Category: Arkansas baseball

SEC Baseball Power Rankings: It was all good just a week ago

Some of the best teams in the SEC were swept, another reminder of how good this league really is.

The beauty of power rankings is they change from week to week. Changes could be drastic for some and great for others.

In the SEC, even the best can feel the damaging effects of week-to-week rankings. The top three teams in last week’s power rankings suffered sweeps to conference foes.

It was just another reminder of how good this conference is. Predicting a national champion that is not an SEC representative will be complex. Don’t be surprised if the College World Series is an extension of the SEC tournament.

The Diamond Hogs fell in the national rankings, and after their performance over the weekend, dropping them in this week’s power rankings is mandatory.

Column: The sky isn’t falling for Arkansas baseball after one series

Arkansas baseball struggled mightily over the weekend, but things are never as bad as they seem. Especially when Dave Van Horn is your coach.

The No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks dropped their second conference series of the season in embarrassing fashion over the weekend. They were swept by the unranked Georgia Bulldogs (23-17, 7-11) and didn’t really look like a team deserving of a No. 5 ranking.

Head coach [autotag]Dave Van Horn[/autotag]’s passionate ejection on Saturday was able to save the Diamond Hogs from a complete collapse in the ninth inning. The Razorbacks led by four heading into the bottom of the ninth, but the struggling Bulldogs were able get a grand slam and solo homer back-to-back to get the win.

Losing is always frustrating. Losing the way Arkansas did Saturday will cause even the most staunch Diamond Hog supporters to ask “what’s going on?” Some delusional Arkansas fans went a little too far with their frustrations on social media but that should be expected.

Arkansas baseball’s struggles are easy to explain right now and Dave Van Horn’s track record of righting things ahead of the postseason should offer some comfort to wavering fans.

First, Diamond Hogs have been decimated by injury this season. They lost their projected ace [autotag]Jaxon Wiggins[/autotag] before the season and the hits kept on coming after play started. Pitchers [autotag]Brady Tygart[/autotag] and [autotag]Koty Frank[/autotag] were each hurt in early March. Tygart should return soon but Frank is out for the season.

Stud outfielder [autotag]Jared Wegner[/autotag] has been out since April 11 with a fractured thumb after sliding into third base. Ahead of Thursday’s first game against the Bulldogs it was announced that starting catcher [autotag]Parker Rowland[/autotag] would not play. Van Horn confirmed later that Rowland would be out indefinitely due to back issues.

“We’re just trying to patch this thing together until we can get all our guys back,” Van Horn said about all of the injuries. “We’re just trying to win enough games to get to a regional. There’s going to be a lot of conference games played without our guys.”

Aside from Wiggins and Frank, Arkansas fans should expect Tygart, Wegner and Rowland back in the near future. That should help ease some of the struggles we saw over the weekend.

The injury issues can’t be helped by Van Horn or anyone else, and it’s disingenuous to let one series sweep negate the dominance we’ve seen from this team at times.

Arkansas fans remember the 2018 team for being one out from being crowned champions, but forget how much that team struggled in the regular season. The Diamond Hogs failed to win a single road series in conference play during that 2018 season.

Until proven otherwise, it would behoove Razorback fans to trust Dave Van Horn to make it six straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

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Stinging sweep: Diamond Hogs lose Saturday to fall in all three at Georgia

Dave Van Horn’s ejection was emblematic of the entire Arkansas baseball weekend.

A four-run lead in the bottom of the ninth is usually enough to win a game. Usually.

At least it was quick.

The No. 5-ranked Arkansas baseball team found another way to fall Saturday, giving up five runs to Georgia in the ninth and lost 9-8 on Saturday. Georgia’s win clinched a sweep for the Bulldogs, which entered the series Thursday dead-last in the SEC.

Christian Foutch gave up a walk and two singles to start the ninth to Georgia’s rally. Ben Bybee entered and on his fourth pitch of the game allowed a grand slam to Connor Tate that tied things at 8.

The very next pitch, Parks Harber went yard to centerfield and that was ball-game.

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn didn’t see it in-person. He was ejected in the seventh inning for arguing balls and strikes for his hitter Jace Bohrofen. The ejection was emblematic of the entire weekend as the Diamond Hogs were swept for the first time this season.

Now, instead of carrying a 1 1/2-game lead in the SEC West over LSU, the Razorbacks could be 1 1/2 games back.

At least the Razorbacks can use Tuesday to relieve some frustration before SEC play begins again. Missouri State is visiting Baum-Walker Stadium for a one-off game. After that, Arkansas will host Texas A&M on Thursday through Saturday. The Aggies are a game behind Arkansas in the standings.

