CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — But for the cleanliness of a home plate umpire, the Arkansas Razorbacks might have been on their way home today from the College World Series.
That was how long-time sports reporter Stephen Caldwell began his game story from the College World Series in the June 5, 1989, edition of the Arkansas Democrat.
Arkansas’ 7-3 victory over North Carolina at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb., was the only meeting between the programs. That will change Saturday when the Tar Heels host the Razorbacks in Game 1 of the Chapel Hill Super Regional at Boshamer Stadium.
ESPN, which will televise the first game of the super regional, would be thrilled if this game comes close to matching the drama of the programs’ last meeting 33 years ago.
With the game tied 3-3 in the eighth inning, Arkansas’ Scott D’Alexander singled and went to second base on a sacrifice bunt. North Carolina, which had been successful on five hidden ball tricks that year, tried it again when D’Alexander stepped off the second base bag to brush off his pants.
Second baseman Dave Arendas — now the director of operations for the Tar Heels' baseball team — tagged him for what would have been the second out of the inning, but home plate umpire Bruce Ravan had called timeout to clean home plate, which negated the out at second base.
Tony Gilmore doubled in the next at-bat to score D’Alexander, the start to a four-run inning that was the difference in the Razorbacks’ four-run victory.
“I think he was dead to rights,” said Scott Pose, the Arkansas leadoff hitter that night whose two-run single capped the decisive inning. “It was waved off…and it got out of hand from there. We ended up extending our stay one more game.”
That Arkansas and North Carolina haven’t met more often is one of the more surprising elements to this week’s super regional, which is scheduled to begin Saturday at 10 a.m.
The Razorbacks and the Tar Heels have had two of college baseball’s most successful programs of the 2000s with a combined 13 College World Series since 2004. Both have played in national championship series that were lost to Oregon State — by North Carolina in 2006 and 2007, and by Arkansas in 2018.
The teams were in Omaha at the same time in 2009 and 2018, but were on opposite sides of the bracket.
“To never face each other is kind of amazing, honestly,” said Scott Forbes, North Carolina’s head coach who was also the program’s pitching coach from 1999-2002 and 2006-20.
Forbes said he sees similarities between the programs, including the coaching styles of Arkansas’ Dave Van Horn and former North Carolina coach Mike Fox.
“When I watched them play, they reminded me a lot of us, and maybe they feel the same way,” Forbes said. “They play hard and fundamentally sound. I felt like Coach Van Horn and Coach Fox were very similar the way they coached, it looked like to me.
“I would just say a lot of respect for what they've done.”
Pose, who lives in nearby Raleigh and plans to attend this weekend’s games, said he also sees ways the programs are alike, such as how their current leaders inherited programs from mentors. Forbes coached under Fox for 19 seasons and Van Horn spent a combined five seasons as a player and graduate assistant under Norm DeBriyn.
“They were very good friends with the coach before,” Pose said. “It was passed off and they know the traditions.
“I also think both programs have had a great success within the conference — both Southwest Conference and SEC for Arkansas, and the ACC (North Carolina). Both are looking to get over the hump and get that national championship. Carolina has been there a few times and they know what that’s like, and so does Arkansas.”
The winner this week will take a step toward getting that chance again.