Ranking the 10 best moments from LSU baseball's national championship run and CWS win
LSU baseball added to the trophy case on Sunday, winning its eighth national championship in program history. LSU completed a College World Series final sweep of Coastal Carolina, winning 1-0 on Saturday and 5-3 in Game 2 on Sunday.
For head coach Jay Johnson, it's his second national title in the last three years. Johnson, who arrived at LSU for the 2022 season, is the fastest coach to win multiple national championships at the same program.
LSU is the standard in college baseball.
LSU's title run wasn't without drama -- there was plenty of it. The Tigers' season looked to be in doubt as LSU trailed Little Rock 5-1 in Game 7 of the Baton Rouge Regional. LSU came storming back to punch a ticket to the Super Regional. LSU swept West Virginia and made the trip to Omaha.
In the College World Series, LSU had to beat Arkansas twice and overcome a weather delay that forced LSU's meeting with UCLA to occupy two days.
Here are the 10 best moments from LSU baseball's postseason run.
10. Luis Hernandez ties it up vs. Little Rock in the Baton Rouge Regional
Down 5-1 to Little Rock, LSU was on the verge of being on the wrong end of one of the biggest upsets in college baseball history. Little Rock had a losing record in the regular season but won its conference tournament to earn a bid to the Big Dance. LSU being eliminated at the hands of the Trojans would have been cause for a meltdown in Baton Rouge.
Luis Hernandez made sure Little Rock didn't etch its name in the history books.
As LSU clawed back from the deficit, Luis Hernandez tied the game with a solo home run to left field. A fastball was left over the plate and Hernandez blasted a no-doubter. From there, the Tigers would roll to a 10-6 victory. Hernandez homered again later in the night and finished the game with three hits and three RBI.
9. Chase Shores gets the final out of the College World Series
LSU pitcher Chase Shores returned to the rotation in 2025 after missing all of 2024, recovering from Tommy John Surgery. But after some bumps, Shores was moved to the bullpen in mid-April. Shores struggled to adjust to the new role, but as the postseason arrived, LSU needed someone in the pen to step up alongside Casan Evans.
That man proved to Chase Shores.
In Game 2 on Sunday, I thought Jay Johnson was expected to turn to Evans out of the pen, but Evans wasn't needed with Shores pitching 2.2 scoreless innings to close it down.
Shores' final pitch hit 100 on the radar gun, forcing a double-play to end it.
For Shores, it was the highlight of his career after a rocky three years in Baton Rouge. Shores' stuff is electric, and it was on display in the College World Series.
7. Jared Jones put LSU in front with home run vs. UCLA
After LSU beat Arkansas to open their College World Series run, the Tigers faced UCLA with a chance to move to 2-0 in Omaha. A critical step towards reaching the final.
Anthony Eyanson was shaky in the first inning vs. the Bruins, allowing three runs. LSU was in an early hole, but it didn't last long. In the bottom of the first, LSU slugger Jared Jones put LSU up with a three-run homer. Jones got just enough to drive it out the opposite way.
The homer gave the momentum right back to LSU, and the Tigers led the rest of the way. The game was suspended a few innings later and had to be completed the next morning. We'll see Jones again later on this list.
6. Double-grand slams vs. West Virginia
The LSU lineup was feeling it in Game 1 of the super regional vs. West Virginia. The Tigers exploded for 16 runs thanks to Steven Milam and Josh Pearson smashing grand slams.
Milam's grand slam in the fifth inning made it 7-1 and put LSU in control of the game.
West Virginia began to mount a comeback in the sixth inning, but Pearson's grand slam in the bottom of the sixth put the game out of reach again.
When the lineup was revealed that day, some were surprised to see Pearson in the lead off spot. He did not play a big role for LSU down the stretch of the regular season, but Johnson trusted the veteran in a big spot and Pearson got it done.
5. Jared Jones home run ties the game vs Arkansas
LSU's second College World Series meeting with Arkansas was an all-timer. It was a pitcher's duel for most of the night, but the lineups began trading blows late in the game.
With LSU down 3-2 in the 8th inning, Jones made it back-to-back games with a home run. The ball got over the right-center wall and made it 3-3. Jones went 0-5 with five strikeouts in LSU's first contest vs. Arkansas, with Razorback pitcher Gabe Gaeckle getting the best of the LSU slugger. But Gaeckle made a mistake, leaving a fastball over the plate and it was Jones' turn to have some fun.
This was the final home run for the man who ranks No. 3 on LSU's all-time home runs list. There was more drama to come in this one.
4. Luis Hernandez comes through in the ninth vs. Arkansas
After Jones tied the game at three, Arkansas responded and went up 5-3 in the ninth inning. It looked like the Hogs were on the verge of forcing another game. Then Luis Hernandez got his say.
Hernandez smoked a ball to left field and Razorback outfielder Charles Davalan got a bad read on it. Davalan couldn't recover and the ball got to the wall. Two runs came in to score and the game was tied.
Hernandez, an Indiana State transfer, was a steady veteran presence for LSU throughout the season. When Hernandez came to the plate with runners on base in the NCAA Tournament, he wasn't phased by the pressure.
3. Casan Evans strikes out nine straight vs. Little Rock
With LSU needing a win vs. Little Rock to advance to the super regional, Zac Cowan got the start for the Tigers. But the script didn't go to plan. Cowan allowed four earned runs and didn't get out of the second inning. With the season hanging in the balance, Johnson called on Casan Evans.
Evans was nails out of the pen, stabilizing the game and giving the LSU offense a chance to come back.
At one point, Evans struck out nine straight Trojans. The game was on easy mode for the true freshman pitcher. From the second out in the fourth to the first out of the seventh, Evans was unhittable. These proved to be some of the most important innings of LSU's 2025 season. Evans played a critical role in LSU's title run.
2. Kade Anderson throws a complete game shutout vs. Coastal Carolina
LSU will take its chance vs. anyone with Kade Anderson on the mound. The sophomore lefty led the country in strikeouts and entered the conversation to be the MLB Draft's No. 1 overall pick.
Anderson's best performance of the year came in his biggest start of the year. In Game 1 of the College World Series final vs. Coastal Carolina, Anderson threw nine shutout innings.
Anderson issued a career-high five walks and had to pitch through traffic, but Anderson responded every time. Coastal Carolina only tagged Anderson for three hits -- all singles. Even with shaky command, the Chanticleers were struggling to put the bat on the baseball.
Anderson's outing put LSU in control of the series and in position to win the title on Sunday.
1. Jared Jones hits walk-off single vs. Arkansas
Jared Jones coming up with clutch hits was a theme for LSU in Omaha.
It was a week full of memorable moments, but Jones' walk-off single vs. Arkansas was the biggest of all. After Luis Hernandez tied the game with a double, Jones' single to center scored Hernandez to walk it off and win the game. It was a 2-1 count and Jones got just enough air on a line drive to get the ball out of the infield.
LSU capped off its 3-0 run through bracket play and punched its ticket to the College World Series final.
This wasn't Jones' first walk-off vs. Arkansas in 2025. In the regular season, Jones hit a sac fly to score Ethan Frey and down the Razorbacks.
If Jones doesn't come through there, LSU would have had to play Arkansas again the next day. LSU's pitching was wearing thin and even if LSU won the third round, the Tigers would have been at a disadvantage vs. Coastal Carolina in the final.
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