Great News! Arkansas is Definitely Going to the College World Series Championship Game

Razorback fans just need to brace their hearts for why it's going to happen

Author:
Kent Smith
Updated:
Mar 1, 2023 9:49 AM EST
Original:
Feb 28, 2023

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Congratulations 2018 Razorback baseball team. The pop fly that just won't die is about to go away so completely that Clint Stoerner will think you found that magic wishing lamp he's been trying to find for the past 25 years.

That's right. Arkansas is going to the championship series in Omaha this year. No Ole Miss messing things up inexplicably or Mississippi State getting to take home an undeserved trophy.

Nope. This one's the Razorbacks' for the taking.

And how do I know Dave Van Horn will have the Hogs standing in the dugout playing for the big one while the Razorback fan base takes home the town's Jello shot trophy?

Because a few days ago, this happened.

Sure, that's a Major League preseason game, but the genie has been released out into the universe. The possibility of a College World Series championship with bases loaded, two outs and a full count ending on a clock rule strike against the batter has become a real thing.

This means it has to happen. And if something in the world of sports that gut-wrenching has to happen, it has to happen to Arkansas – especially when it comes to college baseball.

You know you can picture it.

Arkansas sweeps LSU handily like the Razorbacks did to Mississippi State the year the Hogs were No. 1 pretty much all year only to have the Bulldogs claim the championship.

Then, in a twist of fate that can only happen to the Hogs, Arkansas dominates Game 1, drops Game 2 on a two-out grounder that goes just out of Stovall's reach because of a shift in the bottom of the 9th, and then Game 3 comes down to the final pitch.

Diggs comes to the plate with bases loaded. He works the Tigers' Nick Ackenhausen to a full count that has featured four foul balls.

Then it happens. It's a curve ball that breaks early and hits the back of the plate.

Diggs holds off his swing and begins his winning trot down to first while Tavian Josenberger begins his celebratory skip down the third base line where all he has to do it touch home plate and hope he doesn't get injured in the dog pile.

But then it happens. The entire reason the universe created this rule.

The umpire jogs down the line alongside Diggs and with a hearty "Strike three! Batter's Out! Ballgame!" sends all of Charles Schwabb Field into a stunned silence and state of confusion followed by an overlapping chorus of cheers, boos and chants of "Ump you suck!"

It takes a second to register in the various Razorback homes. The screaming and celebration is soon followed by "Wait! What? Why is LSU celebrating?"

Then the replay slowly plays out across the screen as the announcers try to explain what just transpired.

"You see there? Right there? The pitcher is taking a long time going through his signals and in a moment of discomfort, Diggs spins his bat around and technically doesn't reset until right as the clock goes down to four seconds.

"Technically, he wasn't fully set for the final five seconds of the clock, so by rule, that's a strike. The umpire called it exactly how the NCAA said to call it this year when they said they don't want any wiggle room on this thing and your heart goes out to this Razorback team."

"That's right Chuck. If you're LSU, you probably won't feel great after you watch it back and it sinks in how it happened, but right now they're enjoying it for all it's worth. That's right LSU! No matter how it happened, you're the champions of college baseball. No. 1 to start, and, now, thanks to the clock rule, No. 1 to end it."

And as reality sets in, the souls of every Razorback fan across the country are immediately crushed. It wasn't thought that 2018 could be topped for pain, but 2023 brings with it a blinding abuse of hopelessness that only Arkansas fans could know.

But, hey, the Arkansas Razorbacks are going to the College World Series championship game.

That's still a good thing.

Right?