Gage Wood’s mound masterpiece keeps Arkansas alive at the CWS

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

With his team’s season on the line at the College World Series, Arkansas pitcher Gage Wood took the baseball and instead sent Cinderella home.

Wood fanned an Arkansas- and CWS-record 19 batters while tossing the first no-hitter at the event in 65 years as the Razorbacks downed Murray State 3-0 Monday in an elimination game.

“We’re not going home,” Wood said. “We get to play tomorrow night. It was pretty cool.”

Throwing just the third no-hitter in CWS history, Wood took a perfect game into the eighth inning before hitting Murray State leadoff man Dominic Decker.

He finished off the masterpiece by whiffing Jonathan Hogart on his career-high 119th pitch in a game in which Razorback head Dave Van Horn said Wood was definitely finishing.

“I’ll be the first one to say it: There’s nothing being said or talked about our dugout whatsoever,” Van Horn said. “We’re just going to let him roll And, no, there was no chance he was coming out after eight. And he did a super job. So proud of him.”

The victory advanced Arkansas (49-14) into Tuesday night 6 p.m. game against the winner of Monday night’s UCLA-LSU game.

“We’re not done yet,” said Wood, who noted he game ball to his dad and told him “happy late Father’s Day.”

Wood and Van Horn praised Razorback catcher Ryder Helfrick for his part in the gem while Helfrick was thrilled to be in on it.

“Yeah, it was really special, I’d say, I think for him to do that and just be able to catch the last
ball, give him a big hug,” Helfrick said. “It was awesome. I think everybody was really fired up for him. The main thing is we’re still here and we’re still playing.”

LSU downed the Razorbacks 4-1 on Saturday night.

“…Proud of the team bouncing back after a tough loss the other night,” Van Horn said. “ That game had a lot of hype. Didn’t go our way. But we’re still here, and we still have a chance.”

Murray State head coach Dan Sitka – who fourth-seeded Racers (44-17) made their first CWS ever – praised the effort of Wood, expected to be a first-round draft pick in the 2025 Major League Baseball draft.

“Hats off to Arkansas,” Sitka said. “ I think Gage Wood made himself some money today. Holy cow.

“With our offense and what we’ve done all year to a lot of really good pitchers, I’ll take
the blame; I didn’t prepare these guys for what we saw today because it was special. They’ve been special all year.”

Arkansas outfielder Charles Davalan said only one person mentioned the no hitter happening durum the game – bat boy Gage Goodwin.

I don’t think no one talked about it in the dugout except for G-Baby, our batboy,” Davalan said. “ I guess, apparently going — he came back after at the eighth and we went one, two, three, whatever.

“…G-Baby said, “Is Gage going out for the no-no?” So I guess he said it. But, no, I think it was in the fifth I knew he was going to do it. His stuff is so good. He’s worked so hard. I’m really proud of him. I know everybody’s proud.”

Arkansas took a 1-0 edge in the top off the third when Reese Robinett led off with a double, Justin Thomas’ infield single moved him up and Davalan’s single drove him home.

Davalan stole second to put runners at second and third with no out, but Murray State starter Issac Silva worked out of it without allowing any more damage.

The game’s only other two runs came in the seventh with a rally that began with singles by Thomas and Davalan off reliever Graham Kelham.

Wehiwa Aloy’s double plated Thomas and Logan Maxwell’s fielders choice cashed in the other run to put Arkansas up 3-0.

Thomas was 4 of 4 during the game while Aloy and Davalan both had a pair of hits and Robinett and Helfrick the other two of the Razorbacks’ 10.

The Razorbacks stranded nine runners against Silva (9-3) and Kehlam.

Silva pitched six inning of six hit, one-run baseball while fanning seven.

“Silva did a great job,” Davalan said. “He has a slow slot and the ball runs and sinks a lot. I think we had a good game plan going in. We got runners in scoring positions and on base early. I think we were just missing that big hit.

“But apparently we panned through another –their two pitcher has really good stuff, and they did a great job of putting it on the plate and making us earn it.”