Five takeaways from LSU baseball's national championship victory vs Coastal Carolina

USA Today

3 hours ago

The Tigers have done it. On Sunday, LSU baseball beat Coastal Carolina in Game 2 of the College World Series Final, completing a sweep to win the national championship and finish a 5-0 run in Omaha.
Anthony Eyanson got the start on the mound for LSU. It was just another day at the office for a guy who has pitched like an ace all year. Eyanson went 6.1 innings and struck out nine. He allowed three earned runs, all coming via the homer. Eyanson was sharp and had the full pitch mix working.
Chaos erupted in the first inning when Coastal Carolina head coach Kevin Schnall and first base coach Matt Schilling were ejected for arguing balls and strikes. As Schnall stepped out of the Coastal dugout, home plate umpire Angel Campos gave him the boot. Moments later, Schilling followed.
The ejections swung momentum in LSU's favor, but Coastal Carolina responded with a Dean Mihos home run to start the scoring in the bottom of the second.
Not long after, LSU had a response of its own with Daniel Dickinson scoring on an Ethan Frey double in the third.
The fourth inning is where the game was one. The Tigers knocked Coastal Carolina starter Jacob Morrison out of the game with a four-run inning. Jake Brown got the rally going with a walk, and Jared Jones followed it up with a single. The bases were loaded after Luis Hernandez was hit by a pitch, and Chris Stanfield came through with a single to score two runs. Later in the inning, a Derek Curiel single scored two more runs to make it 5-1 LSU.
That was all the offense LSU would need. Eyanson gave way to Chase Shores, who closed it out.
Here are five takeaways from LSU baseball's national championship victory.
Anthony Eyanson finishes LSU career with a quality start
Anthony Eyanson didn't throw a complete game shutout, but he was pretty good in his own right. The UC San Diego transfer struck out nine in 6.1 innings. Coastal Carolina totaled seven hits and two homers, but it wasn't enough. Eyanson completed a quality start and notched his 12th win of the year.
When Eyanson took the mound for LSU in 2025, good things happened. The Tigers won their last nine games in which Eyanson appeared -- whether as a starter or reliever.
Eyanson had his full pitch mix working on Sunday, but the slider, Eyanson's signature pitch, stood out. Eyanson proved to be LSU's most valuable transfer portal addition from the 2024 cycle. It's fitting he got the start in LSU's national championship clinching win.
Perhaps Eyanson's biggest moment came in the bottom of the fourth.
Just after LSU took the lead in the top of the inning, Coastal Carolina was threatening in the bottom of the fourth. With runners on first and second, Eyanson struck out Ty Dooley to end the inning.
Ethan Frey caps off big year with a three-hit game
Ethan Frey was LSU's best hitter this year. Frey led the Tigers in OPS and slugging and was red hot down the stretch. Frey's play earned him a bump in the batting order with Jay Johnson sliding Frey up to No. 2 in the postseason.
The 6-foot-6 junior was a member of LSU's national title team in 2023, but he didn't play much as a true freshman. On Sunday, Frey took on a starring role.
Frey stroked an RBI double in the top of the third to score Daniel Dickinson and put LSU on the board. Frey swung momentum in LSU's favor and turned out to be LSU's only extra-base hit of the day. Frey finished the game with three hits and ended the year with a .331 batting average.
Chase Shores. Clutch.
LSU arrived in Omaha needing a reliever to step up. The Tigers' bullpen had been shaky in recent weeks, and Jay Johnson needed more than just Casan Evans if LSU was going to get the job done.
Chase Shores answered the call.
LSU didn't even need Evans on Sunday with Shores finishing the game. Shores entered the game in the seventh inning after Eyanson allowed a two-run homer to make it a 5-3 game. Shores was tasked with Sebastian Alexander and Blake Barthol -- two of Coastal's best hitters. Alexander grounded out, and Batrhol struck out.
Shores tossed a perfect eighth and was sent out to finish it off in the ninth.
Coastal Carolina put the leadoff man on, which brought the tying runner to the plate, but Shores responded, striking out Ty Dooley and inducing a double-play to end the game.
Shores came up clutch on multiple occasions in Omaha.
Another game without an error
LSU's defense was as good as any pitcher could ask for in the CWS final. In 18 innings, LSU did not commit a single error.
LSU pitchers combined for 13 Ks, so the defense didn't need to do much, but they took care of business when needed.
Throughout the postseason, LSU watched opponents lose composure in the field while LSU made play after play. This team did the little things, and the infield of Jones, Dickinson, Milam, and Brasswell was near perfect.
Jay Johnson's legacy cemented
Jay Johnson just won his second national title at LSU. It only took him four years. Johnson's legacy is now cemented.
Johnson could never coach another game and still go down as one of the best coaches in the history of LSU athletics.
Johnson is the first coach in college baseball history to win two titles in his first two years at a school.
Under Johnson, LSU has taken on different identities. He's not married to one style of baseball. He's a relentless recruiter at the high school level and one of the best talent identifiers in the transfer portal. The Tigers can win pitchers' duels, slugfests, bullpen battles, and play small ball.
LSU will return plenty of talent in 2026 and expect to be right back in Omaha.