Oregon State wins, claims NCAA baseball championship

Facing elimination after losing their opener at the College World Series, the Oregon State Beavers ripped off four straight victories to stay alive.

Once they reached the championship round, the Beavers did it the hard way — again.

They lost the opener, and then rallied with a vengeance to take two straight from the Arkansas Razorbacks, claiming the school’s third NCAA Division I title.

Oregon State, champions in both 2006 and 2007, climbed to the top of the college baseball world again after beating Arkansas 5-0 Thursday night behind freshman Kevin Abel’s masterful pitching.

Scoring two runs in the first inning to take charge early, the Beavers turned it over to Abel, a freshman from San Diego.

Abel responded by throwing a two-hit, complete-game shutout. Mixing a fastball, a curve and a devastating changeup, he struck out 10 and retired the last 20 batters he faced.

Facing television cameras after the game, he couldn’t hide his emotions.

“Unbelievable,” Abel told ESPN in front of cheering fans at TD Ameritrade Park. “Thank you, Beaver Nation, for everything you do. You guys are awesome.”

Adley Rutschman produced three hits and two RBI for the Beavers. With 17 hits in the CWS, he was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

Oregon State lost 8-6 to North Carolina in the CWS opener. In response, the Beavers knocked off Washington, North Carolina and Mississippi State (twice) to get to the finals.

Once in the title round, OSU stumbled again, falling 4-1 to Arkansas on Tuesday night. On Wednesday, the Razorbacks moved to within one out of their first national title.

Arkansas had a chance to win it but misplayed a pop foul ball. Given a second chance, the Beavers didn’t let it get away. They rallied from a one-run deficit to win 5-3.

The Game 3 clincher wasn’t nearly as dramatic. But it was efficient, with Rutschman coming up big, driving in runs in first and third innings.

“We’ve got a special group,” Rutschman told ESPN.

Records

Oregon State 55-12-1
Arkansas 48-21

Oregon State, Arkansas to play again with a title on the line

When the Oregon State Beavers and Arkansas Razorbacks take the field Thursday night for the NCAA Division I baseball championship, all the elements for another classic will converge.

The same cast of characters that produced the first two games in the College World Series finals will face off at TD Ameritrade Park one more time. Same players. Same coaches.

Even the same crazy fans.

But whether the deciding game can measure up to Wednesday night’s Game 2 in sheer, dramatic theater remains as an open question.

Oregon State rallied in the ninth inning behind Cadyn Grenier and Trevor Larnach for a stunning 5-3 victory over Arkansas, tying the CWS finals at one win apiece.

Nobody won a championship, but the game was a gem, with the lead changing hands three times.

“I never had a doubt,” Larnach said in an ESPN interview. “I never was worried.”

Arkansas registered a 4-1 victory on Tuesday to open the best-of-3 finals, setting the stage for the re-match.

In the top of the ninth, Arkansas was one out away from clinching the victory and the national title, but couldn’t close it out.

The game appeared to be over when Grenier lifted a high pop fly in foul territory behind first base.

But with Razorbacks second baseman Carson Shaddy, right fielder Eric Cole and first baseman Jared Gates converging, the ball dropped behind Shaddy and between the other two players for a foul ball.

Grenier would get another swing against Arkansas relief ace Matt Cronin, and he delivered with a two-out, two-strike RBI single through the left side to tie the game.

Larnach followed with a line drive, two-run homer to right field, making it 5-3.

In the bottom of the ninth, Arkansas reliver Jake Mulholland got a ground ball, double play to end it.

Quotable

Cadyn Grenier, in the Corvallis Gazette-Times:

“As soon as you see the ball drop, you know you have another life. All I thought was I needed to refocus and make the most of that extra life that we got.”

Matt Cronin, in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:

“I was feeling good, expecting to finish the ballgame right there and win a natty (a national title). But it didn’t work out the way we wanted it. So we’re going to regroup and get it tomorrow.”

How it happened

The Razorbacks scored first with a run in the second inning off Oregon State starter Bryce Fehmel.

Carson Shaddy started the rally with a one-out single, and Jared Gates was hit by a pitch.

