OMAHA, Neb. — LSU baseball is the national champion once again after defeating Coastal Carolina 5-3 in Game 2 of the College World Series finals on Sunday and going undefeated in Omaha.
“They performed like national champions every single day of this,” head coach Jay Johnson said in the post-game press conference.
Johnson and the Tigers earned their eighth national title in program history behind domination of the bats and Anthony Eyanson on the mound.
A dramatic first inning set the tone when CCU’s head coach, Kevin Schnall, began arguing with the umpire crew about balls and strikes at the bottom of the first.
To the shock of the stadium, he left the dugout to continue arguing and was ejected almost immediately, along with the first base coach.
According to a statement issued by the NCAA, Schnall was given a warning during the dispute, and he continued to argue outside of the dugout despite that, which is an automatic ejection.
“It’s a tough situation, but I moved past it immediately,” Johnson said. “I needed to be locked in on what our players needed from our coaching staff.”
Two coaches down, CCU still managed to get the go-ahead run in the bottom of the second inning when seven-hole Dean Mihos hit a home run.
Immediately, LSU fired back.
Daniel Dickinson led off with a single in the second, followed by Michael Braswell’s sacrifice bunt to get Dickinson to second.
Ethan Frey was the star batter, driving the ball past the center fielder for an RBI double that brought back Dickinson and evened the score 1-1.
After a low-scoring 1-0 win in the first game, the LSU bats fully came to life in Game 2.
In the fourth, Jake Brown, Jared Jones and Luis Hernandez loaded the bases with no outs for Chris Stanfield to hit a two-RBI single. Brown and Jones scored to bring the Tigers up 3-1, but the offense wasn’t done yet.
“I knew if I came through, it would put us on top,” Stanfield said. “It was just getting a good pitch and putting a good swing on it, like all year.”
With Hernandez and Stanfield on second and third, Curiel also singled straight into center field. CCU’s outfield was slow to return the ball, allowing the two runners to score.
With the national championship on the line, a comfortable 5-1 lead was exactly what LSU needed at the halfway point.
CCU got back on the board after Eyanson hit a batter with a pitch at the bottom of the seventh, which allowed another home run to drive both players in.
After 6.1 innings and nine strikeouts, Eyanson stepped off the field one last time and was relieved by Chase Shores.
Three quick outs in the eighth meant the pressure was all on the CCU bats in the bottom of the ninth with a two-run deficit to make up.
The leadoff batter got a base hit, but Shores struck out the next batter for LSU’s first out. In 2.2 innings, Shores earned four strikeouts and only allowed one hit.
“Just to play a part in this run in Omaha was a dream come true,” Shores said. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
The last hit of the game went straight to second base, where the double play was made to first.
Both runners were declared out to end the game, and LSU gold flooded onto the field.
The 2025 team capped their season with a 53-15 overall record and an eight-game win streak.
“Our motto for the year was ‘tough and together,’ and I’ve never seen a team more mentally tough and consistent,” Johnson said.
When the dream of a repeat national championship died in last year’s regionals, Johnson put together a team capable of taking its title back in 2025.
“Last year, I believe we had eight pitchers drafted, another SEC record,” Johnson said. “That’s a lot to replace over a two-year period. Maybe that’s why I’m so proud of this thing. This is a completely different team.”
On a sunny Sunday afternoon in Omaha, they executed their fifth and final game of the College World Series, proving LSU had what it takes to win it all again.
“It took the best team in the country to beat them,” Johnson said. “LSU is the best team in the country this year, not just the national champion.”
