With Their 8th Baseball National Championship, Is LSU Baseball the National Championship Leader?

Omaha, NE - The confetti is still falling in Omaha, and the LSU Tigers are once again kings of college baseball. With their 2025 Men’s College World Series triumph, LSU has secured its eighth national championship, a feat that cements their status as one of the sport’s all-time greats. While USC’s 12 titles—bolstered by an unmatched five straight from 1970 to 1974—still hold the top spot, LSU’s relentless pursuit under head coach Jay Johnson is closing the gap. At just 48 years old, Johnson is building a legacy that echoes the transformative era of Skip Bertman, who turned LSU into a powerhouse in the 1980s and 1990s. With two titles in three years and no signs of slowing down, the Tigers are staking their claim as the modern standard of college baseball dominance.

LSU’s Historic Run: The Bertman Blueprint

LSU’s rise to prominence began with Skip Bertman, whose arrival in 1984 sparked a golden era that redefined the program. Before Bertman, LSU had no national titles and sporadic postseason success. By the time he retired in 2001, he had delivered five championships (1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000), making him one of only three coaches—alongside USC’s Rod Dedeaux and Texas’s Augie Garrido—to achieve that milestone. Bertman’s teams didn’t just win; they dominated, with a 49-29 record in College World Series (CWS) appearances since 1986 and 20 trips to Omaha, more than any other program in that span.

The 1990s were particularly electric. LSU won five titles in a single decade, a run unmatched by any program since USC’s 1970s dynasty. The Tigers’ 1991 championship, their first, set the tone with a record-breaking offensive performance, averaging 12 runs per game in Omaha. Players like Todd Walker, who smashed three home runs and amassed 12 RBIs in the 1993 CWS, and Warren Morris, whose iconic 1996 walk-off home run against Miami clinched the title, became legends. Bertman’s teams were relentless, combining raw power, clutch pitching, and a fearless mentality. From 1989 to 2000, LSU made nine CWS appearances, winning five, a staggering 55.6% success rate in reaching the pinnacle.

This dominance wasn’t just about titles. LSU’s 17 SEC regular-season championships and 12 conference tournament titles since the 1980s reflect a program that consistently outclassed its peers. Bertman’s “hold the rope” philosophy—emphasizing early leads and tenacious defense—became a cultural cornerstone, turning Alex Box Stadium into a fortress and Omaha into a second home.

The Jay Johnson Era: A New Dynasty in the Making?

Fast forward to 2025, and Jay Johnson is picking up where Bertman left off. At 48, Johnson is a coaching prodigy, having already won two national titles (2023, 2025) in his first four seasons at LSU. His 2023 championship, secured with a 18-4 rout over Florida, showcased a star-studded roster featuring Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews, the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in the 2023 MLB Draft. This year’s title, driven by the leadership of Jared Jones and a balanced attack, underscores Johnson’s ability to reload and win.

Johnson’s rapid success invites comparisons to Bertman. While it is still very early to compare Johnson to Bertman, it is easy to see the similarities. Like his predecessor, he inherited a program with high expectations but elevated it further. His 184-77 record at LSU, including a 20-7 NCAA tournament mark, reflects a .705 winning percentage that rivals Bertman’s prime. Johnson’s recruiting prowess—landing top classes and transfers like Skenes and Tommy White—mirrors Bertman’s knack for building rosters that intimidate.

His teams play with the same “big, strong, and burly” style that defined Bertman’s squads, blending power hitting with dominant pitching. Something Jay has to lean on that Skip did not is NIL. While Bertman routinely secured commitments from the best of the best, they rarely made it to campus. Now it is becoming the norm for Jay to get guys like Kade Anderson, Derek Curiel and William Schmidt to campus. It is easy to see Johnson building an even bigger juggernaut especially with the transfer portal being his playground.

Could Johnson be starting a run akin to LSU’s 1990s dominance? The signs are there. Two titles in three years match the pace of Bertman’s 1996-1997 back-to-back championships. LSU’s 2025 roster, with veterans like Jones and emerging stars like freshman closer Casan Evans, suggests sustainability. Unlike USC, which hasn’t reached the CWS since 2001 and prior to making an NCAA tournament this season it had been a decade since they reached post season play. LSU shows no signs of fading. The Tigers’ 20 CWS appearances since 1986 dwarf USC’s recent output, and their 8-1 record in national championship games/series underscores a winning culture.

Chasing USC: The Title Race

USC’s 12 national championships remain the gold standard, with their 1970s run—five straight titles under Rod Dedeaux—standing as college baseball’s greatest dynasty. That era produced MLB stars like Fred Lynn and Dave Kingman, and the Trojans’ 101 CWS wins are unmatched. But context matters. Only one of USC’s titles came under the modern 64-team format, and their dominance predates the SEC’s rise as a baseball juggernaut. LSU, by contrast, has thrived in a more competitive era, with three of their eight titles (2000, 2009, 2023) coming under the current best-of-three CWS finals format.

With eight championships, LSU now stands alone in second place, well ahead of Texas (six), Arizona State (five), and others. The gap to USC’s 12 is significant, but Johnson’s youth and track record suggest it’s not insurmountable. At 48, he could coach for another two decades, and his 2023 and 2025 titles show he can win with different rosters. If LSU maintains its current trajectory they could challenge USC’s record within Johnson’s tenure.

Why LSU’s Dominance Stands Out

Since the 1980s, no program has matched LSU’s sustained excellence. Their 20 CWS appearances since 1986 are unmatched, and their 49-29 Omaha record reflects a .628 winning percentage. The Tigers have reached the CWS finals 13 times across baseball, football, and basketball, winning 11, a testament to their clutch performance. Stars like Todd Walker, Warren Morris, Paul Skenes, and now Jared Jones have defined eras, but it’s the program’s consistency—17 straight postseason appearances from 1989 to 2005—that sets them apart.

Johnson’s teams are building on this legacy. His 2023 squad, with 24 hits in the title-clinching game, evoked Bertman’s offensive juggernauts. His 2025 team, led by Jones’s 22 home runs and .330 average, showed the same resilience, with walk-off heroics like Jones’s single against Arkansas to reach the finals. With a top-ranked recruiting class and a coach who studies Bertman’s methods, LSU is poised for another golden era.

The Road Ahead

LSU’s eighth national championship is more than a milestone; it’s a statement. While USC’s 12 titles loom large, the Trojans’ absence from Omaha since 2001 leaves LSU as the sport’s modern titan. Jay Johnson, with his youth, recruiting acumen, and tactical brilliance, is crafting a legacy that could rival Bertman’s. The 1990s showed what LSU could do with a visionary coach; the 2020s are proving it again. As the Tigers celebrate in Baton Rouge, the chase for No. 9—and perhaps, one day, No. 13—is already on. The Powerhouse is alive and well, and college baseball’s crown sits firmly in Baton Rouge.