LSU Baseball Named THE No. 1 Program In The Nation By D1 Baseball

TIGER RAG NEWS SERVICES

D1 Baseball has named LSU the No. 1 college program in the nation, completing its ranking of the Top 100 College Programs that began in September.

LSU was also voted the nation’s No. 1 program in 2024, the last time D1 Baseball released a Top 100 list. That’s two top program listings under the same coach – Jay Johnson, who won national championships in 2023 and 2025 after his first season as the Tigers’ coach in 2022.

Of the LSU program, D1 Baseball’s Aaron Fitt writes, “Jay Johnson sits at the very top of his profession, an elite recruiter, motivator, developer, and CEO, and his coaching staff is similarly superb.”

The ranking is remarkable given the fact that LSU is coming off of one of its worst season in school history in the 2026 season as the Tigers fell to 30-28 overall and 9-21 in the SEC for 14th place out of 16 teams following the 53-15 and 19-11 national championship season in 2025.

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D1 Baseball’s ranking of the Top 100 Programs focuses upon the establishment of a tradition of consistent winning in the last decade, and especially in the last five years. Its goal is to identify the programs in the best shape right now, with an eye toward the next five to 10 years.

Points were awarded for making NCAA Regionals, winning NCAA Regionals, reaching the College World Series, and winning the national championship in the last five seasons. D1 Baseball writers made adjustments to the ranking based on evaluations of coaching staff quality and stability, facilities, scholarship/financial aid situation, conference dynamics, momentum, recruiting and player development proficiency.

LSU was followed in the Top 10 of the 2026 ranking by Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Florida State,  Oregon State and Mississippi State.

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The 2023 and 2025 National Coach of the Year, Johnson has a proven track record of postseason success, explosive lineups and highly-ranked recruiting classes at the helm of the nation’s most storied college baseball program.

Johnson and his staff have enhanced LSU’s elite legacy by guiding the Tigers to the 2023 and 2025 College World Series titles, marking the seventh and eighth National Championships in school history.

Johnson has a 220-105 record in five seasons at LSU, including a 26-7 mark with the Tigers in NCAA Tournament games. He is the fastest coach to win multiple CWS championships during his tenure at a single school. The previous mark was set by Jim Morris, who claimed NCAA trophies in 1999 and 2001 within his first eight seasons at Miami (Fla.).

LSU during Johnson’s tenure has produced 19 Top 5-round and 28 Top 10-round Major League Baseball Draft choices. Seven LSU players coached by Johnson and his staff have advanced to MLB rosters.

The 2027 LSU squad opened its six-week fall practice session on October 8, and the Tigers begin the regular season on February 19, when they play host to Long Island in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.