Louisiana State University will forever be part of College World Series lore.
That is thanks to one pitch, one hit and one hero.
In 1996, one of the most iconic moments in CWS history occurred at Rosenblatt Stadium: A walk-off home run to clinch the national championship for LSU.
It’s a moment memorialized about 3 miles away in the Road to Omaha statue outside Charles Schwab Field.
The guy responsible for electrifying the crowd — and the country — was Warren Morris.
He is now a 51-year-old banker living in his hometown of Alexandria, Louisiana — and recently spoke to KETV’s Rob McCartney.
McCartney: I imagine you’re quite the hero there.
Morris: People probably around here, they know I played baseball, but they know me more as someone to help them in their banking needs now.
McCartney: What do you remember about the home run, leading up to your at-bat?
Morris: I really never felt any panic. I just, I don’t know why I had this feeling that we were a team of destiny, and somehow, some way, we weren’t going to lose that game.
McCartney: What kind of pitch did you get?
Morris: It’s a good pitch. It was down and in, I just dropped my barrel on it and, you know, trying to hit a base hit to tie the game up. And that was the only ball, I think, that could have gone out that day. Because if you remember, the wind was blowing hard in.
McCartney: Oh yeah, I do remember. … You hit that thing on a rope. I didn’t expect it get out. Did you?
Morris: I know coming out of the batter’s box, I was running hard trying to get a double, you know, and it wasn’t until I got near first base and I saw our first base coach jump about 6 feet off the ground. And, you know, that’s when I realized that ball went over.
McCartney: And when you slowed down into your home run trot, did you see the Miami players, like Alex Cora, face down in the dirt?
Morris: I did, I did. That’s when I really got excited. I don’t think I touched the ground too much after that. You know, coming around the bases. That’s when I really realized, you know, this is — we just won it all, and jump around and end up at home plate. And all my teammates, and man, you’re on the bottom of that pile and you can’t breathe down there. But I mean that that’s, that’s it. That’s what you play sports for.
McCartney: Every once in a while, there’ll be talk of moving the series out of Omaha. Now, I’m biased on this, but I think it’s a pretty good fit here.
Morris: Oh, I agree with you. I’m biased, too. I’ve always had good experiences in Omaha, and I’ve always said anybody in Louisiana because people here, they’re crazy for baseball, and if you’ve never been to the College World Series, you got to go because nobody does it like they do it in Omaha. And I’m all on board for keeping it there forever.
McCartney: After all, isn’t the Road to Omaha the dream for all college baseball teams?
Morris: I can’t speak for every other program, but from Day 1, we never really talked about winning seasons or winning the conference from Day 1. The goal was to get to Omaha to win the World Series. And I just think the city is synonymous with championships. And so college baseball, that’s the mecca. Why mess with that?
Even though it’s been nearly 30 years, Morris said he does not mind being asked about the homer, because, in his words, “It always ends well.”
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READ MORE:LSU hero reflects on memorable College World Series home run
