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USA Today
9 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Complete preview: LSU baseball faces Coastal Carolina in College World Series final
Eight teams arrived at the College World Series in Omaha searching for a national championship. A week later, just two teams remain. LSU and Coastal Carolina are set to meet in the College World Series Final, a best-of-three series beginning on Saturday. LSU and Coastal both made it through bracket play without taking a loss. The Tigers came close, but stormed back to beat Arkansas with a three-run ninth inning, capped off by a Jared Jones walk-off single. Earlier on Wednesday, Coastal Carolina beat Louisville and extended its win streak to 26 games, the third-longest streak in D-I in the last five seasons. If LSU had lost, the Tigers would have been forced to play an elimination game on Thursday, giving the Chanticleers an extra day of rest. But now LSU and CCU will have had two days of rest before the CWS final begins. Here's a complete preview and schedule for the College World Series final between LSU baseball and Coastal Carolina. LSU vs. Coastal Carolina: Win probability Implied probabilities are sourced from BetMGM odds. LSU gets a fresh Kade Anderson in Game 1, Eyanson in Game 2 Kade Anderson, LSU's ace, started vs. Arkansas last Saturday and pitched seven innings of one-run baseball. He struck out seven and allowed just three hits. It's what we've come to expect from the lefty who has been one of college baseball's top arms and entered the conversation to be the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft. And with LSU going 3-0 in bracket play, Anderson wasn't needed again. He'll take the mound on Saturday with a complete week of rest, the norm for college pitchers. Anderson has thrown 319 pitches in his last three outings. That's not a crazy amount, but this time of year can be taxing for pitchers. LSU doesn't have to worry about fatigue being an issue for Anderson on Saturday. Anthony Eyanson, LSU's ace 1B, is well-rested, too. Eyanson's start vs. UCLA was cut short after 48 pitches when weather forced the game to be suspended until the next morning. Eyanson was available if needed in LSU's win over Arkansas, but the Tigers' bullpen managed to get it done. Those 48 pitches are the only pitches Eyanson has thrown since his super regional start. Coastal Carolina's staff is also well-positioned, but if the series goes to a Game 3, CCU's Riley Eickhoff could be working on slightly shorter rest after throwing 98 pitches on Wednesday. Which starting rotation has the edge? The focus in this series will be on the pitchers. LSU boats Anderson and Eyanson while Coastal boasts Cameron Flukey, Jacob Morrison, and Eikhoff. All five are considered among the best pitchers in the nation. Coastal Carolina's staff ERA of 3.20 ranks second nationally and LSU isn't far behind, with the Tigers' 3.80 ERA sitting ninth. Coastal Carolina's strikeout to walk ratio is 3.07, seventh in college baseball. LSU's is 2.80, 12th. Coastal has a slight edge in most pitching stats, but given how similar the numbers are, and Coastal's easier conference schedule, the stats suggest these staffs are neck and neck. Cameron Flukey is the likely Game 1 starter for the Chanticleers. The 6-foot-6 sophomore has a 3.29 ERA in 95.2 innings. Flukey dominated Sun Belt competition, but has a 5.91 ERA when facing Power Four lineups. The stuff is good, but he's not unhittable. LSU will counter Flukey with Kade Anderson, the nation's strikeout leader and a consensus top-five draft prospect. Saturday could be a pitcher's duel, but I give LSU the edge with Anderson on the mound. It's hard to beat Anderson without home runs, and Coastal doesn't hit many of those (more on that later). On Sunday, I expect to see LSU's Eyanson vs. CCU's Morrison. Opponents are hitting just .194 vs Morrison in 2025 and he's only walked 22 batters in 104 innings. He owns a 2.08 ERA, and unlike Flukey, his Power Four vs. Sun Belt splits aren't drastic. It doesn't matter who Morrison has faced in 2025 -- he's been dominant. But LSU is tough to beat when Eyanson pitches. The Tigers have won eight straight games where Eyanson appeared, whether as a starter or out of the pen. He's one of the best strikeout pitchers in the country with 143 K's in 101.2 innings. Eyanson has allowed seven earned runs in his last eight innings pitched, but was beginning to settle in vs. UCLA until the weather hit. If both Eyanson and Morrison have their best stuff. I give LSU the slight edge on Sunday. But I trust Morrison's consistency, right now. We'll chalk this one up as a tie. If a Game 3 is necessary, Coastal could benefit from having three full-time starters. LSU probably won't be saving Casan Evans for a Game 3 start if he's needed for a win in Game 1 or 2. But overall, Anderson and Eyanson are the two best pitchers in this series when it