Mississippi State baseball team finally won their first national championship in 2021, but can they do it again?
The Bulldogs are sure to win more national championships. Winning consecutive titles – especially with players constantly coming and going because of the MLB Draft and the transfer portal – is rare these days. MSU has another shot at winning this year, but the team will have to face some tough opponents to get there.
How many times has a defending champion won the national title in consecutive years? Six times, to be exact. Here’s every team that has won consecutive titles since the College World Series began in 1947.
Texel (1949, 1950)
As the first national champion to win titles in consecutive years, Texas set the precedent for other teams to follow. Under head coach Bibb Falk, they defeated Wake Forest in 1949 and Washington State in 1950. The Longhorns also became the first team to win the national title in Omaha. Since the team’s first two wins, they have won four more championships and are among the favorites to win a fifth this season.
Southern California (1970, 1974)
USC’s team surpassed everyone else when they won five consecutive national championships in the early 1970s. The Trojans claimed the first of these titles in a tough 15-inning battle against Florida State, which they went on to win 2-1. USC led by head coach Rod Dedeaux four more league titles in a row against various opponents. Dedeaux won an additional national title in 1978 as the head coach of his team.
Stanford (1987, 1988)
Despite struggling more in 1988 than in 1987, Stanford managed to win a championship in both seasons. The Cardinal finished the final season with a 46-23 record — six games worse than the 1987 season, in which they finished 53-17. Those are the only two national titles the team has won, but that span of years must have been quite the time to be a fan of the Stanford Cardinal.
LSU (1996, 1997)
By the turn of the millennium, the Tigers brought together their own pair of national championships. The two wins happened to be the first consecutive titles in program history under head coach Skip Bertman, but he previously led LSU to championship titles in 1991 and 1993. Fun fact: The Tigers’ win in 1997 came in an all-SEC matchup against the Alabama Crimson tide.
State of Oregon (2006, 2007)
Since winning consecutive championships in 2006 and 2007, the Beavers are a force to be reckoned with in the college baseball world. Both Oregon state victories came over North Carolina; they won their first title 3-2 and their second 9-3. It’s safe to say that some sort of post-season rivalry has developed between the two powerhouses, but sadly they haven’t met in the championship series since 2007.
South Carolina (2010, 2011)
The Gamecocks have had a hard time for a few years, but they were once a tough test for any opponent. Despite dropping South Carolina a few times at a few previous championships, they finally overcame the hump in 2010. They beat UCLA in 11 hard innings for their first title and the following year they were able to clear Florida with ease. The Gamecocks could have had a third straight national title, but they lost to Arizona in the championship series in 2012.
.