What he was hearing about Gage Wood in Batesville before setting records with Hogs at College World Series.
What former Razorbacks pitcher Blaine Knight sees in key game at CWS
As Hogs prepare to face the LSU Tigers for third time in Omaha, his viewpoint having been there before.
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: 6-18-25
Arkansas vs LSU, again. The rematch is set and the temperature is swelling alongside the pressure in Omaha.
Guests: Blaine Knight, Richard Davenport, Phil Elson.
Razorbacks topple UCLA, advance to College World Series semifinal
OMAHA, Neb. — Arkansas took a major step toward its title hopes Tuesday night, beating UCLA 7-3 at Charles Schwab Field to reach the College World Series semifinals.
The Razorbacks’ win sets up a must-see matchup against SEC rival LSU, with a championship berth on the line.
Wehiwa Aloy was the game’s clear standout, delivering a two-run home run in the first inning and an RBI triple in the fifth. “You see a pitch you can drive, you don’t let it go. That’s what we’ve been taught all year,” Aloy said after the game. His home run was his 21st this season, putting him fourth on Arkansas’ all-time single-season list.
Arkansas starter Zach Root bounced back from a tough outing against LSU to throw five shutout innings. He allowed just three hits and struck out five.
“You have to flush the bad days and get ready for the next one. I really wanted to give my team a chance tonight,” Root said.
UCLA, coming off a 9-5 loss to LSU earlier in the day, looked sluggish. The Bruins’ starter Cody Delvecchio, returning from a long layoff, lasted four innings and gave up three runs.
UCLA’s offense didn’t get going until the ninth, when they scored three runs thanks to Arkansas errors and a wild pitch, but it was too late.
Brent Iredale gave Arkansas a spark from the No. 8 spot, finishing 2-for-2 with two walks and three runs scored.
Logan Maxwell had a key two-run double in the seventh, and Justin Thomas added another RBI double in the eighth.
“I just tried to do my part and get on base. With our lineup, anyone can contribute,” Iredale said.
Arkansas’ bullpen did its job after Root exited. Aiden Jimenez worked three solid innings, getting out of a tough spot in the eighth with a double play ball.
“Our bullpen has been nails. That’s what wins in Omaha,” coach Dave Van Horn said.
Arkansas must now beat LSU twice to reach the championship series, while LSU needs just one win. LSU already beat Arkansas 4-1 Saturday and leads the season series 3-1, but Arkansas is playing its best baseball when it matters.
“We respect them, but we’re not afraid. We know what we can do when we play our game,” Root said.
For Van Horn, the win over UCLA was Arkansas’ first ever against the Bruins.
“Tonight was about our guys executing in big moments and playing clean baseball at least until that last inning,” Van Horn said.
Aloy now stands as one of Arkansas’ top power hitters, but his focus is on the team goal.
“Records are cool, but I want a ring,” Aloy said. “We came here for one thing.”
The next challenge is clear. LSU is one of the favorites for the national title, led by lefty Kade Anderson.
Arkansas will have to beat them twice, but confidence is growing.
“We’ve been talking about this since the fall,” Van Horn said. “One pitch at a time. One game at a time.”
Arkansas fans are still believing this could finally be the year. The Razorbacks’ pitching, timely hitting, and focus have them within reach of something special.
Democrat-Gazette’s Tom Murphy on Gage Wood’s 1-hitter in win
Razorbacks down Murray State, waiting on weather to know if they’ll play again Tuesday or College World Series delayed.
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: 6-17-25
Recapping and unforgettable night for the unhittable Gage Wood. Arkansas fighting with every ounce to stay in CWS!
Guests: Bruce Stanton (Pradco Outdoors) and Tom Murphy!
Gage Wood throws historic no-hitter as Hogs eliminate Murray State
OMAHA, Neb. — The Arkansas Razorbacks found their savior not in the thump of a late-inning home run, but in the right arm of sophomore Gage Wood.
