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A brief history of the LSU-Oregon State baseball rivalry

LSU could be gearing up for a familiar foe this weekend.

The full NCAA Tournament field was announced Monday, sending Oregon State to the Baton Rouge Regional as a No. 2 seed.

The Tigers and Beavers are no strangers. Over the last decade, the two programs can’t seem to avoid each other when June rolls around.

There’s no natural rivalry here. LSU is buried in the Deep South while Oregon State sits in the Pacific Northwest. But if any two teams meet enough under the right circumstances, a rivalry emerges. That is the case with LSU and Oregon State.

Before the two potentially see each other this weekend, here’s a look back at recent meetings.

2012 Baton Rouge Regional

Similar to what we’re seeing this weekend, Oregon State traveled to Baton Rouge as a two-seed in 2012.

LSU won the first meeting, 7-1. A couple of current big leaguers showed up for LSU that night with Kevin Gausman allowing one run over seven innings and Austin Nola notching a couple of RBI.

The two met again the next night, and that’s when the drama appeared.

LSU picked up the bats in the ninth down a run. The Tigers scored a run and forced extra innings.

LSU held the Beavers scoreless in the 10th, setting up a walk-off opportunity in the bottom half of the inning. A wild pitch allowed Nola to score the game-winning run, sending LSU to the super regional.

However, LSU dropped two of three to Stony Brook and failed to reach the CWS.

2017 College World Series

Syndication: The Register Guard

LSU and Oregon State met three times in Omaha at the 2017 College World Series.

Oregon State got the best of LSU in the first game behind a 13-run offensive explosion. LSU couldn’t keep up, plating just one run all game.

A few days later, LSU got another chance. Behind ace Alex Lange, LSU held the Beavers to one run on two hits. Josh Smith came up big for LSU, driving in a run early in the game and adding insurance with a home run in the seventh.

The win set up a rematch the next day. This time with elimination on the line.

Michael Papierski gave LSU a 3-0 lead in the second with a three-run homer. LSU tacked on another run in the third and the fourth, making it 5-0.

LSU won by a final of 6-3. Kramer Robertson reached base all four times he was at the plate. The Tigers went on to lose to Florida in the CWS final.

2018 Corvallis Regional

The two would meet again the next year with LSU headed to Corvallis.

This time, LSU didn’t find much good fortune. LSU opened the weekend with a win over San Diego State, but lost 14-1 in their first meeting with the Beavers.

A win against Northwestern State got LSU back in the winners bracket and provided another crack at OSU, but it was more of the same. Oregon State shut LSU out 12-0 and sent the Tigers home for the year.

This Weekend

Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

In total, LSU and Oregon State have met seven times, all coming in the postseason.

LSU’s 4-3 in that span, but nothing has ever come of LSU advancing by Oregon State. Part of that could be due to the fact that these series take a lot out of LSU.

By the time Paul Mainieri’s group got to the CWS final in 2017, the team was gassed and pitching was stretched thin. This Oregon State team isn’t as stacked as the past two meetings, but it’s still a good team.

There’s some new blood this weekend. The previous meetings featured Mainieri vs. ex-Oregon State coach Pat Casey. This is the first time these squads will meet under their new leaders, Jay Johnson and Mitch Canham.

First, the two have to take care of business in their respective openers. There’s a scenario where the two never meet this weekend if one team fails to win on Friday.

For entertainment’s sake, I hope we get another meeting here.

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