Living up to the lofty expectations of sports fans is no easy task. Time and time again, fans build up ideas and outcomes in their heads for it all to ultimately fall short.
This was not the case on June 22, 2023, in Omaha, Nebraska.
It was the heavyweight title — the untouchable Tiger against the perfect Deacon. Ali versus Frazier, as some observers deemed it.
It was LSU's Paul Skenes, who held a ridiculous 200:19 strikeout-to-walk ratio, versus Wake Forest's Rhett Lowder, who boasted a perfect 15-0 record on the season. And this matchup did anything but disappoint.
STATS: College baseball career home run leaders
Setting the stage
Wake Forest, the No. 1 overall seed in the 2023 NCAA tournament, matched up with five-seed LSU in the Men's College World Series semifinals. The Tigers and Demon Deacons were the only two teams to hold a consensus No. 1 ranking in the regular season polls. Although this wasn't the finals, there was a good argument that these were the two best teams in college baseball — and they certainly held the two best pitchers.
Leading up to Thursday's game, Wake took Game 1 on Monday, and LSU forced a decisive Game 3 with a win on Wednesday. The Tigers handed the Deacons their first loss of the entire tournament that Wednesday. And so there it was. The question every college baseball fan yearned to know — who will be the starting pitchers?
Both Skenes and Lowder were coming off just four days of rest. If each first-team All-American were to go, it would be the fewest days between starts for each pitcher all season. While it is not unusual to rush college starts, it was no guarantee. But that Thursday morning, Jay Johnson (LSU coach) and Tom Walter (Wake coach) answered the prayers of baseball fans across the country. Whether it was a random act of fate or the much more likely scenario of strategic managing from Johnson and Walter, the stars certainly aligned.
krikya18.com's own Mike Lopresti and countless other outlets previewed what it would mean if these two faced off, and each article was spot on. It was easily one of, if not the best, pitching duel in the MCWS history. The future No. 1 and No. 7 overall picks in the 2023 MLB Draft, head-to-head, in a win-or-go-home scenario on college baseball's biggest stage. As Billy Beane said, how can you not be romantic about baseball?
Scouting
Although both pitchers were two of the best in the sport, they had two vastly different arsenals. Skenes wields a cannon on his right arm, consistently notching triple digits on the radar gun with his fastball. He used his 6-foot-6 frame to overpower hitters with his velocity, similar to MLB Hall of Famer Randy Johnson. Skenes carried a 1.81 ERA into the game (second in DI), with a 13-2 record.
Lowder, while he could touch the upper 90s, relied much more on his command and speed control, holding one of the best changeups in college baseball at the time. He had much more of an old-school approach, similar to Hall of Famer Greg Maddux. Lowder held a 1.99 ERA (fifth in DI) with a 15-0 record.
The game
The battle was set — 4 p.m. at Charles Schwab Field. The winner advances to face the Florida Gators in the finals. The loser goes home. The Tigers were seeking their first MCWS finals appearance since 2017. The Deacons, their first since 1955.
LSU held the momentum after its 5-2 Wednesday night win. But Wake had perfection on the mound as the Deacons were 18-0 when Lowder took the ball. And, of course, there was still this looming question of how each ace will perform on short rest. Well, that question was answered quickly as both piled zeros up on the scoreboard.
The HEAT is on! 🔥 x 🎥 ESPN2 /
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball)
Through four innings, each pitcher had allowed just one hit to escape the infield. And while this was an afterthought at the time, Skenes and Lowder both broke their respective program's single-season strikeout record by the fifth inning.
On the rare occasion a batter was able to make solid contact, each pitcher was backed up by phenomenal infield defense. It was one of those nights where fans just have to sit back and appreciate the battle on the mound.
Like a ninja! 🥷 x 🎥 ESPN2 /
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball)
It was a stalemate, each ace not giving an inch. Each lineup knew the caliber of pitchers they were facing. They were well-scouted, highly-discussed and all but guaranteed top-10 draft picks in the coming weeks.
"You couldn’t take away a pitch. You couldn’t take away a side of the plate. You couldn’t take away a speed, a location. He just kept beating us in the strike zone," on Lowder. "And that just speaks to the competitor that he is, the intent that he threw with and the quality of his pitches. It’s literally the best seven innings I’ve seen anyone throw against one of my teams."
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Every MCWS champion since 1947
Tension just kept boiling up. It was one of those games you could not take your eyes off of because you can't miss the first big hit. It was just a matter of which pitcher blinked first.
Spoiler — neither blinked. Lowder would pitch seven complete innings that night, allowing three hits, two walks and tallying six strikeouts against an LSU lineup scattered with MLB prospects.
Skenes, however, went back out for the eighth inning with the game still knotted 0-0. Fans were finally provided with the first glimpse of a scoring opportunity. Wake had a runner on first and third with one out — the best offensive position for the Deacons all night as Skenes wound up his 117th pitch.
Walter, not willing to risk going for a solid base hit, opted to bunt with freshman Marek Houston. Houston laid the bunt down the first baseline, with Justin Johnson barreling home from third for the Deacons. What followed is now talked about as one of the greatest defensive plays in MCWS history. LSU first baseman Tre' Morgan charged the ball, making a diving throw to home plate milliseconds before Johnson touched the plate, saving the potential game-sealing run.
TRE’ MORGAN WITH THE BUNT DEFENSE OF A LIFETIME
— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ)
Skenes went on to record the final out of the eighth, allowing two hits, one walk and recording nine strikeouts on 120 pitches. The lights weren't too bright. The rest wasn't too short, and the aces each delivered a masterclass when it mattered most.
Even after Lowder and Skenes were pulled, both top-ranked offenses continued to struggle. Maybe it's hard to find your groove at the plate after facing an MLB-ready pitcher for seven to eight innings. But finally, in the bottom of the 11th inning, LSU third baseman Tommy "Tanks" White blasted a walk-off bomb to left field, sending the Tigers to the finals.
A year ago today, what a game🔥
— Noah Bieniek (@NoahB77_)
Wake Forest vs LSU
Rhett Lowder: 7 scoreless innings
Paul Skenes: 8 scoreless innings, 9 K
Tommy White extra innings walk off home run to send the Tigers to the College World Series finals
LSU would go on to capture its seventh MCWS title in an offensive-dominant series that featured Florida beating the Tigers 24-4 in Game 2 and LSU turning around to beat the Gators 18-4 in Game 3.
Aftermath
Skenes and Lowder, to little surprise, are both now starters in the major leagues. Each put together historic seasons in the 2022-23 campaign, breaking numerous college records along the way. Their duel goes down as one of the sport's greatest ever, and college baseball will have a tough time having the stars align again as they did on that Thursday in June.