After a Grant Koch ground ball resulted in a force play, erasing Shaddy at third base, Fehmel walked Jax Biggers to load the bases.

The implosion continued when Fehmel threw a wild pitch, allowing Gates to score and giving the Razorbacks a 1-0 lead.

In the top of the fourth, Oregon State’s Adley Ruschman tied the game with a solo home run off Arkansas starter Kacey Murphy.

The Beavers continued to scrap in the fifth inning, bunching three hits and scoring a run to take the lead on a suicide squeeze bunt.

Zak Taylor delivered a one-out single through the infield, and then Preston Jones beat out a bunt single placed perfectly down the third base line.

At that point, Jake Reindl replaced Murphy and promptly walked Nick Madrigal to load the bases.

Grenier followed with an RBI single on another bunt, boosting Oregon State into a 2-1 lead.

Reindl threw one more pitch, a ball, to Larnach. But that was it for Reindl as Arkansas gambled, bringing in Kole Ramage to face one of Oregon State’s most dangerous hitters.

Ramage, in one of the game’s biggest moments, delivered by striking out Larnach and then getting Ruschman to ground out to end the threat.

The Razorbacks didn’t waste any time in mounting a comeback, scoring twice in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead.

With one out, Casey Martin laced a single through the right side.

From there, the baseball gods started to smile on Arkansas, as Heston Kjerstad blooped a ball down the left field line that fell in for a single.

To make matters worse for Oregon State, Luke Bonfield blooped another ball into shallow left, just out of the center fielder’s reach.

Martin utilized blazing speed to tie the game, scoring all the way from second and sliding in just ahead of the throw while Kjerstad took second.

One out later, Shaddy singled to left, bringing home Kjerstad as Arkansas took a 3-2 lead.

Arkansas wins, moves to within one victory of NCAA baseball title

A contested umpire’s call in the fourth inning Tuesday night tipped the momentum to the Arkansas Razorbacks, who capitalized on the good fortune to rally for a 4-1 victory over the Oregon State Beavers at the College World Series.

Arkansas is now one win away from its first NCAA baseball title.

The same two teams will play again Wednesday night in Game 2 of a best-of-three series for the championship. Game 3, if necessary, would be held Thursday. The series is being played in Omaha, Nebraska.

A key sequence in the opener unfolded in the bottom of the fourth when a baserunner interference call led to an Oregon State run being taken off the scoreboard.

Trevor Larnach opened the inning with a double to left on a fly ball that Arkansas leftfielder Heston Kjerstad lost in the sun. Adley Rutschman followed with a single, moving Larnach to third.

On Tyler Malone’s ground ball to the right side, Larnach ran home and crossed the plate, Rutschman was thrown out at second on the force and Malone was called safe at first on a double-play attempt.

Umpires, however, ruled that Rutschman — who ducked his head as he neared second base — had interfered with the relay throw from Arkansas shortstop Jax Biggers.

It meant that both Rutschman and Malone were erased on a double play. Worse for the Beavers, umps told Larnach that he had to go back to third.

Oregon State coach Pat Casey came out to argue, but the call stood.

From there, Arkansas pitcher Blaine Knight struck out Michael Gretler to end the inning, keeping the Beavers’ lead at 1-0.

In the top of the fifth, Oregon State starter and 16-game winner Luke Heimlich came unraveled, with the Razorbacks scoring four runs.

Heimlich walked one, hit two batters with pitches and watched as star Nick Madrigal made a critical infield error.

On the play, Casey Martin hit a slow roller that Madrigal failed to handle cleanly. So, instead of getting a force at second base for the second out of the inning, the third run of the inning scored and everyone was safe.

Heimlich would throw one last pitch, a ball, to Heston Kjerstad. After that, Casey pulled him for Christian Chamberlain, who proceeded to issue a walk to force in a run that made it 4-1.

The Beavers entered the day with 48 runs scored in five games at the CWS. But the Razorbacks’ pitching trio of Knight, Barrett Loseke and closer Matt Cronin combined to hold them in check.

Knight pitched six innings and allowed a run on seven hits, improving his record to 14-0 on the season. Loseke worked two innings and Cronin closed in the ninth.

Heimlich, a senior, took the loss and fell to 16-3.

