Category: Arkansas baseball

Little Rock knocks off No. 6 Diamond Hogs to split series

Arkansas baseball is good. Great, even. But Little Rock is pushing for an NCAA Tournament berth out of the Ohio Valley, too.

That 21-5 victory the sixth-ranked Arkansas baseball team had over Little Rock on Tuesday night was misleading. The Trojans aren’t that bad of a baseball team.

On Wednesday, they showed it, dismantling the Diamond Hogs, 11-4, in a dominating performance against an SEC and national power. More to the long-term point, the Razorbacks’ loss reflected an issue they’ve had all year: the pitching just isn’t there.

Every pitcher but one of the five for Arkansas gave up as many runs as he pitched innings. Little Rock chased Ben Bybee after three after tagging for as many. Austin Ledbetter gave up another three – all unearned in the sixth and Christian Foutch was touched up for four in the seventh.

Meanwhile, Arkansas’ only three runs to that point came early, in the second on a solo home run from Jace Bohrofen and a two-run shot from Brady Slavens.

Little Rock, which sits third in the Ohio Valley standings, collected 14 hits and nine walks against Arkansas pitching en route to the first victory in the all-time series.

The Razorbacks have Thursday off before a more major, if less local, rival hits Fayetteville. Tennessee will be at Baum-Walker Stadium for three games starting Friday.

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Yikes: Arkansas softball swept by Central Arkansas on the season

Arkansas is a national powerhouse. But losing two games on the season to Central Arkansas stings.

The Arkansas baseball team has become quite the national power.

But there’s a difference between the nation’s elite and the nation’s second tier. For now, the Razorbacks are in that second group.

Not a bad place to be, certainly, but Tuesday’s 4-0 loss to Central Arkansas – the team’s second against the Sugar Bears this year – was a sign toward to that. UCA set a school record with a crowd of 2,475 in the victory.

Central Arkansas’ Kayla Beaver struck out eight and allowed just five hits with no walks in the seven-inning affair. On the other side, Arkansas’ three errors led to just one of the four Bears runs scored as earned.

UCA plated two in the fifth on a throwing error, then one of the two scored in the sixth came off the same. Beaver retired Arkansas’ final nine batters over the last three innings in order to clinch things.

Arkansas is back at Bogle Park on the weekend for a three-game set with Alabama-Birmingham.

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Arkansas baseball vs Little Rock – Game 2: How to watch, stream, listen

Between Tuesday’s run-rule and the weekend’s meeting against Tennessee, it’s hard to get pumped for Wednesday.

After needing just seven innings to beat Little Rock in the first game of the two-game midweek series, Arkansas will go for a miniature sweep on Wednesday.

The Diamond Hogs, ranked No. 6 in the country, scored nine runs in the first inning Tuesday en route to a 21-5 dismantling of Little Rock. The meeting was only the fourth in school history and Wednesday’s capper will be an opportunity for coach Dave Van Horn to continue to see what his pitching staff has.

That staff will be needed on the weekend as Tennessee, coached by former Arkansas assistant Tony Vitello, enter Fayetteville. The Vols spent all last season, practically, ranked tops in the country and are in the top 15 this year.

In the meantime, a tune-up. First pitch from Baum-Walker Stadium between the Razorbacks and Trojans is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Arkansas drops 21 on Little Rock, run-rules Trojans in first game

The 21 runs against Little Rock were great, but Arkansas’ pitching depth showed its still lacking.

A nine-run first inning usually leads to wins. And in modern college baseball, it usually leads to seven-inning wins.

No. 6 Arkansas did that to Little Rock on Tuesday in the first of a two-game set with their Natural State counterparts. The Diamond Hogs sent 14 batters to the plate in the nine-run opener and dispatched the Trojans via run-rule, 21-5.

The only inning in which the Razorbacks didn’t score was the fifth. Kendall Diggs and Jace Bohrofen were a perfect 2 for 2 from the plate. Bohrofen hit a two-run homer in the third inning and finished with four RBI and three runs.

Arkansas starter Cody Adcock gave up two runs in four innings as the Razorbacks’ staff gave up 11 hits and allowed as many walks (6) as recorded strikeouts (6). That was of bigger concern in the grand scheme as Arkansas’ pitching staff carries an ERA of 5.03.

The teams will play one more on Wednesday before Tennessee visits Baum-Walker Stadium for a three-game SEC series.

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Arkansas baseball vs Little Rock – Game 1: How to watch, stream, listen

Little Rock is contending for an NCAA Tournament spot in the Ohio Valley. Arkansas is No. 6 in the country.

Once upon a time, Arkansas’ faithful had a fear that playing other in-state programs was detrimental to the Razorbacks.

In the sport where one of those other Natural State schools could actually beat Arkansas, Dave Van Horn hasn’t been afraid of such. His No. 6 Diamond Hogs kick off their week Tuesday by hosting Little Rock at Baum-Walker Stadium.

It’s only the third time ever the schools will have met. Arkansas took the lone game in 2019 then both last year. This year’s Trojans team isn’t last year’s, though. The school formerly known as UALR is third in the Ohio Valley standings. They’ve also only won two games on the road all year. A bit of a trade-off.

The Razorbacks don’t want to lose, of course, but their hay is made during the weekend. Little Rock serves as an apertif for the main course when Tennessee visits starting Friday.

In the meantime, Van Horn will continue giving a beleaguered pitching staff reps while trying to stretch his bench against the Trojans.

Arkansas baseball drops one spot in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

The SEC owns five of the top six spots in the country in the coaches poll.

Win a series. Drop in polls.

Such is life when playing baseball in the SEC.

