BATON ROUGE - Behind eight shutout-innings from Eric Walker, the LSU Baseball team won its 23rd NCAA Regional title Sunday night, 5-0, over Rice at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.

LSU (46-17), the SEC regular season and tournament champions, scored three runs in the top of the second inning and rode its freshman right-hander to victory.

Walker (8-1) allowed only six hits and struck out eight to advance the Tigers within two wins of the College World Series. After the first two hitters reached on singles in the ninth, Zack Hess entered and quashed the rally with three strikeouts to secure the victory.

LSU, winners of 14-straight games, advanced to the NCAA Super Regional and will face either Southern Miss or Mississippi State in a best-of-three series starting Friday or Saturday at Alex Box Stadium.