Arkansas’ Wood pitches first CWS no-hitter since 1960 as Razorbacks stay alive

Junior right-hander Gage Wood pitched the first no-hitter in the College World Series since 1960 in leading Arkansas past Murray State 3-0 today in an elimination game in Omaha, Neb.

Wood, whose last of his 119 pitches hit 97 mph, struck out 19 Racers, the most in a CWS nine-inning game.

Wood took a perfect game into the bottom of the eighth inning but he hit left-hand batting Dom Decker with a sweeping right-to-left breaking ball on the left foot to lead off the frame.

“I shouldn’t have hit the guy,” Wood said during an on-field interview on ESPN.

Wood then struck out the next two batters, going mainly with his fastball that topped out at 98 but stayed in the mid-90s in the final innings.

In the ninth, Wood hit right-hand hitting Nico Bermeo with a breaking ball. But upon review, officials ruled Bermeo out to leaning into the pitch. Wood then struck out the final two batters swinging.

Baldwin alum Wehiwa Aloy batted 2-for-5 with an RBI double and a stolen base. His younger brother, Kuhio, went 0-for-3.

Arkansas remains alive in the College World Series and will play the loser of today’s UCLA-LSU winners’ bracket game. That game is Tuesday. Following a loss on Saturday, the Razorbacks will be forced to win four games in four days to advance to the championship series.