For the eighth time in school history and second time in the last three years, the LSU Tigers are national champions.
LSU completed a two-game sweep of Coastal Carolina with a 5-3 victory in the Men’s College World Series Championship Series Sunday afternoon in Omaha, Neb.
The Tigers, who finished 53-15, went 5-0 in the tournament. Coastal Carolina, who had won 26 in a row entering Saturday’s Game 1, finished 56-13.
LSU’s other national titles came in 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2009 and 2023. The title was the second for Head Coach Jay Johnson in his four seasons at the helm.
The Chanticleers took a 1-0 lead on Dean Mihos’ home run with two outs in the bottom of the second.
The Tigers tied it on Ethan Frey’s RBI-double with two outs in the top of the third.
LSU then scored four runs in the fourth.
Leadoff batter Jake Brown walked and advanced to third on a single by Jared Jones.
Luis Hernandez was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Chris Stanfield’s single to left field scored Brown and Jones.
Daniel Dickinson’s sacrifice bunt moved Stanfield to second and Hernandez to third.
After Michael Braswell III’s pop out, Derek Curiel’s single up the middle made it 5-1.
The score stayed that way until the eighth. Wells Sykes’ two-run home run off starter Anthony Ayanson with one out cut the lead to two.
Chase Shores then replaced Ayanson and retired the next two batters.
Shores sat the Chanticleers down in order in the eighth.
Mihos led off the bottom of the ninth with a single. Shores struck out Ty Dooley and then LSU turned a double play, setting off a celebration.
As it did the entire CWS, LSU got outstanding pitching. Ayanson scattered seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out nine and walked just one.
Shores struck out four in 2 2/3 innings.
LSU had 10 hits. Frey went 3-for-5. Dickinson went 2-for-3.
Coastal Carolina starter Jacob Morrison (12-1) gave up six hits in 3 2/3 innings. He was relieved by Hayden Johnson after Curiel’s single gave the Tigers the 5-1 lead.
Coastal Carolina played without Head Coach Kevin Schnall for the final eight innings. He was ejected in the first inning for continuing to argue balls and strikes after being warned not to.