LSU sweeps Coastal Carolina, claims eighth national title

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — 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 Coastal Carolina Head Coach Kevin Schnall and first base coach Matt Schilling in the bottom of the first inning.

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

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.

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 the school at a school. No other coach had accomplished that feat in fewer than eight seasons.