As it exists today, the conference is a shell of the version that originally attempted to raid the Lone Star State. And Texas State is certainly not Texas or Texas A&M or even Texas Tech.

But a quest that began four commissioners ago was completed Monday when the Bobcats accepted an invitation from the rebuilt Pac-12 to join the conference next summer as the eighth all-sports member.

Texas State has competed in the Sun Belt for the past 12 years.

“You can’t go wrong being associated with football in the state of Texas,” said an industry source who has tracked the Pac-12’s rebuilding project since Washington State and Oregon State were left adrift two years ago.

The conference first set its sights on the state in 1990, when then-commissioner Tom Hansen made a play for Texas and Texas A&M. But politics intervened.

“Ann Richards, who was then the governor, said Baylor’s my alma mater and they’re going wherever Texas and Texas A&M go,” Hansen told the Orange County Register in 2009, near the end of his tenure in charge of what was then the Pac-10.

“Then in a less clear message, but still pretty well defined, we were told the legislators who control the oil money that goes to the Texas universities was controlled either by alumni of or representatives of the area of Texas Tech, and now there was a group of four (schools) and we were not interested in going from 10 to 14 so we said ‘thank you anyway.’ ”

Two decades later, Hansen’s successor, Larry Scott, stunned the college sports world with a bold pursuit of not only Texas but Oklahoma (and others) as he tried to create the first super-conference.

The plan fizzled, which didn’t stop Scott from trying again the following year. A disagreement over revenue distribution derailed the attempt.

A dozen years passed before the Pac-12 considered another Texas school — but it wasn’t the Longhorns or Aggies. During the purgatory period of 2022-23, after USC and UCLA announced their move to the Big Ten, then-commissioner George Kliavkoff put SMU in the crosshairs, along with San Diego State.

The plan never materialized. In August of ’23, Kliavkoff’s wayward strategy sparked the collapse of the 108-year-old conference, and the Mustangs eventually ended up in the ACC.

(Texas State’s acceptance Monday of the Pac-12’s invitation comes on the third anniversary of the thunderbolt from the L.A. schools.)

The Bobcats won’t do for the reconstructed Pac-12 what SMU would have done for the weakened version in ’23, much less generate a sliver of the impact the Longhorns would have provided 15 years ago.

But in some regards, their presence will serve the same purpose, just on a relative basis.

They allow the Pac-12 to expand its footprint into the Central Time Zone, which creates more flexibility for kickoff and tipoff times, and to establish a foothold in a state that cares more about football than any town, city, region or state west of the Rockies.

Texas State is located in a booming corridor between Austin and San Antonio. It has 40,000 students, a president (Kelly Damphousse) committed to investing in athletics and a head coach, GJ Kinne, who will walk into the Pac-12 as one of the highest-paid coaches in the conference. (He earns $2 million annually.)

The Bobcats are one of just 15 teams with bowl wins in each of the past two seasons. They have embarked on a $37 million renovation of their football performance center and invested $149 million into athletic facilities and infrastructure in the past three years.

“As the Pac-12’s flagship school in Texas, we proudly embrace the opportunity and responsibility that comes with it,” Texas State athletic director Don Coryell said in a news release confirming the move into the Pac-12.

Texas State isn’t Texas, and this Pac-12 certainly isn’t that Pac-12.

But Monday’s move, orchestrated by Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould, offers real estate where football matters, money flows and potential exists.

The conference needed an eighth football school to meet the Football Bowl Subdivision certification requirements by next summer. But the expansion strategy that has played out over the past nine months was about the 2030s, as well — about acquiring the pieces that could provide the greatest long-haul value.

College football could undergo another massive restructuring early in the next decade, when a series of media rights contracts holding the sport together expire within a two-year window.

A super-league could form with the top 30 or 40 football schools. The SEC and Big Ten could expand again. The ACC and Big 12 could merge. Football could break away from the other sports.

Nobody knows what’s coming, but everyone believes something’s coming. The current state of play isn’t sustainable given the competitive, legal and financial pressures.

How the Pac-12 fits into the next era is anyone’s guess. But with the move into Texas, the conference took a small but significant step to fortifying itself for the next round of realignment chaos.

The Bobcats, who compete in the Sun Belt, cannot formally accept the invitation without approval from the university’s governing board, which is expected to meet Monday.

If the Bobcats accept, as expected, the Pac-12 will meet a critical membership threshold.

The rebuilt conference has seven all-sports schools secured for the summer of 2026, plus Gonzaga, which does not play football. A minimum of eight all-sports members is needed to meet certification requirements.

Texas State is located in San Marcos, between San Antonio and Austin. The Austin Sports Journal was the first to report the invitation.

Monday is a critical day — the last of the fiscal year. If the Bobcats don’t inform the Sun Belt of their intent to withdraw by Tuesday, July 1, their exit fee would increase from $5 million to $10 million.

The Pac-12 was down to Washington State and Oregon State after 10 legacy schools officially departed last August. A month later, the conference accepted Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State from the Mountain West. It then added Gonzaga but was still one all-sports member short.

It targeted Texas State for a variety of reasons, including its location in the football-crazed state, willingness to invest in athletics and potential to become an impact program at the sub-Power Four level.

Also, the conference has long been interested in planting its banner in Texas.

Three previous commissioners (Tom Hansen, Larry Scott and George Kliavkoff) either considered expanding into Texas or made formal attempts to lure schools from the Lone Star State.

Teresa Gould, who took charge of the conference in early 2024, is the first to succeed.

Granted, the Pac-12 is a difference conference than it was before the 10 schools departed last summer.

Also, Texas State is not Texas, Texas A&M or even Texas Tech.

But on a relative basis, the move serves a comparable purpose in growing the Pac-12’s footprint into one of the most populous, football-obsessed and talent-rich states in the country.

The Bobcats spent much of their history competing in the lower divisions. They transitioned to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2012 and spent one year in the WAC before switching to the Sun Belt.

Their resume features just two postseason appearances: The 2023 and 2024 First Responders Bowls under coach G.J. Kinne.

