OMAHA, Neb. — The opening day of the 2025 Men’s College World Series delivered drama, with Coastal Carolina and Oregon State securing comeback wins in contrasting fashion to set up a marquee winners’ bracket showdown Sunday.
Winners
Coastal Carolina’s Calculated Gamble
The Chanticleers’ 7-4 win over Arizona was a masterclass in adaptability:
- Overcame a 4-3 deficit with a 3-run 8th inning
- Deployed starter Cameron Flukey in relief (3.1 IP, 2 ER) to bridge the gap to closer Dominick Carbone
- Now avoid facing aces Dax Whitney (Oregon State) and Patrick Forbes (Louisville) next
“We’d planned Flukey for this role all week,” said Coastal coach Gary Gilmore. “His resilience after that tough inning won us the game.”
The Art of Stealing Strikes
Catchers Caden Bodine (Coastal) and Adonys Guzman (Arizona) framed pitches brilliantly in Game 1:
- Combined to convert 7 borderline calls into strikes
- Bodine added a caught stealing
“Bodine stole three strikes just in the 7th inning,” admitted Arizona’s Chip Hale.
Oregon State’s Escape Act
The Beavers survived a 9th-inning collapse to walk off Louisville 4-3:
- Travis Bazzana’s RBI single capped a chaotic final frame
- Pitchers fanned 14 Cardinals despite blowing a 3-1 lead
- Now positioned to advance with ace Whitney rested
Losers
Bullpen Blues
Relievers faltered in key moments:
- Arizona’s Tony Pluta (NCBWA Stopper of the Year) allowed a backbreaking 2-run double
- Louisville’s Evan Webster surrendered the walk-off hit after Oregon State’s two 9th-inning errors
Power Outage
Charles Schwab Field lived up to its pitcher-friendly reputation:
- Only 1 HR (Arizona’s Mason White) in 18 innings
- Just 3 extra-base hits in the nightcap
- Teams combined for 44 strikeouts
Defensive Disasters
Game 2 featured four errors with cascading consequences:
- Oregon State’s Jacob Krieg botched a pickoff, leading to a run
- Louisville’s Alex Alicea mishandled a potential double-play ball
- Beavers committed two errors on one 9th-inning play
“We made it harder than it needed to be,” admitted Oregon State’s Mitch Canham.
Key Moments
- Coastal’s 8th-Inning Rally: Three straight two-out hits off Arizona’s bullpen
- Bazzana’s Redemption: Walk-off single after earlier fielding miscue
- Whitney’s 8-K Start: Set tone despite no-decision
What’s Next
June 15 Matchups:
- Winners Bracket: #3 Oregon State vs. Coastal Carolina (6 p.m. CT)
- Elimination Game: #5 Arizona vs. #7 Louisville (1 p.m. CT)
