The LSU Tigers had it within their grasp. Home. Just get three more outs in Monday's NCAA Chapel Hill Regional final against North Carolina, and the Tigers were headed back to Baton Rouge to host a super regional against West Virginia. Then the Tar Heels scored a run in the top of the ninth. Then they added another in the top of the 10th and kept LSU off the board in both innings to pull out a decisive 4-3 victory. That was a link to Koki Riley's game story, and here is a link to his takeaways on the regional final. So here the LSU baseball journey ends this season, just as it did in 2022, in a regional final. There were no championships this time, SEC or otherwise, just a team that never gave up when it looked as though it wouldn't even make the NCAA Tournament. In that respect, respect is due the 2024 Tigers. But there is also the knowledge that any year that falls short of the College World Series can't be considered a good one at LSU. It is already shaping up to be a very good year for former LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Certainly a lucrative one. Monday, his team the Minnesota Vikings announced they were signing Jefferson to the biggest deal in NFL history for a non-quarterback. Now huge piles of cash make for a moving target, we know, but on the face of it certainly it's an impressive bonanza for Jefferson. Finally, the LSU women's basketball team is headed to Chicago in December to play the Aneesah Morrow Classic. No, it's not really called that, but close enough. Kim Mulkey is taking her Tigers to Morrow's home town to play Illinois-Chicago. It's what she did for Angel Reese this past season when LSU played Coppin State in Baltimore and what it's is also doing this coming season for Mikaylah Williams when it plays Grambling in her native Bossier City. I kind of need Mulkey to sign another Australian so I can go cover the Tigers playing down under in that person's hometown. That's all for today, folks. Thanks for reading and subscribing and we'll catch you next time. Scott Rabalais |