Gage Wood Throws No-Hitter; Eliminates Murray State

24,074 fans filed into Charles Schwab Field on Monday, the majority donning red shirts and a visual of nervousness.  With the Razorbacks enjoying a year that seemed like ‘the one’, Dave Van Horn’s club quickly felt the pressure of an elimination game after falling to LSU in the opening round of the College World Series.  

With surmounting pressure, Van Horn gave the ball to Gage Wood, a Junior Right-Hander who enjoyed MLB draft buzz through the perils of injury recovery in 2025.  Entering the outing against Murray State, Wood held an ERA of 5.02 through nine starts this season.  Across 28.2 innings of work, Wood collected an eye-popping 50 strikeouts, walking just seven batters.  

Still, the season hadn’t been an easy one for the Batesville, Arkansas native.  Wood left his outing against Michigan at Globe Life Park in February, just the second week of the 2025 season, with an injury.  Wood was held out of competition until returning against Texas A&M on April 18th.  In his start against the Aggies, Wood lasted just one-third of inning, giving up three runs.

The Razorbacks employed patience and hesitation with Wood as he managed a return, through some turbulence, Wood seemed to find ‘it’ in postseason play.  Against Creighton, Wood pitched his team to a Super Regional berth, throwing six innings, giving up three runs on three base hits.  In the earned Super Regional against Tennessee, Wood maintained steadiness, giving up three hits, but holding the Volunteers to one run in three innings of work.  

On Monday, Wood remained as mission-focused as his Head Coach identified his team to be in February.  When speaking on his preparation for the elimination contest, Wood was concise, “the only special thing was I didn't want to go home. That's it.”.

“We’re not done yet”

Well, Wood isn’t going home, and in fact will stay in Omaha, at least etched in history books, forever.  The six-foot right-hander was mobbed by his teammates after recording his College World Series record-breaking 19th strikeout of the evening, completing the third no-hitter in CWS history in the process.  

Wood celebrated the first no-hitter in ‘Omaha’ since June 15th, 1960, when Oklahoma State’s Jim Wixson accomplished the feat against North Carolina, ten years after Texas arm Jim Ehrler became the first to do just that.  Wood carried a perfect-game into his 8th inning of work before Will Vierling was hit by an uncharacteristically missed Wood-offspeed pitch.  

Of the no hitter and the magnitude of the moment, Wood kept it simple, “we're not going home. We get to play tomorrow night. It was pretty cool.”  Wood didn’t complete history by himself, both on the field and in celebrating the sometimes lost-art of superstition. 

After his Catcher, Ryder Helfrick, reported he “for sure, wasn't saying anything”, Razorback left-fielder Charles Davalan told reporters many remained quiet, but one member of the Arkansas dugout hadn’t been afraid to mention the elephant in the room.  G-Baby, the team’s bat boy  “I guess, apparently going -- he came back after 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.”

Prior to meeting with the media, Van Horn affirmed, there was no discussion, “there's nothing being said or talked about (in) our dugout whatsoever. We're just going to let him roll. And, no, there was no chance he was coming out after eight.”

Wood, eloquently, reminded media of the simpler accomplishment at hand, “we’re not done yet”.  The Razorbacks will look to extend their season against one of UCLA and LSU, needing to string together three additional consecutive victories to reach the National Championship series.