AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz
Four more teams face off in Omaha, Nebraska Saturday as Day 2 of the 2023 Men’s College World Series gets underway.
Here’s how things are shaping up so far.
Find the official College World Series bracket at NCAA.com.
Wake Forest 3, Stanford 2
AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz
Wake Forest, which trailed by one run before a mid-game lightning delay Saturday, returned rested and ready to rally against Stanford.
Danny Corona’s two-RBI eighth-inning single sealed the Demon Decons’ 3-2 comeback victory.
NCAA Baseball@NCAABaseball
That eighth inning magic!#MCWS x ? ESPN / @WakeBaseballpic.twitter.com/yhw07tq1qX
Before the weather delay, Stanford’s Carter Graham had just hit a double to left field in the top of the seventh. The Cardinal led 2-1.
Then, the game ground to a halt for a weather delay that lasted so long Stanford head coach David Esquer was spotted in the concessions line during the break.
NCAA Baseball@NCAABaseball
“I’ll take one Hot Dog, please.”
– David Esquer @StanfordBSB#MCWSpic.twitter.com/V9bUl1YeBr
Stanford started out the game strong with hits on the first two at-bats from Eddie Park and Tommy Troy. The Cardinal loaded the bases in a messy top of the first but only were able to send one runner home on an RBI hit-by-pitch.
Graham made sure Stanford maintained that 1-0 lead by jumping up to snag a ball off the bat of Pierce Bennett in the bottom of the first.
NCAA Baseball@NCAABaseball
Got hops? ?#MCWS x ? ESPN / @StanfordBSBpic.twitter.com/GvvLI41I1V
Wake Forest starting pitcher Rhett Lowder recovered to force Stanford through a three-batter second, setting the stage for team home run leader Brock Wilken to tie things up.
Wilken, who holds the Wake Forest and ACC career home run record, sent his 31st homer of the season over the fence to even the score at 1-1.
ESPN@espn
Brock Wilken hits his 31st HR of the year ?
He is now tied with Jac Caglianone for the most HRs in college baseball this season ? pic.twitter.com/xYJdEVXeJu
Troy began the third frame with another on-base hit, eventually sliding home on an RBI single from Graham to regain the lead for Stanford, 2-1.
Wake Forest got on the edge of tying the game by loading the bases in the fourth, but the inning ended before the Demon Deacons could send a runner home.
The teams cycled through two quick frames before the weather interruption in the seventh. One hour and 28 minutes passed before the game resumed.
Fresh out of the impromptu break, Wake Forest hurler Seth Keener opened the eighth inning by striking out three straight batters.
That set up Corona for his go-ahead two-RBI single.
Wake Forest ended Stanford’s hopes of recovery with a game-ending double play in the ninth. Cardinal closer Ryan Bruno marked the loss, while Keener struck out four and allowed zero hits in the critical eighth frame to earn the win.
The two teams’ next opponents depend on the results of tonight’s contest between LSU and Tennessee. Wake Forest will face the winner, while Stanford will take on the loser in an elimination game Monday.
LSU 6, Tennessee 3
AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz
Dominant pitching from Paul Skenes and big hits from Gavin Dugas and Brayden Jobert carried LSU to a 6-3 victory over Tennessee Saturday night.
Dugas, a graduate student in his final year of eligibility, knows he has to make this College World Series count.
So, when Dugas opened scoring for the Tigers in the bottom of the second inning, he didn’t just send his home run over the fence. He put it deep into the crowd for good measure.
NCAA Baseball@NCAABaseball
Gavin Dugas LAUNCHED that one!#MCWS x ? ESPN / @LSUbaseballpic.twitter.com/G2Efmw5wOH
In the third frame, LSU’s Josh Pearson and Dylan Crews led off with singles before two groundouts sent Crews home, extending the Tigers’ lead to 2-0.
Meanwhile, starting pitcher Skenes dominated on the mound, striking out 11 batters while holding Tennessee to zero runs and one walk off of three hits through six innings.
MLB Pipeline@MLBPipeline
First 7 pitches of the College World Series for @LSUbaseball‘s Paul Skenes, culminating in this K.
100
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102pic.twitter.com/KscNUV2hz3
Rob Friedman@PitchingNinja
Paul Skenes, 12th K.
100mph on his 115th Pitch. pic.twitter.com/oAVvP8wPlb
Jobert hit an RBI triple to help the Tigers pad the lead to 5-0 in the sixth.
In the eighth, Tennessee began to mount a resurgence.
A scoring single from Maui Ahuna got the Volunteers on the board before a two-RBI home run from Hunter Ensley cut LSU’s lead to 5-3.
Tennessee Baseball@Vol_Baseball
T8 | Ensley crushes the first pitch from the new arm outta here and the Vols have cut the deficit to two!!!#GBO // #OTH // #BeatLSUpic.twitter.com/f3NbzK0yzJ
Jobert answered in the bottom of the frame with a homer of his own to regain a three-run lead.
NCAA Baseball@NCAABaseball
JOBERT MOONSHOT!! ☄️#MCWS x ? ESPN / @LSUbaseballpic.twitter.com/9jgJozrGFc
Tennessee’s Blake Burke reached base on a fielding error in the ninth, but the Volunteers’ comeback homes fell short. Starter Andrew Lindsey recorded the loss for Tennessee, while Skenes’ 75 strikes on 123 pitches earned the win.
LSU will now take on Wake Forest Monday, while Tennessee will need a win against Stanford to extend their title hopes.
