OMAHA, Nev. — Tommy White didn't have much to say after hitting the biggest home run of his life in Omaha last night.
"I… awesome. I don’t know," White smiled during his on-field, postgame interview with ESPN's Kris Budden. "I’m at a loss for words. I’m excited. Wow."
White, one of the best hitters in college baseball (.370, 23 HR, 100 RBIs this season), sent LSU to the College World Series championship round with an 11th inning, two-run walk-off home run versus #1 Wake Forest. The St. Pete Beach native stayed true to form during the postgame news conference.
"Yeah, I was super confident," he said calmly. "Just doing my deal. That’s about it."
After the team mobbed him at home plate, White sought out and embraced the man who gave up his game-winner homer—his friend and fellow Tampa Bay native Camden Minacci.
"I’ve known Camden and Bennett Lee for quite some time now. We’re all from Tampa. I’ve played with him, against him, growing up my whole life," White explained. "He’s one of my close friends. I didn’t want him to feel- I just want to make sure he’s alright."
LSU advances to face #2 Florida, who beat TCU 3-2 on Wednesday night. Berkeley Prep's Cade Kurland, who had gone just 1 for 14 in the World Series, drove in the game-winning run with an infield hit in the top of the ninth.
"I feel like baseball always has a way of coming back and giving you opportunities," Kurland said after the game. "It’s just a matter of staying present and ready for when those come. And I’m just very grateful for that."
Both Kurland and White know both of their team's seasons come down to one weekend, and they want to make it count.
"It’s always on to the next. The job’s not done," Kurland said. "It’s the same game we’ve played since we were little… and two more to go."
"It’s just going to come down to execution. Playing the game one pitch at a time. We know what to do. We know what we gotta do," White added. "We’re just going to play our game, hope for the best."
The best-of-three series gets underway Saturday night at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha. First pitch for game one is set for 7 p.m. Game two is Sunday at 3 p.m., and game three (if necessary) is Monday at 7 p.m.
Florida is looking for its first title since beating LSU for the crown in 2017. LSU last won it all in 2009, when the Tigers knocked off Texas.
