Arkansas' Gage Wood Throws Historic No-Hitter at Men's College World Series

OMAHA, Neb. – In an astonishing performance, Arkansas’ Gage Wood made history by pitching the third no-hitter ever recorded in the Men’s College World Series, and the first in 65 years, on Monday. With a staggering 19 strikeouts, Wood led the Razorbacks to a 3-0 triumph over Murray State, never letting them get close to a hit.

Wood joins the ranks of Jim Ehrler from Texas in 1950 and Jim Wixson from Oklahoma State in 1960 as one of the few to achieve an MCWS no-hitter. Demonstrating an unrivaled command over the game, Wood overshadowed a Racers team making their debut in Omaha.

Remarkably composed after his record-setting game, the junior right-hander played down the achievement, saying, “The only special thing was I didn’t want to go home. That’s it. We’re not going home. We get to play tomorrow night. But it’s pretty cool.”

On Tuesday night, Arkansas (49-14) faces another elimination game against either LSU or UCLA, the victor of Monday night’s clash.

Murray State (44-17), one of only four No. 4 regional seeds to make it to Omaha since 1999, concluded their first appearance with an 0-2 record.

The chance for a perfect game slipped away for Wood in the eighth inning when his 2-2 breaking ball grazed Dom Decker’s back foot.

“When I hit the guy in the foot, I knew I screwed up,” Wood admitted. He quickly recovered, ending the inning with a foul out and consecutive strikeouts, before releasing a triumphant scream and doing a celebratory jog towards the dugout.

The Arkansas supporters rallied behind the first-base dugout with a “Woo Pig Sooie!” chant as Wood prepped for the ninth.

Wood (4-1) began the ninth by hitting pinch-hitter Nico Bermeo on the elbow. Initially awarded first base, the call was contested by Arkansas, who argued that Bermeo had leaned into the pitch. The decision was overturned, ruling Bermeo out.

Wood then struck out Connor Cunningham and Jonathan Hogart to seal the victory. His teammates swarmed him in celebration, moving the jubilation from the mound to between second and third base.

“Gage was just executing pitch after pitch, getting ahead in the count and elevating his fastball in and out. What a great job,” praised Coach Dave Van Horn. “We didn’t have to make too many plays behind him – maybe eight or nine – and thankfully, we made them all.”

Displaying impeccable control, Wood only went to a three-ball count twice, with an impressive 83 strikes out of 119 pitches.

Murray State’s closest attempt at a hit came from Carson Garner’s sharp grounder in the seventh inning, which first baseman Reese Robinett skillfully fielded and tagged the base for the final out.

From the outset, Wood showed signs of an extraordinary day, armed with precise command of his four-seam fastball, breaking ball, and changeup. Of his first 20 fastballs, 19 were strikes, with nine of the first 12 batters, including seven in sequence, succumbing to his formidable pitches from the third to the fifth innings.

Wood’s journey from freshman closer to junior weekend starter has been marked by challenges, including a shoulder injury on February 23 against Michigan that sidelined him until April 18. However, he quickly returned to form, logging career-best performances against Creighton with 13 strikeouts and a solid 3 1/3 innings during a victorious super regional game against Tennessee.

By achieving this milestone, Wood enshrines himself alongside Ehrler and Wixson in the annals of MCWS history. Ehrler achieved his feat on June 19, 1950, with Texas against Tufts, while Wixson accomplished his on June 15, 1960, triumphing over North Carolina.

Reflecting on what he did with the commemorative game ball, Wood shared, “I gave it to my dad and said happy late Father’s Day.”

The Razorbacks secured their victory by expanding their lead after Murray State’s Graham Kelham replaced Isaac Silva in the seventh inning. Wehiwa Aloy, the SEC player of the year, drove in a run with a double, and Logan Maxwell’s shallow fly, mishandled by right fielder Dustin Mercer, allowed another run to score.

Silva managed to keep Murray State competitive in his six innings of work, with Charles Davalan providing the only RBI for the team with a third-inning single. Silva surrendered six hits, issued two walks, and struck out seven, effectively navigating out of scoring threats by keeping Arkansas to 2-for-10 with runners in scoring positions and limiting multiple opportunities in the third, fifth, and sixth innings.