LSU Baseball Takes on Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in Quest for National Title

Jay Johnson and the LSU Tigers are back in the College World Series Finals with a matchup against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers locked in for this weekend in Omaha.

The Tigers are fresh off of an emotional victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks on Wednesday after a walk-off single by first baseman Jared Jones.

“Looking forward to playing a great opponent in Coastal Carolina and Coach Schnall. I’ve known him for a very long time. Consider him a friend. And obviously have had long-term respect for a program that’s been one of the best in college baseball over the last couple of decades,” Johnson said.

“So wouldn’t want to have it any other way and very thankful for the team and the efforts that they put forward to put us in this position and looking forward to a great championship series.”

Now, the stage is set. LSU is back in the National Championship with a clash against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers awaiting the Tigers.

The Preview: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (56-11) vs. LSU Tigers (51-15)

DATES/TIMES

• Saturday, June 21 at 6 p.m. CT (ESPN)

STADIUM

• Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb. (24,500)

RANKINGS

• LSU – No. 6 NCAA Tournament National Seed

• CCU – No. 13 NCAA Tournament National Seed

RADIO

• LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates

• Live audio at
www.LSUsports.net/live
; Live stats at
www.LSUstats.com

TELEVISION

• Saturday – ESPN; Sunday – ABC; Monday – ESPN (if necessary)

LSU SERIES HISTORY VS. COASTAL CAROLINA

• LSU has an 0-2 all-time record versus Coastal Carolina; the only previous games between the teams occurred in the 2016 NCAA Baton Rouge Super Regional, when the Chanticleers swept two games from the Tigers to advance to the College World Series.

PITCHING MATCHUP – GAME 1

LSU – So. LH Kade Anderson (11-1, 3.44 ERA, 110.0 IP, 30 BB, 170 SO)

CCU – So. RH Cameron Flukey (8-1, 3.29 ERA, 95.2 IP, 22 BB, 109 SO)

QUOTING COACH JAY JOHNSON

“It’s awesome to be here. This is one of the best days on the college baseball calendar with 307 teams in Division I, and to be one of the last two playing and practicing today at Charles Schwab Field is a great honor and testament to the hard work and execution of our team. I’ve documented it a lot.

“I would coach this team forever, and obviously the talent on it is exceptional. But, they’re also great people that completely bought into the mission of the team. And tremendous self-discipline, tremendous mental strength to go along with that talent. And very worthy of playing in the championship series.”

ABOUT THE TIGERS

LSU is 51-15 overall and the Tigers are the No. 6 National Seed in the NCAA Tournament … LSU is ranked No. 1 in the nation by Baseball America, and No. 3 by D1 Baseball and USA Today in their most recent polls … the Tigers posted a 19-11 SEC regular-season record and finished in third place in the 2025 conference standings.

LSU won at least 19 league games for the 19th time in school history and for the second time in the past three seasons.

First baseman Jared Jones’ RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday night lifted LSU to a 6-5 win over Arkansas, propelling the Tigers into the College World Series Finals.

Jones’ walk-off hit capped a wild three-run rally that erased a 5-3 Arkansas lead and gave LSU its ninth berth in a CWS championship round.

Jones’ single marked the sixth walk-off hit for LSU in its College World Series history and its first since 2023, when Tommy White launched a walk-off homer to defeat Wake Forest and earn a berth in the CWS Finals.

The LSU rally on Wednesday began with one out and nobody on in the bottom of the ninth inning when leftfielder Derek Curiel reached on an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error.

Designated hitter Ethan Frey followed with a walk, but Curiel was forced out a third base on a ground ball by shortstop Steven Milam.

Catcher Luis Hernandez then ripped a two-run double into left field, and he scored the winning run when Jones lifted a single just over the outstretched glove of Arkansas second baseman Cam Kozeal.

LSU reliever Jacob Mayers (2-0) was credited with the win after striking out the final two Arkansas hitters in the ninth inning.

The Tigers advanced to the Bracket 2 final round of the CWS with a 9-5 victory over UCLA in a contest that began on Monday night and ended on Tuesday afternoon. First baseman Jared Jones drove in four runs and right-hander Casan Evans pitched 4.1 superb relief innings to lead LSU to the win over the Bruins. Right-hander Chase Shores picked up his first save of the season for LSU, as he worked the final 1.1 innings and retired all four batters he faced.

LSU opened the 2025 College World Series on June 14 with a 4-1 win over No. 3 National Seed Arkansas.

Sophomore left-hander Kade Anderson (11-1) worked 7.0 innings Saturday night and limited Arkansas to one run on three hits with two walks and seven strikeouts, firing 100 pitches.

Freshman right-hander Casan Evans earned his seventh save of the season, pitching around a lead-off single in the ninth to retire the final three Arkansas hitters, and redshirt sophomore right-hander Chase Shores worked a scoreless eighth inning with two strikeouts.

