Watch live: LSU: Historic run: Louisiana celebrates our national champions

DIFFERENCES. HE’S HAD TO ADAPT TO A LOT OF CHANGES. PERHAPS SKIP AND PAUL DIDN’T HAVE TO. I WOULD SAY PERSONALITY WISE, HE’S PROBABLY A COMBINATION OF THE TWO. GREAT MOTIVATOR LIKE SKIP WAS A GREAT TACTICIAN, LIKE SKIP, LIKE PAUL, A DISCIPLINARIAN, A GUY WHO’S VERY STRUCTURED AND ORGANIZED. SO I THINK HE TAKES SOME OF THE BEST CHARACTERISTICS OF BOTH OF THOSE COACHES AND COMBINES THEM INTO HIS CHARACTER. FIRST TIME YOU WERE IN OMAHA WORKING WITH LSU. CAN YOU RECALL THE YEAR THAT YOU WERE FOR THE FIRST TIME? FIRST TIME I WAS THERE WAS 1989, AND IT’S EASY TO REMEMBER BECAUSE IT WAS BEN MACDONALD’S FINAL YEAR AT LSU. HE WAS THE NUMBER ONE DRAFT PICK IN THE MLB THAT YEAR, AND THE DRAFT WAS DURING THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES. SO I REMEMBER WE HAD A LITTLE PRESS GATHERING AT THE TEAM HOTEL BACK THEN FOR BEN’S ANNOUNCEMENT AS THE NUMBER ONE DRAFT PICK, AND THAT THAT TEAM WENT TWO AND TWO IN OMAHA, DIDN’T GET THEIR. WE WENT BACK IN 1990, ALSO WENT TWO AND TWO. DIDN’T GET THERE IN 91 OF COURSE IS THE FIRST ONE. AND IT’S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE RIDE SINCE THEN. LAST QUESTION 1989 TO 2005. HOW MUCH IS OMAHA CHANGED FROM 89 TO 2025? IT’S CHANGED A LOT. I’LL TELL YOU WHAT. BUT THE COMMUNITY HAS EMBRACED IT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. THE COMMUNITY THERE EMBRACED LSU BASEBALL, AND THEY THEY WELCOME US. THEY TREAT US LIKE ALMOST LIKE ROYALTY. AND I DON’T BLAME THEM BECAUSE THE ECONOMIC BOOST TO THEIR TO TO THAT CITY IS SIGNIFICANT WHENEVER LSU HITS TOWN. SO YEAH IT’S BEEN FANTASTIC. IT’S IT’S IT’S MORE IT’S MORE OF A MODERN CITY. ALL THE TEAMS STAY DOWNTOWN OF COURSE A NEW BALLPARK. SO IT’S A FIRST CLASS ENVIRONMENT. BILL FRANK, THANK YOU. THANKS, CARL. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. HEY, BILL. HOW YOU DOING, JOHNNY? HOW YOU DOING? YES, I KNOW YOU TALKED TO FLETCHER ALREADY. I DID, YEAH. GOTCHA. SO WE’RE GOING TO. GET THROUGH IT NOW. OKAY. WHO’S THAT? ALL RIGHT. THAT IS JONAH GILMORE GETTING A SECOND INTERVIEW WITH BILL. FRANK AS BILL FRANK’S IS ONE OF THE PEOPLE WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT. THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE PROGRAM. HE IS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW HERE, BUT HE’S ONE OF THOSE BACKBONE GUYS. HE’S THE VOICE OF ALEX BOX STADIUM. HE’S THE LONGTIME BASEBALL SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTOR. HE KNOWS MORE HISTORY ABOUT LSU BASEBALL AND HAS BEEN ALONG FOR THE RIDE, LIKE HE SAID SINCE 1989. SO A REALLY SPECIAL PERSON WHO IS INGRAINED IN THE FABRIC OF LSU BASEBALL AND A SPECIAL PERSON, THEY DID MENTION SKIP BERTMAN, WHO IS ACTUALLY AT THAT FINAL GAME FOR THE TIGERS THERE IN OMAHA. REALLY COOL TO SEE HIM OUT THERE WITH THE REST OF THE TEAM BECAUSE HE’S SUCH AN ICONIC FIGURE. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT LSU BASEBALL AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ALEX BOX STADIUM, YEAH, WITHOUT QUESTION, THEY HAVE SKIP BERTMAN THERE. I MEAN, HE BUILT THIS PROGRAM INTO IT’S ARGUABLY THE GREATEST PROGRAM IN THE HISTORY OF COLLEGE BASEBALL SINCE 1986, NO PROGRAM HAS BEEN TO THE WORLD SERIES MORE 20 TIMES. LSU SINCE 1986, NO PROGRAM HAS WON MORE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. LSU EIGHT. THERE IS AN ARGUMENT TO BE MADE THAT THEY ARE THE GREATEST COLLEGE BASEBALL PROGRAM IN THE HISTORY OF THE SPORT, CERTAINLY IN THE MODERN HISTORY OF THE SPORT, YOU’D HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE 40S, 50S AND 60S, WHICH IS A MUCH DIFFERENT ERA. SO WHAT SKIP BERTMAN BUILT AND THE FACT THAT HE WAS ABLE TO BE THERE, THE PASSING OF HIS WIFE THIS YEAR, HE IS NOT IN GREAT HEALTH. SO THE FACT THAT HE HAS BEEN ALONG FOR THIS RIDE IS VERY MEANINGFUL, KNOWING THAT HE TRULY CREATED THE FOUNDATION OF THIS PROGRAM. AND, YOU KNOW, SO MANY FANS ARE STILL IN OMAHA, BY THE WAY, BECAUSE