CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — For the 11th time in program history, the Arkansas Razorbacks are headed to Omaha for the College World Series!
Brady Slavens was the hero, coming up with the game-winning RBI single to down North Carolina 4-3 and sweep the Chapel Hill Super Regional.
This will be Dave Van Horn's seventh time taking the Omahogs to the College World Series, and the ninth overall time he leads a squad to Omaha, after taking Nebraska there twice.
On either side of a lengthy lightning delay (the first of two in the game), Will McEntire impressed on the mound for the Hogs.
McEntire delivered 5.2 scoreless innings on the bump, allowing just three hits and two walks, while striking out four Tar Heels on 73 pitches.
Arkansas gave its starter the first bit of run support in the fourth inning.
With Chris Lanzilli on first, Jalen Battles shot an RBI double down the third base line that brought Lanzilli all the way around to open the scoring and put Arkansas up 1-0.
Then in the top of the fifth, Arkansas doubled it's lead when Braydon Webb launched a solo home run, a missile to deep right center to double the Arkansas advantage.
The Tar Heels were able to respond in the seventh inning though with McEntire out of the game.
A single and a hit by pitch led Arkansas to replace Kole Ramage with Evan Taylor.
The first batter Taylor faced was Johnny Castagnozzi, who laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third.
After that one at-bat, Brady Tygart came into replace Taylor. He forced an Eric Grintz groundout, but that drove home Mikey Madej to cut the Hogs' lead to 2-1.
And on the very next at-bat, a wild pitch allowed Tomas Frick to score from third and tie the game at 2-2.
Another lightning delay paused action for an hour and eight minutes, but once action resumed, the Tar Heels took the lead in the top of the ninth.
Pinch-hitter Patrick Alvarez, who was batting .121 on the season, came through with a two-out, RBI-single to center field to give North Carolina the 3-2 lead, their first lead of the game.
Arkansas then battled back again in the bottom of the ninth. Battles led off the inning with a single to left field, and he then moved to third on a single to right center from Stovall.
Kendall Diggs came into pinch hit for Zack Gregory, and drew a walk to load the bases.
Braydon Webb then came up and ground out into a fielder's choice that scored Battles, and Webb beat the throw to first to avoid the double play.
Brady Slavens then came in and delivered a base hit to center, coming through as the hero to send the Hogs to Omaha for the first time since 2019.
Arkansas will begin play at the College World Series on Saturday against the winner of the Stanford/UConn super regional matchup.
