FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Razorbacks fans didn't walk out of Baum Stadium feeling disappointed many times this season.
Thursday night was an exception, and disappointed would probably be putting it mildly.
Devastated might be more accurate.
About 1,500 fans went to Baum Stadium -- where the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville baseball team had a 34-4 record this season -- for what was called a free "watch party" by the university.
Fans watched ESPN2's telecast of Oregon State's 5-0 victory over Arkansas in the decisive third game of the College World Series championship matchup on the stadium's scoreboard big screen.
The watch party felt more like a wake as the Beavers won a national championship that seemed to be in Arkansas' glove before an improbable rally by Oregon State on Wednesday night.
About 4,000 fans went to Baum Stadium for Wednesday's game hoping to celebrate an Arkansas victory and the school's first baseball national championship. Instead, fans went home quietly and in shock after Oregon State scored three runs with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to beat the Razorbacks 5-3.
The key play was Oregon State Cadyn Grenier's pop-up in foul territory. The ball fell between three Razorbacks -- Carson Shaddy, Jared Gates and Eric Cole -- in front of the stands down the right-field line.
If the ball had been caught, it would have been the final out of the season with Arkansas winning its first national championship in baseball.
Instead, Grenier got another chance and hit a single off Arkansas closer Matt Cronin that let Zach Clayton score to tie the game 3-3. Trevor Larnach followed with a two-run home run.
"I think some fans are probably devastated, but it's baseball," said Blake Sandridge, who was at Baum Stadium on Wednesday and Thursday nights after being at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb., for Tuesday night's game. The Razorbacks beat the Beavers 4-1 Tuesday night. "We've got a heck of a system working here, and [Arkansas Coach] Dave [Van Horn] has done an incredible job with the program.
"We've got to look forward to next year now. But it seems like that's what every Arkansas fan is about -- 'Maybe next year will be our year.'"
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson tweeted after Thursday night's game, "In Magnolia tonight, but followed the Razorback World Series Final. I am very proud of our team and all they accomplished this season."
This year marked the second time Arkansas was one of the last two teams left in the College World Series and came within one victory of winning the national championship.
That also happened in 1979 in similarly frustrating fashion when the Razorbacks beat Pepperdine, Arizona and Texas to reach the College World Series final, then lost back-to-back games against California State-Fullerton, 13-10 and 2-1.
"I could not be more proud of the @RazorbackBSB program and how each of these young men and Coach Van Horn and his staff represented the State of Arkansas during the 2018 season," Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yuracheck tweeted after Thursday night's game. "What a ride they took us on as we ended an incredible season as the CWS National Runner-up. #WPS."
Nick Kyrouac drove from his home in Fort Smith with some friends to be at Baum Stadium on Thursday night.
"It's an historic time," Kyrouac said before the game. "We don't get to play for the championship very often. So I didn't want to miss being here, especially if we pulled out the win.
"Hopefully, the missed popup won't be what this Razorback team is remembered for. If they win [Thursday night], that play kind of disappears. If they lose, that play is going to be one of the biggest in the history of the baseball program.
"The unfortunate reality of sports is, people don't remember the work it took to get to the championship. They remember the play that I guess you could say cost us the championship."
When Oregon State pitcher Kevin Abel ended Thursday night's game by striking out Luke Bonfield in the top of the ninth inning -- the 20th consecutive Razorback he had retired -- the crowd in Brewski's Pub and Grill in Little Rock grew quiet.
A few red-clad fans muttered expletives, but for the most part a quiet settled over what had been a roaring crowd the previous night.
"This is just such an Arkansas thing," said Connor O'Dell, a lifelong Arkansan, as he sat in the pub. "Arkansas just pulled the biggest Arkansas move."
O'Dell and friends Jonathan "Nemo" Daniels and Carlos Lopez said they were disappointed, demoralized even, but still somewhat hopeful.
"This is the biggest thing that's happened in Arkansas for a while now," Daniels said. "Everyone in Arkansas is going to need a beer after this."
Jim Killian of Fayetteville went to Baum Stadium on Wednesday and Thursday nights with his son, Josh.
"We were hoping not to have to come back [Thursday night], but we didn't have any second thoughts about doing it," Killian said. "We just wanted to be with other Hog fans in the stadium instead of just sitting and watching it at home."
Killian said he supports the Razorbacks regardless of what happened Wednesday night.
"The kids are out there and putting their heart and soul into everything they do," Killian said. "They're playing hard. We've just got to have their backs and stay loyal."
Some fans and media on social media compared Wednesday night's loss with some of the crushing setbacks suffered by the Razorbacks in football:
• A 15-14 loss to No. 1 Texas in the 1969 "Big Shootout" after the Longhorns trailed 14-0.
• A 28-24 loss to No. 1 Tennessee in 1998 when the Vols scored a touchdown in the final seconds after a stumble and fumble by quarterback Clint Stoerner.
• A 38-28 loss to Florida in the 2006 SEC Championship Game when a fumbled punt return attempt by Reggie Fish resulted in a Gators touchdown with the Razorbacks leading 21-17 in the third quarter.
This year marked the ninth College World Series appearance for Arkansas, including five under Van Horn.
"Coach Van Horn is a great guy doing a great job here at the U of A," said Sam LeNarz, a White Hall native and Arkansas graduate who lives in Petal, Miss., and was at Baum Stadium on Thursday night. "I think the world of him. He's a great coach, and he knows how to reload.
"He's going to lose a lot of players from this year to the draft, but they'll reload. They're always in the hunt."
Sandridge said he felt confident after attending the Razorbacks' victory Tuesday night that Arkansas would bring home a national championship, but "we weren't able to get it done. But you've got to take your hat off to Oregon State's pitching," Sandridge said. "That was some of the finest pitching I've seen in college baseball in a long time.
"I'm proud of our guys. They did an incredible job. It was a season that none of us are ever going to forget as far as what they were able to accomplish."
Information for this article was contributed by Clara Turnage of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
A Section on 06/29/2018
