Jacob Morrison joins Paul Skenes with double-digit 6-plus inning, one run or fewer starts after historic CWS outing

The performance of Coastal Carolina pitcher Jacob Morrison this season has put him right behind Paul Skenes on a unique list. ESPN showed a graphic during Sunday evening’s College World Series game between the Chanticleers and Oregon State that compared the two.

They stand alone as the only two players in the past five seasons with double digit starts in which they pitched for six or more innings and gave up one or fewer runs. Morrison achieved his 10th such game Sunday as he started and pitched 7.2 innings, giving up one run and striking out seven. Skenes had 12 such games in leading LSU to the national championship in 2023.

Morrison’s stellar performance helped Coastal Carolina to build a 6-1 lead through the first eight innings as it hung on for the 6-2 win after giving up a run in the ninth. It was the Chanticleers’ second win in Omaha as they are now one more victory away from reaching the CWS final.

A 6-foot-8 righthanded redshirt sophomore, Morrison has been the team’s ace this year and has a 12-0 record. He has a 2.16 ERA and 102 strikeouts across 104 innings pitched.

Skenes was voted the 2023 National Player of the Year after leading LSU to the title and was the No. 1 overall pick to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the MLB Draft that season. He was 13-2 with 1.69 ERA in his lone season in Baton Rouge and also the College World Series’ Most Outstanding Player.

Morrison will hope he can also lead Coastal Carolina to a championship, which would be the second in program history. The Chanticleers now have three days off before their next game on Wednesday, with the opponent still to be determined.

Report: Paul Skenes plans to attend LSU vs. UCLA on Monday in Omaha, College World Series

Two years after leading LSU to a national title, Paul Skenes is returning to Omaha. The Pittsburgh Pirates ace will reportedly attend Monday evening’s matchup in the College World Series between his alma mater and UCLA.

His plan to attend, reported by The Advocate, falls on one of the Pirates off day. They finish up a four-game series against their NL Central rival, the Chicago Cubs, on Sunday afternoon before completing their road trip in a series against the Detroit Tigers beginning on Tuesday.

Ever since Skenes played his final game in Omaha in 2023, he’s continued his dominance at the pro level. After being selected No. 1 overall in the 2023 MLB Draft by the Pirates, he quickly found his way to the big leagues and was crowned Rookie of the Year in the National League in 2024. Entering 2025, Skenes was already Pittsburgh’s ace pitcher.

He’s made the most out of his opportunities on the mound this season as well. While his 4-6 win-loss record could be better, he’s 4-1 in his last five starts and ranks among the top pitchers in the MLB. His 1.78 ERA and 0.85 WHIP are both ranked second in the league, and his 97 strikeouts are ninth-best among active pitchers this season.

On3’s Barkley Truax contributed to this report.