Things didn’t begin the way Arkansas baseball would have wanted Friday.
The Diamond Hogs dropped their season opener for the first time in forever as Illinois State shocked the home crowd at Baum-Walker Stadium, 3-2. Saturday, though, is a new day.
Game 2 between the Redbirds and Razorbacks is scheduled to start noon.
The Diamond Hogs are ranked No. 2 in the nation by D1Baseball.com and in the Top 10 in five other polls. The Collegiate Baseball poll is the outlier as it has Arkansas ranked No. 20 in the nation..
Illinois State was picked to finish third in the Missouri Valley Conference, a league that occasionally gets two teams in the NCAA Tournament. Dallas Baptist, a team Arkansas has seen recently in the Tournament, was a unanimous first-place selection.
Left-handed freshman Hagen Smith is set to make his debut for the Diamond Hogs. He was ranked as the No. 1 southpaw in the Class of 2021.
How to Watch
When: 12 p.m.
Where: Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville
Traditional TV: SEC Network+
Online live stream: ESPN.com/watch
For those seeking the radio broadcast of the game, you can find the complete list below. In Northwest Arkansas, KQSM 92.1 will be the broadcaster in 2022.
Arkansas radio affiliates
Batesville, KWOZ-FM, 103.3
Camden, KCXY-FM, 95.3
Crossett, KAGH-FM, 104.9
Crossett, KAGH-AM, 800
DeQueen, KDQN-FM, 92.1
DeWitt, KDEW-FM, 97.3
El Dorado, KMRX-FM, 96.1
Fayetteville, KQSM-FM, 92.1
Forrest City, KBFC-FM, 93.5
Fort Smith, KERX-FM, 95.3
Glenwood, KHGZ-FM, 98.9
Glenwood, KHGZ-AM, 670
Hot Springs, KTTG-FM, 96.3
Jonesboro, KEGI-FM, 100.5
Little Rock, KABZ-FM, 103.7
Magnolia, KZHE-FM, 100.5
Marshall, KBCN-FM, 104.3
Mena, KTTG-FM, 96.3
Mena, KENA-FM, 104.1
Monticello, KGPQ-FM, 99.9
Morrilton, KCON-FM, 99.3
Mountain Home, KOMT-FM, 93.5
Ozark, KDYN-FM, 96.7
Ozark, KDYN-AM, 1540
Searcy, KRZS-FM, 99.1
Texarkana, KKTK-AM, 1400
Wynne, KWYN-FM, 92.5