Sterling G / CC
As LSU continues its march towards Omaha and the College World Series, two Louisiana teams will be competing in the NAIA World Series, which starts Friday.
The big story has been LSU Shreveport; the Pilots enter the NAIA World Series with a record of 54-0.
That 54-game winning streak is the longest winning streak in all levels of college baseball among four-year schools — NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III and NAIA.
Head Coach Brad Neffendorf says it’s an incredible accomplishment, but the job is not done yet.
“They know what they’ve done, and they should be applauded for it. But there are two more boxes to check — play for a national championship and win one,” says Neffendorf. “They never talk about it. I think they’re probably getting sick and tired of hearing about it, to be honest with you.”
The Pilots can take that first step towards their ultimate goal at 1:30 p.m. Central Time Friday afternoon by beating Grand View University, out of Des Moines, Iowa.
While the Vikings’ record of 38-12 pales in comparison to LSUS’ unblemished record, it is still quite impressive.
Coach Neffendorf says the way to beat them is not to worry about their opponent’s game, but rather to play their own game.
“Just playing our style baseball and limiting mistakes (and) being competitive on offense — just continue to do the things that we have done all year,” says Neffendorf.
Neffendorf says another key to his team’s perfect run through the 2025 season is not only knowing when he and his coaching staff should be hands-on in preparations, but also when to take a step back.
“Staying out of their way has worked the entire year,” Neffendorf says. “And there’s a mutual trust between the players and the coaches … that’s at a very high level on both sides.”
While LSUS may be the odds-on favorite, the Pilots are not the only Louisiana team playing in the World Series.
Loyola New Orleans is the NAIA World Series for the first time in program history, and they enter with a record of 41-16.
Head Coach Jeremy Kennedy says it’s quite an accomplishment for his team.
“That’s a big goal that we’ve had,” says Kennedy, “and this group’s been able to get us over the hump.”
The Wolfpack are the eighth seed, and they face Tennessee Wesleyan at 5:00 p.m. Central Time Friday afternoon.
The Bulldogs are the 46-12 and are the third seed.
Coach Kennedy says his team will have its work cut out for itself.
“We’ll be facing one of the best pitchers in the country,” says Kennedy, referring to left-hander Daniel Batcher, with a record of 11-2 and an ERA of 4.62. “He does a little bit of everything. And their offense is a juggernaut as well.”
Kennedy says the team has persevered all season long.
“As guys have gotten hurt, we’ve had to move guys into different positions and bring guys off the bench,” Kennedy says. “We just had guys step up and are getting the job done.”
Like the big one in Omaha, the NAIA World Series is a double-elimination tournament.
The champion will be crowned either on May 30th or May 31st.
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