Will Wade’s work building North Carolina State into an immediate winner included the pursuit of an entrant in the NBA draft, just in case he returned to college.

It wasn’t a huge risk: With all the cash flowing in college, the number of early entrants to the NBA draft has continued to shrink. This year’s draft starts Wednesday night with its lowest total of those prospects in at least 10 years.

“Now you can play the long game a little bit more,” Wade told The Associated Press, referring to how college players can look at their futures. “Look, I can get paid the same I would get paid in the G League, the same I would get paid on a two-way (contract), some guys are getting first-round money.”

And more money is on the way.

It’s been four years since college athletes were permitted to profit off the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL), opening the door for athlete compensation that was once forbidden by NCAA rules. Next week, on July 1, marks the official start of revenue sharing when schools can begin directly paying athletes following the $2.8 billion House antitrust settlement.

For Wade, that led to signing Texas Tech’s Darrion Williams after 247sports’ fifth-ranked transfer withdrew from the draft.

“Basically now if you’re an early entry and you’re not a top-20, top-22 pick – where the money slots – you can pretty much make that in college,” the new Wolfpack coach said.

It’s all part of a seismic change that has rippled through college athletics since the pandemic, its impact touching the NBA. Players willing to “test the waters” in the draft before returning to school now have a lucrative option to consider against uncertain pro prospects.

And it shows in the numbers.

“With all the money that’s being thrown around in NIL, you’re having a lot less players put their names in,” Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon said. “You’re having pretty good players pulling their names out.”

Declining number of early entrants

This year’s drop is significant when compared to the years before anyone had heard of COVID-19. There was a spike of college players jumping into the draft in the pandemic’s aftermath, when they were granted a free eligibility year to temporarily make even a fourth-year senior an “early” entrant.

But those numbers had fallen as those five-year players cycled out of college basketball, and they’re now below pre-pandemic levels. That decline coincides with NIL’s July 2021 arrival, from athletes doing paid appearances or social-media endorsements to boosters forming collectives offering NIL packages amounting to de facto salaries.

As a result:

• Eighty-two players appeared on the NBA’s list of early entrants primarily from American colleges with a smattering of other teams, down 49% from 2024 (162) and nearly 47% compared to the four-year average from 2016-19 (153.5);

• Thirty-two remained after withdrawal deadlines, down from 62 last year and an average of 72 from 2016-19;

• Adding international prospects, 109 players declared for the draft, down from 201 last year and an average of 205 from 2016-19;

• And only 46 remained, down from 77 in 2024 and an average of 83.8 from 2016-19.

More college players weighing options

Duke coach Jon Scheyer understands draft dynamics, both for no-doubt headliners and prospects facing less clarity. He sees college athlete compensation as a “legitimate game-changer.”

“Hopefully it allows players to decide what’s truly best for their game,” Scheyer told the AP. “It allows them to analyze: ‘Am I actually ready for this or not?’ Where money doesn’t have to be the deciding factor. Because if money’s the deciding factor, that’s why you see kids not stick. The NBA’s cutthroat. It just is.”

The Blue Devils are expected to have three players selected in the first-round Wednesday, including presumptive No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg alongside top-10 prospects Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach. They also had players sorting through draft decisions.

Freshman Isaiah Evans – a slender wing with explosive scoring potential – withdrew instead of chasing first-round status through the draft process. Incoming transfer Cedric Coward from Washington State rapidly rose draft boards after the combine and remained in the draft.

“There’s no substituting the money you’re going to make if you’re a top-15, top-20 pick,” said Scheyer, entering Year 4 as successor to retired Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski. “But if you’re not solidified as a first-round pick, why risk it when you can have a solid year and a chance to go up or be in the same position the following season?”

College compensation is re-shaping the draft pool

Langdon, himself a former Duke first-rounder, sees that evolution, too.

His Pistons had their first playoff appearance since 2019, but lack a first-round selection and own a single pick in Thursday’s second round. Fewer candidates could make the already imperfect science of drafting even trickier in this new reality.

According to the NBA’s 2024-25 rookie scale, a player going midway through the first round would make roughly $3.5 million in first-year salary. That figure would drop to about $2.8 million at pick No. 20, $2.3 million at No. 25 and $2.1 million with the 30th and final first-round draftee.

A minimum first-year NBA salary? Roughly $1.2 million.

“These NIL packages are starting to get up to $3 to $4 to $5 to $6 million dollars,” Langdon said. “These guys are not going to put their name in to be the 25th pick, or even the 18th pick. They are going to go back to school in hopes of being a lottery pick next year. With that pool of players decreasing, it kind of decreases the odds of the level of player we get at No. 37, just the pure mathematics.”

Current NBA players offer insight

Indiana Pacers big man Thomas Bryant and Oklahoma City Thunder counterpart Isaiah Hartenstein, who both played in the seven-game NBA Finals that ended Sunday, illustrate Langdon’s point.

They were back-to-back second-rounders in 2017 (Bryant at 42, Hartenstein at 43), pushed down a draft board featuring early-entry college players in 33 of the 41 picks before them.

Bryant played two college seasons at Indiana before stints with five NBA teams, including Denver’s 2023 championship squad. Would the ability to make college money have changed his journey?

“To be honest, I see it from both sides,” Bryant said. “If you’re not going to get drafted, you understand that a kid needs money to live in college and everything. So, I understand where they’re coming from on that end.

“But for me, I took the chance. I bet on myself, and I believed in myself, and I worked to the very end. And the thing about me is that if I went down, I was going down swinging. I hang my hat on that. For some, it might not be the same case.”

The American-born Hartenstein moved to Germany at 11 and played in Lithuania before being drafted. As he put it: “I think everyone’s journey is different.”

“I think you should have the right people around you to kind of guide you,” said Hartenstein, a newly minted NBA champion. “I mean, I was lucky that my dad, who was a professional before, kind of guided me. Depending on your circumstances, it’s hard to turn down guaranteed money. If there’s an opportunity to get in a good situation in the NBA, you do that. But it’s a hard decision.”

