Louisiana State Returns to Title Game

Louisiana State, the dominant college baseball program of the 1990s, earned a chance to start a new decade on a championship note Thursday night at Rosenblatt Stadium.

The four-time champion Tigers defeated Florida State, 6-3, before 19,209 and advanced to Saturday’s final against Stanford.

The championship game will feature two unbeaten World Series teams for the first time since 1996, when LSU played Miami and won its third title.

LSU (51-17) scored three runs in the eighth inning to take control against Florida State (53-19), which has not won a championship in 18 trips here, including 12 under Coach Mike Martin.

Florida State, which eliminated USC on Wednesday, came back from a 3-1 deficit in the eighth inning against LSU on a two-run single by John-Ford Griffin.

LSU started its rally with one out in the ninth when Mike Fontenot singled to right. Brad Cresse then ended an 0-for-nine drought with a double off the wall in left-center field to put runners at second and third.

Florida State pitcher Blair Varnes (11-4) walked Brad Hawpe intentionally to load the bases, then hit Blair Barberie with a pitch to force in the go-ahead run.

One out later, Cedrick Harris’ two-run single against Matt Lynch gave LSU a 6-3 lead.

Florida State had runners at first and second with two out in the bottom of the ninth, but Trey Hodges struck out pinch-hitter Scott Boyd to end the game.