How Gage Wood’s no-hitter could help Arkansas baseball in losers bracket at College World Series

OMAHA, NE ― After losing its College World Series opener, Arkansas baseball faced a daunting task − winning four games in four days to keep its season alive.

June 16 was just the first of those games, but what a game it was: a 19-strikeout no-hitter from Gage Wood in the 3-0 victory over Murray State. The game not only was a history-making outing − the first Men’s College World Series no-hitter since 1960 − it put the Razorbacks in a better position to keep its season going.

Arkansas used four pitchers in its first game. Gabe Gaeckle, who pitched six innings in relief, is unlikely to be available before the semifinal. But Zach Root, the game 1 starter, threw just 38 pitches. Relievers Cole Gibler and Christian Foutch should be available, too.

Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn would not tip his hand after the no-hitter. But Root returning seems like a possibility. Only Gaeckle should be unavailable. Landon Beidelschies, Ben Bybee, Aiden Jimenez and Dylan Carter are other frequently-used relievers who should be available.

How many teams have won College World Series after losing the first game?

Four teams have won the College World Series after losing the first game: 1998 USC, 2006 Oregon State, 2010 South Carolina and 2018 Oregon State.

The Beavers in 2006 are the only one of those teams that won four games in four days, as the others had the benefit of an off day or rainout. The Beavers threw shutouts in each of their two semifinal games against Rice to advance to the championship series.

The 2018 Oregon State team is one Arkansas will be familiar with, too, as that team beat the Razorbacks to win the national title.

Why Arkansas baseball needs to hit better to get through the losers bracket

Arkansas isn’t the only team that has struggled offensively in Omaha. The highest number of runs scored in a game was eight by Louisville, and that was done with only one extra-base hit. The first multi-run home run wasn’t hit until Day 4.

But the Razorbacks have seen the worst offensive production compared to what’s typical of any team in Omaha. Their typically strong power production has disappeared. Arkansas hasn’t been like Louisville or Coastal Carolina, who have thrived playing small ball all year.

But the Razorbacks have already started to adjust. They haven’t stolen many bases this season, but in the elimination game, they stole four bases from four different players.

“This ballpark’s really big,” outfielder Charles Davalan said. “So we’ve got to do some different stuff just to get runs. … We knew coming in that the running game would be in action. When usually, in season, we didn’t have to use it. But now, bigger ballpark, we’ve got to do different stuff.”

More on Gage Wood How Arkansas baseball’s Gage Wood silenced Murray State with a dominant no-hitter at CWS

Arkansas baseball has history of postseason heartbreak

Arkansas is one of the best teams in college baseball without a national title. If the Razorbacks fail to come away with a championship this year, they will be tied for second all time in most trips to Omaha without a title. They have hosted a regional in seven of the last eight tournaments, including a stint as the No. 1 overall seed in 2021. That season ended in a super regional heartbreak, as did the 2023 and 2024 seasons where Arkansas lost in regionals as a national seed.

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.

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