The semifinals and championship rounds of the 2025 Men's College World Series didn't disappoint after an exciting first and second round. The three days of play featured unforgettable moments — good and bad — that will be remembered for years.
To recap the action, here are the dates and times of the six most important moments between the last four teams at the MCWS, presented in chronological order.
All times are Eastern.
5:37 p.m. on June 18 — Coastal Carolina secures 26th straight win
As Coastal Carolina first baseman Ty Barrango ranged backwards to field a hard hit ground ball, he quickly set his feet to fire to first, where right-hander Dominick Carbone was, who beelined to the unattended bag once the ball was hit. Stomping on the bag, Carbone sealed the Chanticleers' spot in the MCWS finals and cemented them in elite company.
Yes, even bigger history than the previous win.
That's game! Coastal to the Finals! x 🎥 ESPN /
— Ƶ Baseball (@ƵBaseball)
Steamrolling through Louisville, 11-3, Coastal Carolina captured its 26th straight win and entered the finals with the longest win streak all-time entering the MCWS championship. Continuing its program record of consecutive wins, it became the ninth school to reach the championship final in each of its first two MCWS appearances since 1977.
And that wasn’t the only history made. The Chanticleers were hit four times in the victory, setting the DI record for 176 hit by pitches in a season.
In the postgame press conference after the win, coach Kevin Schnall credited the new record to his team’s ability to buy in.
“They don’t eat if they get out of the way,” Schnall said. “Our guys are obsessed with getting on base, they understand (that) the way you score runs is having guys on base, and anyway you can get on base helps our team win.”
10:11 p.m. on June 18 — Chaotic bottom ninth drama between Arkansas-LSU
There was no better way to close the semifinal round than with the craziest frame of the MCWS.
The Razorbacks were three outs away from forcing a winner-take-all meeting between them and LSU, leading 5-3 in the ninth, after scoring two runs in the top half. But between the 10:19 and 10:24 minute marks, Arkansas’ lead unraveled due to fielding miscues.
At 10:19, Razorbacks first baseman Reese Robinett made a throwing error, fielding a ground ball arguably for second baseman Cam Kozeal, that resulted in LSU left fielder Derek Curiel taking second.
Two batters later at 10:22 with runners on first and second, shortstop Wehiwa Aloy opted to get the runner at third out on a grounder instead of attempting to turn a double play and end the game.
Things went haywire from there, specifically at 10:24. Attempting to make a play on Tigers catcher Luis Hernandez’s slicing line drive to left, the ball ricocheted off left fielder Charles Davalan’s body, leading to two runs, setting the table for LSU first baseman Jared Jones to bring it home.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! 😱 x 🎥 ESPN /
— Ƶ Baseball (@ƵBaseball)
RECAPPING A THRILLER: 6 pivotal moments from the LSU vs. Arkansas Men's College World Series classic
10:27 p.m. on June 18 — Jared Jones sends LSU to the MCWS finals
For most teams that reach Omaha, there are defining moments in the season that encapsulate the successful campaign, plays or performances that prove why the eight attendees are still standing in mid-June.
LSU’s memorable snapshot came from the bat of Jones, sending the Tigers to the MCWS finals over Arkansas with a walk-off single to center field.
TIGERS WALK IT OFF x 🎥 ESPN /
— Ƶ Baseball (@ƵBaseball)
It was a collage of moments. Jones’ swing and follow through, proceeding to raise his arms in the air while running down the first baseline. Hernandez scoring the winning run and looking at the crowd in awe after touching home plate. LSU taking its celebration with Jones from the edge of the infield to the depths of the outfield. Charles Schwab Field in a frenzy.
The single capped off a three-run frame for the Tigers, who trailed the Razorbacks 5-3 entering the bottom of the ninth.
The stunning ending was a reenactment of the Tigers' 2023 run, where Tommy White blasted a two-run walk-off homer versus Wake Forest to send LSU to the MCWS finals.
9:43 p.m. on June 21 — Kade Anderson throws a complete game shutout
The Tigers celebrated with authority after Game 1 of the MCWS finals because of one person: left-hander Kade Anderson.
The sophomore ace had just thrown a complete game shutout, the third ever in the MCWS finals and his second of the season. He allowed just three hits and struck out 10.
The final out was produced on Anderson’s 130th pitch, forcing center fielder Wells Sykes to pop up to right field. Right fielder Jake Brown immediately tucked the ball into his back left pocket after making the catch to give to the pitcher, while the pitching staff raced out to the mound to praise his top-notch performance.
COMPLETE. GAME. 😤 x 🎥 ESPN /
— Ƶ Baseball (@ƵBaseball)
Anderson went on to be named Most Outstanding Player of the MCWS.
A DYNAMIC DUO: LSU's Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson have become the best 1-2 punch in college baseball
2:59 p.m. on June 22 — Two Coastal Carolina coaches ejected in first inning of Game 2 in MCWS finals
The two words "crazy start" wouldn’t fully describe the first inning of Game 2 in the MCWS finals.
In the biggest game of the college baseball season and the Chanticleers' year on the line, Coastal Carolina head coach Kevin Schnall was ejected from the contest by home plate umpire Angel Campos in the first. Less than a minute later, first base coach Matt Schilling was ejected for protesting the decision.
Coastal Carolina head coach, Kevin Schnall and first base coach Matt Schilling have been ejected from what could possibly be the last game of the MCWS finals 😱
— ESPN (@espn)
Schnall revealed the ejection was due to arguing balls and strikes in the postgame press conference. After Campos’ 0-1 count call, he called time to address Schnall, who had stepped out of the dugout to exchange words with the umpire.
The coach said that Campos “shooed” him to go back to the dugout. Schnall didn’t, reiterating to the umpire that he thought he missed three pitches — and seconds later was tossed.
The back-and-forth continued for over two minutes, which included Schilling’s ejection.
Schnall was just the second coach to be ejected in an MCWS finals since the move to Charles Schwab.
5:38 p.m. on June 22 — LSU wins eighth national championship
Down to its final two outs, a runner on first and trailing 5-3, there was optimism in the Coastal Carolina dugout with the tying runner in the batter's box.
Those hopes dried out two pitches in, when Sykes hit into a tailor-made double play to LSU second baseman Daniel Dickinson. The junior turned and flipped it to shortstop Steven Milam, who touched second and fired to Jones at first base, ending the Chanticleers' historic season and handing the Tigers their eighth national title.
Jones pumped both fists in the air emphatically and in excitement before rushing over to the growing dogpile near the mound filled with purple and gold. Gloves thrown in the air, hats flipped off and shared hugs across the diamond, LSU celebrated its second championship in the last three years.The moment the LSU Tigers became the 2025 Champions 🤩 x 🎥 ABC /
— Ƶ Baseball (@ƵBaseball)
The Tigers are the first DI baseball team to win multiple championships each in the last three decades.