College now can be more of an allure

At N.C. State, Wade’s pitch to Williams included a leading role and a shot at boosting his draft stock.

The 6-foot-6 junior averaged 15.1 points with multiple big NCAA Tournament performances as the Red Raiders reached the Elite Eight, nearly beating eventual champion Florida.

“He was most likely going to be a second-round draft pick, and his package here is better than probably he would’ve gotten as a second-round pick,” Wade said, adding: “We certainly talked about that. We went over that. We went over the math of everything. We went over the plan on how to accomplish that.”

That’s not to say it’s easy at the college level in this new landscape. Roster management is tricky, including a balancing act of maintaining financial resources to potentially land one player while risking missing out on others.

“It’s the way life works, it’s the way it should work,” Wade said. “If there’s no risk, there’s no reward. The riskiest players, in terms of waiting on the money and waiting them out, are the best players. That’s why they’re in the draft process. We’re not going to be scared of that.”

Nor should he, not with the allure of campus life these days.

AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds and AP Sports Writer Larry Lage contributed to this report.

I doubt he’ll ever find those basketball moments particularly nerve-racking.

Not after what he went through on April 24, when the Tesla Cybertruck he was driving crashed into a tree and fire hydrant in Reseda.

After watching his new USC teammates practice on Monday morning at the Galen Center, Arenas – the Los Angeles Daily News 2025 Boys Basketball Player of the Year and son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas – told a quartet of reporters about the crash that occurred at 4:55 a.m. that morning.

He spoke uninterrupted for more than 18 minutes, as if he might still be processing the events that could have cost him his life and had him in an induced coma.

He talked about panicking when he realized he was locked inside a burning vehicle, about experiencing “fight or flight.”

It makes sense that he felt that way, but to hear him tell it, it sounds like the 18-year-old kept his wits about him, that he exhibited impressive problem-solving instincts as he fought to maintain consciousness and to survive a living nightmare.

That, in addition to feeling grateful and relieved, he ought to feel proud of himself.

The crash occurred, he said, on his way home from the DSTRKT, a gym in Chatsworth, where he’d been toiling, working toward 10,000 made buckets that week. (He was on 7,000 when he left the facility.)

Arenas stressed Monday that he feels totally responsible for the incident: “Whether it was me, another car, a malfunction, I don’t really want to, you know, put anybody else in a situation, whoever made the car, anything. I want to take full responsibility for anything I do.”

But the best he could explain it was that as he drove that morning, “the wheel wasn’t responding.” He said he noticed the keypad and lights turning off, but that none of that worried him much until he was at a stoplight and realized the wheel “wasn’t moving as, like, easy as it should.” So he sped up, he said, to try to put distance between himself and any traffic behind him, to give himself space to pull over. His Life360 app would tell him he reached a speed of 55 mph.

“Next thing,” Arenas said, hand to his chest, “all I remember was feeling pressure.”

He said, initially, he thought he was waking up at home. And then, “I heard crackling noises, like a campfire.”

“It was hot, it felt like a really hot sauna,” he said, describing being unable to see outside of the car because of the smoke.

“OK,” he asked himself, “What did I do? How did I get here?”

Also: “My dad’s gonna kill me.”

“But my main thing,” Arenas said, “was, ‘I don’t think this car can work. Everything is off; the fire is on.’”

He next thought was that he’d get out and find the nearest gas station, call for help, get water, call his dad, “just kind of get this under control. … I wasn’t upside down, I wasn’t sideways, my phone’s still in the [car’s dedicated] pocket, so I was just like, it couldn’t have been that bad.”

And then he realized the door wouldn’t open. And that the car’s lock screen was displayed. “When I saw that … I realized what situation I was in.”

His next steps included taking off his seatbelt and moving to the backseat of the car, checking for cracks or any option for exit. He said he bit his lips and curled his hands tight to try to keep himself awake in intense heat and smoke that was making it difficult to breathe. He found water he’d bought earlier at a gas station and used some of it to “wipe himself down” to try to cool off. He said he’d use the rest of it later, after he’d taken off his clothes, dousing himself when the fire encroached further.

Arenas’ next thought, as he remembered it, was to make as much noise as possible, to yell and scream and bang on windows. He tried to blow the horn, too, he said, but because the vehicle was off, it didn’t sound.

He also said he used his fists and then his feet to try to break the car’s sturdy, “bulletproof” windows, moving from the front driver’s side window to the windshield, which seemed to crack at about the same time he started to hear thudding noises outside the car. It was water from the hydrant, but not knowing he’d hit one, Arenas said, “I thought it was raining.”

He positioned himself so if he passed out again, he’d fall into the backseat, where there was plenty of leg space and, Arenas figured, “airspace.”

“All I remember, just passing out into the backseat, my legs in the air,” he said. “And then, thankfully, somebody was on the outside working on [getting into the car] at the same time … and as they took off the window, they saw my leg and they touched it, and I kind of went back up, and I just went for it.

“Then, after that, all I kind of remember is hitting the floor and then feeling like a sensation of just cooling my body … like a river, because there was so much water.

“Next thing I know, I remember seeing lights. I remember looking at a ceiling full of lights and somebody holding my arm. I think that was the first hospital. And then the next one, I remember I woke up and I couldn’t speak,” said Arenas, who was in the hospital for six days.

“And my first thought process waking up was, ‘Did I hit somebody?’”

He did not, thankfully.

But he did hit on several realizations, including when he came home to so many flowers and “smiles on smiles on smiles” how very loved he is. By family and friends, teammates and neighbors he never even knew.

“I appreciate a lot,” Arenas added. “I appreciate more than what I thought. I appreciate everybody around. I’m appreciative for just somebody randomly helping me.”

That part – that part especially. After strangers helped save his life, he wants to be able to help do the same for others.

That is why Alijah – a personable, charming guy who introduces himself to everyone he meets with a handshake and who clearly shares not only his podcasting dad’s deep bag of basketball skills but Gilbert’s gift of gab – said he’s so willing to share his story as he begins this college chapter of his career.

Before he begins practicing with the Trojans, the five-star McDonald’s All-American has a few more academic boxes to check after graduating early from Chatsworth High School.