THEY WERE JUST MAKING SURE THAT THEY WEREN’T GOING TO BE MISSING GAME THREE IF THERE WAS A GAME THREE TODAY. SO A LOT OF THEM NOT FLYING BACK UNTIL TOMORROW. BUT THERE’S SO MANY FANS HERE ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA WHO ARE EXCITED TO MAYBE GET A PIECE OF THIS ACTION. EITHER THE MERCHANDISE OR BEING THERE IN PERSON. GETTING TO WATCH SOME OF THOSE FANS. YEAH, AND WE HAVE SHAWANDA JONES RIGHT NOW ON THE NORTH SHORE WITH REACTION FANS BUYING ALL THE MERCHANDISE, EVERYTHING THAT’S HAPPENING THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW. YEAH, GUYS, WE’RE NOT GOING TO GET TO THAT MERCHANDISE JUST YET. I ACTUALLY CAUGHT UP WITH KADE ANDERSON’S FORMER CHEMISTRY TEACHER. HE’S NOW THE PRINCIPAL HERE AT SAINT PAUL’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN COVINGTON. AND HE SAYS FROM THE MOMENT HE SAW KADE PLAY, HE KNEW THAT HE JUST HAD THAT IT FACTOR ABOUT HIM. AND HE SAYS THAT HIS LEGACY REACHES FAR BEYOND WHAT HE DID ON THE MOUND. BUT HOW HE ACTED IN THE CLASSROOM, HE SAYS HIS DISCIPLINE, HIS WORK ETHIC AND JUST WHO HE WAS, HIS VALUES THAT HE EXERTED AS A PERSON AND A PLAYER. IT REALLY, REALLY SPOKE TO HIS UPBRINGING. LET’S HEAR FROM HIM. HE’S THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE TALK ABOUT, OF THE GRADUATES WE WANT FOR SAINT PAUL STUDENTS TO BE, HE EXEMPLIFIES ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT VALUES THAT WE INSTILL, AND THAT WE WANT OUR STUDENTS TO SHINE. AND PRINCIPAL PIERRE SAYS THAT HE HAS NO DOUBT THAT HIS STORY WILL INSPIRE THE NEXT ROUND OF STUDENT ATHLETES THAT WILL BE GRADUATING HERE FROM SAINT PAUL’S REPORTING LIVE IN COVINGTON. I’M SHAWANDA JONES. AND WE WERE JUST COMMENTING BECAUSE YOU COULD WATCH KATE ANDERSON’S PARENTS THERE IN THE STADIUM, YOU KNOW, WATCHING THEIR SON PLAY HIS MOTHER SO EXCITED. ALL OF THE EMOTIONS RIGHT THERE ON HER SLEEVE. HIS FATHER VERY STOIC, WHICH I MEAN, I THINK I’D BE A COMBINATION OF THE BOTH OF THEM WATCHING MY SON PLAY ON THE WORLD STAGE LIKE THAT. KENDALL DUNCAN INTERVIEWED KADE AFTER THE GAME YESTERDAY, AND HE EVEN ACKNOWLEDGED THAT SAYING HIS MOTHER IS A ROLLER COASTER OF EMOTIONS, THAT SHE’S PRAYING IN THE STANDS. SHE’S THE LOUDEST PERSON CHEERING WHEN HE STRIKES SOMEBODY OUT. AND HE SAID IT DOES. IT IS SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS HIM BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT HE GETS THE HIGHEST OF HIGHS WHEN HE DOES WELL, AND HE SEES HER WALKING OFF THE FIELD AND HE KNOWS WHEN THINGS AREN’T GOING WELL. HE DOESN’T WANT TO LOOK UP INTO THE STANDS BECAUSE HE KNOWS SHE’S PROBABLY FRANTIC IN IN PRAYING THAT HE GETS OUT OF A TOUGH SITUATION. SO YEAH, SHE IS DEFINITELY SOMEBODY WHO IS PASSIONATE ABOUT, UNDERSTANDABLY ABOUT HER SON. HIS SUCCESS IN LSU BASEBALL. I THINK SHE IMPACTED ALL OF US AS MOMS WHO HAVE MAYBE LITTLE ONES WHO ARE PLAYING BASEBALL BECAUSE, I MEAN, SHE’D CRY AND I’M LIKE, OH, SHE’S CRYING, OR OH MY GOSH, SHE’S SO EXCITED. SO I MEAN, LIKE, SHE TOOK US ALONG FOR THAT JOURNEY, BUT YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO BE TAKING US ALONG FOR ANOTHER JOURNEY LATER ON TONIGHT AT 630. YEAH. 630 TONIGHT WE HAVE A SPECIAL SHOW COMING UP. AND THEN ALSO DO NOT FORGET WEDNESDAY. HERE’S OUR FIRST SPECIAL. YES, TONIGHT AT 630, LSU’S HISTORIC RUN. KENDALL DUNCAN WRAPS UP EVERYTHING. SHE SPENT 12 DAYS. SHE PROBABLY COULD HAVE STARTED PAYING BILLS IN OMAHA. SHE WAS THERE FOR SO LONG. SHE PROBABLY WAS, YES. AND SO. AND THEN ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT, WE ARE CARRYING THE FULL CELEBRATION HERE ON WDSU, AS WELL AS OUR DIGITAL AND STREAMING PLATFORMS WILL BE LIVE AT 630 TO GET YOU READY. AND THEN THE CELEBRATION STARTS AT 7:00 WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS THEY CELEBRATE THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM. AND OF COURSE, WE’LL HAVE MUCH MORE ON THIS COMING UP ON WDSU NEWS AT 4:00, AS WELL AS OUR LATER NEWSCAST. BUT WE’LL NOW BRING YOU BACK TO