The number seven isn’t just lucky in Las Vegas; it’s awfully popular in Conway, South Carolina, these days as well. Entering today’s opening round game of the College World Series against Arizona, the Coastal Carolina baseball team was 35-1 when scoring seven or more runs. Make that 36-1.
In a contest that went back-and-forth, coincidentally for seven innings, the Chanticleers produced three runs in the bottom of the eighth to reach their magic number and pull out a 7-4 victory over the Wildcats. The win moves CCU into the winner’s bracket, where they will face either Louisville or Oregon State on Sunday evening. Arizona will face elimination against the loser of that contest on Sunday afternoon.
Game Recap Courtesy of the NCAA: Coastal Carolina took down Arizona in the opening game of the 2025 Men’s College World Series, beating Arizona 7-4, in the rematch of the 2016 MCWS championship. The win moved the Chanticleers to the winners’ bracket and handed them their 24th straight win.
The game lived up to the nine-year hiatus hype, going back and forth with the three lead changes. Coastal Carolina opened up the scoring with a bases-loaded, two-RBI single in the second from center fielder Wells Sykes, and Arizona tied it in the fourth with a solo home run from shortstop Mason White and back-to-back doubles.
The Chanticleers took the lead again in the fifth with another RBI single, but the Wildcats answered back in the top of the sixth with two runs to take a 4-3 lead.
Coastal tied it again in the bottom of the sixth, and the teams stayed locked at four until the bottom of the eighth. The Chanticleers took the final lead with a two-out rally, ripping back-to-back RBIs from left fielder Sebastian Alexander and second baseman Blake Barthol to take a 7-4 lead entering the final frame.
The Wildcats threatened in the top of the ninth with two baserunners, but left-hander Dominick Carbone shut the door with a strikeout and forcing a game-ending double play.