MCWS 2023 - LSU-Wake Forest immediately enters in GOAT territory - ESPN

Omaha, NE — When the scoreboard lights were finally turned off at Charles Schwab Field on Thursday night, the memories of the numbers that had been posted on that board were still there. They won't fade for some time, if ever. Certainly not in the minds of the LSU faithful, their team having just won a 2-0 contest by way of a two-run homer in the bottom of the 11th inning to advance to the Men's College World Series finals. And most definitely not in the minds of the stunned Wake Forest fans who, an hour after that ball had sailed over the left-field wall, were still so reluctant to leave, not wanting to make the final steps toward the stadium exit that would make their heartbreak official.

«We are so sorry to do this, but it's time to head home,» a police officer said as he made his way through the first base stand, gently placing his hand on the shoulder of a weeping woman in a «Rake Forest» T-shirt. «It's a shame someone had to lose a game like that.»

Every person in attendance, all 23,993 of them, was left wondering about that statement. A game like that. Had they ever seen a game like that? Omaha media veterans were sent digging through their memory banks for the answer. Those who fancy themselves Men's College World Series historians started having the conversation aloud in the press box as the contest blasted through inning after inning at a torrid pace.

LSU starting pitcher Paul Skenes, the undisputed national pitcher of the year, muscled his way through 8 innings, surrendering no runs on a pair of hits and his lone walk issued offset by nine strikeouts.

Paul Skenes, Disgusting 88mph Changeup followed by a 99mph Heater. 8th K pic.twitter.com/SlnYG7TCOE

Wake Forest's Rhett Lowder, a two-time ACC Pitcher of the