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Is it time to be legit worried about Arkansas pitching? Georgia homers way to Game 2 win

After Will McEntire was blasted for four homers, the Razorbacks’ pitching concerns don’t seem to be getting better.

Road games in the SEC are tough. Heck, any game in the SEC is tough. It’s college baseball’s best conference for a reason.

But the fifth-ranked team in the country falling twice, in back-to-back games, against the worst team in the SEC East is a bad look.

That’s where Arkansas found itself, though, after Friday night’s 7-3 loss at the hands of the Bulldogs. Georgia’s victory ensured a series win after taking the opener Thursday. It also allowed the Dawgs to leap Missouri out of the cellar in the East while simultaneously sending Arkansas back behind SEC West leader LSU. The Razorbacks entered the series with a 1 1/2-game lead.

Evaporation comes quickly, especially in this series as Arkansas lost Friday much the same way it lost Thursday: Georgia had one big inning and the Diamond Hogs’ rally was too little, too late.

Friday, Georgia touched up Arkansas starter Will McEntire four six runs in four innings. McEntire gave up six hits, four of which were homers. It was 4-0, Bulldogs, before six outs were recorded.

Arkansas had nothing going on the other side. Chandler Goldstein gave up just three Arkansas hits while walking no one and striking out five in his six innings. The Razorbacks tagged Georgia’s first two relievers for three runs in the eighth inning alone, yet for naught.

The Hogs will look to avoid the sweep on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Arkansas baseball vs. Georgia – how to watch, stream, listen to Game 3

A crucial game for the Diamond Hogs to remain at the top of the SEC West and avoid the sweep.

All it takes is one bad inning in baseball to lose an entire game.

The Diamond Hogs found that out the hard way. Georgia put together a five-run inning in the third to capture a 6-5 upset win over the SEC West leaders in the series opener.

In the game 2 7-3 loss, they gave three home runs in three home runs in the 2nd inning, facing an early 4-0 deficit.

This is a good morale series win for the Bulldogs, but it was just a reminder of how tough SEC baseball is for Arkansas.

The Hogs will return back to the diamond for the series finale on a Saturday afternoon. They still hold a one-game lead over the Tigers in the SEC West. The Tigers have one game to play against Ole Miss on Sunday.

WATCH: Former Hog Drew Smyly has perfect game bid end in heartbreak

Former Arkansas and current Chicago Cubs pitcher Drew Smyly sees his bid for a perfect game end in heartbreaking fashion.

Throwing a perfect game is the hardest thing to do at any level of baseball – let alone in the MLB. It requires a pitcher to be fully engaged and on the mound for nine innings to successfully accomplish what has only been done 23 times.

Former Arkansas pitcher [autotag]Drew Smyly[/autotag] was just six outs away from completing the 24th perfect game in major league history when it all went horribly wrong.

On the second pitch of the eighth inning, Dodgers outfielder David Peralta hit a dribbler down the third-base line. Smyly trotted to scoop up the ball and throw it to first for a routine out. However, just as Smyly was about to grab the ball, Smyly’s catcher, Yan Gomes, ran right into his back. Both players fell to the Wrigley Field grass.

Peralta reached first with ease and was credited with a hit – ending Smyly’s chance at history.

The one positive in this heartbreaking development was that the Cubs picked up an impressive 13-0 win over the Dodgers. The former All-SEC ace did make some history, though, becoming the first Cubs pitcher to be perfect through seven innings since 1993.

What a heartbreaking way to end a perfect game bid.

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Arkansas’ late rally falls a run short in loss to Georgia in Game 1

Arkansas had just one bad inning against the Bulldogs. It was just too much of a bad inning.

The SEC is a beast in baseball.

That’s about the only way to explain Arkansas’ loss to Georgia on Thursday in the teams’ opener of a three-game set to start the back-half of league play.

The fifth-ranked Diamond Hogs entered as the leaders in the SEC West. Georgia was in last-place in the SEC East. But a five-run third inning by the Bulldogs provided enough room for a small Arkansas comeback in Georgia’s 6-5 win.

Georgia sent all nine hitters to the plate in the third against Arkansas starter Hunter Hollan. Three singles and a walk prefaced Fernando Gonzalez’s three-run home run to cap the scoring and provide the Bulldogs with a 5-2 lead.

Arkansas opened things almost immediately as Peyton Stovall, the second batter of the game, hit an RBI double. Three batters later Ben McLaughlin knocked him in with a single.

