OMAHA, Neb. — An improbable ninth-inning comeback wrote the latest chapter in LSU’s storied baseball history — as well as the latest in Arkansas’ checkered one at the College World Series.

LSU rallied for three runs thanks to a questionable fielding decision, a misplayed fly ball, and Jared Jones’ walk-off RBI single off the glove of second baseman Cam Kozeal to beat the Razorbacks 6-5 on Wednesday and advance to the College World Series finals.

“We’ve had a lot of these games throughout the season of, whether we’ve had to fight back from being down or team ties it up late, we’ve kind of stuck with it no matter what,” Jones said. “There’s no clock in baseball. There’s 27 outs. With our offense it’s a tough ask to do.”

LSU (51-15) is in the championship series for the second time in three years — it won in 2023 — and will face Coastal Carolina (56-11) in the best-of-three final round beginning Saturday at 6 p.m. LSU is chasing its eighth national championship overall.

Coastal Carolina beat Louisville 11-3 earlier Wednesday to reach the CWS finals for the first time since winning the 2016 national title. The Sun Belt Conference champion Chanticleers have won 26 consecutive games.

“I think about the walk-off wins we had at home against these guys, against Tennessee. And they just stay with it. The mental toughness is really like nothing I’ve ever seen before, and the investment in the team. We’ve got guys who are going to go to pro baseball, but it’s all about this,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “I mean, it’s not just a saying. Like at LSU baseball the expectation of the baseball players I’ll place the needs of the team above my own. We have so many examples of that. I’m just really thankful. If you ask me if I had a word or an emotion, it’s just really thankful.”

TIGERS WALK IT OFF#MCWS x 🎥 ESPN / @LSUbaseball pic.twitter.com/FapKQaWLnR

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 19, 2025

Arkansas (50-15) reached the College World Series for the eighth time in 22 seasons under coach Dave Van Horn, but has yet to win one. Although it still would have needed to beat LSU again on Thursday to reach the finals, this might go down in program infamy alongside the 2018 CWS when it was one out away from winning the national championship but lost to Oregon State following a dropped pop up.

The Razorbacks scored twice in the top of the eighth to take a 3-2 lead, then let it slip away when Jones hit a game-tying home run in the bottom half of the inning.

They scored twice again in the ninth to go up 5-3 as Justin Thomas Jr. hit a two-run single, and seemingly had the game in hand in the bottom half until a series of fielding mistakes — mental and physical — unraveled everything.

Derek Curiel started it by reaching on a one-out infield single and then going to second base when the throw to first was wild. Ethan Frey walked, then Steven Milam hit an easy ground ball to shortstop for what appeared to be the start of a game-ending double play.

Instead of throwing to second, however, Arkansas’ Wehiwa Aloy tossed to third to get the lead runner and only one out.

“I think he felt he moved too far to his right for (second baseman Cam Kozeal) to turn it,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said.

The next batter, Luis Hernandez, hit a sinking line drive that left fielder Charles Davalan misplayed. The ball hit behind Davalan as he dove for it, allowing both runners to score and tying the game at 5.

“I had a straight-on view of it. It was hit hard, obviously. It was kind of hooking and sinking. But it looked like Charles slipped like right at the beginning of taking off for it. When he slipped he probably lost sight of it,” Van Horn said. “When the ball is hit that hard, he’s just trying to find it. I’d have to watch it again. We’re a long ways away. That’s what I saw.”

WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! 😱#MCWS x 🎥 ESPN / @LSUbaseball pic.twitter.com/BFKdJ08FkM

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 19, 2025

Jones was the next batter up and he played the hero role again. Jones hit a soft line drive up the middle that hit off the glove of Kozeal as he leaped. The ball slowly rolled into center field, allowing Hernandez to come around from second with the game-winning run.

Jones finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Frey and Milam scored two runs apiece, while Hernandez had two RBIs. Jake Brown also hit a two-run single in the sixth inning to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.

“I thought he had caught it honestly because it fell in behind him,” Jones said of the game-winning hit. “But once I saw the ball hit the grass, I just blacked out in the moment, just celebrating with my teammates. Super grateful.”

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES
Championship series
Best-of-3
Saturday, 6 p.m. – Coastal Carolina vs. LSU (ESPN)
Sunday, 1:30 p.m. – LSU vs. Coastal Carolina (ABC)
Monday, 6:30 p.m. – Coastal Carolina vs. LSU (ESPN), if necessary