OMAHA, Neb. – When the LSU Tigers take the field against Coastal Carolina in game one of the 2025 Men’s College World Series final on Saturday night, they’ll have a target on their backs.
Outside of the state of Louisiana, college baseball fans might be with Coastal Carolina, a mid-major program that punches above its weight, and against LSU, one of college baseball’s true heavyweights.
“I wouldn’t even know how to gauge that,” said LSU head coach Jay Johnson, asked his thoughts on the idea that the broader country’s rooting interest was behind Coastal Carolina. “They’re a great program for a long time. LSU is a great program for a long time. Two worthy opponents in the College World Series. It will make for excellent baseball.”
The Tigers are looking for their second national championship in three years, having won the crown in 2023 behind the pitching of Paul Skenes, who went on to be the No. 1 overall pick in the Major League Baseball Draft weeks after taking a championship home from Omaha. That was their seventh national championship, and they’re making their 20th appearance at the College World Series.
It’s “Awesome to be here. It’s, in my opinion, it’s one of the best days on the college baseball calendar with 307 teams in Division I,” said Tiger head coach Jay Johnson on Friday at a press conference preceding the best-of-three championship series. “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.”
Hard work and execution are part of the process, and the process this year has resulted in a 51-15 mark heading into Saturday’s first game. Another element of the Tigers’ process is meticulous preparation.
“I think Coach Johnson is really good at simplifying a task for our team. Just helping us understand that, no matter the situation, you’re just playing the game, and the game’s always going to be the same. So I think that he does a really good job preparing us,” said pitcher Anthony Eyanson.
Simplification is an element of preparation for Johnson’s team, too.
“In our meetings before the games, there’s a very clear set of instructions on what every guy needs to do to be able to be his best to help the team win at any given moment. Everything is very straightforward for us. We came here to play baseball. We’re not really scholars,” said outfielder Jake Brown, drawing guffaws from the attending media. “So he does a great job of laying it out for us and making us go out there executing as simple as it can be.”
While Coastal Carolina head coach Kevin Schnall announced Cam Flukey would start for the Chanticleers in game one, Johnson did not reveal who would be on the mound for LSU, though there are a couple of possibilities.
Among them is Kade Anderson, who threw seven innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in the Tigers’ 4-1 win in their College World Series opener against Arkansas. Anthony Eyanson started the Tigers’ second game in Omaha against UCLA, a 9-5 win, earning a no-decision. Zac Cowan, who threw 84 pitches over 5 1/3 innings in LSU’s dramatic 6-5 win against Arkansas to reach the final on Wednesday night, would be more likely to pitch in Sunday afternoon’s second game or Monday’s game three, if it is necessary.
Asked if he had heard that Coastal Carolina had named a starter for game one, Johnson said, “I didn’t hear that officially but I trust you. When I know, everybody else will know.”
A reporter followed up asking Johnson if he wanted to know who it is, and he said, “No, I would not at this point in time,” drawing more laughs.
Regardless of who is on the mound, the Tigers are ready.
“I think if you’re at this point in the NCAA tournament, you’ve been battle-tested,” Johnson said. “I think for our team, I don’t believe there’s anything we have not seen. What I mean by that is high-level pitching, high-level bullpen, high-level defense, offenses with speed, power, hitting skills, know how to play the game, move the offense. … I feel like we’re well-trained, well-prepared for, in my opinion, probably the best team that we’ve played this year in Coastal.”
In Baton Rouge, the Tigers baseball program is as big league as it gets for the kids that come to see them play at Alex Box Stadium, and those kids dream of growing up to be a Tiger and get to Omaha wearing purple and gold, as Jake Brown explained.
“It’s something I’ve dreamed for my entire life, as I know other Louisiana guys on the team have. This is everything that you’ve worked for coming up,” Brown said Friday. “In Louisiana your dream is to play baseball for LSU. And what goes with that is being able to represent it at the highest level of college baseball, which this program has been able to do year in and year out. And really just super thankful for the opportunity I’ve been gifted with and looking to make the most out of it.”
LSU By The Numbers
Record – 51-15
Streak – Won Seven
How the Earned An NCAA Berth – At-Large Bid, Ranked No. 10 in RPI
Team Triple Slash Line – .298/.412/.508
Team OPS – .921
Team ERA – 3.80
Run Differential – +261 (530/269)
The LSU Tigers Run In The NCAA Tournament
Baton Rouge Regional
May 30 – Beat Little Rock 10-2
May 31 – Beat Dallas Baptist 12-0
June 1 – Lost to Little Rock 10-4
June 2 – Beat Little Rock 10-6
Baton Rouge Super Regional
June 7 – Beat West Virginia 16-9
June 8 – Beat West Virginia 12-5
Men’s College World Series
June 14 – Beat Arkansas 4-1
June 16 – Beat UCLA 9-5
June 18 – Beat Arkansas 6-5
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
Photo: LSU pitcher Kade Anderson could potentially start game one of the Men’s College World Series Final in Omaha, Neb. on Saturday night. (AP Photo/Cory Eads)
