2025 College World Series Preview: Coastal Carolina vs. LSU
The College World Series is set to begin, as Coastal Carolina and LSU are set to square off for the national title.
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Man, what a ride it has been to get to the College World Series Championship. Eight teams entered, and two came out on top to punch their ticket to the championship series.
The eight-team field—Arizona, Arkansas, Coastal Carolina, Louisville, LSU, Murray State, Oregon State, and UCLA—delivered a week of drama and standout performances.
From Gage Wood’s 19-strikeout no-hitter, just the third in College World Series history, to thrilling upsets, walk-offs, and Murray State capturing hearts as America’s team, the 2025 College World Series has more than lived up to the hype.
Now, all eyes turn to Charles Schwab Field as Coastal Carolina and LSU prepare to battle in the upcoming finals series, beginning Saturday, June 21, with Game 2 on Sunday and a decisive Game 3 scheduled for Monday if needed.
Coastal Carolina hopes to capture a second title and further put to bed the nonsensical Cinderella narrative. The 56-11 Chanticleers will look to continue their insanely impressive 26-game winning streak.
Meanwhile, the 51-15 LSU Tigers look to add their eighth NCAA crown and ride the momentum from the late-game heroics. With both teams surging and momentum at peak, the series promises a spectacular conclusion to the 2025 college baseball season.
Let’s dive into how both teams got here, expectations, and players you should be watching.
Coastal Carolina’s Journey to the Finals
Coastal’s journey in Omaha has been nothing short of dominant. Boasting one of the best rotations in all of college baseball, the Chants rode their electric arms and timely clutch hitting to the College World Series championship.
It all started on Friday night when they faced off against a red-hot Big 12 team in the Arizona Wildcats. The Wildcats were coming off a stellar performance in the NCAA Super Regional, Regionals, and Big 12 Championship.
But that was no problem for the Chanticleers, who were powered by some late-inning heroics.
With the game tied in the eighth, Wells Sykes doubled with two outs to spark a three-run rally capped by Blake Barthol’s two-run double, his second of the game and 13th of the season.
Cameron Flukey held steady out of the bullpen with four strong innings, and Dominick Carbone shut the door in the ninth by escaping a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout and game-ending double play.
The Chanticleers racked up 14 hits, including two apiece from Blagen Pado, Dean Mihos, and Ty Dooley, and demonstrated the pestering offense we discussed early on this year that wears down pitchers.
That set them up for their toughest matchup against the Oregon State Beavers. Ace Jacob Morrison took the bump, and man, was he lights out.
Jacob Morrison turned in a masterclass performance on the mound, tossing 7.2 innings of one-run ball to lead Coastal Carolina past Oregon State 6-2 and pushing the Chants into the driver’s seat of their College World Series bracket.
The 6-foot-8 righty retired 16 straight at one point and improved to 12-0 on the season, striking out seven and walking none in his longest outing in over two months. Coastal jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first without a hit, thanks to a throwing error, balk, and a clutch bases-clearing double from Colby Thorndyke, and never looked back.
The Chanticleers capitalized on Oregon State’s mistakes, adding insurance runs on a wild pitch, an error, and Dean Mihos’ RBI double, while Ryan Lynch sealed the win with a five-pitch strikeout for his ninth save. Coastal was now 42-0 when leading after six innings.
Coastal would have to close out their bracket by taking on the Louisville Cardinals. The man in the rotation we don’t talk about enough, Riley Eickhoff, toed the rubber.
Eikhoff set the tone tossing 5.1 innings of one-run ball to lead Coastal Carolina past Louisville 11-3. The junior right-hander held the Cardinals scoreless into the sixth before handing it off to a dominant bullpen that has now allowed just two earned runs in 13 innings in Omaha.
The pitchers were backed by immediate run support. Coastal exploded for six runs in the first inning, five before recording an out, highlighted by Colby Thorndyke’s bases-clearing double.
Thorndyke finished 3-for-4 with five RBI, while Dean Mihos added a two-run triple and Ty Dooley chipped in with an RBI single. Now riding a 26-game win streak, the Chanticleers are headed to the finals for the first time since winning it all in 2016.
LSU’s Journey to the Finals
The Tigers entered Omaha as the betting favorite, alongside SEC counterpart Arkansas, who they matched up with in game one. While the stage was set for a pitchers duel between Kade Anderson and Zach Root, the LSU offense would get into the Razorbacks’ bullpen in the second inning after chasing Root charging him with three earned runs, Gabe Gaeckle took over.
While Gaeckle held the Tigers’ offense at bay punching out 10, Anderson got all the help he needed going seven innings of one-run baseball as they would slam the door with a 4-1 victory.
After some inclement weather, and a postponement, the Tigers would cruise past a pesky UCLA Bruins team on the back of four Jared Jones RBI and a collectively solid bullpen performance from Casan Evans, Cooper Williams, and Chase Shores leading to a 9-5 win.
In the Semifinal game against the Razorbacks yet again, it was nothing short of fireworks. While Root got off to a rocky start loading the bases in the first, he would dodge trouble time and time again using a solo home run from Wehiwa Aloy as some early run support.
LSU wouldn’t quit, getting a two-RBI single from pinch-hitter Jake Brown that put the Tigers up 2-1 in the sixth inning. After a Jared Jones error in the eighth inning, costing the Tigers two runs, it looked as if we would get an if-needed game for all the glory to play in the Championship Series.
Jared Jones made up for it with a solo home run to tie the game, answered quickly by a two-run Arkansas ninth inning that looked like it would seal it with a two-run lead.
Capitalizing on multiple mistakes on a one out error from Reese Robinette, and a questionable decision from Golden Spikes Finalist Wehiwa Aloy picking up a fielders’ choice out at third base on what appeared to be a taylor-made double play, the Tigers had one more out to work with down two.