In a performance that is now part of College World Series lore, Wood delivered a no-hitter, striking out a school-record 19 batters to lift Arkansas past Murray State, 3-0, and keep the Razorbacks’ title hopes alive on Monday afternoon.
Arkansas entered the elimination game battered, both physically and mentally, after a dispiriting 4-1 loss to LSU in their opener.
Their offense was sputtering and their margin for error all but erased.
What unfolded in Omaha was just one pitcher, one afternoon, and one unbreakable will.
“Really just taking care of the inning that we’re in and not look too far down the road,” Wood said after the game, his jersey soaked and his voice hoarse from the day’s heat and the roar of the crowd.
For seven innings, Wood was untouchable, carving through Murray State’s lineup with a mix of high-90s fastballs and knee-buckling curveballs.
He faced the minimum through six, not allowing a single baserunner and striking out the side in the third and fourth. The only blemish came in the eighth, when a 2-2 pitch grazed Dominic Decker, ending Wood’s perfect game bid.
The Razorback faithful, who had started to believe in something mythic, exhaled. But the no-hitter was still alive and so was Wood’s dominance.
Arkansas’ offense scraped together enough to make Wood’s masterpiece stand up.
Reese Robinett’s leadoff double in the third turned into the game’s first run after singles from Justin Thomas and Charles Davalan.
The Razorbacks threatened repeatedly, stranding runners in scoring position in the fifth and sixth, but managed to pad the lead in the seventh when Wehiwa Aloy’s two-strike double down the third-base line scored Thomas. Maxwell’s fly ball, misplayed in right, added another insurance run.
Yet, in a game loaded with pressure, the story was always Wood. His 19 strikeouts set a new College World Series record for Arkansas, and his no-hitter is only the third in the tournament’s long history.
“It’s something you dream about as a kid,” he said, the enormity of the moment sinking in as his teammates mobbed him on the mound.
Murray State, the Cinderella team of this year’s tournament, fought hard to the end.
The Racers’ run to Omaha — after upsetting regional hosts Ole Miss and super regional favorites Duke — was fueled by a belief that anything was possible.
“A lot of people are cheering for us, but how many people actually believe in us that we can get it done?” said senior outfielder Dustin Mercer earlier in the week.
On Monday, though, Murray State’s bats simply had no answer for Wood’s artistry.
Murray State coach Dan Skirka, who guided his team through an improbable postseason run, was gracious in defeat.
“First of all, wow! I mean, I’m so proud of these guys,” Skirka said after the loss. “We came into Omaha with a chip on our shoulder. We battled every pitch, every inning. Today, we just ran into a kid having the game of his life.”
For most of the afternoon, the score sat precariously at 1-0, with Arkansas’ lineup squandering chances against Murray State ace Isaac Silva. Silva, an All-Missouri Valley Conference selection, battled through seven innings and struck out seven, but his offense couldn’t solve Wood.
The Razorbacks ended the day with 11 hits, but left nine men on base, a reminder that in Omaha, the margin for error is razor-thin.
By the ninth, Wood’s pitch count had climbed past 110. Each pitch was greeted by a rising murmur from the Arkansas fans, who knew they were witnessing something rare.
Wood didn’t flinch, finishing the game with a flurry with a strikeout, a popout, and, fittingly, one last punchout to seal the no-hitter.
As his teammates poured from the dugout, Wood stood on the mound, arms raised, the moment his own.
For Arkansas, the win means survival.
The Razorbacks now face a daunting gauntlet: they must win three more games in as many days to reach the championship series, a feat not accomplished since Oregon State’s miracle run in 2006.
“This is what you dream about, getting to Omaha and having a chance,” Hogs coach Dave Van Horn said. “We’re not done yet. Not by a long shot.”
Ruscin & Zach/Hog Reaciton A No Hitter for the Hogs in Omaha!
The guys and Tye react to Gage Wood’s historic performance! He threw a no hitter at the College World Series, the third time that has occurred in history and the first in Omaha since 1960!
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: 6-16-25
After Arkansas drops game 1 to LSU they’re faced with winning four games in four days to make it to the championship round.
Guests: Phil Elson
