The opening game winners of the super regionals has always played a large role in each team’s probability of advancing to the Men’s College World Series — 79% of Game 1 victors have won their super regional.
Hence, Day 1 experienced a whirlwind of emotions where a walk-off took place, blowouts were handed out and weather delays ruled the world.
Here’s how it happened.
Oregon State completes comeback, walks off Florida State in extras
The Beavers’ window to win Game 1 was closing quickly entering the ninth inning.
Down 4-1 and 0-12 when trailing after the eighth this season, Oregon State needed water from a well that seemingly ran dry — they were 1-9 with runners in scoring position.
None of those numbers mattered by the end of the tenth inning. Beavers second baseman AJ Singer ran down the first base line with bat in the air, celebrating his walk-off single to center field to complete Oregon State’s 5-4 comeback win in extra innings.
OREGON STATE FINISHES IT!!! x 🎥 ESPN2 /
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball)
The Beavers collected six hits and eight different runners reached base in the last two innings.
The Seminoles had all the momentum before that, scoring first and tacking on a run in the sixth, seventh and eighth each. Between left-hander Joey Volini and righty Joe Charles, the two had given up seven hits and just one run in the first eight innings.
Charles surrendered a double to catcher Wilson Weber at the start of the ninth, but closed in on slamming the door with back-to-back outs afterwards. That’s when everything went awry from there.
The right-hander would walk designated hitter Bryce Hubbard and allow a single to Dallas Macias to load the bases. Following a wild pitch to score Weber, first baseman Jacob Krieg kept Oregon State’s hopes alive with a two-RBI single to left, tying the game at 4-4.
BEAVERS TIE IT UP 😱 x 🎥 ESPN2 /
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball)
The energy and momentum in Goss Stadium had officially shifted into the home team’s favor.
Florida State managed to get one base runner on in the tenth, but nothing more. The Beavers built on their hot ninth inning with an even bigger tenth, loading the bases with zero outs. Two batters later, Singer launched a missile past FSU center fielder Max Williams, completing Oregon State’s Game 1 comeback.
The Seminoles will turn to 2025 MLB draft top prospect left-hander Jamie Arnold on Saturday in hopes of keeping their season alive.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE: NCAA baseball tournament scores, super regionals schedule
Bodine and Brathol push Coastal Carolina past Auburn
A tie game heading into extras, both Auburn and Coastal Carolina yearned for its players to make a big play in a big moment that could lead to a Game 1 victory.
By the final out, it was the Chanticleers' catcher Caden Bodine and second baseman Blake Barthol stepping up to extend Coastal Carolina's win streak to 22 games, winning 7-6 in a contest split in two phases: before and after an hour-long rain delay.
The Chanticleers were having their way before the bad weather, leading 6-3 while not allowing Auburn to score more than one run in an inning. Even though the Tigers seemingly had momentum after scoring in back-to-back innings, an hour-long stoppage can suck the life out of any team’s sails.
However, that wasn’t the case for Auburn. Instead, they only gained steam.
Auburn scored a run in the sixth after the weather delay and tied it in the seventh with an RBI single and solo home run from third baseman Eric Snow. Left-hander Griffin Graves was nearly untouchable, striking out five and giving up zero hits in three innings.
The Tigers nearly mounted the comeback in the ninth, putting runners on first and second with one out, but saw their opportunity vanish in a second. Designated hitter Lucas Steele’s line drive up the middle was caught by diving second baseman Barthol, who doubled up Auburn left fielder Bub Terrell at second.
That’s when Bodine broke the tie.
The junior crushed an offspeed pitch into the night and past Plainsman Park’s right field wall to hand the Chanticleers a 7-6 lead. It was the first time two players, Bodine and right fielder Blagen Pado, had multi-homer games since 2016.
IT'S BO TIME!! I
— Coastal Carolina Baseball (@CoastalBaseball)
And it was Barthol who shut the door in the tenth. With a runner on second and one out, the second baseman recreated his game-saving play from an inning earlier, making a diving catch in the gap and flipping the ball to shortstop Ty Dooley standing on second base to end the game.
North Carolina blows out Arizona behind a historic offensive performance
Arizona’s first-inning run against North Carolina provided optimism for what was to come in the opening game of the super regionals round.
And it eventually came true. The two teams combined for 20 runs by the contest’s end, but in unexpected fashion — the Tar Heels won 18-2. It was the most runs scored by UNC in a game all season and in a super regional matchup.
The downpour started in the first inning. After the Wildcats scored a run, North Carolina put five across and added three more in the second.
It was 8-1 in what felt like a heartbeat.
Absolute 𝙈𝘼𝙈𝙈𝙊𝙏𝙃 tank from Big Stoke 🤯
— Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels)
📺 ESPN2
The Tar Heels would score twice in the fourth and sixth and once in the seventh before a five-run eighth inning. Seven players collected at least one hit, while third baseman Gavin Gallaher stayed hot, going 4-5 with two RBIs and three runs.
The win marked coach Scott Forbes' 200th at UNC's helm, the fifth coach in program history to accomplish this.
7 THINGS TO KNOW: The biggest storylines in the NCAA baseball tournament super regionals
Munroe, Louisville dismantle Miami (FL) with early scoring
The Cardinals wasted no time jumping on Miami right-hander AJ Ciscar promptly, scoring seven runs in the second and third innings to help Louisville beat the Hurricanes 8-1.
There weren’t many pitchers, let alone freshmen, in the country that had as much success against right-handed batters as Ciscar this season. He had allowed just one home run to right-handers entering Friday’s duel.
Louisville upped that total to four by the end of the third inning, belting three home runs into Patterson Stadium’s sea of red in left and center field.
Right fielder Garrett Pike and third baseman Jake Munroe blasted consecutive homers in the second, and the latter hit another in the third. Outside of Munroe’s four RBIs, Ciscar’s day was done after 2.1 innings and the Cardinals led 7-1.
It's 's world and we're all just living in it.
— Louisville Baseball (@LouisvilleBSB)
B3 | Cards 7, Canes 1
📺 ESPN2
Munroe finished with five RBIs by the contest’s end, tying his career-high, while Louisville’s pitching staff shut out Miami for the remainder of the game.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions.
