Razorbacks, Racers to Meet for Elimination Game in Omaha

OMAHA, Neb. – The Razorbacks are in must-win mode at the College World Series.

Arkansas (48-14) plays Murray State (44-16) in an elimination game at 1 p.m. Monday, June 16, at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mike Monaco (play-by-play), Ben McDonald (analyst), Chris Burke (analyst) and Dani Wexelman (field) will call the game on ESPN.

The Razorbacks lost their College World Series opener to LSU, 4-1, on Saturday night to fall into the losers bracket. The Racers, meanwhile, lost to UCLA, 6-4, on Saturday afternoon.

The loser of Monday’s game between Arkansas and Murray State will be eliminated from the College World Series, while the winner will advance to play the loser of Monday night’s game between LSU and UCLA in an elimination game on Tuesday, June 17.

College World Series Schedule
Friday, June 13
Game 1: Coastal Carolina 7, Arizona 4
Game 2: Oregon State 4, Louisville 3

Saturday, June 14
Game 3: UCLA 6, Murray State 4
Game 4: LSU 4, Arkansas 1

Sunday, June 15
Game 5 (Elimination): Arizona vs. Louisville, 1 p.m., ESPN
Game 6: Coastal Carolina vs. Oregon State, 6 p.m., ESPN2

Monday, June 16
Game 7 (Elimination): Murray State vs. Arkansas, 1 p.m., ESPN
Game 8: UCLA vs. LSU, 6 p.m., ESPN

Tuesday, June 17
Game 9 (Elimination): Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser, 1 p.m., ESPN
Game 10 (Elimination): Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Loser, 6 p.m., ESPN

Wednesday, June 18
Game 11: Game 6 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner, 1 p.m., ESPN
Game 12: Game 8 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner, 6 p.m., ESPN

Thursday, June 19 (If Necessary)
Game 13 (Elimination): Game 11 Winner vs. Game 11 Loser, TBD, ESPN
Game 14 (Elimination): Game 12 Winner vs. Game 12 Loser, TBD, ESPN

Saturday, June 21
Finals Game 1: 6 p.m., ESPN

Sunday, June 22
Finals Game 2: 1:30 p.m., ABC

Monday, June 23 (If Necessary)
Finals Game 3: 6:30 p.m., ESPN

On the Mound
Sunday, June 16
Arkansas – RHP Gage Wood (3-1, 5.02 ERA)
Murray State – RHP Isaac Silva (9-2, 5.09 ERA)

Tune In
Mike Monaco (play-by-play), Ben McDonald (analyst), Chris Burke (analyst) and Dani Wexelman (field) have the call of Monday afternoon’s College World Series matchup between Arkansas and Murray State.

Arkansas’ College World Series games can be heard on the Razorback Sports Network from Learfield, including locally in Fayetteville on 92.1 FM or through the Razorback app, with Phil Elson (play-by-play) and Razorback great and former big leaguer Bubba Carpenter (analyst) on the call. A full list of radio affiliates is available here.

History Lesson
Entering Monday’s matchup in Omaha, Arkansas is 8-0 all-time against Murray State. Under Dave Van Horn, the Razorbacks are 6-0 overall against the Racers.

Four Wins in Four Days
Since the NCAA adopted the existing College World Series format in 2003, only Oregon State (2006 & 2018) and South Carolina (2010) have advanced to the championship series after falling into the losers bracket before their second game.

Only the 2006 Oregon State team did what Arkansas is attempting to do by winning four games in four days. The 2010 South Carolina team won four games in five days, while the 2018 Oregon State team won four games in six days while navigating through the losers bracket.