He worked 4 and 1/3 innings and was charged with all four runs, three of them earned. Heimlich struck out five and walked two.

Chamberlain was dominant in 4 and 2/3 scoreless innings of relief. He yielded only two hits while striking out 11.

Quotable

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn, to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette:

“We feel very fortunate to have won the ball game. Baseball is a little different game sometimes, and you can have eight innings where you don’t do much and you put together one inning and you pitch good enough and play defense and you can win.”

Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman, to the Corvallis Gazette-Times:

We’ve got to come out tomorrow with more of an edge and better competitiveness, and see what happens. There’s something about it, something about facing elimination that you can’t really explain. So I’m hoping we come out with that fire and energy tomorrow.”

Rutschman, on the interference call:

“I don’t exactly know the rule on it, but I just did my best to get out of the way and get out of his throwing lane. I just kind of crouched down, and I don’t really know what else to say … you can’t obstruct his throwing lane, so that’s just what I tried to do. I guess you can’t do that.”

Notable

Oregon State is expected to pitch righthander Bryce Fehmel (10-1, 3.16) on Wednesday night. Arkansas is scheduled counter with lefty Kacey Murphy (8-5, 3.15).

Game 1 had been scheduled for Monday, but it was rained out, pushing the opener to Tuesday.

Oregon State has been dealing with controversy in regard to Heimlich since this time last year when he left the team before the CWS after an Oregon newspaper reported that he had pleaded guilty to molesting a young relative when he was 15.

Officials allowed him to return to the team this season. The Associated Press reports that he served two years of probation and went through a treatment program. Heimlich denied wrongdoing in recent interviews with Sports Illustrated and the New York Times.

He was not drafted either last year or this year.

Records

Arkansas 48-19
Oregon State 53-12-1

Will Arkansas pitchers prevail? OSU hitters to state their case

Fans of the Arkansas Razorbacks have been “calling the hogs” in the state of Nebraska for more than a week, and who could blame them?

They’re probably warming up again right now, as we, err, speak.

Here’s why:

So far, the Razorbacks are undefeated in Omaha at the College World Series. They’re 3-0 and playing great in all phases of the game.

Perhaps more importantly, they’re pitching more effectively at the moment than the 4-1 Oregon State Beavers.

As a result, the Arkansas bullpen has also worked fewer innings than its counterpart since the tournament opened on June 16.

Given the disparity, even the most neutral observers likely favor the Hogs to beat the Beavers in the finals, a best-of-three series that starts Monday night at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha.

But whether such conventional analysis proves accurate in this case, I don’t know if I’m buying into that or not.

I don’t know how you can ever count out an Oregon State offense that’s averaged nearly 10 runs per game in five CWS games.

Count ’em. The Beavers have scored 48 runs in five-game ride to the CWS finals.

From what I’ve seen on television, I’m not sure Nick Madrigal, Trevor Larnach and Adley Rutschman and those guys couldn’t, on a good day, beat just about any pitcher in the nation.

Against Arkansas, they’ll face Blaine Knight (13-0, 2.88) in the opener, followed by Kacey Murphy (8-5, 3.15) and, if necessary, Isaiah Campbell (5-6, 4.12).

They’ll also likely see a lot of Barrett Loseke, Jake Reindl and Matt Cronin out of the bullpen.

That’s the heart of a staff that has withstood challenges from solid offensive teams in Texas, Texas Tech and No. 1 Florida.

It’s a staff that has held opponents to a combined 11 runs in Omaha in an impressive three-game stretch.

Then again, I also think Madrigal and Co. are extraordinary talents that could cause major problems, forcing the Razorbacks to go deeper into their rotation than anyone they’ve seen at the CWS thus far.

Who will win? I don’t know.

I just really like Oregon State’s swagger right now, and, in spite of spotty pitching from Luke Heimlich and Bryce Fehmel, I strongly suspect this series will go the distance.

I think, for certain, we’ll see three highly entertaining baseball games.

Notable

Arkansas is shooting for its first national title in baseball. The Razorbacks last reached the CWS finals in 1979.

Oregon State won titles previously at the CWS in 2006 and 2007. The Beavers haven’t been back to the CWS finals since.

