OMAHA, Neb. – LSU baseball and Coastal Carolina have a shared history going back to 2016.

Nine years ago, a little-known Chanticleers program surprised many fans dressed in purple and gold by defeating LSU in the super regionals in Baton Rouge, securing Coastal Carolina’s inaugural College World Series Championship.

The Tigers managed to even the score at 3-3 in the ninth inning by coming back from a deficit twice during the game. This was achieved when Cole Freeman secured an infield hit and subsequently scored on a well-executed bunt by Jake Fraley.

CCU’s Michael Paez hit a strong ground ball down the third-base line in the bottom half, which bounced over a jumping Chris Reid and then rolled into the outfield, sealing Coastal’s 4-3 victory by walking off the game.

The Historic Rivalry Between Coastal Carolina and LSU

LSU is not seeking revenge as they prepare to face Coastal Carolina in the 2025 College World Series championship at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, starting on Saturday night, June 21, at 7 p.m. EST on ESPN.

LSU, of the mighty Southeast Conference, know the “Teal is for real”.

“You have to win the game,” LSU Baseball Coach Jay Johnson said of what he’s seen from this season’s CCU team. “They’re not going to give you the game. Their pitchers throw strikes, they play really sound defense. They do a great job of getting the leadoff man on, laying down bunts, running the bases.”

“Those are program traits. They just do things right. That’s always been the case, and that’s the case now. Those would be the similarities.“