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Arkansas

Dave Van Horn explains why he took Gage Wood out early in Game 2 vs. Tennessee

Danby: Daniel Hager06/10/25DanielHagerOn3
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Jun 22, 2022; Omaha, NE, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Dave Van Horn walks off the field after defeating the Ole Miss Rebels at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

For the first time since 2022, the Arkansas Razorbacks are headed back to the Men’s College World Series. The Hogs swept Tennessee in the Fayetteville Regional, outscoring the ‘Vols 15-7 over the two-game span.

After taking the first game 4-3, Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn started junior right-handed pitcher Gage Wood in the second game. Wood was rolling, as he allowed just three hits and one earned run through 3 1/3 innings. Van Horn however pulled the plug early on Wood while ahead 7-1.

Van Horn, who is now headed to Omaha for the 10th time as a head coach (twice at Nebraska, eight times at Arkansas), explained the decision to pull Wood early postgame.

“He was pitching from behind a bit,” Van Horn said. “He was right around 50 pitches and he wasn’t getting a lot of swing-and-misses. We just had everybody available and we thought okay if he goes out and starts locating and dropping that curveball in there, but one time it was in there and other times it was up and hanging. He had zero strikeouts, so that was what we saw and talked to coach [Matt] Hobbs about. We just felt like we could just mix it up. We’ve got all these guys and the lead, let’s go for it. That’s what we did.”

Following Wood’s departure, four different relief arms finished out the win for Arkansas. Freshman left-handed pitcher Cole Gibler especially shined, as he allowed just one hit while striking out four batters in 2 2/3 innings. Sophomore right-hander Aiden Jimenez, junior left-hander Parker Coil and junior right-hander Christian Foutch pitched the final three innings, allowing just four combined hits and two runs.

Arkansas‘ offense helped out the pitching staff tremendously in the game two win, as the Razorbacks jumped all over Tennessee ace Liam Doyle. Following Charles Davalan‘s two-run home run in the top of the third inning, the ‘Backs plated five more runs in the top of the fourth inning courtesy of a wild pitch and a Logan Maxwell grand slam.

“I’m just so happy that they’re gonna finish the season in Omaha,” an emotional Van Horn said. “It just means a lot.”

Arkansas now opens play in the Men’s College World Series against LSU on June 14 at 7:00 pm EST. The Razorbacks and Tigers played earlier this season in Baton Rouge, where LSU won the first two games of the series but failed to finish off the sweep.