LSU sweeps Coastal Carolina in CWS finals for its 2nd national title in 3 years and 8th overall

OMAHA, Neb. (WVUE) - LSU knocked previously unbeaten Coastal Carolina ace Jacob Morrison out of the game with a four-run fourth inning and the Tigers won their second national championship in three years Sunday with a 5-3 victory in the College World Series finals.

The Tigers (53-15) completed a two-game sweep of the Chanticleers (56-13), who entered the finals on a 26-game win streak and on Sunday saw coach Kevin Schnall and first base coach Matt Schilling ejected in the bottom of the first inning.

LSU gave the Southeastern Conference its sixth straight national title in baseball and 11th in 16 years. It was LSU’s eighth, all since 1991 and second most all-time behind Southern California’s 12.

Tigers coach Jay Johnson became the first Division I coach to win two titles in his first four years at a school. No other coach had accomplished that feat in fewer than eight seasons.

“Our whole motto for the year was ‘Tough And Together,’ and that’s what they did from Aug. 26 until now,” Johnson said in a postgame television interview. “It’s only 12 returning players. That collection of talent became a team and a family.”

Coastal Carolina won the national title in 2016 and was trying to become the first team since 1962 (Michigan) and the fifth all-time to win the championship in its first two CWS appearances.

Schnall and Schilling were ejected in the bottom of the first inning.

Walker Mitchell was at bat with two outs and Sebastian Alexander had just stolen second base when Schnall went to the top steps of the dugout, gestured at plate umpire Angel Campos with three fingers and began shouting at him.

The NCAA said Schnall was arguing balls and strikes, was given a warning and thrown out when he did not leave immediately. Instead, Schnall went onto the field to continue arguing.

The NCAA said “prolonged arguing” results in a two-game suspension.

Schilling was thrown out for the comments he made while arguing and would also be suspended.

In a statement, the NCAA said, “Balls, strikes, half swings or decisions about hit-by-pitch situations are not to be argued,” and ”By rule, no team personnel may continue to argue or to continue to excessively express themselves with prolonged actions or offensive language after an ejection.”

Associate head coach Chad Oxendine took over Schnall’s duties.

The Chanticleers answered with a solo shot home run over the left field corner to take a 1-0 lead at the end of the second. An RBI double from LSU’s Ethan Frey tied the game at one run each.

Johnson was asked about the ejections during the broadcast. He said he told his players to stay poised and focused, not “get wrapped up in the external we can’t control.”

A pair of two-run RBI singles from Chris Stanfield and Derek Curiel gave LSU a 5-1 lead in the fourth inning, the most runs Morrison has allowed all season. The Chanticleers’ ace was retired in one of his shortest outings all year.

Coastal Carolina pulled within 5-3 in the seventh against LSU starter Anthony Eyanson when No. 9 batter Wells Sykes hit his fourth homer of the season.

That brought on Chase Shores for his fourth appearance of the CWS. The 6-foot-8 right-hander touched 100 mph with his fastball while retiring the first five batters he faced before Dean Mihos, who homered in the second, singled through the right side leading off the ninth.

Eyanson recorded 6.1 innings pitched, allowing seven hits and three runs while striking out nine.

With Tigers fans on their feet and chanting “L-S-U, L-S-U,” Shores struck out Ty Dooley and got Sykes to ground into a game-ending double play. The Tigers’ dugout emptied and the celebratory dogpile behind the mound ensued. The 87-year-old Bertman came onto the field in a wheelchair and walked with assistance to have pictures taken with coaches and players.

The Chanticleers had won 15 straight when Morrison (12-1) started. Morrison’s 3 2/3 innings marked his shortest start of the season and the five runs against him were the most he has allowed.

LSU entered having won 13 games in a row in which one of its top two pitchers — Kade Anderson and Eyanson — started.

Anderson was selected the Most Outstanding Player of the CWS after allowing one run and six hits and striking out 17 in 16 innings over two starts in Omaha.

Anderson threw a three-hit shutout in LSU’s 1-0 win in Game 1 of the finals, and Eyanson (12-2) was mostly sharp over his 6 1/3 innings. The three runs against him came on seven hits and a walk. He struck out nine.

“It’s a dream come true,” Anderson said after winning the championship.

Schnall, in his first year as head coach after taking over for the retired Gary Gilmore, had not been ejected this season before Sunday.

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