Preview + How to Watch: Arkansas vs. LSU at College World Series

The LSU Baseball team is one win away from reaching the College World Series Championship weekend.

And the final hurdle remaining before punching that ticket is a familiar one.

LSU will face Arkansas, the lone other SEC team remaining at the CWS in Omaha, on Wednesday night at 6 p.m.

It is the fourth time the two programs have met this season and the second matchup at the 2025 CWS. On Saturday, LSU’s opener in Omaha saw the Tigers knock off Arkansas with a 4-1 win.

The Tigers moved to 2-0 with a win over UCLA, while the Razorbacks worked through the loser’s bracket with wins over Murray State and UCLA.

If LSU beats Arkansas on Wednesday night, the Tigers advance to the CWS Finals vs. the winner of Coastal Carolina and Louisville. If Arkansas wins on Wednesday, the two teams will meet again on Thursday for a winner-takes-all matchup.

On the other side of the bracket, Coastal Carolina sits at 2-0 with wins over Arizona and Oregon State. While Louisville dropped Game 1 in Omaha with a 4-3 loss to Oregon State, the program bounced back by working through the loser’s bracket to get a win over Arizona before a walk-off win over Oregon State.

Like LSU, Coastal Carolina would need to lose twice to Louisville to be eliminated at the CWS.

Game 1 of the CWS Championship is set for Saturday, June 21 at 6 p.m. on ESPN. The final weekend in Omaha brings a three-game series with the first team to two wins crowned as the 2025 College World Series Champions.

NCAA College World Series
Arkansas Razorbacks (50-14) vs. LSU Tigers (50-15)
DATE/TIME
• Wednesday, June 18 @ 6 p.m. CT (ESPN)
STADIUM
• Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb. (24,500)
RANKINGS
• LSU – No. 6 NCAA Tournament National Seed
• Arkansas – No. 15 NCAA Tournament National Seed
RADIO
• LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates
• Live audio at www.LSUsports.net/live; Live stats at NCAA.com
TELEVISION
• Saturday’s game will be televised on ESPN

LSU moved to 2-0 with a convincing win over UCLA

Here’s the recap from LSUSports.net on Tuesday’s win over UCLA, which picked up in the fourth inning following a rain delay that postponed the game from Monday night to the following day.

First baseman Jared Jones drove in four runs and right-hander Casan Evans pitched 4.1 superb relief innings to lead LSU to a 9-5 win over UCLA in the College World Series at Charles Schwab Field.

The game, which began on Monday night, was resumed at 10 a.m. CT Tuesday after inclement weather forced the contest to be suspended.

LSU improved to 50-15 on the season, while UCLA dropped to 48-17. The Tigers have won 50 games in a season for the 15^th time in their history, and for the second time in three seasons.

LSU erased an early 3-0 deficit to defeat UCLA, marking the ninth time in the Tigers’ CWS history they have won a game after trailing by three or more runs.

“I’m really proud of our players – the mindset piece, the disruption of the game last night because of weather,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “I thought the response in the first inning, after giving up three runs, to come back and score four was very much in character for our team.

“And that’s what this tournament is at times. Had delays here, night games that ended up being day games the next day. I’m just really proud the way the team handled all that.”

The Tigers will return to action at 6 p.m. CT Wednesday in the Bracket 2 final round versus Arkansas, a 7-3 winner over UCLA in an elimination game. If the Tigers win Wednesday’s game, they advance to the CWS Championship Series.

If Arkansas wins Wednesday’s game, LSU would play the Razorbacks again Thursday in order to earn its way into the Championship Series.

The Tigers’ 6 p.m. CT game on Wednesday will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network (LSUsports.net/live, Eagle 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge, and on network affiliates) and televised on ESPN.

LSU is 2-0 in the College World Series for the first time since since 2009, when it went on to win its sixth of seven national championships.

The LSU-UCLA game was halted Monday night at 7:20 p.m. CT due to inclement weather with the Tigers holding a 5-3 lead, and approximately three hours later, the NCAA announced the game would resume at 10 a.m. CT Tuesday.

Evans (5-1) took the mound for LSU when the game resumed Tuesday at the top of the fourth inning. He fired 4.1 innings, limiting the Bruins in two runs on four hits with no walks and five strikeouts, firing 68 pitches.

“I love the tempo that Casan set today,” Johnson said. “I thought he was outstanding, as he always is.”

Right-hander Chase Shores picked up his first save of the season for LSU, as he worked the final 1.1 innings and retired all four batters he faced.

UCLA starting pitcher Landon Stump (6-2) was charged with the loss, as he surrendered five runs on four hits in 2.0 innings with two walks and no strikeouts.

LSU starting pitcher Anthony Eyanson pitched 3.0 innings on Monday night before the game was suspended, and he was charged with three runs on four hits with no walks and one strikeout.

UCLA struck for three runs in the top of the first inning Monday night as third baseman Roman Martin lined an RBI double, rightfielder AJ Salgado provided an run-scoring single and centerfielder Payton Brennan added an RBI groundout.

LSU responded with four runs in the bottom of the first as rightfielder Jake Brown smacked an RBI single, and Jones unloaded a three-run homer, his 21^st dinger of the season.

The Tigers extended the lead to 5-3 in the third when catcher Luis Hernandez delivered a two-out RBI single.

LSU scored two run in the bottom of the fourth inning on Tuesday morning, as shortstop Steven Milam and rightfielder Jake Brown lined RBI singles.

The Tigers added a run in the seventh on an RBI single by second baseman Daniel Dickinson, increasing LSU’s advantage to 8-3.

UCLA, however, scored two runs in the eighth on a fielder’s choice groundout by centerfielder Payton Brennan and an RBI single by designated hitter Blake Balsz, narrowing the gap to 8-5.

Shores ended the Bruins rally with the bases loaded and two outs when he forced second baseman Phoenix Call to ground into a fielder’s choice.

An RBI single by Jones in the bottom of the eighth gave the Tigers an insurance run, and Shores retired the side in order in the ninth to end the game.

“I never look too far down the road in this tournament,” Johnson said. “I think you can get yourself in trouble with that. I think if you win the first two games with only maybe three guys unavailable for the next game, you’ve probably done a pretty good job.”