OMAHA — They say records are made to be broken. Especially when you mix LSU fans with the College World Series.

Rocco’s bar, across the street from Charles Schwab Field, established the Jello shot challenge in 2017. The bar keeps a running tally of shots patrons take for each team that qualifies for the series. It’s only gained in popularity each year.

Ole Miss held the record — 18,777 shots during its 2022 CWS championship run. It took a mere 5 days for LSU and it’s legion of fans to surpass that mark this week.

The Tigers got an assist from Raising Canes founder and LSU alum Todd Graves. Graves purchased 6,000 shots and distributed them to Tigers fans throughout the bar on Monday afternoon, as it was absolute pandemonium an hour before first pitch between the Tigers and Wake Forest.

Chants of “L-S-U, L-S-U” boomed from Rocco’s shortly after 5 pm local time.

“LSU’s got a healthy drinking culture,” joked Rocco’s patron and former LSU student, Dillon Cornett said. “They have a very competitive spirit. It doesn’t matter the sport or competition.”

From pizza to shots

Rocco’s is a small pizza cantina joint. Nothing fancy. Its proximity is advantageous for CWS fans.

Owner Kevin Culjat started the Jello shot idea as a fun way to give back to the food bank of teams at the CWS. This year shots are $5 each, with $1 going to each team’s food bank and 50 cents going to the Heartland food bank in Omaha.

Culjat built a separate 16-foot bar inside Rocco’s just for Jello shots for the series. Each year the shot challenge grows in popularity. And with LSU and its massive contingent of fans, 2023 is on pace to raise the totals to astronomical heights.

“We’re going to take this thing and make it as big as we can,” Culjat said. “This is something I never anticipated in my wildest dreams.”

Last year Culjat donated over $40,000 back to the teams. This year is sure to be more. There’s a whiteboard above the bar with each team’s tally. Rocco’s updates it twice a day. LSU stood at over 21,000 shots following Graves’ purchase late Monday afternoon.

Party-like atmosphere

The CWS in Omaha has come a long ways since moving to north downtown. Many were skeptical of the move. Some thought it would be too commercialized and lose the distinct character it was known for. Iconic Rosenblatt Stadium was home to the CWS in South Omaha for 60 years (1950-2010).

But since relocating to Charles Schwab (formerly TD Ameritrade Park) the series adds a bit more identity each year. It’s a great scene in and around the ballpark. The Omaha Baseball Village has a variety of things for fans of all ages. The CWS brings out fans of all ages from all across the country. It’s a festive, fun atmosphere.

“Ten out of 10,” said Wake Forest fan Frances Herrin when asked about the atmosphere after taking her first Jello shot of the series prior to LSU vs. Wake.

“Even if you’re not going to the game, there’s still so much to do that’s fun.”

Herrin, recently moved to Omaha to attend Creighton dental school. She attended Wake Forest for her undergrad. Herrin learned about the shot challenge via TikTok.

“It’s crazy! One of my friends sent me a text saying, ‘Wake has only 4 (shots),’ and by the time we got here the other night, they were up over 600.”

Meager numbers compared to LSU, but after the Deacons’ 3-2 win Monday, Wake fans will gladly accept the trade-off.

How high will the tally go?

The NCAA condensed the CWS schedule to allow the best-of-3 championship series to start on Saturday instead of Monday like in past years. Regardless of the 2 or more fewer days, the shot board looks to reach eye-popping numbers in 2023.

“LSU fans travel really well regardless of the sport,” Cornett said. “They’re brave fans, really friendly. I feel like we’ve been on a mission since we arrived to beat Ole Miss’ record.”

Last year Rocco’s sold 31,215 shots for the series. This year’s mark is over 37,000 with 6, possibly 7 days remaining.

The competition on the field has spilled over with fans across the street. As teams are eliminated, their fans head home. Shot tallies wane. Needless to say, Culjat and his staff are pulling for LSU to hang around as long as possible. The Tigers play Tennessee in an elimination game Tuesday night. If they win that, they’ll get a rematch vs. Wake Forest on Wednesday.

“I think they’re going to try and get to 40,000,” Culjat told reporters Monday. “If they make it to the championship game, I think they can do it.”

Cover photo via Twitter @CWSShotBoard