LSU Advances to College World Series Finals with Dramatic Walk-Off Victory

OMAHA, Neb. — LSU baseball secured a spot in the Men’s College World Series finals with a thrilling 6-5 walk-off victory over Arkansas on Wednesday night. Jared Jones hit a line drive that glanced off a glove, allowing the Tigers to advance after a suspenseful ninth inning.

The Tigers, with a record of 51-15, will now face Coastal Carolina in the best-of-three finals starting Saturday. Coastal secured its championship berth with an 11-3 win over Louisville earlier in the day.

Jones, who struggled earlier in the tournament, has turned his performance around. After striking out five times in the Tigers’ opener against Arkansas, he went 5-for-9 with six RBIs and two home runs in the past two games. “I’m just super grateful for it all,” Jones said. “My parents have sacrificed so much to get me to this point.”

Arkansas took a two-run lead in the ninth with Justin Thomas‘ tie-breaking single. However, LSU fought back, scoring two runs in their final at-bat. Luis Hernandez’s hard liner to left field slipped past an outfielder, allowing two runs to come in and tie the game.

Then, just moments later, Jones’s line drive up the middle bounced off the glove of second baseman Cam Kozeal, sending Hernandez home for the winning run. The victory marked LSU’s fourth win in five meetings against Arkansas this season.

LSU coach Jay Johnson reflected on the game, comparing it to a previous walk-off moment in 2023. “This now has a tie for first, with the ninth inning with Jared Jones,” he said. “It was an incredible moment.”

As Arkansas’s season ends, they are left to reflect on another gut-wrenching loss in Omaha, marking their 12th MCWS appearance without a championship. The Tigers, however, look forward to their second title opportunity in three years.