Arkansas Razorbacks junior right-handed pitcher Gage Wood threw the third no-hitter in NCAA Division I College World Series history Monday afternoon in a 3-0 elimination game win over the Murray State Racers at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb.
The moment he made history. 🥹#MCWS x 🎥 ESPN / @RazorbackBSB pic.twitter.com/9WwjpD17Au
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 16, 2025
“We’re not going home. We get to play tomorrow night,” Wood said during the postgame press conference after his dazzling performance.
Wood carved his name into history during the 75th anniversary of the College World Series in Omaha, tossing the first no-hitter since Jim Wixson of Oklahoma State blanked North Carolina 7-0 on June 15, 1960. The only other CWS no-hitter came from Jim Ehrler of Texas, who shut out Tufts University 7-0 on June 19, 1950, during the first year the tournament was held at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium.
Moments after the big moment. @michellachester talks with Gage Wood after his historic outing on the biggest stage. #MCWS x @RazorbackBSB pic.twitter.com/H2Q92HCMsm
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 16, 2025
Ranked No. 50 on MLBPipeline.com’s Top 200 Draft list, Wood struck out 19 batters on 119 pitches, 83 of them for strikes. He recorded five groundouts and three flyouts.
“Gage just executed pitch after pitch, getting ahead in the count, breaking ball low in the dirt—not a problem because catcher Ryder Helfrick’s back there and he blocks everything. And elevating his fastball in and out. Just what a great job,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said in the postgame press conference.
Wood’s 19 strikeouts set a new Arkansas single-game record and marked the most ever in a nine-inning game at the Division I College World Series.
The 21-year-old from Newport, Ark. tallied 26 called strikes, 29 swinging strikes, and induced 20 foul balls—with Major League scouts in attendance who will certainly reevaluate his stock ahead of the 2025 MLB Draft in Atlanta.
19 STIKEOUTS.
NO-HITTER.
ELIMINATION GAME.GAGE WOOD WITH A LEGENDARY PERFORMANCE IN OMAHA 🔥 @RazorbackBSB pic.twitter.com/N47FAjJ4vc
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) June 16, 2025
His 19th strikeout also broke the previous CWS nine-inning record of 17 set by Ed Bane of Arizona State in 1972 against Oklahoma. It was also the 11th no-hitter recorded in Division I this season.
Wood struck out seven consecutive batters between the third and fifth innings, a streak that ended when Murray State’s Luke Mistone grounded back to the mound for the second out of the fifth.
The only baserunner Wood allowed came in the eighth when he hit Dom Decker with a breaking pitch to lead off the inning. He responded by retiring the next three batters—Mistone fouled out to Helfrick, then Will Vierling and Dan Tauken both struck out to end the threat.
KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK#MCWS x 🎥 ESPN / @RazorbackBSB pic.twitter.com/QPdXF1Zl0Y
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 16, 2025
Wood would retire the side—Good Morning, Good Afternoon, and Good Night—in the bottom of the ninth inning, striking out Nico Bermeo looking, then Conner Cunningham and Jonathan Hogart swinging to close the no-hitter and keep Arkansas alive in Omaha.
“From a pitch-calling perspective, it’s just going with his best pitches. And today the fastball was working, the curve was working. The cutter was there when we needed it, the change-up. It was all there. It’s really good to call it,” Helfrick said after the game.
Wood’s 11th strikeout by the fifth inning made him the sixth pitcher since 1999 to record seven straight strikeouts in a CWS game. He became the first Arkansas pitcher to record more than 10 strikeouts in a College World Series game and the second Razorback to carry a perfect game into the sixth inning.
According to Harrison Cordell Fant of SEC Unfiltered, Wood’s 11th strikeout was an 85 mph slurve with a 2664 RPM spin rate, a -16.87” induced vertical break, and a -10.95” horizontal break.
Gage Wood is electrifyingly DOMINATE here for Arkansas in the College World Series‼️
His 11TH STRIKEOUT in ONLY 5 INNINGS!
85 MPH, 2664 RPM
-16.87" IVB (Induced Vertical Break)
-10.95" HB (Horizontal Break)Spin it if ya got it! 🤢#Razorbacks @PitchingNinja pic.twitter.com/81YyNUKQ4C
— Harrison Cordell Fant (@Fantavious9) June 16, 2025
Will Thompson of Prospects Live also noted that Wood’s fastball was still reaching 97-98 mph in the ninth inning.
A performance for the ages for Gage Wood, tossing the third no-hitter in MCWS history. 19 strikeouts, zero walks, allowing just two HBP. His fastball was still 97-98 MPH in the 9th and was invisible at the top of the strike zone all night long. 29 whiffs on the day, a performance… https://t.co/N4VHZgv9wZ
— Will Thompson (@will_thompson33) June 16, 2025
For the season, Wood is now 4-1 with a 3.82 ERA in 10 starts. He has thrown 37.2 innings, allowing 27 hits, 16 earned runs, five home runs, and seven walks while striking out 69.
His scouting grades entering the 2025 MLB Draft include a 70-grade fastball, 55 curveball, 45 slider, 45 changeup, 55 control, and an overall grade of 50.
Arkansas, now 49-14 and ranked No. 3 in the nation, will face the loser of No. 6 LSU vs. No. 15 UCLA on June 17 at 7 p.m. EDT in the second elimination game.
Earlier that day, No. 8 Oregon State will play Louisville at 2 p.m. EDT in the first elimination matchup. LSU and UCLA will resume their suspended game at 11 a.m. EDT with the Tigers up 5-3 in the top of the fourth.
🚨 WEATHER UPDATES 🚨
⛈️ https://t.co/TaWNawJJBQ#MCWS pic.twitter.com/yMQYtHZFeM
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 17, 2025
All College World Series games are televised on the ESPN family of networks.
The 2025 Major League Baseball Draft will take place July 13-14 in Atlanta, Ga., as part of All-Star Game festivities. The 20-round draft will feature 615 picks from eligible high school and college players across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
The draft begins Sunday, July 13, at 6 p.m. EDT from the Coca-Cola Roxy at the Battery Atlanta and will be televised on ESPN and MLB Network.
The Washington Nationals currently hold the No. 1 pick, awarded at the MLB Winter Meetings in Dallas on December 10, 2024. Find the full draft order on MLB.com.
