Poor Arkansas. The Hogs got close to a national championship in 1979 (losing the final 2-1 to Fullerton, who actually beat Arkansas twice in that CWS).

This year, they got close again -- heartbreakingly close; a right-fielder unable to call off a first and second baseman chasing a ball in foul ground, followed by 9th inning OSU offensive dramatics being a difference.

All of this to set up one winner-take-all game.

As the CWS began, I was pulling for either Washington or OSU, although I didn't really know if Washington had enough offense to pull it off. But after OSU eliminated Washington, it was OSU or bust. Plus, I thought OSU probably had the best team last year, distractions and LSU getting in way; hoping that this unfinished business would work in their favor this year.

But after OSU lost its opening round game to a talented North Carolina team, I knew they'd have to win four straight to get to the finals. In my mind, I embraced a sort of bravado; a blend of denial, hope and smack: "Oregon State's gonna win the national championship."

Then after OSU lost game one of the finals to Arkansas, I thought, employing that same bravado: "OSU's got them right where they want 'em."

OSU had been here before. This helped to fuel my smack-talk.

OSU was in a déjà-vu situation, basically mirroring their 2006 CWS national championship run: lose their first game, win four in a row, get to finals, lose the first, then win out for the title.

A kid from southern California named Kevin Abel sealed the deal Thursday night. The OSU pitcher threw a two-hit shutout in OSU's 5-0 victory over an Arkansas team that hadn't been shut out all season in its previous 68 games. Abel was the fourth pitcher in the CWS' 71-year history to throw a shutout in the title game, and the first to do it allowing so few hits. He retired the last 20 Razorbacks he faced -- 24 hours after he struck out the side in relief to be the winner in Game 2.

Abel was the first pitcher to ever go 4-0 in a single College World Series.

So chalk up another one for the Conference of Champions.

And definitely hats off to the Hogs; they had a phenomenal season. In fact, props to all of the talented teams who made it to the 2018 College World Series.