On Sunday, June 22, LSU capitalized on Coastal Carolina’s sloppy start to win, 5-3, to claim the eighth national championship in program history after winning a thrilling pitching battle in Saturday night’s College World Series opener.
This two-game sweep cements the Tigers’ status among the elite in college baseball. Only one team has achieved more: Southern California boasts a total of twelve championships, although they haven’t won since 1998.
For Coastal Carolina, this marks a heartbreaking and disappointing conclusion to what had been a remarkable journey towards their second championship, reminiscent of the 2016 squad that emerged from relative obscurity to defeat Arizona in the finals.
In the first inning of Sunday’s game-winning game, Coastal Carolina head coach Kevin Schnall and first-base coach Matt Schilling were dismissed for “continued arguing about balls and strikes,” according to a statement from the NCAA.
However, considering their starting position and the reduced expectations following a summer coaching change, Coastal’s performance in Omaha against LSU establishes their status as maybe the greatest school outside of the non-major conferences.
Considering the entire tournament, the following are this year’s CWS winners and losers:
WINNERS
LSU
Ultimately, talent prevailed. This was evident on Saturday night when LSU sophomore Kade Anderson achieved the first complete-game shutout in the CWS finals since 2018, marking only the third such instance since the championship series was incorporated into the tournament format in 2003. The Tigers had the luxury of making mistakes — and possessed ample athleticism and MLB-caliber skills to capitalize on any chances presented by the Chanticleers’ errors. Given that chance on Sunday afternoon, LSU scored a run in the third inning and four in the fourth, thanks to a couple of two-run singles.
Coastal Carolina
The Chanticleers will forever cherish their 23-game winning streak leading into Omaha, Nebraska, which surpassed the previous record set by Oregon State in 2017 for the College World Series. They extended that streak to 26 games before facing LSU, adding three more victories. The fact that their magic faded in the best-of-three finals is a significant disappointment for Coastal, a team that seemed destined for greatness as they overcame several prominent programs in the regional and super regional rounds before smoothly advancing through the double-elimination phase of the World Series.
The SEC
With LSU’s victory, the SEC now boasts five consecutive national championships: Vanderbilt in 2019, Mississippi State in 2021, Mississippi in 2022, the Tigers in 2023, and Tennessee last season. Although the tournament wasn’t flawless for the conference, which set a record with 13 teams participating but only four making it to the super regionals, the Tigers’ triumph this weekend wipes away the league’s struggles during the first two weekends and solidifies the SEC’s status as the premier baseball conference in the nation.
Murray State
The Racers emerged as the heartwarming tale of the tournament, marking the program’s debut at the College World Series (CWS). Despite a notable absence of national achievements, Murray State was not anticipated to advance this far, even after securing a place in the 64-team lineup: As underdogs in the Oxford regional against Mississippi, the Racers triumphed over the Rebels, advancing to the program’s inaugural super regional. They then staged a remarkable comeback with two victories against Duke, becoming only the fourth No. 4 seed from a regional to make it to Omaha.
Gage Wood
Although Arkansas couldn’t establish a winning streak to reach the finals, Wood delivered the tournament’s standout moment with his incredible 19-strikeout no-hitter against the Racers. This no-hitter was the first recorded in Omaha since 1960, and his strikeout count set a new benchmark for a nine-inning game. Prior to this remarkable outing, Wood had only exceeded five innings in a start once throughout the entire season, with just one game featuring double-digit strikeouts.
LOSERS
Arkansas
The Razorbacks continue their long dry spell. Arkansas has now made 12 appearances in the College World Series, with two trips to the finals, tying North Carolina and Clemson for the second-most visits to Omaha without securing a national championship. This latest exit ranks among the most painful in the program’s history, surpassed only by the 2018 defeat to Oregon State, which was marked by a misplayed fly ball in foul territory. After scoring two runs in the top of the ninth to take a 5-3 lead in a must-win game against LSU on Wednesday, June 18, the Razorbacks allowed a two-run double that tied the game, followed by a walk-off single that resulted in a 6-5 loss.
North Carolina
The Tar Heels experienced perhaps the most devastating loss of the super regionals, surrendering the elimination game to Arizona. Leading 3-1 going into the eighth inning, thanks to a three-run homer from senior Jackson Van De Brake, UNC let the lead slip away due to a couple of infield errors. The first error, committed by Van De Brake on a grounder, cost the Tar Heels a potential double play. Following a pitching change, UNC made a throwing error on the Wildcats’ bunt attempt to advance runners, which allowed a run to score. Another pitching change led to a two-run single that gave Arizona the lead and ultimately a spot in the World Series.
Kevin Schnall
In leading the Chanticleers to a record-breaking winning streak to the verge of another national championship, the former Coastal assistant hit all the right buttons. However, his ejection on Sunday could negate his skill in getting there. After a heartbreaking loss in the first game, was he attempting to inspire his team and boost the Chanticleers’ spirits? Even if that might have been his goal, Coastal played a dull game the rest of the way, particularly at the plate.
