LSU only needed one win to advance to the College World Series after a 12-9 win in game one of the NCAA Baton Rouge Super Regional on Friday.But coach Paul Mainieri and the Tigers (51-16) figured, “Why wait,” and punched their tickets with a 5-3 win against Rice (43-18) on Saturday.”Omaha, here come the Tigers,” Mainieri said.The Tigers got off to an early start, scoring a run in the top of the first, and managed to hold the lead late despite scoring their fifth and final run in the top of the sixth inning.”I thought we competed well today,” said Rice coach Wayne Graham. “We just fell a little short. That’s all”Mainieri said after Friday’s 12-9 win that he expected a competitive pitchers’ matchup — but admitted there was no telling what would happen after game one’s slugfest.LSU senior starter Louis Coleman picked up the win, allowing three earned runs and striking out five batters in eight innings.”Being my last start at LSU, I wanted to go out there and do something special — not just for this team, but for the fans,” Coleman said.The fans filled Alex Box Stadium to the tune of a 9,651 actual attendance, breaking the LSU record set in Friday night’s game one.Those fans often chimed in to drown out visiting Rice fans trying to support their starting pitcher, Ryan Berry as he got into early trouble by getting behind batters and getting his pitch count up.”When you don’t throw a first pitch strike of anywhere near the zone, it’s easy to take two or three pitches,” Berry said. “We understood their weaknesses, and we tried to exploit them. But when you can’t get ahead of them in the count, they can sit back and wait all day.”Berry allowed all five of LSU’s runs and struck out six and walked four Tigers in five innings.”I tried hard, but that doesn’t really win you many ball games when you can’t produce,” Berry said.LSU sophomore second baseman DJ LeMahieu led the game off with a double, followed by a walk by junior left fielder Ryan Schimpf.Sophomore catcher Micah Gibbs loaded the bases with a walk soon thereafter, and freshman centerfielder Mikie Mahtook scored LeMahieu on a fielder’s choice.”We wanted to start the day off right — especially as the visiting team,” LeMahieu said.While LSU did not score again until the fourth inning, Rice took a big blow in the top of the second inning when Collegiate Baseball Freshman of the Year third baseman Anthony Rendon was carried off the field with an apparent ankle injury.”That was tough. Rendon’s been our best player the whole year,” said Rice second baseman Brock Holt. “Every guy on our team’s capable of getting a big hit, but it was a big loss.”The injury, coming on Rendon’s 19th birthday, marked the first time all season that any other Owl played third base.Holt made sure Rice struck next despite Rendon’s injury, as he hit a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning to even things.LSU bounced right back with a run in the top of the fourth, as junior right fielder Jared Mitchell led off with a double and eventually scored on a single by senior third baseman Derek Helenihi for a 2-1 lead.But Rice kept attacking, tying the game back at 2-2 in the bottom of the inning as Rice designated hitter Diego Seastrunk came around to score on a well-placed bunt single by left fielder Michael Fuda.The Tigers finally took control of things in the fifth inning behind a lead-off single by Schimpf and a double by junior designated hitter Blake Dean. Schimpf scored on a ground out by Gibbs in the next at bat, and Dean came around on a wild pitch.After a scoreless bottom of the inning by Coleman, Helenihi put the Tigers’ final run on the board with a solo home run down the right field line to lead off the sixth.Seastrunk homered to left field in the bottom of the inning to finish off the day’s scoring.Dean and Helenihi led the Tigers’ offense, both goig 2-for-4 on the day. Dean also drew a walk, and Helenihi had a home run and two RBIs.Holt went 3-for-5 for Rice with a solo home run. Seastrunk and left fielder Michael Fuda each went 2-for-4 for the Owls with an RBI.”I’d say this is the best hitting team we’ve faced,” Coleman said. “And that’s where our defense comes into play.”LSU freshman pitcher Matty Ott picked up his 15ht save of the season relieving Coleman in the ninth inning, striking out Holt to end the game.”In the SEC you face situations like that all the time,” Ott said. “None of them meant as much as this one did – going to the World Series … I’ve been prepared for it all year, though.”Just as quickly as elation set in for Ott, his teammates and the majority of 9,651 spectators at the game, disappointment overcame the Owls and their traveling fans.”Season’s over,” Holt said of his feeling when he missed the ball. “There’s nothing you can do about it.”The strike out sent the entire Tigers team to the pitcher’s mound for a dog-pile.”We’re going to Omaha,” LeMahieu said was all he was thinking.”Don’t get hurt,” Coleman and Helenihi added.LSU will now make its 15th trip to Omaha and its second in two seasons.The Tigers have won five national championships — the most recent coming in 2000, the last time they won 50 games before this season.LSU will face the winner of an Ole Miss-Virginia game tomorrow next Saturday or Sunday.”We’re going to have a lot of fun up there,” Mainieri said. “I figure one team has to win, so it might as well be us. We’re going to go up there with the idea that we’re going to put another trophy in the trophy case.”—-Contact Jerit Roser at [email protected]