

Paul Skenes (LSU) pitching 

Johnson: Walk 

Lee: Sacrifice bunt advances Johnson to second base, Lee out at first base

Winnay: Strikeout, advances to first base on wild pitch. Johnson advances to third base

Houston: Reaches first base on fielders choice, Winnay advances to second base. Johnson tagged out at home

Hawke: Lined out to left field 

Bottom Eighth 

Cole Roland (WF) pitching 

Pearson: Walk 

Milazzo: Sacrifice bunt advances Pearson to second base 

*Pitching Change: Michael Massey enters the game for Wake Forest*

Crews: Strikeout 

White: Intentionally walked

Morgan: Fly out to center field 

Top Ninth 

Thatcher Hurd (LSU) pitching 

Costello: Groundout to second base 

Wilken: Lined out to right field 

Bennett: Groundout to second base

Bottom Ninth

Michael Massey (WF) pitching 

Dugas: Strikeout 

Beloso: Fouled out to third base

Jobert: Strikeout 

Score Update: LSU 0, WF 0

Top 10th

Thatcher Hurd (LSU) pitching 

Corona: Lined out to left field 

Johnson: Lined out to second base 

Lee: Lined out to center field 

Bottom 10th

Michael Massey (WF) pitching 

Thompson: Strikeout 

Pearson: Fly out to right field 

Milazzo: Strikeout 

Top 11th

Thatcher Hurd (LSU) pitching

Winnay: Strikeout 

Houston: Popped up to shortstop

Hawke: Single to third base

Costello: Walk

Wilken: Fly out to center field 

Bottom 11th

Michael Massey (WF) pitching 

Crews: Single to left field 

*Pitching Change: Camden Minacci enters the game for Wake Forest*

White: Two-run homer to left field (LSU 2, WF 0)

FINAL LSU 2, WF 0