comes to stuff. They're battle-tested vs. the best lineups in the SEC, and I'm giving LSU's rotation the edge. Coastal Carolina's bullpen is loaded The LSU pitching staff has stepped up in Omaha with guys like Chase Shores, Zac Cowan, and Jaden Noot making big-time pitches. But Coastal Carolina's bullpen is one of the best in the sport. Chanticleers' reliever Ryan Lynch has a 0.58 ERA in 31 innings. The last time he allowed a run was March 22. In 27 appearances, he's allowed an earned run just twice. Those are video game numbers. Dominick Carbone, Matthew Potok, Darin Horn and Hayden Johnson all boast ERAs of 3.00 or less in 20+ innings pitched. LSU doesn't lack talent, and the recent performances are promising, but the bullpen has faltered at points this season. When it gets away from the LSU pen, it's rarely because the Tigers are getting hit. It's usually about an inability to throw strikes. Chase Shores can touch 100, but you don't always know where it's going to go. Lately, Shores has been executing though. If Shores continues this run, LSU has another high-leverage arm to count on. LSU's top arm out of the pen is Casan Evans. The true freshman is an emerging star and entered LSU's starting rotation late in the year, but with LSU lacking quality arms in the pen, Evans has been Johnson's go-to reliever in the postseason. Another positive development was the re-emergence of Zac Cowan. For much of the season, Cowan was unhittable out of the pen, but he struggled to locate over the last month. He got the start for LSU vs. Arkansas on Wednesday and pitched 5.1 innings without allowing a walk. LSU lineup: Tigers continue to be clutch Situational hitting has been the story for LSU throughout the postseason. Whether it's with runners in scoring position or keeping an inning alive with two outs, LSU is coming through when it matters. Look no further than the Tigers' ninth inning vs. Arkansas. LSU's lineup does a little bit of everything. The Tigers have the power to hit balls out of the park, but can play small ball too. The Tigers take walks, and when pitchers issue too many free passes, LSU makes them pay with clutch hits. Derek Curiel and Ethan Frey, LSU's typical No. 1 and No. 2 hitters, have been pivotal in getting rallies going. Coastal Carolina's pitchers are tough to hit. It will be key for Curiel and Frey to deliver quality at-bats at the top of the order. If Curiel and Frey make CCU work, there's bound to be a mistake at some point. LSU has the bats in the middle of the lineup to make the Chanticleers pay. Jared Jones has homered in back-to-back games for the Tigers. His homer vs. UCLA gave LSU, his homer vs. Arkansas tied the game, and his walk-off single won the game. Not many guys have the power to hit it out of Charles Schwab Stadium, but Jones does. If he keeps swinging the bat like this, LSU will score enough runs to win this series. How does Coastal Carolina score runs? Coastal Carolina doesn't rely on the long ball. With 66 homers on the year, the lineup isn't absent of power, but it's not the Chanticleers' identity. Coastal Carolina does two things really well: Get hit by pitches and steal bases. CCU leads the nation in HBPs and led the Sun Belt in stolen bags. And while they don't smash a ton of homers, the Chanticleers led the Sun Belt with 123 doubles. Catcher Caden Bodine leads the team in hits and on-base percentage. He's one of the draft's top prospects, for what he does at the plate and behind it. Sebastian Alexander is a key piece too, scoring 59 runs. He's second on the team with 10 homers and leads the group with 27 steals. In Omaha, Colby Thorndyke has been Coastal Carolina's top run producer with 8 RBI in three games. LSU baseball vs. Coastal Carolina: College World Series Schedule Here is the schedule for the final series as LSU looks for its eighth national title in program history. The series will begin Saturday at 6 p.m. CT. LSU will be the home team, and ace Kade Anderson is expected to get the start. Game 2 is set for 1:30 p.m. CT. LSU is expected to start Anthony Eyanson and be the visiting team. If necessary, the squads will play a decisive Game 3 at 6:30 p.m. CT on Monday. LSU's CWS final vs. Florida went to three games in 2023. LSU and Coastal Carolina have history LSU met Coastal Carolina in the 2016 super regional. An unseeded team nationally, Coastal Carolina came into Alex Box Stadium and knocked off an LSU squad ranked inside the top-8 in front of one of the most intimidating crowds in the country. The Tigers suffered an 11-8 loss in game one, then in game two, suffered a defeat in walk-off fashion that ended their season. Coastal Carolina defeated Florida, TCU and Arizona en route to hoisting the trophy in 2016. Current LSU head coach Jay Johnson held the same role at Arizona at the time. The upset was a shock at the time, especially to LSU fans, but CCU has since gone on to be one of the sport's most consistent programs.
