During the 2023 college baseball regular season, only two teams have ever ascended the rankings to reach the top overall spot. On Monday, the two will face off for the first time to get in the driver's seat for a spot in the College World Series final.
Live LSU vs. Wake Forest updates and highlights
LSU began the season as the consensus No. 1 team, with some of the biggest stars in the sport. Dylan Crews has been the top draft prospect in the country since evaluators began considering the 2023 MLB Draft, and Paul Skenes didn't take long before he joined his teammate at the top of the rankings. But some inconsistent midseason performances dropped the Tigers in the rankings, ending their run at the top in mid-May.
Since then, Wake Forest has been the clear top team in the country. The Demon Deacons lead the nation in ERA by nearly a full run with an OPS that slots in the top five. Though they don't have a Crews or Skenes, they might have the next best things, with top 10 draft prospect Rhett Lowder, first-round slugger Brock Wilken and 2024 top prospect Nick Kurtz.
MORE: Watch the College World Series live with Fubo (free trial)
Baseball fans won't get to see Skenes vs. Lowder — both pitched in their teams' College World Series opening wins against Tennessee and Stanford, respectively. But that won't take away from what figures to be a thrilling clash.
Josh Hartle is expected to be handed the ball for the Demon Deacons. he trails only Lowder on the team in innings and strikeouts with 96.1 innings and 131 punchouts. Against Alabama, he allowed four runs over six innings with 11 punchouts. He allowed seven hits and walked one batter.
LSU, meanwhile, will hand the ball to Ty Floyd. Floyd struggled against Kentucky in the super regionals, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk in just 3.1 innings of work. This season, he has a 4.50 ERA across 78 innings of work with 93 strikeouts.
MORE: College World Series bracket, schedule
Here's all you need to know to watch the fifth-ranked Tigers take on the top-ranked Demon Deacons.
What channel is LSU vs. Wake Forest on today?
- TV channel: ESPN
- Live stream: Fubo, ESPN+
Monday's game will be carried by ESPN, which has been the broadcast home for all but one of the College World Series games to date, with last night's Florida vs. Oral Roberts game being the only exception as it was on ESPN2.
ESPN's Karl Ravech (play-by-play), Eduardo Perez (commentary) and Kyle Peterson (commentary) will be in the booth for the Monday night contest, while Kris Budden will be the on-site reporter.
LSU vs. Wake Forest start time
- First pitch: 7 p.m. ET
Baseball fans will have to wait until the evening for the highly anticipated matchup. The two sides will begin at 7 p.m. ET, following the end of the 2 p.m. ET matchup between No. 8 Stanford and Tennessee in the elimination bracket.
LSU vs. Wake Forest live stream
- Live stream: Fubo, ESPN+
There will be several options to stream the College World Series matchup, including Fubo, which offers a free trial and will carry ESPN's coverage of the game. Fans can also find it on ESPN+.
College World Series schedule 2023
Following Monday's game, the winner will have an extended period to rest, while the loser will face the winner of Tennessee vs. Stanford in the final round of the elimination bracket. The winner between LSU and Wake Forest will then only need one more win in the CWS semifinal between either Monday's loser, Tennessee or Stanford to determine the team that will arrive in the College World Series final.
Here's how the rest of the bracket is scheduled to take place:
Monday, June 19
| Game | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Game 7: No. 8 Stanford vs. Tennessee | 2 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
| Game 8: No. 1 Wake Forest vs. No. 5 LSU | 7 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
Tuesday, June 20
| Game | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 loser | 7 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
Wednesday, June 21
| Game | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Game 12: Game 8 winner vs. Game 10 winner | 7 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
Thursday, June 22
| Game | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Game 12 rematch (if Game 8 winner loses) | 7 p.m. | ESPN2, Fubo |
Saturday, June 24: College World Series finals Game 1
| Game | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Bracket 1 winner vs. Bracket 2 winner | 7 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
Sunday, June 25: College World Series finals Game 2
| Game | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Bracket 1 winner vs. Bracket 2 winner | 3 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
Monday, June 27: College World Series finals Game 3*
| Game | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Bracket 1 winner vs. Bracket 2 winner | 7 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
* - If necessary