BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana’s most famous marsupial made another appearance Tuesday, and this time he had a front row seat for the good stuff.

Greg Deichmann hit a long two-run, go-ahead homer in the seventh inning, Jared Poche retired 16 straight batters in relief, and LSU rallied past Rice 5-2 on Tuesday to win the Baton Rouge Regional.

LSU (45-19) will host Coastal Carolina (48-16) in a best-of-three super regional series beginning Saturday night in Alex Box Stadium.

Coastal Carolina scored four runs in the ninth inning Tuesday to beat North Carolina State 7-5 and win the Raleigh Regional.

LSU won a regional for the 22nd time in 29 appearances, and will make its 12th appearance in a super regional.

Deichmann’s blast traveled an estimated 417 feet, over an ESPN television camera in center field that had a stuffed possum sitting on it. LSU has gone 17-3 since a live possum ran onto the field during a game against Arkansas in early May. The Tigers came back from an eight-run deficit to win that game, and the legend of the “Rally Possum” was born.

Tuesday — the 21st time LSU has come from behind to win this season — was just the latest chapter.

Rice starter Willy Amador (2-2) worked six scoreless innings before LSU chased him with three runs in the seventh. Bryce Jordan started the inning with a sacrifice fly to pull the Tigers to 2-1 and Deichmann pushed his RBI total to 23 in his past 19 games with his two-run blast that made it 3-2.

Deichmann finished the game 3-for-4 and was named the regional’s Most Outstanding Player. LSU catcher Michael Papierski hit a solo homer in the eighth and Kramer Robertson added a two-out RBI double that made it 5-2.

“He didn’t miss it,” said Robertson, who scored on Deichmann’s home run. “He’s probably one of a handful of guys in college baseball that could hit a ball like that. The wind is not even blowing out, he had no help from the wind, might even have hurt the ball. But that’s what he’s done the last month of the season. He’s come up huge for us, and I think he’s been a difference maker for us.

Jordan’s sacrifice fly was set up by a hit-and-run play that allowed Jake Fraley to reach third base. Kramer Robertson hit a check-swing grounder to the right side, into the hole vacated by Rice second baseman Grayson Lewis who had gone to cover the base on the steal attempt.

While Deichmann’s home run was the big blow, Amador said Robertson’s single on what could have been a double play ball was what really turned the game around for the Tigers.

“They are a good-hitting team, overall, but you can’t forget about that hit-and-run where the ball is up and he pokes it straight through second base because he went to cover the bag. But that’s what we’re supposed to do, cover the bag and throw him out at second,” Amador said. “After that, they were ready for the fastball. I was throwing it down all day and I left it up, and that’s what happens when you leave it up. They take advantage.”

Rice (38-24) jumped out to a 2-0 lead after two innings. Connor Teykl sliced a one-run double in the first and Hunter Kopycinski found a hole on the left side for an RBI single in the second.

Poche’, LSU’s left-handed ace, entered in relief to start the third inning and shut Rice down the rest of the way. He retired 18 of the 19 batters he faced, allowing only a one-out single to Lewis in the eighth inning. Poche’ finished with six strikeouts and only needed 69 pitches to breeze through his six-inning relief stint.

Hunter Newman pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his eighth save of the season.

“The game turned around when Jared Poche’ entered the game,” Mainieri said. “He threw six innings probably about as well as he’s ever thrown. He’s pitched a lot of great games for us, but I don’t know if he’s ever had a more important one and a better one.”

LSU vs. Coastal Carolina

NCAA Tournament super regional

At Alex Box Stadium, Baton Rouge, La.

Saturday: Coastal Carolina at LSU, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)

Sunday: Coastal Carolina vs. LSU, 8 p.m.

x-Monday: Coastal Carolina vs. LSU, TBA