Notebook: Jay Johnson, LSU 'Superteam' Ready To Make History

Opening Day has arrived, Tigers ready to live up to the hype.

It’s the moment this LSU baseball program has been waiting on for months. The time to prove all the hype is real. It’s Opening Day for Jay Johnson and his LSU Tigers.

The offseason was one that has the chance to go down in history with Johnson forming the first "superteam" of this era, but now it’s time to prove everything right. This program has heard all the noise, that’s for sure.

Championship or Bust Mentality

LSU has been ranked No. 1 in virtually every preseason poll and it’s for good reason. A star studded lineup including projected No. 1 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft Dylan Crews along with the top transfers in Paul Skenes and Tommy White, it makes for a recipe for success, but this program is feeding off of the outside chatter.

“I think that’s kind of what’s driving us. We’re not gonna run from those expectations. We’re picked to go all the way but it’s how we show up every day, every game and every practice,” first baseman Tre Morgan said. “Do we show up as the team that’s supposed to go all the way or do we show up as the team that deserves to go all the way? That’s how we’re taking it.”

For Coach Johnson, he has the talent to do the unthinkable this season, but it’s about putting it all together sooner rather than later. With so many gifted athletes, gelling as one unit is of the utmost importance.

“I think all of them came here to do those types of things. Getting to Omaha is special, competing for a championship is special,” coach Jay Johnson said. “I think we just on the inside know the difficulty of what that really means and how to do that. They have to focus on how we do those things. That is a very coach speak, one day at a time type deal. Their job is to be incredibly prepared and do it well to help the team win.

Elite Pitching Rotation

Johnson revealed this weekend’s starting rotation with Paul Skenes getting the nod on Friday, Riley Cooper on Saturday and freshman Chase Shores on Sunday. The three have dominated all offseason, but with many wondering about Cooper getting the start, first baseman Tre’ Morgan put that to rest on Thursday.

“He switches up his slots every now and then, switches up his timing," Morgan said. "He’s not easy to tunnel. That’s what you look for in a pitcher."

For Shores, Johnson is going straight to his freshman on opening weekend to test the youngster, but after dominating preseason, it comes as no surprise.

"Chase is a special talent," Johnson said. "He's 6-foot-9, fastball up to upper 90s, his movement of out pitches, but it's his poise and competitiveness that is far beyond his years."

The “Superteam” Hype

The players understand the expectations. They’ve seen what social media has said. This isn’t an underdog story anymore. But it starts with the pitching rotation and starter Riley Cooper is amazed at the talent this unit has.

“It’s kind of weird how good we are. The depth we have. There are so many guys who aren’t starting that would start at other schools,” Cooper said. “It’s a really good problem to have. This fall and this spring, we’ve been pushing each other to be better, especially with all the arms we have.”

For Shores, the freshman phenom is ready to prove to everyone that this squad is just as good as they say and live his dream of pitching for LSU.

“It’s everybody’s dream to start at LSU. I don’t think that changes anything for me. I’m just lucky to be able to be here,” Shores said. “I’m really big on two seam, my two seam sinks well and I still maintain velocity and pair it well with a slider. Then I also have a changeup that plays really well.

It’s go-time for the Tigers as they prepare for Opening Day against Western Michigan with first pitch set for 3 p.m.