In a weird turn of events, Saturday night at Alex Box Stadium was the place to be as the hometown LSU Tigers welcomed the Kentucky Wildcats in game one of the 2023 Baton Rouge Super Regional. All that separated Kentucky and LSU from an appearance in the 2023 College World Series was two wins in the 2023 Baton Rouge Super Regional. After a seven-hour weather delay, Kentucky and LSU would finally take the field at Alex Box Stadium in a crucial game one. LSU proved too much for the Wildcats on Friday night as the Tigers jumped ahead in the first inning and never looked back.

Despite the weather delays, Head Coach Jay Johnson decided the legend Paul Skenes would start Saturday as LSU tried to jumpstart the Wildcats in game one. As expected, Skenes dominated Kentucky on Saturday night, giving the hometown LSU Tigers an unbelievable advantage on the mound. Skenes was a monster on Friday night, living rent-free in the minds of the Kentucky lineup. Paul Skenes would go 7.2 innings, striking out nine Kentucky batters and giving up four hits on zero runs. With one out in the bottom half of the 8th inning, Head Coach Jay Johnson replaced his starter to allow the LSU Tiger faithful to honor the legend with a final standing ovation. Blake Money would come in with one out in the 8th inning to provide LSU with the save.

LSU jumped out on Kentucky early in the game on Friday night behind the bat of Tre Morgan, who would homer in the bottom half of the 1st inning to give the Tigers an early 1-0 advantage over the Wildcats. LSU would add three runs in the bottom half of the third inning from back-to-back home runs from Tommy White and Tre Morgan to make it 4-0 over the Kentucky Wildcats. Gavis Dugas wanted in on the homerun action for the LSU Tigers in the bottom half of the 4th inning when he launched a solo shot to left-center to extend the LSU lead to 5-0. LSU would slam the door shut on Kentucky in the bottom half of the 5th inning with a monster five-running inning to make it 11-0 Tigers heading to the top half of the 6th. Tommy White would hammer his second home run in the bottom half of the 6th inning to make it 12-0 LSU. In the bottom half of the 7th inning, LSU would add two more runs to make it 14-0 Tigers over Kentucky.

Heads up management by the Kentucky staff to realize with Paul Skenes on the mound, it would be wise to hold the arms to give Kentucky much cushion in an elimination game on Sunday. Despite giving up six runs, Kentucky kept Zach Lee on the mound until he finished the 4th inning. Too gassed to continue, Kentucky brought Christian Howe in the 5th to salvage the damage and get to Sunday without too much bleeding. Kentucky fans will remember Head Coach Nick Mingione did the same thing in April when the Wildcats last visited Alex Box Stadium. Kentucky let Paul Skenes do what Paul Skenes does, and the Wildcats focused on the bigger picture of the series preparing for a war on Sunday.

LSU remains undefeated at 4-0 in the 2023 NCAA Tournament and now faces the reality of being one win away from the 2023 College World Series in Omaha.

Game two will be Sunday at 5:00, with a national television audience on ESPN2. A win for LSU on Sunday, and the Tigers will return to the College World Series for the 19th time in program history, the first since 2007.