USA Today
12 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Complete LSU baseball schedule for College World Series Final vs. Coastal Carolina
Complete LSU baseball schedule for College World Series Final vs. Coastal Carolina LSU baseball is back in the College World Series Final. The Tigers beat Arkansas with a roaring ninth-inning comeback capped off by a Jared Jones walk-off single. The prior at-bat, Luis Hernandez struck a two-run double to left, tying the game. LSU got through bracket play unblemished, going 3-0. LSU started things with a win over Arkansas last Saturday before beating UCLA in a game that spanned two days thanks to a weather delay. It hasn't been long since LSU was last here. LSU's star-studded roster in 2023 -- led by Paul Skenes, Dylan Crews, and Tre Morgan -- led the Tigers to a national championship in head coach Jay Johnson's second year. Now, Johnson is searching for his second ring in two years. LSU will face Coastal Carolina -- there's a little history there. In 2016, Coastal Carolina entered Alex Box Stadium and beat LSU in a super regional. The Chanticleers swept the Tigers and finished the series with a walk-off win. Coastal Carolina went on to win the College World Series, where the Chants beat Jay Johnson's Arizona team. There's no shortage of narrative here. LSU, one of the top programs in the sport, is looking for its eighth national title. Here's a complete schedule for the 2025 College World Series Final. Game 1, Friday, June 21 The series will begin Saturday at 6 p.m. CT. LSU will be the home team and ace Kade Anderson is expected to get the start. Game 2, Saturday, June 22 Game 2 is set for 1:30 p.m. CT. LSU is expected to start Anthony Eyanson and be the visiting team. Game 3, Sunday, June 23 If necessary, the squads will play a decisive Game 3 at 6:30 p.m. CT on Monday. LSU's CWS final vs. Florida went to three games in 2023.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Five takeaways from LSU baseball's win vs. Arkansas in College World Series
Five takeaways from LSU baseball's win vs. Arkansas in College World Series LSU baseball is on its way to the College World Series Final. Neither team had their ace on the mound, but we got a pitchers' duel anyway. LSU gave the ball to Zac Cowan to start, and Cowan delivered. In 5.1 innings, Cowan allowed just one run, struck out six, and didn't walk a single hitter. For much of the year, Cowan was among the best pitchers in the SEC, but he's struggled in the last month. Wednesday marked a return to form. Arkansas went with Landon Beidelschies, who pitched five innings, striking out nine and allowing just two runs. Cowan and Beidelschies then gave way to the pens. LSU carried a 2-1 lead into the eighth inning, but Arkansas loaded the bases vs. LSU reliever Chase Shores. A chopper gave LSU the chance to get out of the inning. LSU got the out at second, but the ball got past Jared Jones, and two runs scored on the play to give Arkansas a 3-2 lead. Jones made up for the error in the bottom half of the inning, tying the game with a solo homer. We entered the ninth inning tied at 3-3. Arkansas kicked off a rally with a Reese Robinett single and followed it up with a Brent Iredale double. Justin Thomas took the lead back with a two-run single and made it 5-3 Razorbacks. LSU responded in the bottom of the ninth. With two runners on, Arkansas LF Charles Davalan got a bad read on a Luis Hernandez line drive, and LSU tied the game at five. Moments later, Jared Jones ended the game with a walk-off single. It was LSU's second win over Arkansas in the last week after the Tigers kicked off their CWS run with a 4-1 victory vs. the Razorbacks last Saturday. Both games were low-scoring affairs, decided by the bullpens late. Jared Jones plays the hero with two clutch hits Jared Jones began his College World Series with as bad a game as a hitter could have, going 0-5 with five strikeouts in the first game vs. Arkansas. It was the low point of what's been an up-and-down postseason for the LSU first baseman. But after the 0-5 performance, Jones woke up vs. UCLA with a home run, two hits, and four RBI. On Wednesday vs. Arkansas, Jones delivered in the biggest of ways. With LSU down a run in the eighth inning, Jones homered to right and tied the game. After Arkansas and LSU traded a couple of runs, Jones came to the plate in the ninth with a chance to win the game. He sent LSU to the CWS final with a walk-off single. With 64 career homers, Jones is one of the best sluggers in LSU history. His performance on Wednesday will be remembered for a long time. LSU keeps Eyanson fresh, pitching staff well-rested for finals The big question for LSU ahead of Wednesday's game: Would we see Anthony Eyanson? The LSU starter only threw 48 pitches vs. UCLA on Monday before the game was suspended, forcing Eyanson to