Skip to main content
Join Now
Team Avatar
Arkansas

Dave Van Horn reveals there was 'no chance' Gage Wood was leaving no-hitter after eight innings

Barkley-Truaxby: Barkley Truax06/17/25BarkleyTruax
Dave-Van-Horn-explains-why-he-took-Gage-Wood-out-early--Game-2-Tennessee
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

When Gage Wood‘s perfect game was broken up in the eighth inning of Arkansas‘ 3-0 win over Murray State on Monday, he was 95 pitches into his first start at the College World Series. Despite the climbing pitch count, head coach Dave Van Horn never thought for a second to take the RHP off the mound.

“I’ll be the first one to say it: There’s nothing being said or talked about our dugout whatsoever. We’re just going to let him roll,” Van Horn said after the game. “There was no chance he was coming out after eight.”

Even after hitting Murray State batter Dom Decker on an low, inside curveball and breaking up his perfect game, Wood’s intensity never wavered. He retired the next three batters in a row — striking out the final two in order. Still, he was over 100 pitches into the matchup at that point.

Before Monday, Wood’s season-high pitch count sat at 89. In the end, Wood threw 119 pitches and struck out 19 of the 28 batters he faced during the day.

“[Wood was] just executing pitch after pitch, getting ahead in the count, breaking the ball low in the dirt,” Van Horn said. “Not a problem because [catcher Ryder Helfrick] is back there and he blocks everything. And elevating his fastball in and out. Just what a great job. … Just glad we made all those plays. So close to the perfect game.”

While Woods won’t go down as having pitched the first perfect game in College World Series, his performance will be immortalized in Omaha record books. His 19 strikeouts are the most ever by a pitcher in a single CWS game — not to mention breaking the previous school record, which was 17, along the way.

Arkansas now advances through to take on the winner between LSU, who the Razorbacks lost to in their CWS opener, and UCLA. That matchup will be another elimination game held on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

“The only thing we have is tomorrow,” Van Horn said. “That’s what we did at practice yesterday. We got them out early. Got up early and went out there and stretched, casually did what we needed to do, kind of moved on, talked about today, and not really worrying about the next day or the next day because we had to take care of today. So same for tonight. Relax, get ready for tomorrow.”