College World Series 2018: Oregon State Advances to Championship vs. Arkansas

One spot in the 2018 College World Series final was filled on Friday, and the final one was up for grabs in Omaha, Nebraska, on Saturday night.

After the Oregon State Beavers powered their way to a 12-2 victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Friday, the stage was set for a winner-take-all showdown one day later. And with both teams trying to keep their respective seasons alive, the drama came down to the final pitch.

Below is a look at how the action unfolded in this semifinal showdown.

2018 College World Series Score: Semifinals

Oregon State 5, Mississippi State 2

2018 College World Series Finals Schedule

Arkansas vs. Oregon State

Game 1: Monday, June 25 at 7 p.m. ET

Game 2: Tuesday, June 26 at 7 p.m. ET

Game 3 (if necessary): Wednesday, June 27 at 7 p.m. ET

Oregon State 5, Mississippi State 2

For the first time since 2007, the Oregon State Beavers are headed to the College World Series final. 

The high-powered Beavers offense—which scored 11-plus runs in each of the previous three contests, including 12 against the Bulldogs on Friday—wasted little time getting on the board. The two sides traded zeroes for the first two frames, but after Mississippi State starter Ethan Small managed to retire the first two hitters in the top of the third, he ran into trouble.

Oregon State paired a double with three consecutive singles to take a 2-0 lead. Then, designated hitter Tyler Malone broke the game open with a three-run blast:

Two-out magic at its finest. That outburst gave Beavers starter Kevin Abel a lead to work with, and it was more than enough.

Abel retired the first six batters he faced and did not allow a hit the first time through the lineup. But he worked himself into some trouble by walking a pair in the third, so when he did finally allow a hit, a run came around to score.

Mississippi State threatened in the sixth, putting two runners in scoring position. However, a line-drive double play got Abel out of trouble and kept the four-run lead intact. With the way Abel was pitching, the Bulldogs couldn't afford to waste opportunities like that.

Abel allowed just one run on three hits in seven innings of work.

Mississippi State managed to make Oregon State southpaw Jake Mulholland work to get the final out in the ninth. After being down to their final strike, the Bulldogs put four straight runners on and brought the go-ahead run to the plate. In the end, though, Mulholland managed to escape a last-gasp rally to hang on for the victory.

Malone (1-for-4, home run, three RBI) and catcher Adley Rutschman (2-for-3, walk, RBI, run) led the way at the plate for the Beavers, while left fielder Rowdey Jordan provided the offense for the Bulldogs.

Oregon State advances to face the Arkansas Razorbacks in a best-of-three championship round. After losing their opener in Omaha, the Beavers ran off four straight wins with their backs to the wall to make their first appearance in the final since they beat North Carolina in back-to-back seasons (2006-07) for the title.

First pitch for Game 1 is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Monday, June 25.