It’s No. 8 for LSU
Everyone is being consumed by the numbers following LSU’s 5-3 College World Series title-winning victory over Coastal Carolina on Sunday afternoon.
In their 20th appearance at Omaha in the past 40 seasons, the Tigers won an eighth championship in the last 35 years.
Since the super-regional format began 26 seasons ago, LSU has won four national titles – tops among all schools. The Tigers have won two CWS crowns in the last three years – the best stretch since South Carolina won back-to-back championships in 2010-11.
LSU’s Jay Johnson joins Vanderbilt’s Tim Corbin as the only active coaches with two national championships.
There will be another time to look at this team and this program. For one day, it is appropriate to understand how the Tigers beat the Chanticleers on Sunday to sweep the best-of-three series in two games.
The path for LSU to the national title was made by excellent defense, timely hitting and standout pitching. Those three ingredients were in place at Charles Schwab Field in the title-clinching victory.
The Tigers did not make an error for the seventh time in 11 NCAA tournament games. The game ended when a ground ball to second baseman Daniel Dickinson resulted in a 4-6-3 double play.
LSU only had scoring opportunities in three of nine innings. However, the Tigers delivered clutch hits in two of the three frames.
Trailing 1-0 in the third, LSU tied the score on a RBI double by Eric Frey. Dickinson, who led off the inning with a single and moved to second on Michael Braswell’s bunt, came home on Frey’s two-bagger.
One inning later, the Tigers had their big outburst against Coastal Carolina ace pitcher Jacob Morrison. Jake Brown walked and Jared Jones singled to start the inning. Luis Hernandez was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Then came the first of a pair of two-run singles – this one from Chris Stanfield – to give LSU the lead for good at 3-1. Johnson utilized small ball to set the stage for two more runs.
Dickinson’s bunt put runners at second and third. After Braswell popped out, Derek Curiel singled home two more runs. Those two additional runs turned out to be the margin of victory.
LSU only got one runner past first base over the final five innings – thanks to a dropped pop up. The Tigers did not get a timely hit this time as Hernandez struck out to end the seventh inning.
However, LSU needed no more than five runs due to the pitching of Anthony Eyanson and Chase Shores. Eyanson, who pitched into the seventh, threw two bad pitches. Dean Mihos hit a solo home run in the second and Wells Sykes hit a two-run homer in the seventh.
Eyanson never permitted the Chanticleers to have the makings of a big inning. He got Walker Mitchell to ground out with a runner on second and two out in the first. Eyanson struck out Ty Dooley with two runners on base for the third out in the fourth.
In the fifth, Eyanson retired Blake Barthol on a grounder with a runner on second and two out. In the two games in the finals, Coastal Carolina was 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position against Kade Anderson and Eyanson.
Shores was on the mound for the game-ending double play. Shores relieved Eyanson with one out in the seventh. He retired seven of the eight batters he faced – four by strikeout. Shores gave up a leadoff single in the ninth before closing out the victory.
The Tigers played their best ball in the second half of the season when it counted most – in the NCAA tournament. LSU won 10 of 11 games – including eight in a row after losing to Little Rock in the regional tournament at The Box.
The 2025 team became the fifth of the eight Tigers national championship-winning squads to go undefeated at the College World Series. The 2025 team was the first to go unbeaten since the best-of-three finals format was instituted.
LSU STARTERS
Derek Curiel: 1-for-5, 2 RBIs
Ethan Frey: 3-for-5, 1 RBI
Steven Milam: 1-for-5
Jake Brown: 0-for-3, 1 run scored
Jared Jones: 1-for-5, 1 run scored
Luis Hernandez: 0-for-3, 1 run scored
Chris Stanfield: 1-for-4, 2 RBIs, 1 run scored
Daniel Dickinson: 2-for-3, 1 run scored
Michael Braswell: 1-for-2
LSU PITCHERS
Anthony Eyanson: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
Chase Shores: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 4 K
The 2025 LSU Baseball team are NATIONAL CHAMPIONS. Get your national title gear to show off your Tiger pride!
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LSU 2025 NCAA College World Series National Champs Locker Room Tee
from: Alumni Hall
LSU 2025 NCAA College World Series National Champs Locker Room Hat
from: Alumni Hall
