Everything coach Jay Johnson said as LSU secured College World Series berth

Jay Johnson took his time late Sunday hugging and celebrating with players, staffers, team parents and others as LSU secured its College World Series berth shortly before midnight and turned Alex Box Stadium into a party.

But, once he arrived to the postgame press conference, the coach also remained at the podium for additional time and questions and he detailed the Tigers’ journey — not just through the game or weekend, but the foundations and development of the group from the program’s 2023 national championship to now returning to Omaha, Neb., to chase another.

Here’s everything Johnson had to say during an extended media session following a 12-5 defeat of West Virginia to sweep the teams’ Super Regional.

Message for Steven Milam, Jared Jones, Anthony Eyanson before players left podium…

“I’m thankful, very thankful. Don’t take these nights for granted, and I’ll be the first coach to acknowledge they don’t happen without special human beings, and that’s what we’ve got right here. I mean, I’ve known Steven since he was in seventh grade, and he’s the best shortstop in America and took another step. It wasn’t just a great college player this weekend. That’s what a Major League player looked like in the batter’s box and was the reason that our offense played closed to its capability. With Jared, he made a decision to come back this season for this and this opportunity ahead of us next week and to be at the front of it, and that’s what he’s been. Three years, a lot of blood, sweat and tears in the bucket. Couldn’t be prouder of the person that he is, the leader that he is. Obviously he’s a great player, and just very thankful that he made that decision.

“It’s just the way that it is now: every summer, one guy tips the scales of whether you can actually get there or not. And Anthony was that guy. And from one phone conversation and you pair the attitude, the character, the conviction and watch him pitch, it’s like, ‘We have to have this guy.’ Like, there’s no way we could not have him at LSU this year. Just very thankful. I think these are three great guys to have up here that exemplify what this team is. And I always want to go. It’s the best place in the world. It’s the only place in the world for me. I really wanted these guys to go because they’d earned it. And whether we won two games this weekend or not, they earned a trip to the College World Series. And I can’t wait to go chase the national championship with them.”

Opening statement on game…

“Thank you, and sorry for being a little late. Again, I mentioned not taking this for granted. It’s a special night out there, and as I said, I just really wanted these guys to achieve this. I feel like they’ve earned it. It’s been a great 12 months and, you know, honestly, it started with a lot of heartbreak in Chapel Hill (N.C.) last year. Like that team played as good as it possibly could to win that regional, and we didn’t. We came up a little bit short. And you know, you look around after a few days, and there’s only 12 returning players from last year’s team because of the draft and other things. And then we have this great freshman class that you have to get them through the draft. Obviously went to work in the portal. And then, you know, those 12 guys I mentioned though, they were the right 12 guys. They were like Jared. They were like Steven. And taking all that collection of talent and making it a team — very tough, very together, very ‘team-over-me.’ That was kind of our motto for the year, and I told them after the game, I’m super proud of them because the rewards of tough and together were out there on that field tonight. And like I said, they’re worthy, and I can’t wait to go chase a national championship with them.”

On special run on a personal note to coach 500th career and head back to Omaha…

“I don’t take it for granted. I’m very proud. You know, it’s a big life change coming out here, and I know where I’m at, and I know what I’m entrusted with and I give it my entire life. And I give it to these guys, and they give it back to me. And it’s so fun and exciting and rewarding to see all those people so passionate and thankful for the effort that everybody in this program that everybody cares so much about be appreciated. And it was an awesome night and just very — a lot of gratitude, very thankful.”

On the way the freshmen have risen to occasions thus far in postseason…

“Yeah, I think moving forward they just need to be themselves. You know, Coach (Skip) Bertman had a thing he said to his players that, ‘If you’re here, all you can do is all you can do, and that’s good enough.’ And all Casan Evans can do is what he can do, and that’s plenty good enough for me and Cooper (Williams) and Derek (Curiel) and Cade Arrambide and William Schmidt, John Pearson. It’s a special group. It doesn’t happen all the time. And nobody in our league plays freshmen. They just don’t. We do. And they played pretty darn good baseball. And I’m proud of them for contributing. On a team this good, to contribute as much as that group has is awesome. And they’re the foundation of this thing moving forward. And I’m really happy that — it’s another reason being there is so important, you know, that I mean that’s the front line of this thing as we move forward past 2025. And so they’re going to get the full gamut and be ready to lead in a way that you have to have if you want to have the program that we have.”

