Arkansas’ season ends as NC State advances to College World Series

FAYETTEVILLE — A dream season came to an end Sunday night for Arkansas.

The top-ranked Razorbacks lost 3-2 to North Carolina State in Game 3 of the NCAA Fayetteville Super Regional to fall one win short of the College World Series. The Wolfpack (35-18), a No. 2 seed during the regional round, advanced to its third College World Series and first since 2013.

Arkansas, which spent most of the season ranked atop the major college baseball polls, finished with a 50-13 record. The Razorbacks lost consecutive games for the first time since March.

NC State shortstop Jose Torres hit a solo home run to lead off the ninth inning against Arkansas ace Kevin Kopps, who made his first start of the season. The hit gave the Wolfpack the winning run and ended Kopps’ game after 118 pitches.

Kopps, who threw 21 pitches Saturday, suffered his first loss of the season. He finished the year with a 12-1 record and 11 saves, and an ERA of 0.90.

NC State closer Evan Justice (5-2) retired all six batters he faced in two innings to earn the win. Justice threw 23 pitches one day after throwing 48.

Arkansas tied the game 2-2 in the seventh inning when Cayden Wallace homered against Chris Villaman with two outs. The Razorbacks missed on a number of other scoring opportunities. Arkansas stranded the bases loaded in the second inning and left runners in scoring position in the third and fourth.

The Razorbacks finished 1 for 9 with runners on base and 1 for 4 with runners in scoring position.

Arkansas went ahead 1-0 on Charlie Welch’s two-out double down the right field line in the second inning. That scored Christian Franklin, who reached on a leadoff error by Wolfpack third baseman Vojtech Mensik.

Welch’s double accounted for the only run scored against NC Starter Matt Walladsen, who pitched 4 innings, allowed 2 hits, walked 4 and struck out 4.

NC State took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third inning when Jonny Butler blasted a two-run home run with two outs against Kopps. Austin Murr, who walked with one out, also scored.

Kopps settled in for several innings afterward. After throwing 57 pitches in the first three innings, the right hander needed 57 to get through the next five innings.

He struck out NC State clean-up hitter Terrell Tatum to strand two base runners in the eighth inning. He finished with 7 hits allowed, 3 walks and 9 strikeouts.

It appeared that Kopps’ eighth-inning strikeout might be his final pitch, but he emerged out of the dugout for the ninth to face Torres, who homered in all three games of the super regional.

Torres hit a hard foul ball on the second pitch he saw from Kopps in the inning, then hit a no-doubter to left field to stun the majority of the crowd of 11,084 at Baum-Walker Stadium.

Kopps was lifted for Patrick Wicklander, who worked around a hit to strand a runner at third base. Wicklander threw 99 pitches in the Razorbacks’ 21-2 victory over the Wolfpack on Friday.

NC State tied the series with a 6-5 win Saturday.

Welch and Casey Opitz grounded out for the first two outs of the bottom of the ninth, and the game ended when Jalen Battles made contact on a check swing and was thrown out at first base.

NC State players dog piled between the mound and home plate.

Arkansas lost a home super regional for the first time. The Razorbacks won home super regionals in 2004, 2015, 2018 and 2019.

The Razorbacks fell short of making the College World Series for a third consecutive postseason, and their loss ensured the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament will not win a national championship for the 21st consecutive season.

Miami, in 1999, was the last top seed to win the championship.

NC State will play Stanford first at the College World Series.