OMAHA, Neb. — For a change, the Arkansas Razorbacks are experiencing a bit of good fortune in the College World Series.
After three hours of waiting at Charles Schwab Field due to rain on Monday night, LSU and UCLA learned they would need to rise early Tuesday morning for a 10 a.m. first pitch to wrap up the remaining six innings of their winners’ bracket clash.
The Tigers and Bruins had already endured a longer-than-expected first three innings, thanks to a surprisingly aggressive offensive start from both teams. They will have to reset, with the exception of the 5-3 scoreline favoring LSU.
UCLA was already using its second pitcher and is now set to bring in a third, as Landon Stump becomes the second starter from a top-seeded team to be pulled by the Tigers in just two innings.
On the other hand, LSU will be forced to rely on an additional pitcher after No. 2 starter Anthony Eyanson managed to endure giving up three runs on three hits in the first inning before pitching two scoreless innings. With so many innings ahead and the fresh start mentality of a new day, Tigers coach Jay Johnson will also have to sacrifice a crucial long-range reliever, something highly valued just three games into the College World Series.
The ideal scenario for Arkansas would see LSU engaged in a high-scoring, extra-inning battle. Such a game would provide the Razorbacks with their best chance to eliminate their SEC rival.
This scenario would not only sap energy from the Tigers and their supporters but would also further deplete their pitching resources. Additionally, the team’s routine would be significantly disrupted.
They would need to rush to grab a meal and return to the field to prepare for a 6 p.m. game against Arkansas, leaving little time for coaches to formulate a strategy. While LSU may find itself short on pitchers, the Razorbacks will be in excellent shape.
Apart from Gabe Gaeckle and Gage Wood, all pitchers will be ready to go. The rest of the pitching staff, aside from those two, has collectively only thrown three innings.
Gaeckle and Wood combined for 15 innings of shutout baseball, allowing just three hits on 208 pitches, averaging nearly one hit every 70 pitches. This makes it even more challenging to grasp that Arkansas has been fighting for survival in virtually every inning of this CWS.
Nevertheless, Dave Van Horn has an abundance of options on the mound. Ace Zach Root, who barely warmed up before a few unfortunate at-bats led to three runs against LSU on Saturday night, is also technically available.
Although it may be slightly off schedule, if the Tigers end up in the loser’s bracket, it’s likely Root will be knocking on Van Horn’s hotel door, eager for a chance at redemption.
Root is a formidable pitcher, his performance often amplified by emotion, and if he faces LSU again, the focus and intensity he would bring could make him extremely dangerous.
This is likely the only scenario where Van Horn would consider pitching Root on Tuesday night. If it’s UCLA that the Hogs face, a different strategy might be in play.
In their previous NCAA Tournament outing, Arkansas utilized a combination of Aiden Jimenez, Parker Coil, and Landon Beidelschies, as the only instance of someone other than Root or Wood taking the mound. It’s quite probable that the Arkansas coach will lean on his pitching depth against whichever No. 3 pitcher the Bruins deploy.
No matter which team the Razorbacks encounter, they will be a well-rested squad riding the emotional high from Wood’s historic no-hitter the previous day. The only concern for the team is the lack of offensive production in Omaha.
However, even this has a silver lining. The nation’s top-hitting team is much more likely to catch fire when going up against an opponent fatigued from a late night, early morning, and a high-stress second game with minimal recovery time.
For once, the odds seem to be in their favor. That’s not a sentiment often expressed about the Hogs in Omaha.
