In a streaming landscape increasingly saturated with sports documentaries, Netflix has managed to break new ground with its latest entry: Beyond the Bases, a deeply emotional, meticulously crafted, and historically rich exploration of LSU Tigers baseball. The documentary, which premiered to thunderous acclaim last night, doesn’t just tell the story of one of college baseball’s most successful programs—it redefines what it means to honor a legacy.
Over the course of six riveting episodes, Beyond the Bases takes viewers on a journey through the heart and soul of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where LSU baseball isn’t just a sport—it’s a living, breathing testament to the grit, pride, and familial bond that defines the university and its passionate fanbase.
A Legacy Built in Dirt and Glory
Founded in 1893, LSU’s baseball program enjoyed modest success for most of the 20th century. But it was the arrival of Skip Bertman in 1984 that catapulted the Tigers into a new stratosphere of national prominence. The documentary opens with rare archival footage of Bertman’s early days—his intense eyes shaded beneath a cap, standing in the dugout with folded arms, surveying his diamond like a general surveying a battlefield.
Narrated with gravitas by actor Matthew McConaughey, whose Southern cadence adds authenticity and warmth, the documentary interweaves Bertman’s transformational leadership with stories from players like Ben McDonald, Todd Walker, and Warren Morris—names that are etched into LSU lore.
“We didn’t just win,” McDonald says in episode two, titled The Bayou Brotherhood. “We built a culture. We built something that was going to last.”
Bertman’s tenure brought five national championships in the span of a decade (1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, and 2000), but the documentary makes clear that the trophies were just the byproduct of something far more profound: belief.
A Cinematic Journey Through Time
The cinematography in Beyond the Bases is nothing short of poetic. Sunrises over Alex Box Stadium, foggy morning practices with players grinding in silence, the celebratory dogpiles after College World Series triumphs—every frame feels like a love letter to the sport and to LSU.
Episode three, The Ghosts of Omaha, delves into the Tigers’ storied history at the College World Series. Using behind-the-scenes footage, radio calls, and fan-shot video, the series captures the raw emotion of those late-June battles. The episode’s centerpiece is the walk-off home run by Warren Morris in the 1996 championship game—a moment that remains arguably the most iconic in college baseball history.
Netflix’s decision to dedicate an entire episode to that single game is bold, but ultimately genius. The camera lingers on Morris as he rounds third, eyes brimming with disbelief, before collapsing into a sea of purple and gold at home plate.
“That homerun wasn’t just for us,” Morris says, visibly emotional in his interview. “It was for every LSU fan, every player who came before us. It was for Louisiana.”
Player-Driven Narratives
The documentary is at its best when it allows the players to take center stage. Interviews with stars from different eras—including Aaron Hill, DJ LeMahieu, Alex Bregman, and Dylan Crews—reveal how deeply the LSU tradition runs, even for players who’ve since become MLB superstars.
Crews, who led LSU to its 2023 national title alongside pitching ace Paul Skenes, offers some of the documentary’s most poignant insights.
“I could’ve gone pro right out of high school,” Crews says in episode five, The Road Back. “But something about LSU… the culture, the fans, the pressure. I wanted that. I needed that.”
That pressure, the documentary reveals, is both a gift and a burden. With over 10,000 fans regularly packing Alex Box Stadium and expectations sky-high every season, LSU players often find themselves in a crucible of public scrutiny. Yet, as Beyond the Bases so powerfully conveys, it’s within that crucible that champions are forged.
The Baton Rouge Factor
Another standout feature of the series is its reverence for the local community. In episode four, Bayou Ballads, filmmakers venture beyond the stadium to document the symbiotic relationship between LSU baseball and the people of Baton Rouge.
Through interviews with lifelong fans, vendors, tailgaters, and even local musicians, the episode paints a vivid picture of how baseball weekends become citywide events. Churches reschedule services. Businesses close early. Families reunite in the parking lots for elaborate cookouts.
“We bleed purple and gold,” says 78-year-old fan Rosalie Leblanc, who hasn’t missed a home game since 1972. “This team is our family.”
It’s this sense of community that elevates Beyond the Bases from a typical sports doc to something resembling an epic poem. It doesn’t just show how LSU wins—it shows why LSU wins. And that “why” is deeply embedded in the hearts of the people who live and die with every pitch.
Controversy and Redemption
The documentary doesn’t shy away from the darker chapters of LSU baseball, including the program’s occasional postseason stumbles and coaching controversies. Episode six, The Weight of the Crown, examines the transition from Bertman to his successors—Smoke Laval, Paul Mainieri, and Jay Johnson.
While each coach brought their own philosophy, the pressure to uphold LSU’s gold standard often led to both spectacular highs and painful disappointments.
Mainieri’s 2009 national championship is highlighted as a crucial chapter, restoring faith in a fanbase still aching from near-misses. But the documentary also addresses his final seasons with empathy, revealing the toll that expectation can take on a coach’s psyche.
Jay Johnson, who took over in 2021 and led the Tigers back to glory in 2023, is portrayed as the bridge between eras—a cerebral, modern coach with an old-school reverence for LSU’s traditions.
“I’m not here to rewrite history,” Johnson says. “I’m here to honor it—and build on it.”
Behind the Scenes: Making the Documentary
Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker Ava Reynolds, Beyond the Bases was four years in the making. Reynolds, a self-professed baseball novice, became enchanted with LSU baseball after attending a game in 2019.
“I’ve been to MLB stadiums,” Reynolds said in a press release. “But nothing prepared me for the electricity of Alex Box. It felt sacred.”
With unprecedented access to LSU archives, Reynolds and her team combed through thousands of hours of film, audio, and documents. They also followed the team throughout the 2023 season, capturing intimate moments inside locker rooms, dorm rooms, and even family homes.
“We didn’t want to just tell the story of wins and losses,” said Reynolds. “We wanted to tell the story of love. The love these players have for the game, for each other, and for a community that lifts them higher than they ever imagined.”
Fan Reactions and Cultural Impact
Within hours of its release, Beyond the Bases trended globally on Netflix, racking up millions of views and receiving a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Social media lit up with praise, not just from LSU fans but from sports enthusiasts across the country.
“This is more than a baseball doc,” tweeted ESPN’s Ryan McGee. “It’s Friday Night Lights meets The Last Dance—southern edition.”
Even rival fanbases took notice. An Ole Miss fan posted, “As much as it pains me to say it, this documentary gave me goosebumps. LSU baseball is the real deal.”
There’s even talk of a follow-up series, possibly exploring other SEC baseball dynasties or revisiting LSU in future seasons. But Reynolds is cautious about committing to anything yet.
“Right now,” she says, “I just want people to experience what we experienced—how one program, one city, and one sport can come together to create something eternal.”
A Tribute to the Game Itself
Ultimately, Beyond the Bases isn’t just a tribute to LSU—it’s a tribute to baseball itself. To its rhythms and rituals, its heartbreak and ecstasy. The final episode ends with the voice of Skip Bertman, now in his 80s, reflecting on his journey.
“I always told the boys, baseball’s a game of failure. But if you play it right—if you give it your soul—it’ll give you more than you ever imagined. It gave me a family. It gave me a life.”
As the credits roll over slow-motion shots of children playing catch in the Alex Box parking lot, the message is clear: baseball at LSU isn’t just a game. It’s a legacy. A heartbeat. A story still being written.