A top the right field bleachers at Alex Box Stadium stands “The Intimidator,” a full-size billboard that looms over the outfield. A snarling tiger head dominates the right half of the sign, while the rest is emblazoned by the all-caps “NATIONAL CHAMPIONS” and the six years the Tigers won the College World Series: 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000 and 2009.
The Intimidator symbolizes many things at once. It stands as a monument to Louisiana State’s dominant position in the sport. Only Southern California has won more national titles than LSU, and only one of its 12 titles (1998) has come since the Tigers won their first. It is what its name suggests, an intimidating force for LSU’s opponents, letting them know that they have entered the home of college baseball royalty. It is also perhaps unwittingly an ever-present reminder to the Tigers of what is expected.
At LSU, Omaha is not the goal, it is an expectation, and national championships are the standard by which the program is measured.
Into this cauldron step the 2023 Tigers and second-year coach Jay Johnson. They are the top-ranked team in the Preseason Top 25 and represent the program’s best chance in the last five years of adding to its championship haul.
LSU’s collection of talent is dizzying. It features a trio of players who were All-Americans a year ago: outfielder Dylan Crews, the 2022 co-Southeastern Conference player of the year and the early favorite to be the No. 1 draft pick this summer; two-way standout Paul Skenes, a two-time All-American; and third baseman Tommy White, the 2022 Freshman of the Year. First baseman Tre’ Morgan is a Preseason All-American and a two-time member of the all-SEC defensive team.
The Tigers’ traditional recruiting class ranked No. 1 in the nation after they brought in more top-500 draft prospects than any other team, and their class of transfers—headlined by Skenes and White—also ranked No. 1 nationally.
LSU is also a team uniquely of this moment in college sports. Last year, the Tigers were a 40-win team that fell one win shy of a super regional appearance. They were slated to return Crews, Morgan and a handful of other regulars from a team that played well and over-came some bad injury luck in Johnson’s first season in Baton Rouge. That core, plus a typically strong recruiting class, would have made for a highly compelling 2023 season.
“Over the summer Jay did a lot in the transfer portal,”
