Coastal Carolina eliminates Auburn 4-1 to reach CWS for first time since 2016
AUBURN, Ala. (CCU SID) — Coastal Carolina University Baseball is headed to the Men's College World Series for the second time after sweeping the Auburn Super Regional with a 4-1 victory over the fourth-seeded Tigers on Saturday inside Plainsman Park. The No. 13 Chanticleers (53-11) won their 23rd-straight game and swept a ninth-consecutive weekend series. Tied 1-1 in the seventh, Sebastian Alexander sparked a rally with a leadoff double. Walker Mitchell delivered the go-ahead RBI single to left, and two more runs came across on a fielding error and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch.Mitchell added insurance in the eighth with another RBI single, finishing 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Alexander doubled twice and scored twice as part of a three-hit day.Jacob Morrison was strong in his start, scattering six hits and one run while striking out six over six innings. Hayden Johnson closed the door with three scoreless frames, striking out five to earn the win in relief and improve to 5-0.Auburn (41-20) managed eight hits but left 11 runners on base. The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the second on a two-out RBI single from Chase Fralick but were blanked the rest of the way.Coastal Carolina will make its second-ever College World Series appearance next week in Omaha.
NotebookChants Headed Back to Omaha: Coastal Carolina advances to the College World Series for the second time in program history and first since capturing the national title in 2016. The Chanticleers are riding a 23-game winning streak, the nation's longest active streak.
Mitchell Delivers in the Clutch: Walker Mitchell provided the go-ahead RBI in the seventh and an insurance RBI in the eighth, finishing 3-for-5. He has recorded multiple hits in five of the last six games.
Alexander Sets the Table: Sebastian Alexander went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a walk and two runs scored. He now has 12 doubles this season and has hit safely in 14 of his last 15 contests.
Morrison and Johnson Shine on the Mound: Starter Jacob Morrison allowed just one run over six innings in a no-decision, while Hayden Johnson tossed three shutout frames to earn the win. Johnson improved to 5-0 on the season with a 3.03 ERA across 32.2 innings.
Bodine Nears Defensive Milestone: Catcher Caden Bodine threw out two runners in Friday's win and added another strong defensive effort behind the plate Saturday. With 45 career runners caught stealing, he is one shy of tying the program record of 46.
Up Next: Coastal Carolina will await its opening-round matchup in Omaha. The College World Series begins Friday, June 13, at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Commanders WR Luke McCaffrey is a 2025 breakout candidate
The Washington Commanders added Deebo Samuel to the wide receiver room this offseason, giving quarterback Jayden Daniels another big-time weapon opposite Terry McLaurin. In addition to trading for Samuel, the Commanders also re-signed Noah Brown and K.J. Osborn and signed former Dallas Cowboy Michael Gallup. Brown was Washington's second-leading receiver before a kidney injury ended his season in Week 13. The Commanders also spent a fourth-round pick on wide receiver Jaylin Lane. While Lane is expected to be the primary punt returner immediately, he should factor into OC Kliff Kingsbury's offensive plans. Advertisement One player you shouldn't forget about is second-year wideout Luke McCaffrey. A third-round pick from Rice one year ago, McCaffrey appeared in all 17 games, including four starts last season. However, McCaffrey finished the season with only 18 receptions for 168 yards. He played in 36% of Washington's offensive snaps. Due to Austin Ekeler's injury late in the season, McCaffrey took over as the Commanders' kick returner and averaged almost 30 yards per return. So, while it's easy to focus on McLaurin, Samuel, Lane and others, you shouldn't forget about McCaffrey. There are reasons to be excited about the son of former NFL star Ed McCaffrey and the younger brother of former MVP Christian McCaffrey. At one point late last season, McCaffrey ranked fourth in the NFL in Pro Football Focus' separation percentage metric. So, why wasn't he getting more targets? Some of it could be due to Daniels being more comfortable with veterans McLaurin and tight end Zach Ertz. Also, many don't realize that the receiver position was still fairly new to McCaffrey. After beginning his career as a quarterback, McCaffrey moved to receiver for his final two seasons of college and excelled. Advertisement McCaffrey had a strong offseason and is ready for an increased role in 2025. "There's a lot that goes into your rookie year, on and off the field," McCaffrey said last week. "It's nice this year just not to have to ask about everything." What did McCaffrey work on throughout the offseason? "I worked on a lot, you know, the offseason, again, similar to the details of playing receiver, so long and so detailed that it would take probably too long to over all the intricate details." McCaffrey revealed he'd spent time this offseason training with his brother Christian. Advertisement So, while all the attention is on McLaurin, Samuel, Ertz and others, don't forget about McCaffrey. He's a sneaky breakout candidate for the Commanders in 2025. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Could Commanders WR Luke McCaffrey have a breakout season in 2025?
