(EDITOR’S NOTE: Addison Evans is a 17-year-old photographer from Natchitoches with a growing portfolio in sports media, including her just-completed coverage of LSU at the College World Series for the Shreveport-Bossier Journal. She recently completed a six-month internship with Northwestern State Baseball and has covered high school baseball across north Louisiana. Evans is a recent high school graduate and incoming freshman at LSU.)
By ADDISON EVANS, Special to the Journal
Four years ago, as a high school freshman picking up a camera for the first time, I never imagined it would lead me to Omaha – photographing LSU Baseball’s historic eighth national championship win.
Over a week before claiming the national title, LSU opened its College World Series run against Arkansas. I arrived nearly eight hours before first pitch, eager to get a feel for where I would be shooting. One wrong turn landed me in the UCLA dugout – right in the middle of their warmups.
That simple mistake sparked an unexpected connection with a UCLA staff member – another woman passionate about working in baseball. At the time, I thought: Wow, this might be the coolest accidental turn of my life. I had no idea just how right— and wrong — I would be.
That one turn sparked 10 days of once-in-a-lifetime experiences most 17-year-olds only dream of: capturing team arrivals, game action, postgame celebrations, and press conferences at the ultimate destination for a college baseball team or fan — Omaha.
I met Kayli Hartzell and Claire Ryerson, college students working with the NCAA’s CWS media staff, who shared the same passion for sports. Though I had prior sports media experience, Omaha offered something different – mentorship and guidance at a very high level. Every question I asked seemed to land in the hands of the right person.
As the road to the championship unfolded, so did my vision for how I wanted to document it. My personal mantra became “explore to get creative shots.” I did just that – experimenting from the upper concourse levels, behind players on deck, and even in the dugout. A brief, accidental visit to the Murray State bullpen reminded me that not every boundary is meant to be crossed.
Playing it safe for LSU’s Game 2 against UCLA led to a clean, but uninspired gallery. That’s when I recognized that the best shots come from trusting my instincts and pushing creative boundaries.
From that point on, I treated every game like any other – focused on the essence of baseball: the fans, atmosphere, player interactions, and everything in between.
With every resource imaginable at my fingertips, I made sure to use them. When a media opportunity came up in the LSU locker room, I took it — introducing myself to staff, chatting with players, and shooting pregame and postgame from the field. I learned that if you act like you know what you’re doing, eventually, you start to believe it — and others do, too.
As a longtime fan of disposable cameras, once the finals were set, I handed out a few to players from LSU and Coastal Carolina. I had done something similar during my internship with Northwestern State Baseball on a road trip to Pepperdine and it was a hit. I wanted to give players the chance to document their experience from their own perspective, using a creative outlet I love.
After LSU’s second win over Arkansas sealed the Tigers’ ticket to the finals, the pressure to get creative shots increased. The team had to beat Coastal Carolina twice for the title, giving me up to three games to capture the full story.
Following the 4-6-3 double play that ended the championship game, my lens went straight to the iconic dogpile forming near the mound. To document it as a photographer was incredible, and as a lifelong LSU fan and incoming freshman there, it was deeply personal.
After heading inside the media workroom to start editing, I heard music echoing in the hallway. Tiger Baseball was on the move, Turtlebox speakers blaring. Wherever they were going, I was, too. I quickly grabbed my camera and followed them to the Road to Omaha statue. Watching the team celebrate together, blasting their favorite songs, was a special moment to capture.
That reminded me why I fell in love with photography in the first place. It’s never just about the game — it’s about telling the story: the energy, the emotion, the moments few notice, or no one sees.
Being at the College World Series gave me the perfect chance to do that. And for a Louisiana girl who grew up supporting LSU in the stands at Alex Box Stadium, photographing the Tigers claiming their eighth national title was more than just a career milestone. It was a celebration of years spent supporting LSU Baseball – a moment where my younger self could see how far that love has carried me.
- To check out Evans’ portfolio from the College World Series, visit her AE Photography Instagram account — addionfilm.
Contact Addison at sports@journalservicesllc.com