Quotable

Oregon State coach Pat Casey:

“What I’ve seen of Arkansas is what everybody else has seen, pretty darned good,” Casey said. “I don’t know if I’ve seen a more complete team: Pitching, defense, speed, power.”

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn:

“Once we got here and watched them play, I told Pat that I figured that they would fight their way through like they did,” Van Horn said. “And I think it’s going to be a great series.”

Inside scoop

Here are stories that appeared in Monday’s editions of the Corvallis (Oregon) Gazette-Times and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Oregon State beats Mississippi State, advances to CWS finals

Tyler Malone slugged a three-run homer to support the clutch pitching of freshman starter Kevin Abel Saturday night, lifting the Oregon State Beavers into the College World Series finals with a 5-2 victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Mississippi State battled to give itself a chance in the bottom of the ninth by scoring once and loading the bases with two out.

But Beavers reliever Jake Mulholland escaped the jam by coaxing Bulldogs designated hitter Jordan Westburg, a freshman from New Braunfels, into a fielder’s choice ground ball to end it.

In winning a fourth straight game after losing the tournament opener, Oregon State advanced to play Arkansas in a best-of-three series for the NCAA Division I baseball title.

The third-seeded Beavers and the No. 5 Razorbacks open the series Monday night in Omaha, Nebraska.

“I’m proud of our club to fight through the losers’ bracket and get the opportunity to play for a national title,” Oregon State coach Pat Casey told the Corvallis Gazette-Times. “It’s special. Our guys, as you could see, were running on fumes.”

Adley Rutschman and Michael Gretler started the scoring in the third inning with RBI singles off Mississippi State ace Ethan Small. Malone, a sophomore from Roseville, California, followed with his eighth homer of the season to make it 5-0.

Meanwhile, Abel worked seven full innings, yielding only a run on three hits. He walked three and struck out five. Mississippi State scored a run in the third and had opportunities to get more in the fifth and sixth, only to come up empty.

In the fifth, with a runner aboard, Jake Mangum tried to stretch a single into a double but got thrown out at second base to end the inning.

In the sixth, with runners at second and third and Abel struggling with his control, Elijah MacNamee hit into a bang-bang double play to kill the rally.

MacNamee’s liner was snared by Gretler at third, who turned and fired to second base to double off Hunter Stovall for the last out.

In the ninth, a couple of two-out walks and an RBI single by Luke Alexander pulled the Bulldogs to within 5-2. But with the bases loaded, Mulholland put an end Mississippi State’s improbable playoff run.

Westburg, an all-state shortstop last year at New Braunfels High School, hit a ball to short that was bobbled briefly.

But Cadyn Grenier regained control and flipped to second for the force, sealing Oregon State’s second victory over Mississippi State in two days.

Westburg finished the game 0 for 4 at the plate. He was 0 for 6 in two games since a 3-hit, 7-RBI performance Tuesday afternooon against North Carolina.

Notable

Oregon State won CWS titles in 2006 and 2007 under Casey but hasn’t been able to reach the finals since then.

Mississippi State interim coach Gary Henderson told reporters he hoped to be back as head coach next season.

Quotable

Commenting on the team’s playoff run, Henderson told the the Jackson Clarion-Ledger:

“… It’s been an unbelievable time in my life, for a guy like me who has coached as long as I have and never been close to anything like this.”

Records

Oregon State 53-11-1
Mississippi State 39-29

Mississippi State pitcher Ethan Small shakes off freak injury

Mississippi State pitcher Ethan Small is expected to start Saturday night against Oregon State despite suffering an injury to his left (throwing) elbow on Friday at the College World Series.

Small, the Bulldogs’ ace, was hurt while playing catch during warmups. Positioned outside the left field line, Small went down after a batted ball by one of his teammates struck him.

“I was catching a ball from someone throwing in,” Small said in a video posted by the Jackson (Mississippi) Clarion Ledger. “They said, ‘Heads up.’ I turned, and my arm goes back here, and it just popped me on the inside.

“Initial reaction was like, ‘Oh, crap.’ It kind of hurt. And then about two minutes later it went down. Took some Tylenol. Played catch, and it was fine.”

