OMAHA, Neb. — Just about every Arkansas fan had a bad feeling with two outs in the ninth inning against LSU.
ith two outs in the ninth, the Tigers’ Jared Jones ripped a fastball just past the outstretched glove of Razorback second baseman Cam Kozeal, sealing a 6-5 win for LSU and sending shockwaves through Omaha.
The Tigers’ dugout erupted. Jones, who had already tied the game moments earlier with a thunderous 398-foot home run, was mobbed by teammates.
“I just tried to stay within myself,” Jones later told reporters, his voice still ragged from the celebration. “Big moments like that, you want to make sure you’re not doing too much. I saw my pitch and trusted my swing.”
For the Hogs, it was another gut-wrenching loss at a venue that has haunted the program for decades.
This was far from a routine contest.
For six innings, it was a pitcher’s duel. Arkansas’ Landon Beidelschies and LSU’s Zac Cowan matched each other, both dealing with first-game nerves and the relentless noise of a 24,000-strong crowd.
The Razorbacks edged ahead early, with catcher Ryder Helfrick launching a mammoth 417-foot home run to dead center in the fourth. Cowan, a former closer pressed into starting duty, was nearly flawless in his 5⅓ innings, striking out six and refusing to issue a single walk.
But the College World Series is a place where nerves unravel and legends are born. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, LSU’s Jake Brown, pinch-hitting, laced a two-run single that flipped the scoreboard and the momentum.
The Tiger fans, long known for traveling en masse to Omaha, roared to life.
Arkansas would not go quietly. The Razorbacks, who had clawed their way out of the losers bracket with gritty wins over Murray State and UCLA, reclaimed the lead in the eighth.
Charles Davalan, their mercurial left fielder, dashed home on a fielder’s choice, and Wehiwa Aloy scored on an error by none other than Jones at first. Arkansas led, 3-2.
For a moment, the ghosts of Omaha seemed ready to lift.
Then Jones, who had appeared snakebit after his defensive miscue, strode to the plate. He worked the count deep, then uncorked a blast that soared into the humid Nebraska night.
“I just told myself to keep fighting,” Jones said postgame, his humility belying the power he’d just unleashed. “Baseball’s a game of redemption. That’s what I love about it.”
The ninth inning was almost too much to believe. Arkansas surged ahead again, with Justin Thomas’ clutch two-run single off LSU’s Jacob Mayers.
But in the bottom half, the Razorbacks’ bullpen faltered. A 2-run double by Luis Hernandez, followed by Jones’ walk-off, sealed a three-run rally and Arkansas’ fate.
For the Razorbacks, the pain is familiar. This was their twelfth trip to Omaha without a national title, a record second only to Florida State. They are now 0-5 all-time against LSU at the College World Series, a stat that gnaws at players and fans alike.
“We’ve been here before, and it never gets easier,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said, his voice tight in the postgame press conference. “These guys left it all out there. Sometimes, baseball just breaks your heart.”
LSU, meanwhile, marches on to face Coastal Carolina in the national championship series, seeking its eighth title and second since 2023.
The Tigers’ pedigree in Omaha is unmatched: this is their 20th College World Series appearance, and they boast the second-highest all-time tournament winning percentage in NCAA history.
For all the history, it’s the setting in Omaha that lends these games their epic feel.
Charles Schwab Field, with its sweeping sightlines and downtown skyline, has become synonymous with college baseball’s biggest moments.
“It feels like the big leagues,” one Arkansas fan said, echoing the sentiment of thousands who make the pilgrimage each June. The stadium’s electric atmosphere, fueled by the hope and heartbreak of teams chasing a dream, is unlike anything else in sports.
The Razorbacks’ run was marked by moments of brilliance, none brighter than Gage Wood’s no-hitter against Murray State, a feat not seen at the Men’s College World Series in 65 years.
But in the end, Jones’ bat and LSU’s resilience proved too much.
For Arkansas, the wait continues. Their fans, who packed the stands and painted Omaha red, will replay every pitch and decision. Why pitch to Jones with first base open?
Why did Davalan slip in left, allowing a double to skip past him? These are the questions that linger long after the last out.
As LSU celebrates, the Tigers’ focus shifts immediately to the championship. Head coach Jay Johnson, who has quickly restored LSU’s place atop the college baseball hierarchy, praised his team’s grit.
“This group never quits. They believe in each other,” he said, deflecting credit onto his players.
Omaha remains the sport’s ultimate crucible. Each June, legends rise and dreams are dashed under the Midwestern sun.
For Arkansas, the heartbreak is real and raw. For LSU, the journey continues, a testament to talent, timing, and the unyielding drama that defines the College World Series.
