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Arkansas pitcher Gage Wood made history at the College World Series with a 19-strikeout performance in a no-hit win over Murray State. The righty was celebrated on Monday. He was jokingly shamed by his coach on Tuesday.
The Razorbacks followed the 3-0 win over the Racers up with a victory against UCLA. Wood was unavailable given his nine-inning outing the day prior. That didn’t keep him safe from hilarious criticism.
Before first pitch on Tuesday night, Wood was seen sporting a teammate’s pullover during pregame warm-ups. His uniform donned the number of starting pitcher Zach Root, who later picked up with win over the Bruins.
The scene led to questions about the thought behind the jersey swap. As it turns out, there was a very simple reason.
Funny moment in the press conference tonight as Zach Root gets asked about Gage Wood wearing his number:
“He forgot his jersey at the hotel.”
Dave Van Horn: “We teach our kids to be honest around here.” 😅😅#WPS
Full press conference linked right here:… pic.twitter.com/t3KPCGNvrK
— Courtney Mims (@MimsCourtney) June 18, 2025
Gage Wood forgot to bring his jersey to the baseball field. He typically wears No. 14. On Tuesday, he donned No. 33. He was forced to wear his teammate’s pullover as cover up that gaffe during the game.
Root outed Wood after the fact. “He forgot his jersey at the hotel,” he said in a postgame press conference. His coach responded by saying, “We teach our players to be honest around here.”
Gage Wood forgot his jersey after throwing a no-hitter.
Dave Van Horn will let the slip slide this time around. Wood was not going to pitch on Tuesday, no matter the circumstance. Arkansas wouldn’t need him in a 7-3 win over UCLA.
The Razorbacks fell in Game 1 of the College World Series to SEC rival LSU on Saturday. They’ve now battled back through the loser’s bracket to set up a rematch with the Tigers on Wednesday, thanks in part to Wood’s 19-strikeout no-hitter.
Arkansas will have to beat LSU twice in order to advance to the national championship. The Hogs have never won a college baseball title, but that can change with a strong finish in 2025.
Wood might be called upon again if they can get a win on Wednesday night. He’ll make sure to have that jersey packed the rest of the way.