Small (5-3, 2.89) pitched Mississippi State to a 1-0 victory over Washington last Saturday on the first day of the CWS.

In that effort, he worked seven scoreless innings and struck out five with no walks.

Earlier in the Super Regional round, Small was roughed up in a 10-8 victory at Vanderbilt, during which he yielded four runs (three earned) in four innings.

Oregon State has been on an offensive tear. The Beavers have scored 92 runs in nine NCAA tournament games. They dropped an 8-6 decision to North Carolina in a CWS opener last Saturday.

But since then, the No. 3 seeded team in the tournament has pounded out victories over Washington (14-5), North Carolina (11-6) and Mississippi State (12-2). Oregon State lashed Mississippi State pitching for 15 hits on Friday afternoon.

“A lot of guys are feeling comfortable in the box,” Oregon State infielder Nick Madrigal told the Corvallis (Oregon) Gazette-Times. “We’ve had some great at-bats, taking some walks when pitches have been out of the zone and we’ve squared some balls up when they do come in.

“I think everyone feels really good in the box, and we are swinging the bats pretty well right now.”

Mississippi State wasn’t among the 16 nationally seeded teams coming in to the tournament. But it has shown great resilience on the first two weekends, winning on the road at the Tallahassee Regional and in the Super Regional at Vanderbilt.

The Beavers haven’t announced a pitcher, but No. 3 starter Kevin Abel (5-1, 3.50) is rested, according to the Gazette-Times.

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn: ‘We still have work to do’

The Arkansas Razorbacks on Friday eliminated the defending national champion Florida Gators, 5-2, at the College World Series.

With the victory, the Razorbacks remained undefeated in three games at the tournament and advanced to a best-of-three title round that will start on Monday.

Mississippi State and Oregon State play Saturday at 7 p.m., with the winner moving on to meet the Razorbacks for the NCAA Division I baseball championship.

A crowd announced at 25,016 attended at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha when two powers in the Southeastern Conference met in the lower bracket finals.

Not only did Arkansas qualify for the title round, it beat Florida in one game and avoided a second meeting that would have been held Saturday, with the Razorbacks almost certainly poised to use ace pitcher Blaine Knight.

Now, the Razorbacks can start Knight on Monday.

Notable

Arkansas is playing in the CWS championship round for the second time and the first since 1979.

Quotable

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn:

“Top to bottom, it was a good effort by our team,” the 16th-year coach told ArkansasOnline.com “It means a lot to be here, but we still have work to do.”

Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan:

“I like playing Arkansas,” O’Sullivan said in comments reported by ArkansasOnline. “They’re always well coached. It’s almost like we’re playing ourselves. They’re playing at a very high level right now.

“The way they’re pitching and playing offensively and defensively, they’ve got a really good chance at this thing.”

How it happened

Casey Martin produced four hits and Luke Bonfield and Dominic Fletcher drove in two runs apiece for Arkansas.

The Razorbacks took charge in the fifth inning when Martin led off with a double down the left field line.

After a Heston Kjerstad ground ball moved Martin to third, Martin scored on another ground ball, this one by Bonfield.

Fletcher followed by pulling a 2-run home run to right field, which increased Arkansas’ lead to 4-0.

A sophomore outfielder from Cypress, California, Fletcher improved his three-game statistics in the CWS to 8 of 14 with two home runs and 8 RBI.

Martin, a freshman infielder from Lonoke, Arkansas, is also 8 for 14 in three games and has scored six runs.

In all, the Razorbacks have produced 38 hits combined in victories over Texas, Texas Tech and Florida, the No. 1-seeded team in the NCAA tournament.

Meanwhile, the Arkansas pitching staff continued to shine.

Isaiah Campbell, Jake Reindl and Matt Cronin combined to hold the Gators to three hits.

Campbell, a 6-foot-4 sophomore from Olathe, Kansas, emerged as a key to the game.

Entering with a 4-6 record and a 4.19 earned run average, he started and held Florida to two runs on two hits in 5 and 1/3 innings.

Campbell struck out eight while outdueling Florida ace Brady Singer, a first-round draft pick of the Kansas City Royals.

