On Saturday night at 7 p.m. ET, the LSU Tigers and Coastal Carolina Chanticleers will meet in Game 1 of the men's College World Series final, a best-of-three series to determine this year's national champion. One of the sport's traditional powers against an upstart that just happens to have a historic winning streak on the line — it's tough to ask for much more than that.
But that's not the only thing at stake in Omaha this weekend. While every player on both teams in squarely focused on bringing a trophy back to campus, the fact remains that we're also just a few weeks away from the 2025 MLB Draft. And that means there's only one more chance to make your case in front of pro scouts — for LSU in particular, as the Tigers boast several big names who figure to get taken in the first few rounds. Here are four who would love to make a final statement on college baseball's biggest stage.
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4. OF/DH Ethan Frey
There's a chance that Frey is a diamond in the rough in this draft class. He doesn't have a ton of experience despite being in his third year in Baton Rouge: He didn't play a ton on great teams in 2023 and 2024, and he dealt with a labrum injury last summer. It took him until the middle of this season to finally establish himself as an everyday starter for the Tigers, but since then, he's been dynamite, slashing .331/.424/.651 while mostly serving as a DH.
But make no mistake: He's only a DH out of necessity, the product of a stacked outfield depth chart. Frey looks like a star off the bus, standing 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds, and he moves well enough to project as an outfielder at the pro level. If he keeps hitting like this, some team will be enticed enough by the tools to take a shot on him, and they could be getting a better player than expected. A big CWS final would go a long way toward proving that this half-season is legit.
3. RHP Chase Shores
Speaking of diamonds in the rough. Shores was one of the most electric pitchers in his high school class, with big-time heat coming from his 6-foot-8 frame, and he was garnering real draft buzz back in 2022 before deciding to stick with his LSU commitment. He hit the ground running in Baton Rouge, too, getting some occasional starting work while starring as a reliever on the weekends.
It's been a bumpy road since, though, largely thanks to Tommy John surgery that cut short his 2023 season and cost him all of 2024. He's back blowing smoke now, though, and while the command and consistency have been issues at times, that's to be expected when returning from elbow surgery. The velocity remains elite, and he's been dynamite so far in Omaha. Keep doing that, and he can put teams' minds at ease about his time on the shelf — and maybe convince teams to give him a shot as a starter.
2. 1B Jared Jones
Jones is a tricky case. His power is second to none, and he's refined his plate approach this season en route to 22 homers (including two in Omaha) and a .330/.423/.630 slash line. That's tough to argue with.
That said, he's a righty who's limited to first base, and even that might be a stretch for his athleticism at the pro level. There's just not a ton of margin for error here; if the bat is anything less than very good, he likely isn't a big-league starter. He's a player who's going to have to keep hitting to silence the doubters, and a big CWS final against Coastal would go a long way to doing just that.
1. LHP Kade Anderson
OK, so when you're already among the top players in your draft class, your stock can't be boosted a whole lot more. But there's still a lot at stake for Anderson when he takes the ball this weekend, as he looks to convince the Washington Nationals to take him at No. 1 overall.
For a while, it seemed like infielder Ethan Holliday was a shoo-in at that spot. But in recent weeks, Anderson has charged hard, and now some mocks have the LSU lefty getting taken with the top pick. It's not hard to see why: Lefties with this much polish and this deep an arsenal don't come around too often, and he figures to move quickly through the system of whichever team drafts him.
Still, pitchers are risky, even college pitchers, and one more stellar outing for the nation's strikeout leader could be enough to tip the scales.