Going through elimination Monday in Omaha, Arkansas wanted an enormous efficiency from beginning pitcher Gage Wooden in opposition to Murray State if the Razorbacks had been going to maintain their title goals alive.
Arkansas obtained that and an entire lot extra from the righty.
Wooden threw simply the third no-hitter in Males’s Faculty World Sequence historical past, and the primary since 1960, as he and the Razorbacks blanked the Racers by a last rating of 3-0. Past going the space with out permitting successful, Wooden took an ideal sport into the eighth inning and solely misplaced that bid at perfection when a 2-2 breaking ball hit Racers batter Dom Decker in his again foot to open the inning.
Wooden completed off the eighth with a foul out, and a pair of strikeouts, to set Murray State down within the inning. He closed out the sport with three extra strikeouts to deliver his complete to 19 on the afternoon, which isn’t solely a brand new program report at Arkansas, however set the MCWS report for strikeouts in a nine-inning sport.
The ultimate out of the sport got here on this 97-mph fastball, his 119th pitch of the afternoon:
Talking with ESPN after the sport, Wooden was requested about his feelings after throwing simply the third no-hitter in MCWS historical past.
“I shouldn’t have hit the man,” mentioned Wooden. “That’s all I’ve gotta say.”
Requested when he knew one thing particular was taking place, Wooden lastly broke a smile. “I didn’t throw a pitch out of the stretch shortly so …”
The primary no-hitter in MCWS historical past was thrown by Jim Ehrler of Texas in 1950 in opposition to Tufts, whereas Jim Wixson of Oklahoma State blanked North Carolina in 1960.
Arkansas will tackle the loser of tonight’s sport between UCLA and LSU tomorrow in an elimination sport.
As for Wooden, by current projections, he’s anticipated to be a first- or second-round decide within the upcoming MLB Draft.
A no-hitter in an elimination sport is certain to spice up his inventory.
