Anderson delivers epic performance
Brett Laxton may now have to at least share ownership of LSU’s best pitching performance in the College World Series.
The Tigers won the 1993 national title with a 16-strikeout, 3-hit shutout from Laxton against Wichita State. That outing was the one judged against by all LSU pitchers in CWS games.
Well, Kade Anderson may have matched what Laxton did more than 30 years ago Saturday night in the first game of the College World Series finals.
Anderson tossed a three-hit shutout and registered ten strikeouts as LSU moved to the threshold of another national championship with a 1-0 victory against Coastal Carolina.
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Laxton did strike out six more hitters than Anderson and the victory did give the Tigers a national title. However, Anderson had virtually no margin of error with an offensive support of a mere one run. Laxton’s teammates scored eight runs in the victory over Wichita.
Anderson, who picked up 12th victory of the year, threw the best game of his career in what was probably his last in a LSU uniform. Anderson did give up just three hits, but he walked a career-high five batters. The Chanticleers had their chances to score off Anderson.
There were four innings in which Coastal Carolina put a runner in scoring position against Anderson. In those four frames, Chanticleers hitters went 0-for-8 with a runner past first base.
Coastal Carolina had an opportunity to take the lead in the top of the first when Anderson walked the second and fourth batters he faced. That threat ended when Anderson struck out Blagen Pado.
The Chanticleers’ best chance to score came in the third. Caden Bodine was hit by a pitch and Sebastian Alexander singled. Anderson made a good defensive play when he threw out Bodine at third base on Blake Barthol’s attempted sacrifice bunt.
Anderson struck out cleanup batter Walker Mitchell for the second out of the inning. Alexander then stole third base, but he came off the base on his slide. Braswell tagged Alexander for the third out.
One inning later, Coastal Carolina put the tying run on base when Pado hit a leadoff double. Anderson did his best pitching of the night when he recorded three straight strikeouts – against Colby Thorndyke, Dean Mihos and Ty Dooley.
Anderson needed to pitch out of one more minor jam. Mihos opened the seventh with an infield single. Dooley bunted Mihos into scoring position. Anderson closed things out by retiring Wells Sykes and Bodine on ground outs.
LSU gave Anderson the only run he needed in the bottom of the first. Curiel drew a walk and went to second on Ethan Frey’s ground out. Dooley, the shortstop, threw to first base rather than trying to force Curiel at second. Then, Steven Milam delivered a run-scoring single.
There were just two other times the Tigers put a runner past first base. In the third, Milam doubled with two outs and advanced to third on a passed ball. Chanticleers starter Cameron Flukey struck out Jake Brown to leave Milam stranded at third base.
Milam was in the middle of another threat in the sixth when he drew a leadoff walk. After Brown flied out and Jared Jones struck out, Milam went to third on a single by Luis Hernandez. Chris Stanfield grounded out to end the inning.
LSU had never played a 1-0 game in the NCAA tournament, much less win a game by that score. So, Anderson accomplished a first for a Tigers pitcher. As a result, LSU needs only one more victory to capture its second national championship in the last three years.
LSU STARTERS
Derek Curiel: 1-for-3, 1 run scored
Ethan Frey: 0-for-4
Steven Milam: 2-for-3, 1 RBI
Jake Brown: 1-for-4
Jared Jones: 0-for-4
Luis Hernandez: 1-for-3
Chris Stanfield: 0-for-3
Daniel Dickinson: 1-for-3
Michael Braswell: 0-for-3
LSU PITCHERS
Kade Anderson: 9 IP, 3 H, 5 BB, 10
LSU 2025 CWS Crossbats Tee
from: Alumni Hall
LSU 2025 CWS Geauxmaha Trucker Hat
from: Alumni Hall