On patience at the plate in high-stakes circumstances in which players could be eager for hits…

“Something I take a lot of pride in is trying to have our team play its best when it matters the most. And I think one of the the beauties about playing and coaching here is every game really matters. And we use the regular season and call it a 56-game playoff for two reasons: I mean, it’s not a given that you’re going to be in the NCAA Tournament. You have to earn your way there. So you have to respect the game every night. But then when you get here, if you treat every game like that, nothing changes. And I take a lot of pride, and we play our best when it matters the most. And, you know, that’s been over the course of a few different schools, and it really shined tonight. I didn’t need to motivate them tonight. We needed to take a lesson we learned from last week and apply it to today, and then we needed to execute our plan. And so we laid out a simple plan, and they executed great. And then it manifests itself into free bases, extra-base hits, hitting with runners in scoring position and putting up 12 runs. And there were so many key at-bats in that deal tonight. It would be a game that you would want to put on a tape and show future teams, like this is how we play offensive baseball at LSU.”

On preparation for adverse conditions through strength-and-conditioning work throughout the year…

“Appreciate you bringing that up. Chris Martin is our strength and conditioning coach. Absolute difference maker. When I hugged him on the field, that’s what I said. I was like, “Dude, difference maker.” He has an unbelievable ability to connect with the players. He’s super invested. Unbelievable at player relationships, very intelligent. He was a very good college pitcher himself at a good program, so he understands culture, and he’s got it going on. And he is a big part of this thing. I made that hire personally, no other help. And we were super diligent in that because we needed a star in that position. The SEC is the jungle. And we’re only playing big, strong, physical, well-conditioned beasts basically. It’s a war every weekend. And we match some of that in recruiting, but you have to match it there. And, like I said, the ‘tough and together’ piece, you develop a lot of toughness in the weight room. And then, you know, as far as the conditions, man, that was hot. Like I stood on the top step, gave signs and talked to players, and I was a little wiped out yesterday, to be honest with you. And so I started thinking about Luis Hernandez. What an effort that was. Steven Milam, what an effort that was. Kade Anderson, Anthony (Eyanson) today, man. I mean, it was not easy. And I think all of that matters. But I just think it was toughness, and to us toughness is just being able to focus on your job no matter what else is going on. And these guys did that and did it both mentally and physically.”

On the arc of rebuilding to this point since the 2023 national title run…

“I think there’s some differences. I think the nature of college baseball has changed where you’re kind of building your team one year at a time. You know, obviously the ’23, that’ll go down as one of the greatest teams in college baseball history, and there it was had some really good foundational pieces and we had to get tasked to go get the areas that were deficient in the program. And we did that with Paul (Skenes) and Tommy (White) and on and on and on. And then this freshman class we started on, like, literally the day I got the job. So, I hadn’t even coached a game yet, and, you know, Derek Curiel was committed here. You know, Casan Evans, September 1 is the first day you can call juniors. I probably called him every day in the month of September. You know, I canceled a trip to go see one of my best friend’s wedding to make sure he was coming back on a second visit and was committing. Cade Arrambide flipped from another school. You know, William Schmidt flipped from another school, because they saw what was going on here. And then this summer in the portal — I mean, hugging Zac Cowan, I mean hugging Luis Hernandez, hugging Danny Dickinson, hugging Chris Stanfield, like there’s like a two-and-a-half week run last year where it’s like, ‘Man I don’t know how this is going to be,’ and then we had those guys, we got those guys. And I’m so proud of them for stepping into this thing and not being promised or guaranteed anything, giving everything that they have. And it’s just a true team, and I think that’s what I’m the most proud of. And, you know, three different collections of buckets where the players came from, one common theme: all winners, all winners.”

On pinch-hitter Josh Pearson’s relationship with Jake Brown, younger outfielders…

“I think Jake (Brown) had a phenomenal game tonight, too. I mean, absolute difference maker. We felt like it was a good matchup for him tonight, stuck him in the four-hole and worked out great. They’re best friends. I mean, as they appear to be best friends. And I mean, Josh Pearson, like he’s one of my favorite players of all time. And that’s a it’s a long list, but the only guy that’s been here for four years. And like I said, this roster deal can be a rollercoaster nowadays, but the stability of that — you know, I hit him clean-up the first game of the year just because I knew what I was going to get. Huge game yesterday because you know what you’re going to get. But he’s taken an in-the-lineup and out-of-the-lineup role and handled it like a champ. And you just heard his teammates talk about him. But yeah, they’re both great kids. This means something to them from being from here, and I really value that. And I’m sure happy we have both of them.”

