REBELS HEADED TO FIRST CWS FINALS
Dylan DeLucia was really good in Mississippi’s first College World Series game.
He was great Wednesday in the biggest game, so far, in the program’s 129-year history.
DeLucia scattered four hits in his first shutout for Ole Miss, Kevin Graham’s run-scoring double in the fourth held up and the Rebels advanced to the CWS finals for the first time with a 2-0 victory over Arkansas on Thursday.
The Rebels (40-23), the last team picked for an atlarge bid in the NCAA Tournament, bounced back from a 3-2 loss to the Razorbacks on Wednesday night. They’ll face Oklahoma in a best-ofthree
Mississippi 2, Arkansas 0
series that starts Saturday.
DeLucia (8-2) outdueled Connor Noland in a matchup of aces and turned in his second straight dominant CWS start.
“Just a legendary performance,” Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco said.
DeLucia was even better than he was against Auburn in the Rebels’ Omaha opener last Saturday, showing greater command of his fastball as the game went on and effectively working his slider to both sides of the plate throughout.
“I don’t know if I’ve seen a better pitching performance in a clutch game,” team captain Tim Elko said.
DeLucia struck out Chris Lanzilli to end the 2-hour, 6minute game. The junior right-hander pumped his fist, flung his glove and embraced catcher Hayden Dunhurst after recording the first individual shutout since Oregon State’s Kevin Abel (Madison High) blanked Arkansas 5-0 in the 2018 national title-clinching game.
“It’s been interesting, a fun ride,” DeLucia said. “Coach B says enjoy the ride. That’s what I’ve been doing, taking every chance I get. This team has played so well the last couple weeks and we’ve turned it on so far.”
The loss ended the Razorbacks’ seventh CWS appearance since 2004 under Dave Van Horn.
“I told them after the game how proud I was of them,” he said. “I had a little trouble talking, but I told them that I’m not going to cry. I’m not going to cry when you finish your season in Omaha.”
In 162⁄3 CWS innings, he has allowed one run, eight hits and zero walks and struck out 17.