Singer gave up four runs in five innings. Arkansas pitching held Florida batting stars Jonathan India and JJ Schwarz to a combined 0 for 8.

Texas connections

A highlight play came in the bottom of the ninth when Arkansas right fieelder Eric Cole ran into foul territory and made a leaping catch, snatching a ball that was falling into the stands, for the first out of the inning.

Cole played at Southlake Carroll High School, and freshman star Heston Kjerstad is from Amarillo, where he played for Randall High School.

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn played junior college baseball for McClennan College in Waco.

Records

Arkansas 47-19
Florida 49-21

Madrigal, Larnach power Oregon State past Mississippi State

Nick Madrigal and Trevor Larnach had three hits apiece to power the Oregon State Beavers past the Mississippi State Bulldogs 12-2 Friday at the College World Series.

With the victory, Oregon State averted elimination from the tournament and forced a deciding game against Mississippi State to determine the Bracket 1 representative in the CWS title series.

Oregon State and Mississippi State are scheduled to play again Saturday afternoon at Omaha, Nebraska.

Madrigal and Larnach, who both grew up in California, were picked on the first round of the recent Major League Baseball player draft.

Madrigal, from Elk Grove, was the fourth overall choice by the Chicago White Sox. Larnach, from Pleasant Hill, was the 20th pick by the Minnesota Twins.

Both figured in the rally that produced a Beavers’ run in the first inning that tied the score, 1-1. Oregon State scored five runs in the second to take charge.

In the Beavers’ first at bat, Madrigal singled and stole second and third. Larnach laced an RBI single to drive him in.

Batting third in the lineup, Larnach had three RBI.

Records

Oregon State 52-11-1
Mississippi State 39-28

Florida wins; Texas Tech ousted from College World Series

Senior JJ Schwarz hit the 50th home run of his college career Thursday night as the top-seeded Florida Gators scored a 9-6 victory over Texas Tech, eliminating the Red Raiders from the College World Series.

Freshman Jack Leftwich pitched into the seventh inning to carry Florida to its second straight win in the tournament after losing 6-3 in its opener against Texas Tech.

The Red Raiders of the Big 12 Conference bowed out with a 1-2 record in the CWS after losing on consecutive days to Arkansas and Florida, two powerhouses from the Southeastern Conference.

The Gators advanced to play Arkansas in the bracket finals, which are set to open Friday night. Arkansas needs one win to wrap up a berth in the CWS title round. Florida needs to win two.

A key sequence between Florida and Texas Tech started in the bottom of the seventh, when the Red Raiders had scored their first three runs of the game to pull within 5-3.

Florida reliever Jordan Butler entered the game with the bases loaded and one out, and he delivered by fanning Tech slugger Zach Rheams. Butler then retired Michael Davis on a liner to right field.

The Gators continued to press the issue when they came to the plate in the eighth, scoring three runs for an 8-3 lead. The big blow was an RBI triple by Brady Smith.

Undaunted, the Red Raiders rallied in their half of the inning with three runs on three hits to pull within 8-6. Included in the outburst was an RBI single by sophomore Josh Jung.

Jung, from San Antonio’s MacArthur High School, finished 3 for 5 with 2 RBI.

In the ninth, Florida scored one run to account for the final margin. All-American Jonathan India singled, stole second — for his third steal of the day — and made it all the way around to score on an infield error.

Florida relief ace Michael Byrne retired Texas Tech 1-2-3 in the ninth to end it.

In the early going

As Leftwich shut down the Red Raiders’ offense, the Gators scored one in the fourth and two each in the fifth and sixth to make it 5-0.

Schwarz, who missed the first two rounds of the NCAA playoffs with a hand injury, turned it into a five-run game in the sixth with a two-run shot — his 13th home run of the season.

Texas Tech got it going in the seventh with four hits and an error by Florida shortstop Deacon Liput that allowed the third run of the inning to score.

Notable

Jung finished his sophomore year at Texas Tech with a team-leading .392 batting average. He had 103 hits in 263 at bats. Included in the totals were 12 home runs, six triples and 17 doubles. He also finished with 80 RBI.

Records

Texas Tech 45-20
Florida 49-20