As he picked USC, eschewing bigger-name college programs like Arizona and Louisville, Kansas and Kentucky, Arenas chose to play his high school ball at Chatsworth, leading the Chancellors to two consecutive CIF State SoCal Regional titles and needing only three seasons to become the first player in the L.A. City Section to reach the 3,000-point mark.

Now he said he’s eager to move forward, to work at USC – and to share, whoever needs to hear it.

“That is a memory for me to help somebody else,” Alijah said. “You know, I’m still here to help somebody else. I’m really glad God gave me a chance to help another person that is probably going through way worse than what I’m going through right now.”

Louis Simon is a resident of Irvine and grew up mostly in Southern California, playing baseball and football in college until a broken leg took him out of the game. He became the head softball coach at Beckman High School, where his team won three division titles, and four years ago founded a summer collegiate softball league that boasts 10 competitive teams organized by his nonprofit Game Ready Enterprises.

Now, Simon is applying his skills to building a strong SCC softball team.

His coaching approach is to help athletes be their best, mentally and physically. “What’s great about softball or any sport is that you have an opportunity to use the tools of the sport to help you grow,” Simon said.

He urges players to think about their goals and define why they want to play the game.

“I love to pose questions to help them think a little bit,” he said. “If they understand what they’re doing and why, it’s going to have a lot more clarity for them to take the steps forward to improve what they’re trying to do, whether it’s in the classroom or in the field.”

Another part of his coaching philosophy is to encourage players not to fear failure. “If you’re afraid to fail, how are you going to succeed without taking that risk?” he said. “And that’s the good thing about the sport of softball and baseball. They call it a game of failure, but I say you don’t succeed until you fail. I encourage failure — that means you’re trying. If you’re not even trying, you won’t know what you’re capable of. So why not give it a shot while you’re young?”

Simon spent years in the entertainment industry where he worked as a professional stuntman. When his daughter showed interest in playing softball at age 8, Simon began to coach her and helped her train as she grew older.

“She loved the competitive aspect of the game,” he said. “From my baseball background, I got into training with her and tried to teach her the right technique of things.” She played center field in college softball and recently graduated from the University of Central Florida.

When COVID-19 hit in 2020, many young people, including Simon’s daughter, suffered from the isolation. “Some athletes were going through some pretty severe depression and difficult times mentally during that period of time,” he said. “I had a few college coaches who had athletes going through that here in Southern California.”

Several of them approached him with an idea. “They said, ‘Lou, can you create a college softball summer league where these girls feel positive again, strong again through their skills? We need something like that.’ ”

Without thinking too much about it, Simon agreed.

The result was that he founded Game Ready Enterprises with the stated purpose of helping to build mental health along with sports skill, to develop community leadership and provide career guidance for college-age girls.

The League, as it is called, has grown each summer and has been a successful and fulfilling venture. So when Simon was asked to coach the Santiago Canyon College softball team —  which is part of the Orange Empire Conference — it seemed like a natural next step. “It is one of the toughest and most challenging conferences at least in California, if not in the U.S.,” he said.

He was already familiar with SCC’s field, campus and the college’s good reputation. “I knew it very well,” he said. “Everything really lined up. It was perfect timing. My heart was in it from that moment. I’ve seen all the good it can do for these kids by showing them someone cares for them. And it’s about life strength as opposed to everything being about the game. So it was a good balance for me to say, ‘Hey, I’d love to be a part of this program, and this is what I bring to the table.’ ”

Simon will continue to recruit players until the fall when they begin to train as a team in preparation for the next season, which begins in May 2026.

Although he can take about 20 players, reaching that number is not Simon’s priority in recruiting. He looks for character traits such as a willingness to learn and playing for the team. “To me, that goes a long way because it builds character, it builds the chemistry, it builds a bond with the sisterhood on our team and absolute respect,” Simon said.

LSU first baseman Jared Jones high-fives fans while carrying the championship trophy around the field following LSU’s 5-3 win over Coastal Carolina in Game 2 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

LSU LSUhead coach Jay Johnson hoists the championship trophy with his team following their 5-3 win over Coastal Carolina in Game 2 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

LSU closing pitcher Chase Shores scoops up dirt from the mound following his team’s 5-3 win against Coastal Carolina in Game 2 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

Coastal Carolina’s Blake Barthol, left, catches a fly ball hit by LSU’s Steven Milam with teammate Jake Books nearby in the third inning of Game 2 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

LSU’s Chris Stanfield celebrates after scoring off a single by Derek Curiel during the third inning against Coastal Carolina in Game 2 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

LSU’s Derek Curiel reaches for a two-run home run hit by Coastal Carolina’s Wells Sykes in the seventh inning of Game 2 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

Coastal Carolina head coach Kevin Schnall, center left, screams at the umpires after being ejected in the first inning against LSU in Game 2 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

LSU players pile up as they celebrate their 5-3 win against Coastal Carolina in Game 2 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

Coastal Carolina’s Tadan Bell, center, and teammates watches LSU celebrate their 5-3 win after Game 2 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

LSU’s Steven Milam, left, forces out Coastal Carolina’s Dean Mihos at second base and turns a double play to first to close out the ninth inning of Game 2 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

By ERIC OLSON AP Sports Writer

OMAHA, Neb. — Coming out of last season, LSU coach Jay Johnson couldn’t have foreseen the national championship this group of tenacious Tigers is taking back to Baton Rouge.

“It was probably a year ago today,” he said, “we had 12 players in our program that actually played on the field for us in 2024. Twelve.”

Then, quoting his mentor and LSU baseball patriarch Skip Bertman, Johnson said: “We ended up with some really good fortune.”

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 title in three years on 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 USC’s 12.

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.

“It’s not to be taken for granted, being here two years ago,” Johnson said. “That was special. Greatest night of my life. This is equal and maybe even tops in some ways.”

The 2023 team was led by Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews, the top two picks in the MLB amateur draft that year, and slugger Tommy White. It was built to win a championship.