end his start early. With a day of rest, Eyanson was ready to go if needed on Wednesday. Some even thought he'd get the start. LSU got the win without deploying the star pitcher. That means Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson, LSU's ace 1A and 1B, are both fresh for the final series. Had LSU lost on Wednesday, the Tigers would have had to play a game on Thursday. likely using Anderson, Eyanson, or both. That would have granted Coastal Carolina an extra day of rest. Winning on Wednesday -- not burning Eyanson in the process -- was key for LSU. Zac Cowan rolls for 5.1 innings It's easy to get caught up in the theatrics of the final innings, but don't forget about Zac Cowan's starting performance. I touched on this earlier, but Cowan needed a bounce-back performance after a month of struggles. Cowan was a starter at Wofford, but his only previous start at LSU in 2025 was the regional final vs. Little Rock. That one didn't go well. Now on an even bigger stage, facing one of the nation's best lineups, Cowan delivered one of the best outings of his career. Cowan went 5.1 innings, and the only run surrendered was a solo homer carried out by the wind. Other than that, Cowan was flawless. He struck out six without issuing a walk and threw first pitch strikes to 18 of 21 batters. LSU was likely expecting two to three innings of work, but Cowan giving LSU 5.1 innings allowed Jay Johnson to work matchups later in the game and spare Eyanson. LSU did not walk one batter LSU's pitching staff did not walk a single batter on Wednesday. We mentioned Cowan's command, but the Tigers got more of the same from the bullpen. Jaden Noot was first out of the pen. He threw a scoreless inning and eight of his 11 pitches were strikes. Chase Shores was next -- and he did allow three earned runs -- but command wasn't the problem for the big righty. Of Shores 35 pitches, 26 were strikes. Jacob Mayers was the last LSU pitcher in the game. Mayers, who has struggled to command the ball this year, was 7/9 when it came to throwing strikes. LSU limited traffic on the base paths all night. This gave the pitching staff room for error, and LSU took advantage, pitching aggressively. When Arkansas did get the rare hit, the damage was minimal thanks to LSU not issuing free passes. LSU overcomes errors on defense It wasn't the prettiest night for LSU's defense. The biggest blemish came in the top of the eighth when the Tigers had a chance to end the inning on a double-play. Instead, the ball got past first basemen Jared Jones when LSU was looking for the second out and two Arkansas runners scored on the play, giving the Razorbacks the lead. At the time, this looked like a brutal mistake, but Arkansas' own defensive mistakes evened it out. Still, LSU committed three errors on the night. This isn't cause for concern just yet given how good the Tigers' defense has been in 2025, but LSU will want to tighten some things up for the final.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Jared Jones sends LSU to the national title with a walk-off vs. Arkansas in CWS
Jared Jones sends LSU to the national title with a walk-off vs. Arkansas in CWS LSU and Arkansas were destined to meet again in Omaha. After LSU beat the Razorbacks on Saturday, the Hogs worked their way through the loser's bracket and earned another date with the Tigers. LSU needed just one win to earn a trip back to the College World Series Final, while Arkansas would have to beat LSU twice. The Tigers handles business as LSU came back from a 5-3 deficit to win 6-5 and advance to the final. Zac Cowan got the nod for the Tigers in this one. It was his first start since the Baton Rouge Regional, where he had a rough outing against Little Rock. If LSU wanted to save the pitching staff, they needed Cowan to have a good day. For the Razorbacks, Landon Beidelschies got the start on the mound, his first start since facing LSU on May 11th. On that day, he was chased from the mound after allowing three runs on four hits over two innings. This game would not have that same fate. Both pitchers were locked in as this game was scoreless through three innings. Part of that was due to exceptional defensive play. Steven Milam flashed his defensive prowess once again as he made a great play at the top of the first. In the top of the fourth, Arkansas broke the tie with a solo homer to take a 1-0 lead. That was the one mistake Cowan made all afternoon. He would stay in the game until the top of the sixth inning. After giving up a single, he was pulled for Jaden Noot in the top of the sixth. Noot would get the Tigers out of the inning unscathed. