College World Series 2018: TV, Live-Stream Schedule and Game Times for Wednesday
Oregon State and North Carolina meet again at the College World Series: This time, the loser goes home.
Over a decade removed from their 2006 and 2007 championship encounters, the two powerhouses squared off on Saturday. The Tar Heels gained a modicum of revenge from their past title shortcomings by besting the Beavers to begin the double-elimination bracket.
On Monday night, Oregon State halted Washington's Cinderella run with a 14-5 thumping. North Carolina, meanwhile, suffered a 12-2 loss to Mississippi State—who remains perfect at Omaha, Nebraska—on Tuesday morning.
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The winner of Wednesday's elimination rematch must upend the Bulldogs twice to advance into the championship series.
Let's take a look at the marquee matchup between familiar foes.
College World Series Schedule: Wednesday, June 20
Arkansas vs. Texas Tech: 12 p.m. ET on ESPN
Oregon State vs. North Carolina: 7 p.m. ET on ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
The Beavers opened last year's Omaha stay with two victories, only to squander two chances to earn a championship spot. Now they're operating in survival mode from the onset.
After sweeping their way through the regionals and super regionals, the national No. 3 seed suffered a 8-6 loss to the Tar Heels, who tattooed ace Luke Heimlich for six runs on Saturday. It marked the Pac-12 school's first loss in a neutral setting all season.
Yet not even Mother Nature could stymie Oregon State's scorching offense. Although a four-hour rain delay paused their fifth-inning rally, they returned to plate for 10 more runs. The club has now tallied 69 runs in its last seven games.
Kyle Nobach broke the game open with a three-run blast in the seventh. Per Ken Goe of The Oregonian, the designated hitter credited star second baseman Nick Madrigal for delivering a motivational speech during the delay.
"He talked about it was win or go home at this point, and there are a lot of guys who will never put this uniform on again," Nobach said. "That means a lot to us."
It wouldn't be the first time Oregon State has overcome an early stumble at Omaha. The Beavers also lost their first game in 2006 before ultimately defeating North Carolina for the championship. As noted by NCAA.com's Andy Wittry, South Carolina (2010) is the only squad to since replicate that feat.
The Tar Heels have also raked their way this far, collecting 58 runs in seven games. On Tuesday, however, they stranded seven runners on base and batted 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
Head coach Mike Fox did not sound enthused about his team's performance against Mississippi State:
Situational hitting carries little correlation, but they likely would not withstand another scoring hiccup. They have succeeded in spite of a pitching staff that has now yielded 42 runs over the last six games.
Per ESPN.com's Mitch Sherman, Fox will turn to Cooper Criswell to stop the bleeding. Because Gianluca Dalatri was pulled in the opening inning of Saturday's game against Oregon State, the 6'6" righty recorded a 2.1-inning save instead of starting the next contest.
The gambit looks smart in hindsight. After preserving an opening victory, Criswell—who wields a 2.72 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 72.2 innings—is fresh enough to face an explosive Oregon lineup in a dire spot. Although probably their best choice to start the bracket, he lines up against the same squad with elevated stakes.
North Carolina will need a big outing from the junior to maintain its hopes of capturing the school's first-ever College World Series title. Fox might have to settle for Criswell containing Madrgial and Co. enough to survive a slugfest.
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