LSU Nips Texas in Homer-Filled College World Series Finals Opener

OMAHA, Neb. - Touch 'em all. Rosenblatt Stadium has gone retro, reverting back to Rosenblast Stadium from earlier this decade.

No. 1 national seed Texas and LSU combined to smack seven home runs in the opening game of the best-of-three championship series in the College World Series Monday night. But, in the end, it was a clutch two-out single in the top of the 11th from freshman Mikie Mahtook that lifted LSU past Texas 7-6.

The surging Tigers, who have won 14 consecutive games, can clinch their sixth national title and first since 2000 with a victory Tuesday.

"It's hard to describe the emotions I feel about this game, but I am going to try," LSU coach Paul Mainieri said. "This was the most courageous, never-say-die resolve that I've ever seen from one of my teams in 27 years of coaching."

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Like Texas has done in the CWS, LSU, which had outscored its first three CWS opponents 32-6, also displayed its flair for the dramatic. Texas coach Augie Garrido, whose Longhorns had won eight consecutive CWS games dating back to their 2005 national title, including three walk-off victories here, felt like the rug had been pulled from underneath him.

"It was an incredible game between two teams that were doing unbelievable things to win a game," Garrido said. "The team that lost the game was going to feel the wrath of baseball. We were that team. It was an incredible performance by both teams in my opinion."

Garrido was right. It was.

Trailing 6-4 with two outs in the top of the ninth, the Tigers tied the game on a two-run double from DJ LeMahieu.

After Texas stranded a runner at second base in the bottom of the ninth, the Tigers loaded the bases with one out in the top of the 10th. But hard-throwing righty Brandon Workman, the Longhorns' fourth reliever in two innings and making his first appearance since the regionals, fanned the next two LSU batters to end the threat.

LSU then broke through in the 11th on Mahtook's line-drive single back up the middle off Workman.

"He was throwing hard, and I saw that from the dugout," Mahtook said. "I made a point to put my foot down early and look for my pitch. He left one up and I took it up the middle."

The hit scored LeMahieu, who led off the inning with a walk. With two outs, LeMahieu stole second base and raced to third on a throwing error by catcher Cameron Rupp. After Micah Gibbs walked, Mahtook, who was 1-for-5 with three strikeouts, laced a single on a 1-2 count. Another LSU freshman, reliever Matty Ott, worked three scoreless, hitless innings to pick up the win.

"That was the definition of team effort and it will be what I reference when I talk to teams in the future about team effort," Mainieri said.

Texas, looking for its seventh title overall and third this decade, needs a victory to force a decisive third game on Wednesday.

Much of the game resembled a home run derby. The seven home runs were the most in any CWS game since 2001, when Southern Cal (six) and Georgia (one) combined for seven.

Texas, known for playing station-to-station, smacked five solo home runs. Not impressed? The Longhorns, who hit just 39 home runs in 61 games entering the CWS but countered with 102 sacrifice bunts, fifth most in NCAA Division I history, have hit 11 home runs in four CWS games.

LSU, known for its hitting power, got into the act, too. But the Tigers weren't nearly as impressive with a pair of home runs. They also have 11 home runs in four CWS games, and the two teams have combined for 22 of the 40 long balls hit through 13 CWS games.


Texas hit three homers in the fourth inning to build a 3-1 advantage off of LSU starter Louis Coleman, the Tigers' co-ace who had surrendered a team-high 16 home runs this season entering the game. Second baseman Travis Tucker, designated hitter Russell Moldenhauer and right fielder Kevin Keyes each went yard in the fourth.

It was the first time a team hit three homers in the same inning at the CWS since LSU accomplished the feat against Mississippi State on June 1, 1998.

Texas wasn't done flexing.

After LSU tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the sixth on Jared Mitchell's two-out, two-run double off of UT reliever Austin Wood, Moldenhauer answered with his second homer of the game. Not bad for the team's designated hitter who arrived in Nebraska without a home run this season -- he has hit three in the CWS. The Longhorns, relying on opportunity instead of brute strength, added another run in the top of the sixth on a wild pitch.

LSU's LeMahieu hit a solo homer in the seventh to give the Tigers some much-needed momentum and cut the deficit to 5-4, but Connor Rowe, who hit the two-out, game-winning blast against Arizona State on Friday, homered to give Texas a 6-4 lead.

Coleman allowed nine hits and six runs in six innings. The Longhorns didn't register a hit off of LSU's three relievers - Chad Jones, Paul Bertuccini and Ott.

Texas' five home runs is the most by any team in the CWS since USC hit six against Georgia in 2001. The most home runs hit a game is 10, set by LSU (eight) and USC (two) in 1998.

Texas starter Chance Ruffin was outstanding, battling a heat index of 104 at game's start and striking out 10 over 5 1/3 innings before he was lifted after 87 pitches.

LSU grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on left fielder Ryan Schimpf's towering solo homer to right. It was Schimpf's third homer in the CWS and his sixth in the NCAA tournament.