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Ethan Frey started LSU off with a double and a pitch hit Milam to put runners on first and second with no outs. Arkansas would then make an interesting decision as they called on Gabe Gaeckle out of the bullpen. If you are wondering, yes, this was the same pitcher who threw a no-hitter against Murray State earlier this week. Luis Hernandez would hit a sacrifice bunt to move Milam to second base and put runners on second and third with one out. Jared Jones struck out for out number two. Josh Pearson was intentionally walked to bring up Jake Brown, who was pinch-hitting for Chris Stanfield. Brown then hit a two-RBI double to left-center field to give LSU their first lead of the ball game. Brown would then get in a rundown between first and second base while the Tigers sent Pearson home. Brown was tagged before Pearson scored, and the inning ended with LSU leading 2-1. Noot retired the first hitter he faced to start the seventh inning and was then pulled from the game in favor of Chase Shores. Shores came in and struck out back-to-back hitters to send us to the bottom of the seventh inning. Dickinson would lead off the inning with a double to put a Tiger in scoring position with no outs. Braswell was then asked to lay a bunt down to get Dickinson to third, but he popped the bunt up for out number one. Curiel struck out for out number two. Frey struck out for out number three. The Hogs would start the inning with a single and then a fielder's choice to put a runner at first with one out. Another single would then put runners on second and third with one out. Shores hit the next batter to load the bases as the Tigers were clinging to a 2-1 lead. A high chopper to Braswell at third would get an out at second, but Jones could not hold onto the ball at first, and the ball would get away from him, and another run would score to make it 3-2 Razorbacks. A groundout would result in out number three, and the Tigers would trail 3-2 heading to the bottom of the eighth inning. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Jared Jones would step into the batter's box with two outs, and he would hit a BOMB to right-center field to tie the game 3-3. Pearson would hit a single, and Brown would walk to put runners on first and second with two outs. Dickinson would strike out to end the inning. Shores remained in the game for the ninth inning. He got a groundout for out number one, but a single put the second runner on with one out. A double would then put runners at second and third with only one out. Jacob Mayers would then enter to pitch. He would be greeted by a two-RBI single to give Arkansas a 5-3 lead. The next hitter would strike out for out number two, but the runner would go from first to third as the throw from Hernandez got away from Milam. A strikeout would get the third out and send us to the bottom of the ninth with the Tigers trailing 5-3. John Pearson would pinch-hit for Braswell to start the bottom of the ninth. He worked a full count before striking out. Curiel would then single and advance to second on an errant throw. Frey would walk to put runners on first and second with one out. Milam would then ground into a fielder's choice for out number two. Hernandez would then step into the batter's box. Hernandez would hit a ball to left field that was misplayed, and once again, we were tied. The Hogs would go to the bullpen as LSU had the winning run on second with two outs and Jared Jones due up. Jones would hit a linedrive to the second baseman, and it caram'd off of his glove, and Hernandez came around to score, and the Tigers won the game. LSU now advances to play Coastal Carolina for the National Title. The series will begin Saturday night at 6 p.m. CT.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Climate
- USA Today
When will LSU play its next College World Series game after defeating UCLA?
LSU baseball beat UCLA in Game 8 of the College World Series on Tuesday morning. The game began on Monday night, but only three innings were played before the weather forced a suspension. With the win, LSU avoided having to play Arkansas in a double-header on Tuesday night. Instead, UCLA will meet the Razorbacks in an elimination contest. When is LSU's next College World Series Game? LSU is scheduled to face the winner of Arkansas vs. UCLA on Wednesday night at 6 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN. Regardless, it will be a rematch for the Tigers. LSU opened the CWS with a 4-1 win vs. Arkansas on Saturday. As we saw on Monday, there's always a chance that weather forces a change. Rain is expected in Omaha on Tuesday, which could force UCLA and Arkansas to be finished on Wednesday. If that's the case, officials have to make a decision on when to play the Bracket 2 final. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle At 2-0, LSU is in a good spot. The Tigers are one win away from punching a ticket to the College World Series Final. LSU can afford to lose on Wednesday and get another crack at it on Thursday.
