Photo by: Zack Pearson
The elusive dream of repeating as national champions in college baseball remains unachieved since South Carolina's back-to-back titles in 2011. LSU’s narrow 4-3 defeat to North Carolina in the decisive final game of the Chapel Hill regional on Monday night ensures this trend continues.
Repeating a national title has proven particularly challenging in recent years, with the last two champions before LSU failing to even qualify for their conference tournaments the following season.
"This team faced adversity head-on and bounced back every single time," senior pitcher Will Hellmers remarked.
LSU's journey was almost derailed early on by a lackluster 3-12 start in SEC play. Few would have predicted the Tigers would come this close to making another deep run in the postseason.
As the season progressed, LSU found its form, rediscovering the clutch performances that had brought them the championship glory. However, their magic finally ran out on Monday.
"I have a broken heart simply because I wanted to go to practice on Wednesday," head coach Jay Johnson said. "I just love these guys."
The game was a tight defensive battle, with LSU holding a 3-2 lead into the ninth inning. The Tigers had maintained control since the third inning, thanks to stellar pitching.
It seemed LSU would defy the odds and continue their championship defense. However, UNC managed to tie the game with a run in the top of the ninth, forcing extra innings. The Tar Heels then scored another run in the tenth with two outs, which proved to be the winner as LSU couldn't muster a response.
Ultimately, LSU's offense faltered in the later stages, with UNC's strong bullpen keeping the Tigers at bay and ensuring the victory.
The Tar Heels advance to the best-of-three super regionals, also in Chapel Hill, against West Virginia.
LSU reached this point by securing a spot in the NCAA Tournament as the two-seed in the Chapel Hill regional, hosted by No. 4 UNC. Finding themselves in the losers’ bracket, the Tigers needed three consecutive wins to stay in the postseason hunt.
First, they overcame Wofford after trailing by five runs in the first inning. Then, they defeated UNC later that day to force the winner-take-all matchup on Monday.
Facing elimination, LSU's pitching staff was stretched thin, having played seven games since Thursday. Many of the Tigers' best pitchers were resting, necessitating a platoon approach with minimal room for error.
In the first inning, starter Sam Dutton gave way to Javen Coleman after allowing three straight singles. Coleman limited the damage to two runs but found himself in trouble again in the second inning. Senior Will Hellmers then took over and delivered a masterful performance, pitching 5.2 scoreless innings with just two hits and two walks, along with four strikeouts.
Hellmers' effort kept LSU in the game, but their offense struggled after scoring in the first three innings. Matthew Matthijs and Dalton Pence, two of UNC’s top relievers, stifled the Tigers’ bats, turning the game into a tense pitchers' duel.
The duo allowed LSU to reach base only four times in the final seven innings, with one of those instances coming due to a fielding error. UNC’s defense also made several key plays to thwart LSU’s offense.
UNC proved to be a formidable opponent. Over the three matchups in the Chapel Hill regional, their No. 4 national ranking was evident. Their potent offense had previously won the first meeting and nearly completed a comeback in the second.
Despite Hellmers' brilliance, UNC’s offense came through in crucial moments. Across the three games, UNC outscored LSU by just one run, 14-13, highlighting how evenly matched the teams were.
In the end, only one team moves forward, and that team is North Carolina.
Until next season, Go Tigers!