The Tigers grabbed a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning on June 14 versus Arkansas, as centerfielder Chris Stanfield lined an RBI single, third baseman Michael Braswell III was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and rightfielder Josh Pearson provided an RBI groundout.

An Arkansas homer narrowed the gap to 3-1 in the sixth, but LSU added an insurance run in the ninth when leftfielder Derek Curiel smacked a two-out, two-strike RBI single.

The LSU pitching staff enters Saturday’s game versus Coastal Carolina ranked in the Top 10 in the nation in three major statistical categories – the Tigers are No. 4 in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (11.7), No. 6 in hits allowed per nine innings (7.32) and No. 9 in team ERA (3.80) … LSU is also No. 11 in the nation in fielding percentage (.981).

LSU is No. 9 in the nation in walks received (355) and runs scored (530), and the Tigers are No. 10 in the nation in doubles (134).

LSU junior first baseman Jared Jones, a 2025 First-Team All-American, has moved into sole possession of third place on the LSU career homers list – he has 64 homers in three seasons, trailing only catcher Brad Cresse (78 HR, 1997-2000) and first baseman Eddy Furniss (80 HR, 1995-98).

Sophomore left-hander Kade Anderson, a 2025 First-Team All-American and Golden Spikes Award semifinalist, is No. 1 in the nation in strikeouts this season with 170 … he is also No. 7 in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (13.91) and No. 14 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.67).

Kade Anderson’s total of 170 Ks this season is No. 3 on the LSU single-season strikeouts list; he trails only Ben McDonald (202 Ks, 1989) and Paul Skenes (209 Ks, 2023).

Anderson is No. 1 this season in the SEC in strikeouts, No. 1 in the league in innings pitched (110.0), No. 1 in wins (11), No. 9 in ERA (3.44) and No. 10 in opponent batting average (.218).

Junior right-hander Anthony Eyanson, a 2025 Second-Team All-American and semifinalist for the College Baseball Foundation National Pitcher of the Year Award, is No. 3 in the nation in strikeouts with 143, and he is No. 16 in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (12.66).

He is No. 1 in the SEC in wins (11), No. 3 in the league in ERA (2.92), No. 2 in innings pitched (101.2), No. 3 in strikeouts (143) and No. 8 in opponent batting average (.215).

Junior first baseman Jared Jones is No. 1 in the SEC this season in RBI (76), No. 3 in hits (89), No. 2 in total bases (170) and No. 2 in home runs (22).

Freshman outfielder Derek Curiel, a 2025 Second-Team All-American, is No. 1 in the SEC in doubles (20), No. 3 in the league in walks (52), No. 4 in hits (87), No. 4 in on-base percentage (.474) and No. 7 in runs scored.

Junior second baseman Daniel Dickinson is No. 7 in the SEC in runs scored (66) and No. 10 in the league in on-base percentage (.458).

LSU freshman right-hander Casan Evans, a 2025 Second-Team All-American, was one of 13 finalists for the NCBWA 2025 Stopper of the Year award … Evans, a product of Houston, Texas, is 5-1 on the year with a 2.05 ERA and seven saves in 52.2 innings (19 appearances) … he has logged 19 walks and 71 strikeouts, and opponents are hitting just .228 against him.

LSU junior centerfielder Chris Stanfield was named on June 13 the recipient of the inaugural Tony Gwynn Trophy, honoring NCAA baseball student-athletes who exemplify the Gwynn legacy of philanthropy. He launched his “Be The 1” campaign at LSU, where he donates $100 to the Miracle League in Baton Rouge for every game in which he produces an extra-base hit or stolen base. He is actively involved with the Miracle League, which gives children with any type of disability or special needs the opportunity to play baseball as part of a team.

ABOUT THE CHANTICLEERS

Coastal Carolina, champions of the Sun Belt Conference, has won 26 straight games; CCU’s last loss occurred on April 22 versus the College of Charleston.

The Chanticleers hosted and won an NCAA Regional, swept two games at Auburn in the NCAA Super Regional and have posted wins over Arizona, Oregon State and Louisville in the CWS to advance to the Finals.

CCU is hitting .291 as a team with 123 doubles, seven triples, 66 homers and 108 steals in 137 attempts.

The Coastal Carolina pitching staff has a 3.22 ERA with 602 strikeouts in 576.1 innings and is limiting opponents to a .227 cumulative batting average.

The Chanticleers are led at the plate by catcher Caden Bodine, who is hitting .326 with 18 doubles, one triple, five homers and 42 RBI.

Infielder Blake Barthol leads CCU in homers with 12, and he has collected 53 RBI, and outfielder Sebastian Alexander has 10 homers and a team-best 54 RBI.

More LSU News:

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The Preview: LSU Baseball vs. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in National Title Series
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