The opening game in the final best-of-three matchup at the College World Series was supposed to happen Monday, but Oregon State and Arkansas will have to wait another day. Thunderstorms pounded TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha and the NCAA Baseball Committee postponed the opener until Tuesday evening.
The one-day delay might work in the Beavers’ favor, who have played two more games than Arkansas. OSU came out of the elimination bracket after losing its first game. They are looking to become the 10th team in CWS history to lose its first game and win the series. The last team was South Carolina in 2010. Ironically the Beavers have done this before, losing its first game in 2006, and then winning the first of two consecutive championships.
Their opponent breezed through the CWS bracket, winning three games to reach the best of three series finale. Arkansas outscored their opponents 23-11. Their last game was Friday night, when they eliminated defending champions Florida, 5-2.
Oddsmakers have liked Oregon State since the College World Series began, installing them as the 3/2 favorite to win its third title. Arkansas opened at 4/1. Now that these are the last two teams standing, Oregon is at 2/5, while Arkansas is 2/1.
Arkansas Has Advantages
With the Razorbacks only playing three games to reach the finals and now having three days of rest, they will be able to start ace Blaine Knight, who has a 13-0 record and 2.88 ERA.
Knight will be followed by the normal rotation of Kacey Martin and Isaiah Campbell if necessary, and Knight told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that should favor them.
“I don’t think you can ask for much better than that, you know,” Knight said. “We get to keep our normal rotation. … I feel really good going into this thing.”
Extra Day Crucial For OSU
The Beavers came into the best of three series tired and injured. Losing the first game against North Carolina meant having to win three games to reach the finals. They did so, but in the process depleted its bullpen. The final game they team defeated Mississippi State on Saturday for the second consecutive game, but OSU Coach Pat Casey said it took its toll.
“Our guys, you could see, were running on fumes,” Casey said after the 5-2 victory.
The rain out gave OSU’s No. 1 pitcher, Luke Heimlich, five days of rest instead of four. He has struggled in his two games in the CWS, failing to get out of the third inning in both games. No. 2 pitcher Bryce Fehmel has also struggled.
Having one more day to rest a strained hamstring will definitely help Centerfielder Steven Kwan, who said he is about 95 percent healthy. He is expected to play Tuesday night.
The Beavers will try and counteract Arkansas’ pitching with their potent offense, but have to contend with the Razorbacks offense, which was third in the country in home runs.
“What I’ve seen of Arkansas is what everybody else has seen, pretty darned good,” Casey said. “I don’t know if I’ve seen a more complete team: Pitching, defense, speed, power.”