But the Razorbacks wouldn’t get anything else until the sixth when Caleb Cali’s sacrifice fly cut re-cut the lead to three after Georgia plated a run in the fifth.

Arkansas would load the bases with no outs in the eighth, but scored just one. In the ninth, needing two to tie, the Diamond Hogs would get just one on a Kendall Diggs double. The Razorbacks third baseman would be left there as a fly out and pop out ended the game.

Hollan worked five innings, giving up seven hits and all six runs. Four of the knocks and five of the runs came in the one bad inning. At the plate, Cali knocked in two, while he, Diggs and McLaughlin each had two hits.

Game 2 is set is set for 5 p.m. on Friday.

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Arkansas baseball vs. Georgia – how to watch, stream, listen to Game 1

Road series in the SEC are always tough, no matter how good the opponent is. Arkansas will seek to expand it SEC West lead Thursday.

The front-half of the SEC baseball season is over. Thursday, Arkansas will kick off a stretch-run toward a Western Division crown.

Step one is on the road as the No. 5 Diamond Hogs travel to Georgia for a three-game set Thursday through Saturday. First pitch in Game 1 is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.

Arkansas is 1 1/2 games ahead of LSU through 15 games. The Tigers had a game against South Carolina cancelled earlier in the season because of the weather, which leads to LSU’s only 14 games. It could be huge if the margin between the two schools remains.

Georgia has no chance at the SEC East title. The Bulldogs are in seventh in the seven-team division, a game behind Missouri and Tennessee and nine games back of the SEC’s overall leader, Vanderbilt.

The biggest on-field story for Arkansas is the potential return of reliever Brady Tygart. A preseason All-American, Tygart hasn’t pitched since March 1 because of an arm injury. Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn mentioned two series ago that Tygart could be back before April is finished.

Arkansas won the series the last time the two played in 2021 in Fayetteville, two games to one.

Diamond Hogs pick up commitment from ninth-grader from Texarkana

Dave Van Horn is loading up his Class of 2026 in plenty of advance for Arkansas.

Hunter Rose needed almost no time at all to say yes to the address.

The freshman from Texarkana committed to the Arkansas baseball on Wednesday, becoming the third member of his Sticks U-15 club to do so. He joins Spencer Browning, shortstop Marcus Bates, catcher Keaton Morris, left-hander Johnny Carver and right-hander Lincoln Boyle as pledges in the Class of 2026.

Rose, a left-handed pitcher, is 6-foot-1 and 150 pounds, suggesting a body type that could end up similar to former Arkansas ace Blaine Knight, only opposite-handed. According to Brewster, Rose has the skill to play outfield, too.

“I went ahead and did it because it is my dream school and there’s no reason to wait – it if is my dream school and everything,” Rose told Pig Trail Nation’s Dudley Dawson. “I can just focus on improving and getting better.”

Rose’s high-school teammate at Pleasant Grove, Brenton Clark, is an Arkansas commit in the Class of 2024. The lefty freshman was also being recruited by Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, among others.

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Sorry, UCA: The Razorbacks still rule Arkansas

Remember the stupid ‘rule’ that the Hogs shouldn’t play in-state schools? Glad that’s over.

It’s easy to forget now, but the standing policy at the University of Arkansas in the athletic department was never, ever to play in-state schools. The fear was if the other, theoretically lesser, school won the game, doom would be fall the Razorbacks.

The thinking might have made sense 40 years ago. But as time has passed, it’s now an absurd suggestion.

The good news is Arkansas baseball coach Dave Van Horn quickly jumped on the in-state playing. This year alone the Diamond Hogs had Little Rock, Arkansas State and Central Arkansas on the schedule. After dispatching the first Little Rock earlier in the month and a washout cancelled the meeting with the Red Wolves, UCA received its shot Tuesday night.

For a while, the Bears appeared destined to send a modest panic into the old-timers in the Hogs fan base. Old-timer in this case doesn’t refer to age, but instead to way-of-thinking. A three-run seventh inning, however, broke a 3-all tie and Arkansas won, 6-3.

UCA had tied the game in the bottom, plating two on a Noa Argenta shot to left field. In the bottom, though, Brady Slavens’ pinch-hit single broke the tie with two outs. Harold Coll was hit by a pitch and Hudson Polk with the bases loaded to score an insurance one, then Slavens scored on a wild pitch to Tavian Josenberger.

The Arkansas lineup racked up 13 hits, but only one went for extra bases. The Diamond Hogs’ four pitchers scattered seven hits while allowing three walks and striking out seven.

Arkansas is back on the road for the weekend as the fifth-ranked, first-in-the-SEC Razorbacks take on Georgia down in Athens.

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