A sinking line drive to left field to Charles Davalan from Luis Hernandez would be the difference maker as Davalan lost his footing, and losing the final out of the game which would result in bringing acorss two runs to tie the game.
In steps Jared Jones again with the winning run on second base, delivering the walk off single over second base to punch LSU’s ticket at a chance for a second National Championship in as many years.
Expectations for the Chanticleers
We have not lowered the Chants’ expectations all year. All season, we have been beating the drum on Coastal Carolina and have felt that this team can make a serious run. It’s lived and died on the pitching staff, but everyone continues to overlook how scrappy this offense is.
Many will likely write them off, looking at how big of a powerhouse LSU is, but this pitching staff has proven time in and time out that they can shut down some of the top lineups in college baseball.
They did it in the Super Regional against Auburn. They did it against three strong lineups in Arizona, Oregon State, and Louisville in the College World Series. This rotation is an absolute force and it is why we’ve called it the best in all of college baseball.
The three-headed monster of Flukey, Morrsion, and Eikhoff is not to be messed with!
As for the offense, you can’t underestimate them. Sure, nothing is sexy in the state line for these bats. There is no true power bat outside of Blake Barthol.
They don’t have the guys putting up video game numbers, but man, do they have guys who give you professional at-bats after professional at-bats.
Caden Bodine is a pros pro. Sebastian Alexander, Colby Thorndyke, and Blagen Pado have been super clutch all postseason. They all do the little things right and find ways to beat you, whether it is small ball or timely hitting.
Don’t sleep on Coastal. Do not call this team a Cinderella. Expect the Chanticleers not to go down without a fight. This is a team that is going to give you 110% regardless of the result. They have a serious shot at winning this thing.
Expectations for the Tigers
The Tigers to this point have played incredible baseball, on the back of great pitching efforts. With arguably the more difficult path to this point having to get through Arkansas, and another one-seed in UCLA, they are well prepared to play an extremely talented Coastal Carolina team.
It’s hard to ignore what the Tigers have on the mound to match the Chants, with Kade Anderson who has racked up 170 strikouts this season and is looking like a lock for a top 10 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.
The right-hand man to Anderson is Anthony Eyanson, who has been arguably just as good, with enough strikeout stuff to roll through any lineup in the country.
While the starting pitching matchups are going to be appointment television, there are some obvious advantages the Tigers have in this series.
On offense, the Tigers have belted 103 home runs opposed to Coastal’s 66. If LSU can tap into their power against a Coastal pitching staff that rarely misses spots, I could see the Tigers handling business.
To me, the X-Factor in this series is style of play. Styles make fights, and the Chants ability to run, play small ball, and limit walks could easily stymie the Tigers’ offense, and it has been clear they don’t thrive in the small-ball department, something they have rarely done this season with just 31 sacrifice-hits.
The strength of Coastal is their pitching depth, and we’ll see it similarly with LSU as many guys have stepped up time and time again.
While my allegiance is with the Chants, it’s hard to ignore the star power LSU possesses and their ability to put up crooked numbers at-will could build huge leads early on.
Coastal Carolina Players to Watch
RHP Jacob Morrison
Animal. We’ve talked about Morrison at length in our other previews, but man he’s just an absolute competitor on the mound. He’s someone who’s going to take the ball and do whatever it takes to give his team a chance to win. It’s an electric low-to-mid-90s fastball with a ton of carry so it gets on hitters quick. The overall arsenal is just so good and he lives in the strikezone. He’s not afraid to attack hitters and it isn’t intimidated by any team. He’s an electric factory and appointment worthy television.
RHP Cameron Flukey
While Morrison is the most polished arm in this rotation, Cameron Flukey by far has the best stuff. He’s one of the top arms for the 2026 MLB Draft. Flukey comes in at 6’6 and is a presence on the mound. He features a mid-90s fastball that has touched 97 with a solid slider and changeup as well. The stuff is electric. He can lose the command from time to time, but like Morrison he often just attacks hitters. It’s crazy for a team to have a on-two punch like Flukey and Morrison.
C Caden Bodine
Professional hitter. That is the easiest way to describe Caden Bodine. Each at-bat he’s working counts and just making contact. It’s some of the most elite contact skills in all of college baseball. On top of that, he’s an absolute stud behind the dish. He is one of the best pitch framers in college baseball with a cannon of an arm and elite blocking skills. Bodine has positioned himself to be a top two round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft and is a catalyst in this Coastal lineup.
LSU Players to Watch
LHP Kade Anderson
The #7 Prospect on the the Just Baseball Top 300 Prospects for the 2025 MLB Draft has dominated in the Friday night role collecting 170 strikeouts over 110 innings pitched with a 3.44 ERA.
Running it up to 96 with his fastball, and a sweeper that has kept hitters off balance all season, the draft eligible sophomore is every bit of a top 10 pick this Summer
RHP Anthony Eyanson
Rounding out what is potentially the best one-two punch in college baseball is Anthony Eyanson, who has nearly matched Anderson’s production this season, racking up 143 strikeouts in 101 2/3 innings pitching to a 2.92 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a .215 batting average.
Being ace material as their second starter is going to be a big problem from the Chants offense, and if he can out-duel Jacob Morrison, we may be in for a Tigers sweep.
1B Jared Jones
Jared Jones is the X-Factor for the Tigers this weekend, with light-tower power, he has the ability to change any game with one swing of the bat, as we already saw against Arkansas just a few nights ago.
While there is a lot of swing-and-miss in his game, the 22 home runs and 76 RBI is not to be taken lightly, and if he gets anything over the heart of the plate during this series, can be a complete difference maker.