What happened in LSU’s last five trips to the College World Series?

LSU’s back in Omaha for the first time since 2017. It’s a longer drought than usual for the Tigers, which, for a 20-year period, were expected to be in the CWS every other year or so.

LSU will also look to end its title drought. A banner hasn’t been hung since the 2009 season.

With the Tigers getting ready to begin play on Saturday, we’ll take a look at their last five trips to Omaha, including that 2009 title run and 2017 when they fell just short.

Let’s jump right in. Here’s what happened the last five times LSU took a trip to the College World Series.

2017

This was LSU’s most recent CWS trip and the final one the Tigers took with Paul Mainieri at the helm. LSU was one of the best teams all year, finishing third in RPI.

A sweep of Mississippi State in the super regional led the Tigers to Omaha, where they kicked things off with a win over Florida State.

To make it out of its side of the bracket, LSU played Oregon State three times. OSU won the first meeting in a blowout, but LSU fought back into the winners’ bracket and beat Oregon State twice to enter the final against Florida.

The Gators got the best of LSU, sweeping the Tigers in two. LSU was in both games late, but Florida far outplayed LSU in the late innings.

Led by Alex Lange and Jared Poche, this LSU team thought it had the pitching staff to win here. That made falling short even tougher.

2015

After sweeping Louisiana in the super regional, LSU began the 2015 CWS against TCU.

The Horned Frogs took Game 1, scoring 10 runs on nine hits.

Lange started the next game against Cal State Fullerton. He went the distance and struck out 10 on the day.

That set up a rematch with TCU and gave the Tigers another crack at the Horned Frogs.

LSU scored first but pitcher Zac Person allowed three runs in the second. LSU’s pitching just didn’t have the juice this game. Mainieri was forced to use eight pitchers on the way to allowing eight runs.

LSU’s offense couldn’t keep up and the Tigers were sent home in Alex Bregman’s last game in purple and gold.

2013

LSU was the tournament’s fourth overall seed in 2013. The Tigers advanced to the CWS after sweeping Oklahoma in the super regional.

There wasn’t much to write home about this time. LSU went home early after dropping the first two in Omaha.

Both contests were close, and LSU lost by a combined three runs.

Several Tigers on this team would go on to play in the MLB, including Bregman, Aaron Nola, JaCoby Jones and Andrew Stevenson.

2009

When LSU gets going on Saturday, they’ll be looking to hang a banner next to where the 2009 team hung theirs. This was LSU’s last national championship.

The Tigers entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed and coasted to Omaha, going 5-0 across the regional and super regional.

Mainieri’s group stayed hot, winning their first three CWS games by a combined 21 runs.

LSU faced the No. 1 seed Texas in the final. Game 1 was a battle that saw LSU come back and score three runs late to get the win.

Game 2 favored the Longhorns, but an 11-run performance in the winner-take-all Game 3 gave LSU the win and got the Tigers a ring.

Chad Jones, who also starred on the football team, pitched 1.2 shutout innings in LSU’s title-clinching win. This team also featured D.J. LeMahieu, Mikie Mahtook and Austin Nola.

2008

LSU was a national seed again this year, making the cut at No. 7.

It took three games to get out of the super regional against UC Irvine, but LSU made it to Omaha.

The Tigers got things going against North Carolina, dropping the first game 8-4. A win over Rice was enough to get back in the winners’ bracket and take another chance at the Tar Heels.

But again, it was UNC getting the best of LSU in a 7-3 victory. Matt Harvey, future Mets star, started UNC’s second win over LSU.

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Story originally appeared on LSU Tigers Wire