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Former UFC Fighter Ben Askren, 40, Hospitalized with ‘Severe Pneumonia' and ‘Unable to Respond,' Wife Amy Says
Ben Askren is in hospital with "severe pneumonia," his wife Amy announced in a Facebook post on Saturday, June 7 The retired MMA fighter and UFC competitor is currently 'unable to respond to anything" The health scare comes after Ben recently signed to the wrestling promotion company Real American Freestyle and was scheduled to participate in more fights this fallBen Askren has been hospitalized with a severe illness. On Saturday, June, 7, Ben's wife Amy announced in a Facebook post that the former MMA fighter, 40, is currently in hospital after developing 'severe pneumonia.' She asked for prayers as Ben is currently not responsive to treatment. 'You may have heard that my husband Ben is going through something,' Amy wrote. 'He developed severe pneumonia, which came on very suddenly. He's currently in the hospital and unable to respond to anything at this time.' 'We welcome all prayers for healing and for peace. We are trying to keep life as normal as possible for our children currently and doing our best to support them thoughtfully so please refrain from discussing it with them for now,' concluded the post. Ben and Amy have been married since 2010 and share three children, according to ESPN. Amy's post was shared after wrestling insider Pat Mineo posted about Ben's condition on X Saturday. 'Wrestling community, we need to pray for and rally around @BenAskren who is in critical condition and battling a severe staph infection 🙏🏻,' wrote Mineo, adding, 'He is also battling severe pneumonia, prayers needed!!!' During his MMA career, Ben achieved 12 consecutive MMA wins and won welterweight titles in Bellator MMA and One Championship, before retiring from the sport in 2019. The former MMA champion was also a member of Team USA in the 2008 Olympics, per ESPN and BVM Sports. In 2019, the two-time NCAA wrestling champion transitioned into UFC and in his debut fight, secured a record 1-2 victory over Robbie Lawler, per BVM Sports. In 2021, Askren fought against Jake Paul in the social media star's third career match for which he earned $690,000, according to CBS Sports. Paul, 28, defeated Askren in a technical knockout one minute and 59 seconds into the first round. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Ben's illness comes a month after he announced in a video posted on Instagram that he had signed with the new wrestling promotion company Real American Freestyle, co-founded by retired WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan. 'I just finished signing my Real American Freestyle contract,' Ben said. 'I've been waiting to wrestle. I kind of miss competition. I love fighting but I don't have time for that anymore … I'm going to whip some of these young whippersnappers, show them what the f--- it's all about.' The former MMA champion noted in the clip that he is excited to participate in more fights under the company in the fall. PEOPLE has reached out to Ben's representatives for comment. Read the original article on People
USA Today
15 minutes ago
- USA Today
Alabama star Justin Lebron reportedly makes decision amid transfer portal buzz
Alabama star Justin Lebron reportedly makes decision amid transfer portal buzz Alabama baseball star Justin Lebron is reportedly staying put after helping the Crimson Tide to their best regular season finish in over 20 years. According to a report from Jake Mckeever of College Baseball Report, Lebron will return to Tuscaloosa for his junior season in 2026 "despite rumors of (transfer) portal entrance and tampering." The 20-year-old shortstop, who came to Alabama from Archbishop Edward McCarthy High School in Southwest Ranches, Fla., is one of three players who won't be leaving their respective SEC schools for another program via the transfer portal, Mckeever reported. Kentucky Wildcats shortstop Tyler Bell and Mississippi State third baseman Ace Reese are the two others. Lebron has been a foundational piece for Rob Vaughn in his first two seasons as the Crimson Tide's head coach. He batted .319 with a team-high 18 home runs and 72 RBIs to go with 18 doubles and 17 stolen bases this past season. Lebron started all 58 games as Alabama went 41-18 overall, recording its first 40-win regular season since 2002. Lebron, a potential No. 1 overall pick in next year's MLB draft, led the SEC in RBIs and was tied for third in the conference in doubles with MSU's Reese and Texas Longhorns shortstop Jalin Flores. Lebron placed 10th in the SEC in both home runs and stolen bases and was a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award in 2025. Neither Lebron nor Yea Alabama, the school's official NIL entity, have made an official announcement but could do so in the coming days. The entity has made several announcements regarding Alabama athletes and scheduling news, including the recent decision by Crimson Tide basketball guard Labaron Philon to forgo the NBA draft. Vaughn will be returning to Alabama in 2026 after signing a contract extension following reports linking him to the Texas A&M job. The Aggies fired Michael Earley after only one season. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinions.
