Top 5 longest games in CWS history ft. UC Irvine, Oregon State, and more

There is one thing that baseball, MLB, NCAA, and College World Series (CWS) alike, have going for it that differentiates them from other sports. No clock. Football, soccer, and basketball all share the similarity that if one team is winning when the clock strikes triple zeroes, the game is over.

In baseball, there is no clock. Instead, games go innings, with each team able to exhaust at least 27 outs before a winner is determined. No clock has led to some elongated baseball games that can go deep into the night. Here are five of the most extended baseball games in College World Series history:

North Carolina tops Oregon State 8-6 in a barnburner

North Carolina did not need extra frames to take down Oregon State in this opening-round contest, yet it remains one of the longest games in College World Series (CWS) history. In 2018, these two clubs combined for 25 hits, used ten pitchers, and accounted for three errors in the contest. The Tar Heels issued five free passes while the Beavers' pitching staff surrendered three walks. It's also worth mentioning that the two squads combined for five HBP in this slow burn of a baseball game.

So if you are wondering how this game remains one of the longest College World Series games of all time, it comes down to an exhausting amount of base runners, 38 to be exact, paired with 346 pitches thrown by a combined ten pitchers.

UC-Irvine wins the longest game in College World Series history

The longest game in College World Series (CWS) occurred in 2013 between the UC-Irvine Anteaters and the Cal State Fullerton Titans. The two teams battled for 13 innings, expanding the tilt over five hours and 40 minutes. Irvine came out on top 5-4, and the time of this game remains a record by forty minutes.

Three games have gone 15 innings in the history of the CWS

The most intriguing 15-inning contest in College World Series history is Ohio State blanking Washington State 1-0 in 1965. The Buckeyes' pitching staff needed every out, with their offense failing to score the game's first run until the 15th.

The highest-scoring affair in a 15-inning game goes to Michigan and Santa Clara in 1962. The Wolverines edged the Broncos 5-4 in the longest game in College World Series history until 1965.

The last 15-inning game in CWS history occurred between USC and Florida in 1970. The Trojans took down the Gators 2-1. It's been over 50 years since a College World Series game entered the 15th inning.