On Kade Anderson, Anthony Eyanson winning performances they felt weren’t their best…

“I’ll take either of them on the mound any day of the week against anybody. And it’s that special character — like yesterday, I’m going like, ‘Kade, you got us seven innings.’ And it’s a really good (West Virginia) team, by the way. And I would like to congratulate coach (Steve) Sabins and West Virginia on an outstanding season. He’s a star. Like, he’ll be one of the best coaches in college. He’s one of the best coaches in college baseball now in his first season. If you’re buying stock in a program, buy in West Virginia. But yeah, it’s been you know, I forgot the question. I’m sorry… Anthony and Kade. My wife’s back there. Probably the next two most important people in my life. I’ll take them anytime, anywhere. Absolute winners. It’s just a special competitor, you know, like, ‘Hey, we went out there, won. We won a Super Regional.’ That’s win No. 11 (for Eyanson). That’s a small list in college baseball this year. Might be one. Might be one. And to want more and to do more, makes you proud as a coach. It’s like, you know, we don’t play well maybe, but win or play our best and win, and we’re pushing that we’re not we’re not getting validated by, you know, what anybody says about us. We’re not getting validated by even winning and losing, as crazy as that sounds. We’re validated by how we play. And when your two best dudes are like that, unbelievable effect on the whole team.”

On how much Steven Milam’s success at the plate helps impact the rest of his teammates…

“Yeah, I think it does. I think he’s one of those guys, you know, when he’s out at shortstop, you’re paying attention to what happens because you might see something pretty awesome, and I feel like he has that presence in the box, you know, even at 5-foot-8. And really what he did is he just created runs for our team by his plate discipline and his ability to hit mistakes. He’s on base all the time the last two weeks. He drove in four runs tonight. And it’s changed our team. Like, it him playing to his full potential, playing to the blueprint that he needs to to be the best player he can be is the reason why we’ve taken off offensively — or maybe I wouldn’t even say taken off, but gotten back to maybe where we were, you know, 34 games into this thing, largely because of his contribution. So they definitely do do feed off it. But I also think it’s really tangible with his plate-zone discipline. He’s on base, and he’s driving people in.”

On the pay-off of knowing parents’ trust and seeing goals come to fruition…

“Thanks for that question, and this is an awesome group. You know, they’re putting trust in you with the most important thing in their life. And it’s more than just baseball, it’s more than ‘Bear’ hitting homers. It’s getting through the struggle. Like, that’s a lot goes into that. You know, you guys see if he goes 3-for-4 or if he punches out a couple times. I see what he’s willing to do to put together that night out there like that from a mental toughness standpoint, and then a baseball physical adjustment. You know, when talking to this dude (Eyanson) on the phone, the first time I talked to him, and it’s like, ‘Yes, sir’ and ‘Coach,’ and ‘I will compete for you. If I end up coming to LSU, you will have the best competitor on the mound in college baseball.’ And I think we can all agree that my man has delivered. So I think it’s just I’m very grateful, and this is a cool team. And they’re a direct reflection of their parents. You know, the Pearsons, they’re unbelievable. They just those are two solidest guys you could have. It’s Bill and Anna, you know. I think that’s where it comes from. And I feel that way about a lot of them. And, you know, just how it all kind of came together is pretty awesome. And it’s a lot of work, man. I mean, it’s a great place. We have a lot to offer. They don’t just show up here anymore, because everybody’s invested in baseball because of coach Bertman showed everybody what could be possible. So, he made this a lot harder on me.”

On the atmosphere when the bats get going…

“Yeah, it’s pretty special. You know, I’ll remember these two weeks forever. Last Monday night, you know, staying with the team when we were down 5-1 and helping helping them stay energized, engaged in the game to be able to come back, and then making it hard on the opposing pitcher. And tonight, I mean, we flat-out earned it. In the second inning, there was two outs, nobody on base, and we went walk-walk-walk to set up double, you know, and then added on from there with two-out hitting. Really good offensive performance, and I take a lot of pride in that. You know, my side of the ball and 12 runs, and I know what this program was built on — the ‘Gorilla Ball’ and the homers and Omaha. They’re a little harder to hit there now, but I know our fans like double-digit runs almost as much as their coach.”

