OMAHA, Neb. — In a performance that will be long remembered in LSU baseball history, Kade Anderson delivered a spectacular complete-game shutout Saturday night, putting the Tigers on the verge of their second national championship in just three seasons.
Anderson’s masterful outing in Game 1 of the Men’s College World Series finals secured a crucial 1-0 victory over a formidable Coastal Carolina team. The dominant left-hander surrendered just three hits while striking out 10 batters, marking his second consecutive standout performance in Omaha.
“That’s what we’ve seen all year,” LSU coach Jay Johnson commented. “He’s the best pitcher in the country, and he proved it again tonight. This has been the norm every Game 1 throughout the season. Everyone finally got to witness what we’ve known for a full season.”
The shutout victory snapped Coastal Carolina’s impressive 27-game winning streak, their first loss since April 22. The Chanticleers (56-12) must now win Sunday’s Game 2 (2:30 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN+) to force a winner-take-all Game 3 on Monday night.
Anderson’s Off-Speed Command Shines
A key to Anderson’s dominance was the effectiveness of his off-speed pitches:
He threw strikes with 74% of his off-speed pitches compared to just 56% with his fastball. This marked his third-highest off-speed strike rate and third-lowest fastball strike rate of the season.
His curveball was exceptional, with 20 of 22 thrown for strikes (91%). This was the highest rate of his career in any game where he threw at least 10 curveballs.
He generated seven swings-and-misses on his curveball, a career high.
Anderson tied a career best with two strikeouts via his curveball and set a personal record with three strikeouts on his changeup.
Game Details and Coastal’s Challenge
LSU’s lone run came early via Steven Milam’s RBI single in the first inning. From there, Anderson took over, growing stronger as the game progressed against a Coastal Carolina squad that had averaged eight runs per game in their first three MCWS wins.
Despite facing a tough deficit and a dominant pitcher, Coastal Carolina coach Kevin Schnall acknowledged the challenge. “If it was going to be easy, there would be more than one national champion,” Schnall said. “We’ve got to regroup. We’ve won 26 in a row. Let’s just call it what it is — the odds were not in our favor to go 28-0 and win this national championship.”
Coastal starter Cameron Flukey (8-2) matched Anderson from the second through the sixth inning, allowing only four hits and striking out nine after giving up the initial run. The game marked a rare feat in MCWS history – the seventh game where neither team scored after the first inning, and the first since 1974 when aluminum bats were introduced.
Navigating Pressure and Achieving a Dream
Anderson, a projected No. 1 pick in ESPN’s latest MLB mock draft, threw 130 pitches, delivering a performance comparable to his strong outing against Arkansas in LSU’s MCWS opener. In 16 innings in Omaha, he’s allowed just one run on six hits while striking out 17.
For Anderson, who grew up in Madisonville, Louisiana, a lifelong LSU fan, pitching like this in the MCWS was a dream realized. “Probably every night,” he said when asked how often he dreamed of such a performance and winning a title. However, he remained focused on the task ahead: “That wasn’t necessarily to end the College World Series. We’ve got one more that we’re preparing for.”
Even with his dominance, Anderson (12-1) faced pressure, issuing three of his five walks and hitting two batters in the initial innings. However, he consistently worked out of trouble, holding Coastal Carolina 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. As Coach Johnson noted, “It’s the College World Series. You’re going to pitch with runners on base… They do a great job of finding their way on base.”
The tension peaked in the ninth inning when Anderson walked a pinch hitter with two outs, prompting a mound visit. But the lefty composed himself, inducing a fly out to seal the victory. Anderson and catcher Luis Hernandez shared an emotional embrace before being mobbed by teammates, celebrating the first complete-game shutout in the MCWS since 2022.
Anderson’s performance in adverse conditions (97 degrees at first pitch with gusty winds) highlighted his resilience. “I think that’s the real benefit of playing in Louisiana,” he said. “Growing up there, this was honestly not nearly as bad as it was in the super regional.”
LSU is now one win away from capturing its eighth national championship. Coastal Carolina, champions in their only previous trip in 2016, aims to become just the fifth school to win titles in their first two MCWS appearances. Coach Schnall drew parallels to 2016, when they overcame a Game 1 shutout loss, emphasizing the need to “respond, rebound, regroup” for Game 2.
