59-0! NAIA champ the first college baseball team on record to go unbeaten

LSU Shreveport Makes History as First Undefeated College Baseball Team

LSU Shreveport made headlines as they became the first college baseball team on record to go unbeaten, finishing with a perfect 59-0 record when they clinched the NAIA championship in Lewiston, Idaho. The Pilots’ remarkable season culminated in a 13-7 victory over Southeastern (Florida) on Friday night, securing the 10,000-student school in northwest Louisiana its first national title in any sport.

For the past 25 years, LSU Shreveport has established itself as one of the top programs in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), overseeing sports at 241 predominantly small colleges across the nation. The Pilots have been a consistent presence in the NAIA national tournament since 2005 and have made appearances in the NAIA World Series in 2021, 2022, and 2025. Under the leadership of coach Brad Neffendorf, the team boasts an impressive record of 270-49, including a dominant 142-13 performance in Red River Athletic Conference play over the past six seasons.

Throughout the season, LSU Shreveport demonstrated their prowess on the field, with only four games decided by one run. They ranked second in the NAIA with an average of 11.3 runs per game and third with a .361 batting average. The Pilots’ pitching staff showcased their talent with a stellar 2.38 ERA, outperforming their competitors by over a run, while also leading the nation with a remarkable .982 fielding percentage.

Key players like Josh Gibson, boasting a batting average of .436, and Isaac Rohde, who led the NAIA with 146 strikeouts and a 2.09 ERA while going 16-0, were instrumental in the team’s historic success. The Pilots shattered the previous NAIA-record winning percentage of .935, previously held by Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) with a 43-3 record in 1996.

Notably, the NCAA’s top single-season winning percentages include .914 by Arizona State (64-6 in 1972) in Division I, .939 by Savannah State of Georgia (46-3 in 2000) in Division II, and .978 by Trinity of Connecticut (45-1 in 2008) in Division III.

LSU Shreveport’s undefeated season will go down in history as a remarkable achievement in college baseball, solidifying their place as one of the most dominant teams in the NAIA. The Pilots’ unwavering dedication and exceptional performance on the field have earned them a well-deserved spot in the annals of collegiate sports history.

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