BATON ROUGE (WGNO) — The LSU baseball team is back in town after winning the national championship, defeating Florida in Omaha Monday night.
Despite a heat advisory and the team’s delayed flight, diehard LSU baseball fans waited outside Alex Box Stadium to congratulate them.
“It’s a sauna. We’re getting a sauna today just like we did in regionals and super regionals,” LSU fan Karen Nolan said. “Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but the box. Go Tigers!”
For some LSU students, the scene is quite familiar.
“This is the second championship I’ve got to witness during my time here at LSU, and I just feel like it’s monumental,” LSU student Aniya Thomas said. “It’s a great thing to celebrate.”
Once the buses arrived, Head Coach Jay Johnson high-fived the fans while first baseman and New Orleans native Cade Beloso stopped to speak with a young girl before making his way into “the box.”
The fans say the baseball team deserves such a welcome.
“They worked hard,” longtime fan Mary Jarreau said. “They struggled the last few games, and they came back and showed us what they’re really capable of when they really put their heads to it.”
This win marks the team’s seventh national championship.
“This is seventh time I would be here to collect our national championship for the State of Louisiana in Baton Rouge, and it’s just a wonderful experience every time they come back from on a flight to welcome them home,” longtime season ticket holder Tim Toler said.
The devoted fans say celebrations like this strengthens the community.
“It just brings us all together, just like the basketball team, just one more thing to celebrate and be joyful about,” Nolan said. “Just go Tigers! We just love it. Now, football’s next!”
On Wednesday, there will be a celebration at Alex Box Stadium, starting at 6:30 p.m. It is open to the public.
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