The good fortune Johnson referred to was mixing those 12 returning players from last season with a talented freshman class that mostly showed up intact after the draft and was rated No. 1 in college baseball, along with 10 transfers – including three ranked in the top 10 in the portal rankings. The team coalesced quickly.

“We went through probably the hardest schedule in college baseball and we had one hiccup – one. A little speed bump at Auburn,” Johnson said, referring to being swept in a three-game series in April. “But other than that, they dominated the season and they dominated the schedule.”

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. The Chanticleers hadn’t lost consecutive games since dropping two in a row at Troy on March 22 and 23.

“To get us just back to Omaha after what we did in 2016, and then to come to Omaha and play the way we did and get us back to the World Series finals is really incredible,” Schnall said. “These two games won’t define what this team was.”

With five-time champion coach Bertman watching from the stands, LSU tied it at 1-1 in the third on Ethan Frey’s RBI double and went up 5-1 in the fourth on two-run singles by Chris Stanfield and Derek Curiel.

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.

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, and the players then walked around the warning track in a line high-fiving fans leaning over the wall.

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 3⅔ 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, one of those 12 holdovers, 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 6⅓ innings. The three runs against him came on seven hits and a walk. He struck out nine.

“I remember hugging my parents right now with the natty hat and shirt on,” said Eyanson, a UC San Diego transfer. “Even on my (recruiting) visit, looking at all the history on the wall, this is what I dreamed literally – throwing pitches, starting the final game of the national 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.

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. Schilling was tossed for comments he made as the confrontation with umpires continued near the plate.

“And that’s why I feel a little gutted right now,” Schnall said, “because the talk is going to be about the ejection, not this team. And it’s not right. The front-row seat should be the 2025 Coastal Carolina baseball team, not what happened in the first inning.”

SCHNALL SAYS EJECTION WAS UNWARRANTED

Schnall said his ejection wasn’t justified and he was wrongly accused of bumping an umpire.

When Schnall was arguing with Campos, one of the base umpires ran toward the confrontation and fell on his back.

“If you guys watch the video, there was a guy who came in extremely aggressively, tripped over Campos’ foot, embarrassed in front of 25,000, and goes ‘two-game suspension’ and says ‘bumping the umpire,’” Schnall said. “There was no bump. I shouldn’t be held accountable for a grown man’s athleticism. Now it’s excessive because I was trying to say I didn’t bump him.

“It is what it is. If that warranted an ejection, there would be a lot of ejections. As umpires, it’s your job to manage the game with some poise and calmness and a little bit of tolerance.”

A spokesman said the NCAA stands by its original statement on the incident when asked for comment on Schnall’s remarks about bumping an umpire.

The NCAA in its initial statement on the incident said Schnall and Schilling engaged in “prolonged arguing,” which is to result in a two-game suspension. Schnall would miss the first two games of the 2026 season.

Schilling was thrown out for the comments he made while arguing, the NCAA said. If an assistant is ejected, he automatically also is suspended for one game. Schilling also got an additional two-game suspension under the “prolonged arguing” rule, the NCAA said. That means he will miss the first three games next year.

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

Schnall said he couldn’t hear Campos’ initial warning when he was arguing balls and strikes from the dugout.

“As a head coach, it’s your right to get an explanation for why we got warned,” Schnall said. “I’m 48 years old and I shouldn’t get shooed by another grown man. When I came out, I got told it was a warning issued for arguing balls and strikes, and I said it was because you missed three. At that point, ejected. If that warrants an ejection, I’m the first one to stand here like a man and apologize.”

That wasn’t going to happen.

“I’m not sorry for what happened,” he said. “I’m sorry for this being over. I’m sorry for how it ended.”

In a statement posted Sunday night on Coastal Carolina athletic director Chance Miller’s X account, the school said the ejections “altered the trajectory of a must-win game for our team.”

“These decisions were made with an alarming level of haste, without an attempt at de-escalation, and deprived our student-athletes of the leadership they have relied on throughout a historic postseason run.

“This is not about a single call – it’s about process and professionalism. In the biggest moment of the college baseball season, our program and its student-athletes deserved better.”

The statement also urged the NCAA to re-evaluate how it trains, assigns and reviews umpires in championship settings.

Coastal Carolina starting pitcher Cameron Flukey throws against LSU in the first inning of Game 1 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, June 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

The Omaha Police Department Honor Guard presents the colors during the national anthem as three F-16s fly over the field before Coastal Carolina plays against LSU in Game 1 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, June 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

Coastal Carolina’s Blagen Pado (22) catches a fly ball in right field hit by LSU’s Chris Stanfield in the fourth inning of Game 1 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, June 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

Coastal Carolina starting pitcher Cameron Flukey, center right, throws against LSU in the third inning of Game 1 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, June 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

Coastal Carolina pitcher Dominick Carbone, left, collides with first baseman Colby Thorndyke (16) while fielding an infield ground ball hit by LSU’s Derek Curiel in the eighth inning of Game 1 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, June 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

LSU’s Jake Brown catches a fly ball hit by Coastal Carolina’s Sebastian Alexander in the eighth inning of Game 1 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, June 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

From left, LSU pitcher Kade Anderson, left, hugs catcher Luis Hernandez, second from left, as teammate Dalton Beck (33) runs in to celebrate after their win over Coastal Carolina in Game 1 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, June 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

Coastal Carolina pitcher Dominick Carbone throws against LSU in the seventh inning of Game 1 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, June 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

LSU’s Daniel Dickinson, right, is hit by a pitch in front of Coastal Carolina catcher Caden Bodine, second from left, in the seventh inning of Game 1 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, June 21, 2025. Following a review, officials called Dickinson out on strikes for leaning into the pitch. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

By ERIC OLSON AP Sports Writer

OMAHA, Neb. — Kade Anderson made his final start in an LSU uniform on Saturday night, and it was a masterpiece that put the Tigers on the cusp of their second national championship in three years.

Anderson pitched a three-hitter and struck out 10 in a 1-0 victory over Coastal Carolina in Game 1 of the College World Series finals, his second straight dominant performance in Omaha.

“That’s what we’ve seen all year,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “He’s the best pitcher in the country. And did it again tonight. That’s been on the regular every game one of the entire season. Everybody got to see what we’ve seen and known for an entire season.”

The Chanticleers (56-12) lost for the first time in 27 games and must win Sunday to force a third and deciding game Monday night.

LSU (52-15) made Steven Milam’s RBI single in the first inning stand up with Anderson getting stronger as the game progressed against a Coastal Carolina team that had won its first three CWS games by a combined 24-9.

“If it was going to be easy, there would be more than one national champion,” Chanticleers coach Kevin Schnall said. “We’ve got to regroup. We’ve won 26 in a row. Let’s just call it is what it is — the odds were not in our favor to go 28-0 and win this national championship.”

Anderson, a lefty projected to be a top-three pick in next month’s MLB amateur draft, threw 130 pitches and was just as good as he was in LSU’s CWS opener against Arkansas last weekend. He has allowed one run and six hits and struck out 17 in 16 innings in Omaha.

Anderson grew up in Madisonville, Louisiana, as a big fan of LSU baseball. Asked how often he dreamed of a CWS performance like Saturday’s and winning a title, he said, “Probably every night.”

“That wasn’t necessarily to end the College World Series,” he said. “We’ve got one more that we’re preparing for. We’ll go back to the hotel and start preparing for that one as well.”

Against the Chanticleers, he had to deal with traffic on the basepaths after issuing three of his five walks in the first two innings and hitting two batters. He was up to the challenge. The Chanticleers were 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position.

“It’s the College World Series. You’re going to pitch with runners on base,” Johnson said. “It’s the best teams in the country, and that’s one of the best teams in the country. They do a great job of finding their way on base. And they did a few times tonight.”

Anderson (12-1) walked pinch-hitter Domenico Tozzi with two outs in the ninth, prompting a mound visit from pitching coach Nate Yeskie. Anderson then got Wells Sykes to fly out to end the game. Anderson and catcher Luis Hernandez embraced, and then their teammates mobbed them behind the mound to celebrate the first complete-game shutout in the CWS since 2022.

Anderson worked around two walks in the first inning, got out of the third when Sebastian Alexander was caught stealing third base, and he struck out three in a row after Blagen Pado’s double leading off the fourth.

After he gave up LSU’s early run, Coastal Carolina’s Cameron Flukey (8-2) matched zeroes with Anderson from the second to sixth inning. Flukey limited the Tigers to four hits, walked two and struck out nine before turning the ball over to Dominick Carbone to start the seventh.

The Tigers are 16-0 when they have a lead at any point when Anderson is pitching. It was Anderson’s second shutout of the season. He threw 135 pitches in a 2-0 win over Oklahoma on April 3.

Anderson said he wasn’t bothered by the conditions. The temperature was 97 degrees at first pitch with a gusty wind blowing out to left.

“I think that’s the real benefit of playing in Louisiana,” he said. “Growing up there, this was honestly not nearly as bad as it was in the super regional.”

LSU will try to lock up its eighth national title Sunday.

Coastal Carolina won the championship in its first trip to Omaha in 2016 and is seeking to become the fifth school to win the title in each of its first two trips to the CWS, but the first since Michigan in 1962.

Schnall reminded reporters that in 2016, Arizona left-hander JC Cloney threw a shutout in Game 1 of the finals and Coastal Carolina came back to win the next two.

“Again, we’ve got to respond, rebound, regroup,” Schnall said. “We’ve got Jacob Morrison pitching tomorrow. Answer the bell.”

OMAHA, Neb. — LSU and Coastal Carolina have met only two times previously as they enter the College World Series finals on Saturday night. Those games back in 2016 have not been forgotten.

Coastal Carolina swept the Tigers on their home field in super regionals on the way to their first national championship. The Chanticleers’ opponent in the CWS finals that year was Arizona. Jay Johnson, now at LSU, was Arizona’s coach.

Tigers outfielder Jake Brown was 11 years old and living in Sulphur, Louisiana, at the time, and he recalled Friday how the players on that LSU team were superheroes to him.

“A little bit of heartbreak,” he said Friday. “That was a great team, a team I think could have made a good run in the championship. Obviously, things didn’t go our way that time. Looking forward to turning it around and making something good happen for us this time.”

LSU (51-15) will be playing for its eighth national championship and second in three years. Coastal Carolina (56-11), which brings a 26-game win streak into the best-of-three series, is going for its second title in its second all-time CWS appearance.

“That would put Coastal Carolina baseball on a different planet,” Chanticleers coach Kevin Schnall said.

Cameron Flukey (8-1), who pitched four innings of relief against Arizona on June 13, will start for Coastal Carolina. Johnson has not named his starter. Ace Kade Anderson (11-1), who limited Arkansas to three hits and struck out seven in seven innings on June 14, is available.

The Tigers and Chanticleers each went 3-0 in bracket play. LSU had to beat SEC rival Arkansas twice, winning the bracket final 6-5 in walk-off fashion after a wild three-run ninth inning.

LSU’s Brown is 4 for 6 with four RBIs in three CWS games and Jared Jones is 5 for 9 with two homers and six RBIs in the last two games after striking out five times in the opener against Arkansas. Tigers pitchers have walked just four in 27 innings.

“I think if you’re at this point in the NCAA tournament, you’ve been battle-tested,” Johnson said. “I don’t believe there’s anything we have not seen. … I feel like we’re well-trained and well-prepared for, in my opinion, probably the best team that we’ve played this year in Coastal.”

The Chanticleers have yet to hit a home run at Charles Schwab Field. Colby Thorndyke has two bases-clearing doubles and is 5 for 12 with eight RBIs. Dean Mihos is 5 for 12 with a double and triple. Their pitchers have walked four in 25 innings.

Johnson, in his fourth year at LSU after six at Arizona, said his heart still aches for his 2016 Wildcats team.

Arizona erased a 4-0 deficit against the Chanticleers in the third and final game of the CWS finals and stranded a runner at third base in the bottom of the ninth inning.

“We were one base hit away,” Johnson said, “and it took a couple of years to get past that. I think what I do remember about all of that is it has really helped me the next three times that we’ve been here in terms of knowing how to prepare for this.”

Scoring first is key

Fast starts are a distinguishing feature of Coastal Carolina’s offense. The Chanticleers have outscored their three CWS opponents by a combined 11-0 in the first inning and are a Division I-best 37-2 when they score first. LSU is 32-7 when it opens the scoring.

5 is magic number

LSU has won 16 straight CWS games when scoring at least five runs since losing to Miami, 9-5, in 2004.

High expectations

Coastal Carolina’s Schnall makes it a point to remind the media that the Chanticleers are a national power, but that doesn’t mean in February he expected the 2025 team to play for a national championship.

“We were picked fourth in the Sun Belt,” he said. “No problem. We’ll move forward, keep our head down and keep grinding. That’s what this team did. But we clearly felt like this pitching staff was going to be the best pitching staff we ever had.”

The Chanticleers were 19-8 on March 29 and are 37-3 since.

Hit by pitch leaders

Coastal Carolina leads the country with a program record 176 hit-by-pitches this season, breaking UC Irvine’s single season-record 175 in 2024. The Chanticleers have been plunked six times in three CWS games.

“They don’t eat if they get out of the way,” Schnall said, drawing laughs. “No, it’s just something that our guys have bought into. Our guys are obsessed with getting on base. They understand the way you score runs is having guys on base. And any way you can get on base helps our team win.”

Line of the day

LSU’s Brown drew laughs at Friday’s news conference when he explained the straightforward and simple way Johnson prepares him and his teammates to play.

“We came here to play baseball,” he said. “We’re not really scholars.”

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES FINALS SCHEDULE

Game 1: Saturday, 4 p.m. PT, ESPN

Game 2: Sunday, 11:30 a.m. PT, ABC (Ch. 7)

Game 3 (if nec.): Monday, 4 p.m. PT, ESPN

Orange Lutheran High School’s flag football coach since the program began in the fall of 2023, Sherman headed a squad that last year won the CIF Southern Section’s Division I championship, with a record of 23-2. By season’s end, the squad was named the No. 2 team in the entire country by high school sports-information source MaxPreps. For her success, Sherman was named CIF Southern Section For her success, Sherman was named CIF Southern Section Division I’s Coach of the Year and the OC Register’s All-County Coach of the Year.

Boasting some 7.8 million participants in 2024, according to global data platform Statista, flag football has undergone a surge in popularity since the early 2000s. The sport will make its Olympic debut in the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games, and it has been featured in the NFL’s annual Pro Bowl.

Here’s what bodes well for SCC’s future squad: The team representing the AFC in the inaugural NFL Flag High School Girls Showcase during the 2025 Pro Bowl was coached by none other than Sherman. This speaks volumes about her wide-ranging reputation as a proven winner and leader of student-athletes.

“The great thing about flag football is that it’s so accessible, especially at the lower levels,” Sherman said. “You don’t need a background in the sport to start, and it doesn’t require a lot of gear: just a mouthguard and cleats. … For so many girls and women, football has been something that they’ve watched men do for so long, and they’ve frankly been denied opportunities to do it themselves. It’s been great to watch girls learn the game. Seeing their confidence grow as they figure it out is pretty cool.”

SCC’s squad will compete in the Orange Empire Conference. OEC schools that are either competing in, or are interested in supporting flag football include, among others, Irvine Valley, Saddleback, Cypress, Golden West, Orange Coast and Santa Ana colleges, said Nicho DellaValle, SCC assistant director of Athletics and Sports Information. “We found that flag football is a great opportunity to increase female-athlete engagement, while increasing community involvement,” he said. “It’s a growing sport, and we want to be on the forefront of this growth.”

Top leaders at SCC are excited about Sherman heading the new squad. “For lack of a better term, Kristen Sherman is a stud,” DellaValle said. “She really understands what it takes to lead a very competitive and successful program. Her knowledge of flag football is impressive, and she really gets the best out of every student she works with.”

However, every first-year endeavor can have its challenges, DellaValle admits. “Starting a program from the ground up involves learning about the flag football environment and fine-tuning our recruiting tactics and the way we support the team,” he said. “Every sport has certain needs, so we need to identify those and figure out ways to support that unique cohort of student-athletes.”

Starting out, Sherman expects her experience at SCC to be similar to her first year at the high school level. “I’m thankful that I was able to start the program at Orange Lutheran since it gave me some insight into what it’s like to begin from the ground up. I’m excited for the challenge of working with older girls. Starting out at SCC will involve playing fundamentally sound football, then building on that in terms of complexity.”

While a flag football team may be new to SCC, the sport has already been part of the SCC environment, thanks to the Vince Ferragamo Flag Football League, a coed youth organization starting its second season this fall. Headed by former NFL quarterback Ferragamo, the league is run by retired NFL players in conjunction with SCC’s Community Education Program. Practices and games take place on SCC fields.

“Vince is on our board of trustees, and this is where our flag football conversation began,” DellaValle said. “His league has been a successful community engagement effort, and it’s one of the reasons why we added women’s flag football to our arsenal of sports.”

Sherman and DellaValle agree that the success of SCC flag football extends beyond wins and losses. “It’s important to create a sense of community and family, giving the girls a place to belong and making sure they’re productive students at the college,” Sherman said.

“Wins are great, but it’s not all about that,” DellaValle said. “It’s about providing a great atmosphere for the student-athletes, then trying to make their experience better and better as we continue down this path.”

OMAHA, Neb. — Jared Jones hit a line drive that glanced off a glove for the winning run moments after LSU got a big break to tie the score, and the Tigers posted a 6-5 walk-off victory over SEC rival Arkansas on Wednesday night to advance to the College World Series finals.

The Tigers (51-15) will play for their second national championship in three years when they square off against Coastal Carolina in the best-of-three finals beginning Saturday. The Chanticleers locked up their spot with an 11-3 win over Louisville on Wednesday.

It’s been quite a turnaround for Jones, who struck out five times in the Tigers’ 4-1 victory over Arkansas in their CWS opener. In the last two games, he’s 5 for 9 with six RBIs and two home runs.

“I’ve spent so much time and effort in this sport throughout my life,” Jones said. “My parents have sacrificed so much to get me to this point. And my teammates, I was up sixth or seventh in the ninth inning, so there had to be a lot that had to go right for us to put me in that position. I’m just super grateful for it all and wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Arkansas (50-15) took a two-run lead in the top of the ninth on Justin Thomas’ tie-breaking single and looked ready to force a winner-take-all rematch against the Tigers on Thursday. Instead, the Razorbacks’ season ended in heartbreak in Omaha again.

The Tigers beat Arkansas for the fourth time in five meetings this season, including last Saturday in the teams’ CWS opener. They are 5-0 all-time in CWS meetings with the Razorbacks.

LSU put two men on base with one out in the bottom of the ninth against Cole Gibler (3-2). Steven Milam grounded to short, and Wehiwa Aloy opted to get the lead runner at third rather than try for a game-ending double play.

“I talked to him about it,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “He felt he moved too far to his right to turn it.”

Luis Hernandez came up and sent a hard liner to left. Charles Davalan slipped as he broke for the ball and it deflected off his right shoulder. Davalan chased the ball down as Ethan Frey and Milam scored easily.

“It was hit hard obviously, and it was hooking and sinking,” Van Horn said. “It looked like Charles slipped taking off for it and when he took off he lost sight of it.”

Jones, whose team-best 22nd homer of the season had tied it 3-all in the eighth, shot a line drive up the middle that bounced off second baseman Cam Kozeal’s glove. Hernandez scored from second ahead of the throw home, setting off a wild LSU celebration in center field.

LSU coach Jay Johnson said the moment was reminiscent of two years ago when Tommy White’s 11th-inning, walk-off homer against Wake Forest sent the Tigers to the finals against Florida.

“I said this literally probably two years ago to the day, the walk-off homer, Tommy against Wake Forest, I felt something in my body I’ve never felt before. Greatest moment in my life,” Johnson said. “It now has a tie for first, with the ninth inning with Jared Jones, line drive over the second baseman’s head. And Luis Hernandez, hustling around second base.”

Jacob Mayers (2-0), the fourth LSU pitcher, worked two-thirds of an inning for the win. Zac Cowan gave the Tigers a season-long 5⅓ innings in his second start of the season and allowed one run on four hits. He walked none and struck out six.

Gut-wrenching losses in Omaha are nothing new for Arkansas. The Razorbacks were one out away from winning the 2018 national championship in the second game of the finals against Oregon State. What should have been a game-ending pop foul dropped between three Arkansas fielders. Oregon State went on to win that game and the next to take the title.

This was Arkansas’ 12th CWS appearance and eighth under Van Horn, and the Razorbacks are tied with Clemson and North Carolina for the second-most trips to Omaha without winning the title. Florida State is first at 24.

In the early game …

Coastal Carolina 11, Louisville 3: Coastal Carolina scored five of its six first-inning runs before making an out and extending its win streak to 26 games.

The Chanticleers (56-11) are going for their second national championship in two all-time appearances in Omaha. They won their first in 2016.

“To do what we did today versus that team, as well coached as that team is, is really amazing,” Coach Kevin Schnall said. “The Chanticleers are one of two teams in the entire country still playing. It’s incredible, but it’s not unbelievable. And it’s not unbelievable because we’ve got really good players, really good players.”

Louisville (42-24) started left-hander Colton Hartman, primarily a reliever who hadn’t appeared in a game since May 17. He didn’t last long.

Caden Bodine singled leading off and Sebastian Alexander and Blake Barthol were hit by pitches to load the bases. Walker Mitchell punched a ball into right field to bring in two runs, and then Hartman issued a four-pitch walk.

Out went Hartman (2-1) and in came Jake Schweitzer. Colby Thorndyke greeted him with his second bases-clearing double in two games to make it 5-0. Thorndyke came home on Ty Dooley’s one-out single and finished 3 for 4 with five RBIs.

“We always preach when the bases are loaded, the pressure is on the pitcher,” Thorndyke said. “It’s not on the hitter. He’s got to throw three strikes. If he throws four balls then it’s a run. So we always preach the pressure is on the pitcher.”

The Chanticleers padded their lead with Pete Mihos’ two-run triple in the fifth and two more runs in the sixth. Coastal Carolina is 43-0 when leading after six innings.

The Chanticleers made an impressive run through their bracket, beating Arizona, 7-4, and Oregon State, 6-2, before eliminating the Cardinals. They led ,or were tied all the way through except for a half-inning against Arizona.

“These guys, ooh, they’ve done it in the last half of the season, in the conference tournament, in the regionals, in supers, in Omaha, against, as we say, the best teams,” Louisville coach Dan McDonnell said. “It’s impressive what they’ve done.”

Riley Eikhoff (7-2), making his second start in the CWS, held the Cardinals scoreless until Tague Davis drove an RBI double into the right-center gap in the sixth. Matthew Potok, Hayden Johnson and Dominick Carbone combined for 3⅔ shutout innings of relief.

“Offense goes out there gives you a big lead, it’s big pressure off yourself,” Eikhoff said. “You go out there, just do your thing, try and make pitches. I made quite a few pitches today, and the defense made great plays behind me. Without them, the score wouldn’t be the same today.”

Cardinals ace Patrick Forbes, who pitched 5⅓ innings in a 4-3 loss to Oregon State on Friday, had asked to be the starter against the Chanticleers on four days of rest, according to ESPN.

Coach Dan McDonnell planned to hold him back for a possible second bracket final against the Chanticleers on Thursday or use him for one inning if needed Wednesday. Hartman’s disastrous start all but ended Louisville’s hopes of forcing a winner-take-all game.

“I’m just grateful to be along for this journey and just be one of the people or one of the teams that can go down in the history books for Louisville,” Eddie King Jr. said. “This is a special team and I’m just sad that it came to an end today.”