Tickets were punched and dreams were shattered on Wednesday. That seems to be a common theme annually in Omaha, and this year is no different.
West Virginia’s country roads reach a dead end
North Carolina punched its ticket to the College World Series Finals. The Tar Heels punched their ticket to the championship series on Wednesday with a 12-7 win over West Virginia.
North Carolina wasted little time, jumping out to an early lead and scoring 12 runs, the most the program has ever scored in a College World Series game. The Mountaineers tried to rally late, but came up short. The Tar Heel offense was relentless from the start.
Super Regionals hero Owen Hull continued his remarkable postseason, finishing 4-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, two RBIs and four runs scored.
Gavin Gallaher continued his incredible MCWS with multiple hits and RBIs, as North Carolina consistently delivered in run-scoring situations. The Heels finished 8-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
West Virginia didn’t go quietly. The Mountaineers put together a five-run surge midway through the game to make things interesting. However, every time West Virginia threatened, the Tar Heels had an answer.
The bullpen settled things down late, and North Carolina closed the door before the Mountaineers could mount one last comeback.
For West Virginia, the loss ends the greatest season in program history. The Mountaineers reached Omaha for the first time, won 47 games and came within two victories of playing for a national championship. North Carolina, meanwhile, advances to the College World Series Finals for the first time since 2007 and is the favorite to win it all.
An UGA-ly end for the Bulldogs as Oklahoma’s dream run continues
The bracket guaranteed the SEC a spot in the College World Series Finals. No one thought it was gonna be this SEC team though.
Oklahoma pulled off the unthinkable and got an 11-4 victory to eliminate Georgia and secure a spot in the College World Series Finals.
What started as a matchup everyone thought was a mismatch turned into another statement from an Oklahoma club that has been one of the hottest teams in the country over the last three weeks. The Sooners pounded out 11 runs and never allowed Georgia to find the momentum it desperately needed in the elimination game.
The Sooners got to Georgia’s pitchers early and continued to apply pressure throughout the night. Timely hitting and aggressive baserunning have been a staple of the Sooner offense all postseason, and on Wednesday they punched back all night.
Every time the Bulldogs threatened to climb back into the game, Oklahoma had an answer. The Sooners have now won seven straight postseason games and hit 26 home runs in their last 10 games since regionals began.
For Georgia, the loss ends one of the best seasons in program history. The Bulldogs won 53 games, captured a national seed and reached Omaha for the first time since 2008. However, they could never fully recover after falling into the loser’s bracket earlier in the week. The Bulldogs ran out of pitching and answers against an Oklahoma lineup that has caught fire at the right time.
Just a few weeks ago, Oklahoma was fighting to keep its season alive. Now it’s two wins away from a national title.
