OMAHA, Neb. — LSU, which two years ago wasn’t good enough to qualify for its conference tournament, is the best team in college baseball again.
The Tigers won their sixth national title Wednesday night, breaking open Game 3 of the College World Series finals with a five-run sixth inning that carried them to an 11-4 victory over Texas.
Jared Mitchell hit a three-run homer in the first inning as LSU (56-17) built a 4-0 lead. Texas (50-16-1) pulled even, but Mikie Mahtook’s tie-breaking double ignited the Tigers’ big sixth against the mistake-prone Longhorns.
“It’s everybody pulling together, a sense of urgency we had, and we began to play our best ball at the end of the year,” said Mitchell, voted the CWS Most Outstanding Player.
Mitchell added to the title he earned as a wide receiver on the 2007 LSU football team that won the BCS championship. Earlier this month, he was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the first round.
It was the first national title for coach Paul Mainieri, who played his freshman year at LSU in 1976 and returned to the school after coaching stops at St. Thomas (Fla.), Air Force and Notre Dame.
“I’ve had wonderful kids everywhere I’ve been,” Mainieri said. “They’re all feeling a part of this. I’m so happy for these kids. They’ve done everything I’ve asked.
“They played great. They played great defense. Our pitching has been solid all year. When we got to the end of the season everyone was determined they would get it done. It’s been a coach’s dream to have a group like this.”
Anthony Ranaudo (12-3) got the win in a so-so outing that saw him allow four runs on eight hits and five walks in 5 1⁄3 innings. Brandon Workman (3-5) took the loss.
The Tigers came into the CWS ranked No. 1 in the major polls, and that’s where they’ll finish after keeping Texas from becoming the first No. 1 seed to win the NCAA tournament since Miami in 1999.
“They are the best team we’ve played by far,” Texas coach Augie Garrido said. “We didn’t lose it. They won it. It was a well-deserved championship.”
LSU won national titles in 1991, ’93, ’96, ’97 and 2000 under Skip Bertman. Though the Tigers made it back to the CWS two times under Smoke Laval — he went 0-4 here — the program was in a down cycle before Mainieri arrived three years ago.
His 2007 team, which included four regulars on the 2009 title team, failed to qualify for the Southeastern Conference postseason tournament. His 2008 squad struggled until midseason, then rolled off an SEC-record 23 straight wins on its way to the College World Series.
“This is a dream come true,” said Mahtook, the freshman center fielder who grew up in Lafayette, La. “I dreamed about being here and we finally won it, and I’m part of a tradition.”
Louis Coleman struck out Kevin Keyes for the second out in the ninth inning, bringing most of the 19,986 fans at Rosenblatt Stadium to their feet. Coleman struck out Connor Rowe for the final out, threw his glove high in the air and then sank to the bottom of the pile in front of the mound.
The Longhorns had forced a deciding third game after freshman Taylor Jungmann held LSU to five hits in a 5-1 victory Tuesday.
LSU, which lost back-to-back games only once this season (7-5 and 9-4 to Tennessee on April 18-19), had no problem scoring Wednesday against six pitchers. The Longhorns gave the Tigers some help, too.
Mahtook doubled into center off Workman to break a 4-4 tie, and LSU capitalized on two walks, two hit batters, a passed ball, a wild pitch and an error in the sixth. Only two of the five runs LSU scored in the inning were earned.
Sean Ochinko, who had a two-run single in the sixth, homered in the ninth for the final runs.
Chad Jones, who also won a BCS football title, and Coleman prevented Texas from making another dramatic comeback in Omaha.
Just to get to Omaha the Longhorns won the longest game in NCAA history, beating Boston College in 25 innings, and then beat Army with a walkoff grand slam.
The Longhorns had two walkoff wins in Omaha in addition to rallying from six runs down for another.
Texas came back to tie, but the Longhorns would score no more.
“LSU answered right back, and it was devastating,” Texas second baseman Tucker said. “We had momentum going our way, and they shifted it back their way.”
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Comments » 24
TNisPeerless writes:
Big surprise...another SEC national championship. If only we could master volleyball...