On Casan Evans, Cooper Williams, special freshman class playing its role on this run…

“Very special. And you know, those guys in particular, you know, very different stories. Before he was working for us, Josh Simpson was a scout for the (Texas) Rangers. Wasn’t even hired, and so we were just talking through guys that were in the junior class in Texas, and he’s like, ‘Casan Evans,’ and I really respect Josh’s ability to evaluate. That’s why I brought him here. And I was like, ‘Okay, that’s enough for me.’ And just started, like, on him and on him, and it was a battle. I mean, it was like, ‘You name it, he visited there.’ Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, TCU. I mean, it’s like six weeks in a row. And I think he came to the football game where we got blasted by Tennessee, and I was like, ‘This is not helping me out here, you know?’ And then he had a couple more, and then in December of his junior year, he said, ‘Hey I want to come back and chat with you.’ And that was awesome. We just were having lunch over at Walk-On’s and basically said he was coming here. And then Cooper, you know, was committed to Texas A&M his whole high school career. And then they had the coaching change and, you know, we realized he had never signed his scholarship, so we obviously jumped right in there. We needed left-handed pitching. And he’s awesome. I mean, he’s — I mean, both those guys have got the ‘it’ part of it, you know? They got the ‘it’ part of it. And that’s the only way you can contribute in an environment like tonight. They have the talent, but they’re the right people, too. And makes me very optimistic about, you know, the leadership of the pitching staff, you know, going forward. And they’ll be on a mound in Nebraska this time around, and I’m really excited about that.”

On only two of SEC’s 13 teams reaching College World Series and several conferences represented despite narrative that NIL would make college baseball top-heavy…

“I think we have the best league. I don’t think it’s close either. And I don’t think two weeks of baseball changed that. I think LSU has a great team, and we earned our way there. I think Arkansas is a great team, and they earned their way there. And a lot lost tough games, you know, both home and on the road. But it’s baseball. You know, football and basketball, big fast people beat little fast people. In baseball, you have a pitcher that determines everything. And if a pitcher gets hot and, you know, rolls through a game and puts a team in a losers’ bracket, then you have the psychological warfare of you lose one game and your season’s over. And 18- to 21-year-olds, unless they’re trained properly, they’re not built to deal with that all the time. And crazy stuff can happen. And so I think it’s going to be awesome. I know we play Arkansas. That’s one of the things that I always look at on the selection show day. It’s like, ‘OK, if we’re there, who’s it going to be?’ And I mean, no surprise, like they’re the most talented team in America, you know. And then I saw UCLA win, so they’re on our side. OK. A lot of games with coach (John) Savage, so that’ll be fun. And then there’s one more tomorrow to decide the other one. Is that right? Do I have that right? And then Coastal (Carolina) went back, is that right? OK. (Arizona) Wildcats, that’s awesome. Chip Hale was really good to me when I was there, and I’m very happy for him and their team. And then, Louisville, Dan McDonald, great coach. And then who’s the other one? Who won Florida State? Oregon State. All right. So, three West Coast teams. I’ll be right at home.”

On knowledge of West Virginia ahead of the series and the preparation for the Mountaineers…

“That’s a great lineup. That’s a great lineup. A couple of those left-handed hitters are really scary, and they’re ultra competitive, and they obviously would not go away. And we knew the maturity. They were in this position last year at North Carolina, and I feel like they used their experience well, had a great season, Big-12 champions. And then on the pitching side of it, there obviously was something to (Griffin) Kirn, like we really had to grind hard with how we were going to approach him yesterday, and I thought our guys did a great job. And then (Jack) Karstonas, every once in a while guy has an off night, and I think that was actually more of our hitters doing a really good job. We just didn’t expand the zone on him in a way that maybe other teams had and just really put him on the hook a little bit, and then our crowd got into it. And then Chase Meyer came in and did a great job tonight. He’s a really, really talented pitcher. But like I said, Coach Sabins, he’s a star. They’re going to be on the rise and, you know, I don’t know their roster as far as who’s coming back and not, but nothing but respect for the Mountaineers.”

On the energy shifts in the game….

“Yeah, I think it was the game, baseball — like we got off to a great start, scored six, they made a pitching change, went to Chase Meyer. I mean he’s throwing 97 (mph) with a hammer breaking ball. Really talented young man. But I felt like — and you have to, because they’re in a win-or-go-home game — they were extending his pitch count maybe longer than he had. And we were hitting the ball pretty hard. Like, we lined out several times, kind of had some tough luck. Guys didn’t get discouraged, and then I think we finally kind of got tired. Well, Cooper went out and got us the quick inning, so he had to go back out there quicker than he had previously. And then I thought we took advantage of that with free bases. And then huge hit by Chris Stanfield. Huge hit by Chris Stanfield. And that was a tough one, like, you know, he’s been unbelievable. What an unbelievable season. But I actually thought about pinch-hitting right there because the sidearm guys, left-handers are way better matchups. But I just had a good feeling, like, ‘He has hit these kind of guys well,’ and I felt like he was focused and he’s taken great at-bats for several games in a row, Regional and Super Regional. And I think that was huge. And then, you know, Derek (Curiel) stealing second, and then we got the error, and then Jake Brown two-run homer. It was a great inning and proud of our guys for just grinding it out against a really good, good team.”