LSU vs. UCLA Baseball: A History of Championship Caliber Programs
Louisiana State University (LSU) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) represent two of college baseball's most storied programs. Both universities have consistently competed at the highest level, securing multiple College World Series (CWS) titles and producing numerous Major League Baseball (MLB) talents. Their encounters, though not frequent, have often occurred on the sport's biggest stages, adding to the intensity and significance of their matchups.
Program Overviews
LSU Tigers
The LSU Tigers baseball team, representing Louisiana State University, participates in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Tigers are a perennial powerhouse in college baseball, boasting 8 College World Series titles. The most recent title was won in 2025.
The program's early years saw frequent coaching changes, with 15 head coaches in the first 30 seasons. C. C. Stroud, who coached from 1914 to 1921, held the longest tenure during this period. In 1927, Harry Rabenhorst took over as head coach and became the longest-tenured coach in LSU baseball history, winning two SEC titles and earning SEC Coach of the Year honors twice. LSU's baseball stadium, known as LSU Diamond or LSU Varsity Baseball Field, opened in 1938.
Skip Bertman's arrival in 1984 marked a turning point for the program. In his second season, the Tigers qualified for postseason play for the first time in ten years. In his third season, LSU made its first appearance in the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, the first of 11 appearances during Bertman's 18-year career. Bertman's teams won five national championships (1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, and 2000).
After Bertman's retirement in 2001, Smoke Laval took over, leading the Tigers to the CWS in 2003 and 2004. Paul Mainieri became head coach in 2006, guiding LSU to another national championship in 2009 and CWS appearances in 2013 and 2015. In 2025, coach Johnson led LSU back to the College World Series, marking its 20th appearance there, and another national championship.
Read also: Classic LSU-UCLA Baseball Matchups
LSU has consistently ranked among the top teams in college baseball attendance. The team set an NCAA-record total attendance figure of 473,298 in 2013. LSU has also introduced gold jerseys for the 1996 post-season.
UCLA Bruins
UCLA is a great team and has been one of the most consistent teams in the country this year. John Savage has been their coach since 2005 with a runner-up CWS finish in 2010 with ace Gerrit Cole, who finished 11-4, and another appearance in 2012.
The Bruins did share the Big Ten title this season with Oregon at 22-8 and went into the postseason at No. 15 in RPI. Statistically, this is not a team that will scare LSU or its confident fan base. UCLA has hit just 79 home runs for 55th nationally and is 55th in batting average as well at .298. UCLA is No. 24 in the nation in ERA at 4.41, which isn’t bad. The Bruins are better than anyone LSU has played since the Southeastern Conference regular season.
Key Matchups
LSU and UCLA don't play often, but this isn't the first meeting. LSU and UCLA have played five times, the first game was in 1988 and the most recent meeting was a 2013 College World Series contest.
2013 College World Series
The 2013 game was a pitchers' duel with LSU's Aaron Nola facing UCLA's Adam Plutko. Nola pitched eight innings and didn't allow an earned run, but LSU errors proved to be costly and UCLA scored twice for a 2-1 win.
Read also: UCLA and UC Berkeley: Which is Better?
2010 Los Angeles Regional
Three years earlier, LSU and UCLA played in the 2010 Los Angeles Regional. UCLA won 6-3. Trevor Bauer got the start for the Bruins in that one.
2000 Baton Rouge Super Regional
LSU welcomed UCLA to the Baton Rouge Super Regional in 2000. The Tigers won that series in two games. LSU scored a combined 22 runs vs. a strong Bruins team led by Chase Utley.
1988 Regular Season
In 1988, legendary pitcher Ben McDonald led LSU to a 7-1 win vs. the Bruins.
2025 College World Series
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 15th 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.
Read also: BC Football: A Look at Past Rivalries
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 21st 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.
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.
Keys to Victory
LSU's Strengths and Weaknesses
LSU may have cut off the head of the king snake of the CWS field Saturday night in slaying No. 3 seed Arkansas, 4-1. LSU (49-15) can move to 2-0 here for the first time since winning it all in 2009 with a win over No. 15 seed UCLA (48-16), which is no Arkansas.
LSU has scored four or fewer runs in four of its last nine games. It won two of those, but that’s tempting fate. So is striking out 16 times, including five by No. 3 hitter Jared Jones on Saturday in the No. 3 spot in the order.
LSU needs more out of designated hitter Ethan Frey. Frey has cooled in LSU’s last three games and he is 0-for-13 at No.
The LSU pitching staff enters Monday’s game versus UCLA ranked in the Top 10 in the nation in three major statistical categories - the Tigers are No. 4 in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (11.8), No. 6 in hits allowed per nine innings (7.27) and No.
LSU is No. 5 in the SEC in team batting average (.297), and the Tigers are No. 2 in the league in on-base percentage (.412), No. 2 in doubles (130), No. 3 in runs scored (515) and No. 3 in hits (633) … the LSU pitching staff is No. 1 in the SEC in opponent batting average (.219), No. 2 in the league in strikeouts (720) and No.
Sophomore left-hander Kade Anderson, a 2025 Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist, is No. 1 in the nation in strikeouts this season with 170 … he is also No. 7 in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (14.24) and No.
Kade Anderson's total of 170 Ks this season is No. 3 on the LSU single-season strikeouts list; he trails only Ben McDonald (202 Ks, 1989) and Paul Skenes (209 Ks, 2023) … Anderson is No. 1 this season in the SEC in strikeouts, No. 1 in the league in innings pitched (110.0), No. 1 in wins (11), No. 9 in ERA (3.44) and No.
Junior right-hander Anthony Eyanson, a semifinalist for the College Baseball Foundation National Pitcher of the Year Award, is No. 3 in the nation in strikeouts with 142, and he is No. 9 in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (12.95) … he is No. 1 in the SEC in wins (11), No. 3 in the league in ERA (2.74), No. 2 in innings pitched (98.2), No. 3 in strikeouts (142) and No.
Junior first baseman Jared Jones is No. 2 in the SEC this season in RBI (70), No. 3 in hits (84), No. 4 in total bases (159) and No. 5 in home runs (20) … freshman outfielder Derek Curiel is No. 1 in the SEC in doubles (19), No. 3 in the league in walks (52), No. 3 in hits (84), No. 2 in on-base percentage (.477) and No. 10 in batting average (.347) … junior second baseman Daniel Dickinson is No.
LSU power hitter Jared Jones struck out five times in the Tigers' 4-1 win over Arkansas in the College World Series on Saturday, and that may need to change quickly.
UCLA's Strengths and Weaknesses
UCLA defeated Murray State, 6-4, in its CWS first-round game on Saturday … the Bruins finished in a tie for first place with Oregon in the Big 10 regular-season standings with a 22-8 league mark … as the NCAA Tournament No.
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