The Arkansas baseball team found itself in such a position Monday when the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll was announced. The Diamond Hogs were leapfrogged by fellow Southeastern Conference foe South Carolina as the Gamecocks swapped with Arkansas, No. 6 to No. 5 and vice versa.

Arkansas took two of three from defending national champion Ole Miss on the weekend, but the Rebels’ position in the cellar of the SEC West doesn’t help the Razorbacks’ national-ranking cause. Meanwhile, South Carolina split its two games against No. 1 LSU as the finale was washed out.

The Tigers are actually in SEC in the West behind Arkansas by virtue of not playing. The Razorbacks are 8-4 while LSU is 7-4. Over in the East, South Carolina sits in second at 9-2, just behind No. 4 Vanderbilt and a half-game in front of No. 3 Florida and No. 11 Kentucky.

Tennessee, which visits Arkansas on the weekend, was the last SEC team ranked, checking in at No. 12. Texas A&M, Alabama and Missouri all picked up votes, however.

Arkansas will play Little Rock for two games on Tuesday and Wednesday before the Vols enter on Friday.

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Diamond Hogs are middle of the SEC pack in everything statistically, so how are they atop SEC West?

It’s easy to say “Dave Van Horn” when trying to explain how the Diamond Hogs are 8-4 in SEC play. Numbers tell the story better.

There isn’t a lick special about this year’s Arkansas baseball team.

And yet.

And yet Dave Van Horn’s bunch finds itself inside the top in the country, atop the SEC West table and a legitimate national title contender. They’re 10th in the SEC in hitting and on-base percentage, ninth in slugging. They’re eighth in earned-run average, ninth in batting average-against and 12th in strikeouts.

Good luck explaining just how Arkansas is 8-4 at nearly the halfway point of league play, then.

But also, if you’re an Arkansas fan, does it matter?

Probably not. Not right now, anyway. The Diamond Hogs have won three of their four SEC series this season and are 26-6 overall with no losing streak longer than two games, and even those came against LSU, the No. 1 team in the nation.

A common refrain heard around this time of year is “Dave Van Horn.” In his 21st season with the Razorbacks, he’s been here a time or two. With seven College World Series appearances in that time, he’s not exactly short on experience.

Arkansas needs all of that it can get. It’s easy to forget, what with the glimmering record, seven of the nine regular hitters are in the first year as starters. Among the rotation guys, only Hagen Smith and Will McEntire have experience in that role.

So how is Arkansas this good, actually? Let’s take a look at some of the numbers that might help explain things.

First place in SEC West? First place in SEC West. Diamond Hogs prove they’re for real

Arkansas doesn’t appear to be amazing at anything. Just awfully good everything.

No, dear fan, Arkansas’ two-games-to-one series win over Ole Miss over the weekend isn’t what makes the Diamond Hogs one of the best teams in the country. The defending champs are that, yes, but they’re mired at the bottom of the SEC, too.

What makes Arkansas a legitimate national title contender (again) is the way the Razorbacks beat Ole Miss on the weekend. A 6-4 late-innings clincher victory was just the latest in stylings from coach Dave Van Horn’s bunch.

With the game tied at three into the seventh, Tavian Josenberger and Peyton Stovall hit back-to-back RBI singles to prove Arkansas a two-run lead. Jacob Gonzalez, perhaps the nation’s best player, pulled the Rebels within one in the bottom of the inning before Kendall Diggs’ RBI single in the eighth provided the Razorbacks some insurance.

The most impressive part was Arkansas’ bullpen. It’s beleaguered this season, but Dylan Carter and Gage Wood combined to give up just two runs and strike out four in 4 1/3 innings. Not the stuff of legends, but a positive sign for a team whose pitching needed it.

The No. 5 Razorbacks are back in Fayetteville for a two-game set with Little Rock on Tuesday and Wednesday before Tennessee visits Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

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How to watch, stream, listen to Arkansas baseball vs. Ole Miss – Game 3

Arkansas can sit alone in first-place with a win in the finale against Ole Miss.

The rubber match between Arkansas and Ole Miss is set to be played as originally scheduled Saturday when the teams meet at 2 p.m. from Oxford.

Game 1 was washed out Thursday, so the defending champs hosted the Diamond Hogs for a doubleheader on Friday. Arkansas took the first one with ease before a big inning helped the Rebels tie the series.

Heading into the finale, Arkansas was tied atop the SEC West with LSU, though the Tigers own the tiebreaker via winning the series, two games to one, earlier. Ole Miss was tied at the bottom of the division with Magnolia State rival Mississippi State.

Arkansas could take a half-game lead over LSU with win. The Tigers’ game against South Carolina was canceled and no make-up date was known, which could yield an uneven final record at season’s end.

Here’s how you can watch Ole Miss and Arkansas’ final game.

Ole Miss evens series with Arkansas thanks to a five-run sixth

The rubber match between the first- and last-place teams in the SEC West is set for Saturday.

The defending champs are still the defending champs, no matter what their record may be.

Ole Miss showed that Saturday in the second game of a doubleheader with Arkansas. The Diamond Hogs, ranked No. 5 in the country, won the opener with relative ease against the last-place team in the SEC West. But a quick turnaround seemed to have helped the home team as the Rebels took a 7-4 win in the back-half.

Ole Miss struck for five runs in the sixth, batting around and chasing Hagen Smith with two runs and tagging Cody Adcock with three more. By the time Arkansas touched up Ole Miss for two of its own, it was the ninth inning and too late.

The teams traded single runs in the second, then alternated the next two as Arkansas scored in the fifth and the Rebels in the fourth. After that, the gates broke open.

First pitch for the rubber match is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday.

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