LSU sweeps Coastal Carolina in CWS finals

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Coming out of last season, LSU coach Jay Johnson couldn't have foreseen the national championship this group of tenacious Tigers is taking back to Baton Rouge. "It was probably a year ago today," he said, "we had 12 players in our program that actually played on the field for us in 2024. Twelve." Then, quoting his mentor and LSU baseball patriarch Skip Bertman, Johnson said: "We ended up with some really good fortune." LSU knocked previously unbeaten Coastal Carolina ace Jacob Morrison out of the game with a four-run fourth inning and the Tigers won their second national title in three years Sunday with a 5-3 victory in the College World Series finals. The Tigers (53-15) completed a two-game sweep of the Chanticleers (56-13), who entered the finals on a 26-game win streak and on Sunday saw coach Kevin Schnall and first base coach Matt Schilling ejected in the bottom of the first inning. LSU gave the Southeastern Conference its sixth straight national title in baseball and 11th in 16 years. It was LSU's eighth, all since 1991 and second most all-time behind Southern California's 12. Johnson became the first Division I coach to win two titles in his first four years at a school. No other coach had accomplished that feat in fewer than eight seasons. "It's not to be taken for granted, being here two years ago," Johnson said. "That was special. Greatest night of my life. This is equal and maybe even tops in some ways." The 2023 team was led by Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews, the top two picks in the MLB amateur draft that year, and slugger Tommy White. It was built to win a championship. The good fortune Johnson referred to was mixing those 12 returning players from last season with a talented freshman class that mostly showed up intact after the draft and was rated No. 1 in college baseball, along with 10 transfers — including three ranked in the top 10 in the portal rankings. The team coalesced quickly. "We went through probably the hardest schedule in college baseball and we had one hiccup — one. A little speed bump at Auburn," Johnson said, referring to being swept in a three-game series in April. "But other than that, they dominated the season and they dominated the schedule." Coastal Carolina won the national title in 2016 and was trying to become the first team since 1962 (Michigan) and the fifth all-time to win the championship in its first two CWS appearances. "To get us just back to Omaha after what we did in 2016, and then to come to Omaha and play the way we did and get us back to the World Series finals is really incredible," Schnall said. "These two games won't define what this team was." With five-time champion coach Bertman watching from the stands, LSU tied it at 1 in the third on Ethan Frey's RBI double and went up 5-1 in the fourth on two-run singles by Chris Stanfield and Derek Curiel. Coastal Carolina pulled within 5-3 in the seventh against LSU starter Anthony Eyanson when No. 9 batter Wells Sykes hit his fourth homer of the season. That brought on Chase Shores for his fourth appearance of the CWS. The 6-foot-8 right-hander touched 100 mph with his fastball while retiring the first five batters he faced before Dean Mihos, who homered in the second, singled through the right side leading off the ninth. With Tigers fans on their feet and chanting "L-S-U, L-S-U," Shores struck out Ty Dooley and got Sykes to ground into a game-ending double play. The Tigers' dugout emptied and the celebratory dogpile behind the mound ensued, and the players then walked around the warning track in a line high-fiving fans leaning over the wall. The 87-year-old Bertman came onto the field in a wheelchair and walked with assistance to have pictures taken with coaches and players. The Chanticleers had won 15 straight when Morrison (12-1) started. Morrison's 3 2/3 innings marked his shortest start of the season and the five runs against him were the most he has allowed. LSU entered having won 13 games in a row in which one of its top two pitchers — Kade Anderson and Eyanson — started. Anderson, one of those 12 holdovers, was selected the Most Outstanding Player of the CWS after allowing one run and six hits and striking out 17 in 16 innings over two starts in Omaha. Anderson threw a three-hit shutout in LSU's 1-0 win in Game 1 of the finals, and Eyanson (12-2) was mostly sharp over his 6 1/3 innings. The three runs against him came on seven hits and a walk. He struck out nine. "I remember hugging my parents right now with the natty hat and shirt on," said Eyanson, a UC San Diego transfer. "Even on my (recruiting) visit, looking at all the history on the wall, this is what I dreamed literally — throwing pitches, starting the final game of the national championship." Schnall, in his first year as head coach after taking over for the retired Gary Gilmore, had not been ejected this season before Sunday. Walker Mitchell was at bat with two outs and Sebastian Alexander had just stolen second base when Schnall went to the top steps of the dugout, gestured at plate umpire Angel Campos with three fingers and began shouting at him. The NCAA said Schnall was arguing balls and strikes, was given a warning and thrown out when he did not leave immediately. Schilling was tossed for comments he made as the confrontation with umpires continued near the plate. "And that's why I feel a little gutted right now," Schnall said, "because the talk is going to be about the ejection, not this team. And it's not right. The front-row seat should be the 2025 Coastal Carolina baseball team, not what happened in the first inning." ___ AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports