Coastal Carolina and Louisville kicked off Day Six of the 2025 College World Series, and while the goal was the same for both, Game Eleven brought slightly different stakes for each.
Coastal Carolina sailed through the CWS up to this point behind its pitching staff and juggernaut offense that had not yet been stalled. Coastal hadn’t trailed going into today’s game and was coming off of two days’ rest, primed to advance to its second College World Series Final in as many appearances, with the last time coming in 2016 when the Chanticleers won their first national title.
Louisville’s path to this game was much different, with all three of its games featuring late-inning comebacks by more than just the Cardinals. To begin the CWS, Louisville put up two runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game with Oregon State before OSU walked the game off shortly after in the bottom of the inning. In their first elimination game, the Cardinals, down one run, put up six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to stun Arizona and make them the first team eliminated from this College World Series. Yesterday, Louisville survived three runs in the top of the ninth from Oregon State to get to the plate tied 6-6 in the bottom of the inning. The Cardinals then returned Friday’s favor to OSU, erasing their ninth-inning comeback to win the game in walk-off fashion and advance to today’s game.
With a win today, Coastal Carolina would advance to the College World Series Finals with two days’ rest ahead of Game One on Saturday night. Louisville, needed to win to force a winner-take-all game Thursday. If anyone could take the Chanticleers to the brink, it would be Louisville, who has proven throughout the entire NCAA Tournament that it is resilient. Coastal Carolina would need to play 27 full outs to put the Cardinals to bed.
After Riley Eikhoff got Coastal out of the top of the first relatively easily, with only one batter reaching base, the Chanticleers got to work early.
In the bottom of the first, Louisville pitcher Colton Hartman found himself facing cleanup hitter Walker Mitchell with the bases loaded and no outs.
Mitchell delivered for Coastal Carolina, beating the encroaching infield with a hot line drive down the right field line that scored both Caden Bodine and Sebastian Alexander.
Hartman now had runners on the corners with no outs, down 2-0. Not ideal.
After he walked Blagen Pado to once again load the bases with no outs, coach Dan McDonnell decided he had seen enough. McDonnell brought in Jake Schweitzer to hopefully clean up Hartman’s mess and mitigate the damage.
Facing a 2-2 count in the next at-bat, Colby Thorndyke launched a ball into the right-center gap for a bases-clearing double, and the Chanticleers were ahead 5-0 with no outs on the board.
After Dean Mihos struck out swinging, Ty Dooley singled up the middle, scoring Thorndyke from second and increasing the lead to 6-0.
With the game already out of its control, Louisville finally got out of the inning on a double play made by shortstop Alex Alicea. However, Coastal was already through its whole order and had caused major damage.
Louisville did not respond in the second, going three-up, three-down. They would hold Coastal in check, doing the same in the bottom of the inning, moving the game into the third inning.
Louisville put its first two batters on base in the top of the third inning and looked like it may cut the deficit slightly, but the breaks were just not going the Cardinals’ way.
Alex Alicea hit a hard line drive to second base that was caught by Blake Barthol, who then stepped on second base for an unassisted double play. Louisville’s Garret Pike was halfway to third, thinking that the ball was surely getting through to score him. In the next at-bat, Lucas Moore flied out to left field, ending the inning and the Cardinals’ threat.
The rest of the third and fourth innings were quiet aside from a pair of baserunners for each team that would be left just there.
In the bottom of the fifth, Coastal Carolina had runners on first and third with two outs when Dean Mihos hit a triple into the right-center gap that cleared the bases, putting Coastal farther ahead, now 8-0. A Ty Dooley strikeout ended the inning one batter later.
Louisville showed signs of life in the top of the sixth inning, looking to cut the lead on its journey for yet another late-inning College World Series comeback.
With runners on first and second, Tague Davis doubled to right-center, bringing home Jake Munroe for Louisville’s first run of the game.
Runners now on second and third with one out, coach Kevin Schnall finally decided to bring in relief for Riley Eikhoff, who had been dealing for the Chanticleers up to this inning. Matthew Potok entered the game for Coastal Carolina on cleanup duty.
Louisville was not done yet though. Following a Zion Rose lineout to third base, Garret Pike provided an RBI single with two outs, scoring Eddie King Jr. and advancing Garret Pike to third base.
Then, Kamau Neighbors’ ground ball snuck by Colby Thorndyke at first base, scoring Tague Davis.
Potok would not face another batter, as Kevin Schnall made his second pitching change of the sixth inning in an attempt to halt Louisville’s mounting momentum. This time, Hayden Johnson was tasked with doing so.
Johnson did just that, drawing a flyout to center field by Alex Alicea to stop the bleeding. But Louisville ignited hope in its dugout while cutting Coastal Carolina’s lead to 8-3.
Coastal Carolina has been inevitable, and while maybe this time Louisville’s pitching staff gave them a hand, the Chanticleers just kept pouring it on.
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, after Louisville’s slight push, Blake Barthol singled to left-center, scoring Sebastian Alexander from second base.
From there, Louisville pitcher Ethan Eberle hit two batters in a row to load the bases while desperately needing just one more out to escape the inning with minimal damage.
Despite how badly the Cardinals needed that one out, it would not come right away. Eberle hit his third batter in a row, sending Blake Barthol home for another run.
The next at-bat, Dean Mihos struck out looking, ending the inning. The game moved to the seventh inning, 10-3 in favor of Coastal Carolina.
No runs crossed the plate in the seventh inning, leaving Louisville with just six outs remaining in its season to mount a comeback.
Colby Thorndyke added to Coastal Carolina’s lead yet again in the bottom of the eighth inning when he singled to right field, scoring Blake Barthol from second. The Chanticleers led 11-3 going into the ninth with Louisville on the brink.
There would be no late-inning comeback for Louisville this time around and the game would end with a final score of 11-3, sending Coastal Carolina to the CWS Finals and Louisville back to Kentucky.
Player of the Game: 1B Colby Thorndyke – Thorndyke went 3-for-4 at the plate, driving in five RBIs and scoring two runs. Entering this game, no player in the 2025 College World Series had more than four total RBIs.
Game Twelve of the Greatest Show on Dirt was destiny from the moment Game Four ended. The two favorites, Arkansas and LSU, had another date with the stakes now heightened even more than their previous Saturday meeting. These two teams are the only in the field that can match MLB talent with one another and whomever makes it through will be Coastal Carolina’s toughest opponent in the CWS to date.
LSU, much like Coastal Carolina, has hardly been challenged to date in the CWS and had already beaten Arkansas in their first matchup Saturday. Now, the Tigers would have to replicate Saturday’s performance to reach their second CWS Finals in three years.
Arkansas had the misfortune of meeting LSU in its first game and ended up instantly in the losers bracket because of it. The Hogs bounced back the next game, behind Gage Wood’s no-hitter versus Murray State in an elimination game. Arkansas then finished what LSU started, putting away UCLA to reach Game Twelve and earn a matchup with the Tigers. The Razorbacks needed a win Wednesday to force a winner-take-all game Thursday to advance to the CWS Final.
Outside of a few runners on base for each team, the first three innings were quiet offensively. Behind great pitching and even better fielding, Game Twelve entered the fourth inning deadlocked at zero.
On the first pitch of the fourth inning, Ryder Helfrick decided he had enough of the shutout and sent a home run to dead center field, a rarity at Charles Schwab Field. Arkansas had the lead, 1-0.
LSU’s Zac Cowan bounced right back, retiring the next three batters to get out of the inning, avoiding any additional damage.
With no response from LSU in the bottom of the fourth, each pitcher retired the side in the fifth inning, and this was starting to feel like a defensive struggle.
Both Beidelschies and Cowan were shoving for their respective teams. Beidelschies through five innings had allowed two hits, no runs and struck out nine batters. Cowan over the same distance allowed just three hits and one run, striking out six along the way.
In the top of the sixth, Logan Maxwell beat LSU’s shift in the top of the sixth to reach first base with one out, and Cowan’s day was finished.
Coach Jay Johnson brought in sophomore Jaden Noot to keep the Razorbacks’ offense suppressed. He did just that, retiring the next two batters to send LSU up to bat in the bottom of the sixth, still down 1-0.
In the bottom of the sixth, when LSU had runners on first and second base with no outs, it was now Landon Beidelschies’ turn to leave the game for Arkansas, and Gabe Gaeckle entered the game for the Razorbacks to get out of the jam.
Luis Hernandez then laid down a nice sacrifice bunt toward third base, and LSU had two runners in scoring position with one out, looking to tie or take the lead.
Jared Jones then struck out to make the second out of the inning, and Arkansas was on the cusp of getting out of the inning, still holding the lead.
Coach Dave Van Horn opted to intentionally walk Josh Pearson to load the bases, allowing for a force out at any base, and an advantageous righty-on-righty matchup between Chris Stanfield and Gabe Gaeckle.
Jay Johnson pulled a chess move of his own, and pinch-hit lefty Jake Brown to regain the upper hand on Gaeckle. That move worked to perfection, with Brown sending a two-RBI single into left-center that gave LSU the lead, 2-1.
Gaeckle eventually got out of the inning when Brown was tagged out after being caught in a pickle between first and second base.
The pitchers continued to duel, and the seventh came and went without any runs scored. The end of the game was looming for Arkansas, but it was very much in reach for the Razorbacks, who had six outs left to score at least one run.
The sense of urgency was evident for Arkansas, who quickly loaded the bases with one out in the top of the eighth inning.
Ryder Helfrick hit a chopper to third base, and LSU attempted to turn a double play, but couldn’t complete the play at first. Two runs scored on the play after the throw to first crept by Jared Jones.
Cam Kozeal grounded out to second base to end the inning in the next at-bat.
Arkansas flipped the script on LSU and was now ahead 3-2, giving the Tigers six outs to tie the game or take the lead and avoid the winner-take-all game tomorrow.
After two quick outs in the bottom of the eighth, Jared Jones stepped up to bat for LSU and launched a 397-foot home run over the wall in right-center, tying the game 3-3.
Gabe Gaeckle continued to battle, securing the last out of the inning three batters later, avoiding more damage.
Kuhio Aloy began the top of the ninth for Arkansas by grounding out for out number one.
Reese Robinett and Brent Iredale then recorded back-to-back base hits, and with two runners in scoring position and one out, Jay Johnson brought in Jacob Mayers to stop any runs from being scored.
On the first pitch from Mayers, with the infield in, Justin Thomas Jr. hit a hard ground ball past third baseman Michael Braswell III that scored both Robinett and Iredale, and Arkansas now held the lead again, 5-3.
Jacob Mayers struck out the next two batters to avoid any additional damage. However, LSU needed two runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game.
Leading off for LSU was John Pearson, pinch hitting for Michael Braswell III. He would be facing Cole Gibler.
Gibler got the best of Pearson, striking him out for the first out of the inning. Arkansas was two outs away from the winner-take-all game for a spot in the CWS Finals.
Derek Curiel came up to the plate next and was facing a 2-2 count when he hit a dribbler to first baseman Reese Robinett that spelled trouble. In an attempt to beat Curiel to first with the throw to the pitcher, Robinett had an errant throw that allowed Curiel to reach second base.
Ethan Frey was walked in the next at-bat, and LSU had runners on first and second with one out, putting pressure back on Arkansas.
Steven Milam then reached first base on a fielder’s choice, after shortstop Wehiwa Aloy fielded his ground ball and made the force out at third. LSU still had runners on first and second, this time with two outs. Arkansas, still up 5-3, just needed one out to see another day.
Luis Hernandez stepped up to the plate and hit a line drive to left field that could have been the final out of the game, but left fielder Charles Davalan couldn’t decide if he wanted to play it conservatively and let it drop, or go make a risky diving play. In the end, Davalan slipped, and the ball bounced past him, scoring two for LSU to tie the game 5-5.
Arkansas, stunned, still had to get one more out to even make it to extra innings, with Hernandez still standing on second base. Coach Van Horn brought in Aiden Jimenez to get the Razorbacks out of the jam.
Jared Jones, who played hero once already when he tied the game in the eighth with a solo home run, hit a hard line drive that was just inches too high for Cam Kozeal at second base, and scored Hernandez from second base for the walk-off RBI single. LSU came from behind twice in the last two innings to send Arkansas packing, 6-5.
LSU showed guts, something they had to do for the first time this CWS, proving that they were more than ready to give Coastal Carolina the fight of its life in the CWS Finals beginning Saturday at 6 p.m. Arkansas will have to wait for its first baseball national championship and will return to Fayetteville heartbroken.
Player of the game: 1B Jared Jones – The leader in RBIs during the CWS heading into today, Jared Jones went 3-for-5, adding two more RBIs and scoring once. He was the hero in the eighth inning that tied the game 3-3 with a two-out solo home run, and he was the hero that walked the game off in the ninth with his RBI single.
Coastal rode its top two pitchers – Eikhoff twice and Jacob Morrison – on its three-game path to the College World Series Finals. Eikhoff and Morrison allowed just six combined earned runs over 17 combined innings pitched, proving that they are an elite combination of aces, something that many college baseball followers already knew. Coastal came into the CWS as the hottest team in the country, and with its win streak now 26 straight, it will advance to the College World Series Finals the same way. The Chanticleers, in their second ever appearance in Omaha, are two wins away from the school’s second national championship.
LSU could not, would not be denied a shot at its second College World Series Finals in three years, and showed they can play from behind or ahead to win a ballgame. On a night where they didn’t have their best stuff, LSU still found a way to grit out a win and defeat fellow SEC rival and CWS favorite Arkansas. LSU will face the other hottest team in the nation, Coastal Carolina in what will undoubtedly be an action-packed CWS Finals. Game One of the championship series begins at 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 21.
Another season for Arkansas ends in heartbreaking fashion, with Dave Van Horn and the Razorbacks still searching for their first College World Series championship in school history. The Razorbacks can still hang their hat on the fact that they made history, as they completed the third no-hitter in CWS history and first in over 65 years. Arkansas will be back in Omaha sooner rather than later, and this team will be remembered for a long time.
Louisville provided no shortage of entertainment in this year’s College World Series prior to its exit, providing late-inning heroics on both sides of the ball that led to some of the best games played to date. In the end, the Cardinals couldn’t overcome the six first-inning runs that they allowed Coastal. The Chanticleers are a team that is almost impossible to play from behind due to their strong pitching and offense that can damage opposing teams in so many ways. Louisville will have to find its first College World Series championship another year.
