Baum comes alive, collapses in the end

Austin McLennan (left) and his father, Gary McLennan, both of Rogers, react Wednesday, June 27, 2018, as Arkansas loses the lead in the ninth inning while watching as the University of Arkansas baseball team competes in the College World Series Final Series with Oregon State in Omaha, Neb., during a watch party at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville. Arkansas lost, 5-3.
Austin McLennan (left) and his father, Gary McLennan, both of Rogers, react Wednesday, June 27, 2018, as Arkansas loses the lead in the ninth inning while watching as the University of Arkansas baseball team competes in the College World Series Final Series with Oregon State in Omaha, Neb., during a watch party at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville. Arkansas lost, 5-3.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Baseball fans at Baum Stadium showed again Wednesday there's no place like home, even when the team isn't.

Baum Stadium had been mostly silent since the Razorbacks beat South Carolina 14-4 on June 11 before a crowd of 11,217 to earn its ninth trip to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. But the stadium was loud again during a watch party Wednesday that grew to over 4,000 fans for the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville's bid for a national title in Game 2 of the championship series against Oregon State at TD Ameritrade Park.

A crowd of 4,000 would be good for most college baseball programs but not at Arkansas, which topped the nation by drawing over 80,000 fans in June for nine games during the NCAA Tournament.

"It's incredible, really, to see 4,000 people show up just to watch the game on TV," said Dean Baledge of Prairie Grove.

5:15 P.M.

Baum Stadium wouldn't be the same without some tailgating and that's what a group was doing on the back lot near a large tree that provided shade from the heat.

"I wanted to come out and share the experience with a bunch of Razorback fans," said Steve Gooderl of Fayetteville, who said he's been an Arkansas fan since the mid-1980s. "I actually went to the South Regional in Dallas when Arkansas beat Michigan and won the basketball championship in '94."

Arkansas fans have renamed TD Ameritrade Park "Baum Stadium North" after an announced crowd of 25,321 on Tuesday was dominated by those wearing Razorback red. Six hours away, red and white colors were even more prominent at Baum Stadium, where fans watched the ESPN broadcast on the scoreboard in right field.

5:45 P.M.

Addison Herritage, a junior at Arkansas, stood out among the fans when the first "Woo, pig, sooie" was heard shortly before the game.

Herritage, 21, of Frisco, Texas was dressed in a one-piece morph suit that was half white and half red with a large Razorback on the front of his chest.

He sat along the front row with his girlfriend, Bailey French of Dallas, who had her hair in pigtails and wore a Santa Claus type hat with a Razorback on it.

"I'm ready to get rowdy with my friends and a couple of thousand other people," Herritage said. "My dad, Brent Herritage, went to school here and told me about the good ol' days and the championships in basketball. I'm excited to see what he's been talking about."

7 P.M.

Arkansas fans came alive with hog calls after the Razorbacks scored the game's first run on a wild pitch. That prompted Baledge to head to the concourse and buy an Omahogs shirt for his friend.

"His name is Louie Galloway and he's the biggest hog fan I know," Baledge. "He'd be here but he's on his honeymoon in the Dominic Republic."

8:05 P.M.

Arkansas fans were mostly silent while watching Oregon State take a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning. But they were on their feet and cheering again when Arkansas regained a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the inning.

8:30 P.M.

A loud cheer began throughout the stadium when ESPN flashed to the scene at Baum Stadium, where fans saw themselves on TV. But the excitement was short-lived when ESPN quickly replaced the shot with a sandwich commercial.

9 P.M.

It's the seventh-inning stretch and Arkansas fans are calling the Hogs again, including Summer Jeney, who watched the game with co-workers from Elkins High School and Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville. The group included Summer's 10-month old son, Wyatt, who made his first appearance Wednesday at Baum Stadium.

"Wyatt, he's having a blast," Jeney said as she held her son's arms up to call the Hogs. "There's more excitement here, more action."

10 P.M.

A collective groan overtakes Baum Stadium when a pop fly drops between three players with Arkansas one strike away from winning the national championship. They return to their seats after a home run gives the Beavers a 5-3 lead.

10:16 P.M.

Oregon State wins 5-3 after a double play and Razorback fans who were so hopeful minutes earlier leave the stadium dejectedly. Many likely faced a sleepless night with the deciding game to be played at 5:30 p.m. today.

Woo, pig, phooey.

Sports on 06/28/2018

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