Jared Jones Adds Another Chapter to LSU Baseball Lore With Heroics as Tigers Punch Ticket to College World Series Final

Some players are built for the moment. Jared Jones seems to crave them. And on a night when LSU needed someone—anyone—to deliver a swing worthy of Omaha’s rich tradition, Jones etched himself deeper into Tigers lore with a thunderous display of power that lifted LSU into the College World Series Final.

This wasn’t just another home run. This was the kind of moment that lives forever in the minds of Tiger fans and echoes through the program’s decorated past. With one mighty swing in the bottom of the seventh, Jones turned a tight, nerve-wracking contest into a celebration. LSU 6, Florida State 3. Ballgame. CWS Final bound.

It wasn’t the first time Jones had come through. And the way this postseason has unfolded, it almost certainly won’t be the last.

“Jared’s just built for this stage,” LSU head coach Jay Johnson said after the win. “He’s got a heart for competition, and when the lights shine brightest, he never shrinks. He elevates.”

That much was clear under the lights at Charles Schwab Field. With LSU and Florida State locked in a 3-3 battle and momentum swinging like a pendulum, Jones stepped in with a runner on and one out. FSU reliever Caden Grice had just fanned Tommy White. He had Jones 1-2, crowd on edge, and seemed to be inching toward an escape.

But Jones wasn’t going to be denied.

“I was looking fastball,” Jones said postgame, still grinning through adrenaline. “I got one, and I didn’t miss it.”

The bat cracked like a firework. The ball soared. And when it finally landed halfway up the left-field bleachers, LSU’s dugout erupted. Paul Skenes, seated beside Dylan Crews and Alex Milazzo near the top step, was the first over the rail. It was jubilation, explosion, and confirmation all at once.

Jones had done it again. And LSU was marching on.

The Makings of a Classic

The matchup was every bit the nail-biter it was billed to be. Florida State, riding its own wave of postseason momentum, had jumped ahead early. A solo homer in the second off LSU starter Thatcher Hurd gave the Seminoles a 1-0 edge, and they pushed it to 3-1 by the fourth, capitalizing on a pair of walks and a two-out single through the right side.

But LSU didn’t flinch. In a season defined by grit, the Tigers stuck to their blueprint—relentless at-bats, timely pitching, and faith in their depth.

Cade Beloso trimmed the deficit in the fifth with an RBI double that plated Crews. Then, in the sixth, Tre’ Morgan tied it with a single to right after an electric 10-pitch at-bat.

“It’s who we are,” Johnson said. “You can punch us in the mouth, but we’re gonna keep coming. There’s no quit in this team.”

Still, the moment belonged to Jones. His home run wasn’t just a go-ahead blast—it was a tone-setter, a program-shaping memory, and a reminder that LSU baseball lives for these moments.

From Marietta to Monumental

Jones’ journey to LSU was well-documented. The Marietta, Georgia native came to Baton Rouge with a booming bat and bigger expectations. He hit 14 home runs as a freshman, many of them majestic. But with big swings came big challenges—strikeouts, adjustments to SEC velocity, and the pressure of wearing the purple and gold.

This season, Jones took the next step. He became more selective, more complete. He didn’t just hunt homers—he hunted moments. And now, with LSU one win away from back-to-back national championships, his legacy is blossoming.

“He’s matured so much,” Johnson said. “This version of Jared is scary for pitchers. He’s disciplined, dangerous, and doesn’t try to do too much. That homer tonight? It wasn’t luck. It was earned.”

Jones now has 22 home runs on the season—none more important than the one he launched into the Omaha night to lift LSU.

Hurd Holds the Line

While Jones will get the headlines, Thatcher Hurd deserves his flowers. The sophomore right-hander bounced back from early struggles to give LSU five innings of three-run ball, walking four but striking out six. His command was shaky early, but he battled.

“That’s postseason baseball,” Hurd said. “You’ve got to find a way, even when you don’t have your best stuff.”

LSU’s bullpen—so often questioned earlier in the year—was again a strength. Gavin Guidry threw two scoreless innings, and Griffin Herring closed it out with a dominant eighth and ninth, fanning three.

“It’s all about trust,” Herring said. “Coach Johnson trusts us. Our team trusts us. That belief goes a long way.”

Another CWS Final, Another Shot at Glory

With the win, LSU advances to the College World Series Final for the second straight year and the ninth time in program history. They’ll face either Tennessee or North Carolina, depending on the outcome of Friday’s semifinal.

The Tigers are seeking their eighth national championship—and second in a row under Johnson. After last year’s emotional run that ended with a dogpile on the mound, there were questions of whether LSU could reload. Now, those questions have turned into affirmations.

“They said we couldn’t do it again,” said Crews, who returned to support the team despite heading to the MLB last year. “But look at them. This team’s got the juice. They believe.”

Indeed, belief might be the defining characteristic of this team. It’s seen in the way they grind out at-bats, the way they celebrate each other’s successes, and the way they show up, day after day, expecting to win.

“It’s never been about proving people wrong,” Jones added. “It’s about proving ourselves right.”

Skip Bertman, Omaha Legend, Approves

In the crowd Thursday night sat Skip Bertman, the legendary LSU coach who built the program into a dynasty. He’s seen just about every version of Tigers baseball—from the gritty 1980s climb to the glory years of the ’90s.

But even he stood in applause after Jones’ blast.

“Jared reminded me of some of those greats tonight,” Bertman told WAFB after the game. “The moment didn’t own him—he owned it.”

For LSU fans, that quote says it all. For the LSU faithful who made the trek from Baton Rouge to Omaha, it was a chance to witness history again. And for those watching from home, it was yet another reason why June baseball in purple and gold just hits different.

What Comes Next

Now, all eyes turn to the CWS Final. LSU will have a day to rest before beginning the best-of-three championship series. Paul Skenes, who’s been on a strict pitch count following last year’s MLB Draft and innings workload, is expected to be available in some form.

“I’ve been waiting for this,” Skenes said. “Whatever they need me to do, I’ll be ready.”

The same could be said for Jones—and just about everyone in this dugout. Because LSU baseball isn’t just surviving in Omaha. They’re owning it.

And now, one step from the mountaintop, the Tigers can almost taste another championship.

With players like Jared Jones writing the script, it might just be another Hollywood ending.