Arkansas’ Gage Wooden pitched the third no-hitter in Faculty World Collection historical past and first in 65 years on Monday, putting out a document 19 batters and by no means letting Murray State come near getting a success within the Razorbacks’ 3-0 victory.
Wooden joined Jim Ehrler of Texas in 1950 and Jim Wixson of Oklahoma State in 1960 as the one pitchers to throw CWS no-hitters, and his protection was by no means actually challenged as he dominated a Racers group that was making its first Omaha look.
The junior right-hander set the CWS document for strikeouts in a nine-inning recreation. His bid for an ideal recreation ended within the eighth when his 2-2 breaking ball hit Dom Decker in his again foot. Wooden, who obtained a foul out and consecutive strikeouts to finish the inning, appeared skyward and gave a primal scream and did a few excessive steps as he headed to the dugout.
The Arkansas devoted behind the first-base dugout did a quick “Woo Pig Sooie!” chant as Wooden warmed up for the ninth.
Wooden (4-1) hit pinch-hitter Nico Bermeo behind his left elbow with a fastball to start out the ninth. Bermeo initially was awarded first base, however Arkansas challenged the decision, arguing Bermeo moved his elbow into the pitch. The decision was overturned and Bermeo was out.
Wooden struck out Connor Cunningham and Jonathan Hogart to complete the sport. He was mobbed by teammates, with the celebration shifting from behind the mound to the world between second and third base.
Arkansas (49-14) performs one other elimination recreation Tuesday evening in opposition to the winner of Monday evening’s recreation between LSU and UCLA.
Murray State (44-17), solely the fourth No. 4 regional seed since 1999 to achieve Omaha, went 0-2 in its first look.
The closest Murray State got here to breaking apart Wooden’s no-hitter was Carson Garner’s sizzling grounder that pulled first baseman Reese Robinett to his left. Robinett snagged the ball and touched the bag for the final out of the seventh inning.
Wooden confirmed early indicators that this could possibly be a big day. He had glorious command of his signature four-seam fastball, breaking ball and changeup. Of his first 20 fastballs, 19 have been strikes, and he fanned 9 of the primary 12 batters he confronted — seven in a row from the third to fifth innings.
Wooden has gone from nearer as a freshman to center reliever as a sophomore to weekend starter as a junior. He injured his proper shoulder throwing a warmup pitch in his Feb. 23 begin in opposition to Michigan and didn’t return till April 18 in opposition to Texas A&M, a complete of 54 days.
He threw a career-long six innings and struck out a career-high 13 in opposition to Creighton in a June 1 regional recreation in opposition to Creighton, then went 3 1/3 innings in an excellent regional win over Tennessee on June 8.
Wooden now joins Ehrler and Wixson in CWS lore. Ehrler’s no-hitter got here in Texas’ 7-0 win over Tufts on June 19, 1950, and Wixson’s got here in a 7-0 victory over North Carolina on June 15, 1960.
The Razorbacks broke open the sport after Murray State’s Graham Kelham relieved Isaac Silva to start out the seventh. SEC Participant of the Yr Wehiwa Aloy doubled in a run and one other scored when proper fielder Dustin Mercer tried to make a shoestring catch on Logan Maxwell’s shallow fly and the ball obtained beneath his glove.
Silva saved his group shut in his six innings, with Charles Davalan’s third-inning RBI single producing the one run in opposition to him.
Silva allowed six hits, walked two and struck out seven. He repeatedly obtained out of bother, holding the Razorbacks to 2-for-10 hitting with runners in scoring place and stranding two runners within the third, fifth and sixth.