DekanGator writes:
SEC
stayingorange writes:
And to think LSU is one of the few SEC series the Vols won this year. Too bad LSU had to play Arkansas or it might have been an all SEC championship.
FWBVol writes:
Paul Mainieri made the lineup changes that led to the stretch run after UT took the weekend series from LSU. The Tigers didn't lose two games in a row after the series witht the Vols this year. A great effort by a great team that represented the SEC very well throughout the NCAA tournament and the CWS.
chaos001 writes:
yet again...another National Championship for the SEC!
so far in 2009: SEC 2 Big 12 0.
SEC! SEC! SEC!
GreerVol22 writes:
After reading comments on other baseball articles on KNS,and listening to all the pro and anti Raliegh folks, the argument of how hard it is to win with lack of scholarships and losing good recruits to big contracts doesn't hold water. LSU, Texas, UNC and other schools are right there pretty much every year. So I ask, Mr Hamilton, what's our problem?
blitzshoot writes:
Amazing job the past two years. Wish we could move up in baseball.
Hounddog writes:
Congratulations to the LSU Tigers from the VOL Nation. Good job and very exciting baseball.
Attention Memphis State University (or whatever you are calling your school this year) these are the REAL Tigers!
ethanfrome writes:
Thats a good one...and true.
jdcvols#230433 writes:
WOW, good for LSU. Let's see two years ago, they can't make the SEC tourney and now are Natioanl Champs. We have Raleigh for his third year so can we say NC next year? NOT.
RichRollinz2 writes:
Where's that Bevo guy that was trash talking on here the other day? Congrats LSU.
golfballs03 writes:
S-E-C, S-E-C
FARRAGUT0406 writes:
LSU and Texas have probably the 2 best managers in college baseball, real leaders and motivators of young men. Great series and how about that LSU fan base?
smyrnavol writes:
Rich, asked mysels the same question yerterday. guess he made the mistake of ging on the football threads talking trash, and getting his tail handed to him. anyway, congrats lsu, and GO VOLS.
chargervol writes:
It is not everyday that a player can win national titles in two sports. I don't know which sport he'll choose, but Jared Mitchell is a proven commodity. He just wins. I would say it will be baseball. We'll see. GO VOLS!!!
PowerTandDD writes:
Congrats to LSU. It appears unrecruited-by-UT/CTR-Seymour HS/WSCC career home run leader Kyle Koeneman made a good choice by signing a few weeks ago with the 6 time national champions that continue to send great players to the bigs.
He always wanted to be a Vol. Too bad.
orangeluvr writes:
Mike Patrick pointed out lsu lost consecutive games only once this year. Notice he left out who they lost those games to ? Just couldn't manage to let the words ''Tennessee Vols cross his lips! Typical of ESPN not to say anything positive about UT. Congratulations, Lsu TIGERS! SEC!
FARRAGUT0406 writes:
I am pretty sure I heard MP say LSU was beaten in consecutive games by Tn. I do not like MP either, but all UT/ESPN conspiracy followers can always show ESPN how you truly feel. Do
not watch their UT telecasts.
Go to the game or listen to it on Vol Network
huntined#565710 writes:
Great job L.S.U. HARD TO GET THERE IN THE FINALS AND YOU CAME THRU. Good job and GO SEC!!!
Texas_Slim_Bevo writes:
I love Vols for asking bout me. I went to the LSU site to give respects to the winners. I come here to pay respects for the dead. Name one of your teams that made any difference in any sport....this year not in 1998...go ahead
huntined#565710 writes:
VOL football gave Wyoming their greatest win..Lady VOLS didn't win their every year N.C. SO WE MADE A GREAT DIFFERENCE!! Your team deserves credit for being there but lost to a GREAT SEC TEAM.
smyrnavol writes:
you sound like a mempuss state fan to me. you came to our site running your o-ring. you matter how?
crimsonviper writes:
Good one!
orangeluvr writes:
In three days coverage I never heard Tennessee mentioned. Anyone can see ESPN'S overt bias against the Vols. No ticketless Vol fan would not miss them on TV. Just turn down tv volume and turn up the Vol network . BTW, if you want to crack on someone crack on the trolls.
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