Category: Arkansas baseball

Hagen Smith is SEC Pitcher of the Year as seven Arkansas players receive All-SEC honors

To no surprise, Arkansas left-hander Hagen Smith was named SEC Pitcher of the Year Monday.

The Southeastern Conference named Arkansas left-hander Hagen Smith its 2024 Pitcher of the Year Monday.

Smith finished the regular season 9-0 in 14 starts with a 1.52 ERA over 77 innings pitched. He struck out 150 batters to only 29 walks. In his final regular-season start against Texas A&M last Thursday, Smith struck out 14 batters in six scoreless innings. He passed Nick Schmidt to become Arkansas’ all-time career strikeout leader.

Smith is the third player in program history to take home SEC Pitcher of the Year honors, joining Kevin Kopps in 2021 and Schmidt in 2006.

Six other Razorbacks players made All-SEC teams Monday, as voted on by conference head coaches. Peyton Stovall (second base) and Wehiwa Aloy (shortstop) earned second-team All-SEC recognition. Pitcher Gabe Gaeckle and infielder Nolan Souza earned Freshman All-SEC honors.

Third baseman Jared Sprague-Lott and outfielder Peyton Holt were named to the All-SEC Defensive Team.

Other notable SEC award winners announced Monday were Georgia slugger Charlie Condon, who was named conference Player of the Year, and Gavin Grahovac, who was named conference Freshman of the Year. First-year Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione was named Coach of the Year.

Is Arkansas baseball still safe as top eight national seed, Super Regional host?

Where is Arkansas baseball projected in this new Field of 64 outlook for the 2024 NCAA Baseball Tournament?

A lot would seem to have to go wrong over the next week for the Arkansas baseball team not to qualify as a top eight national seed for the 2024 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.

Securing a top eight seed would ensure that the Razorbacks would host a best-of-three Super Regional at Baum-Walker Stadium, if the team wins its four-team, double-elimination on-site regional.

While Arkansas (43-12) went just 9-9 in its last six conference series after dropping two of three to Texas A&M to close out the regular season, the team is considered “safe” for a top eight seed in On3’s latest Field of 64 projections for the postseason.

The Razorbacks are projected as the No. 5 overall seed by On3. They fell three spots from a projected No. 2 seed in On3’s postseason outlook last week.

Per Jonathan Wagner:

Though Arkansas lost a series to Texas A&M this past weekend, they remain firmly in the mix to host as a top five seed and feel safe in the top eight discussion. The Razorbacks will lock that in with a win or two in the SEC Tournament this week. Joining them in the Fayetteville Regional is Southern Miss, Cincinnati and Little Rock.

Tennessee, the No. 1 team in every major Top 25 rankings this week, moved past Kentucky for the projected top overall seed in On3’s forecast. North Carolina moved up to the projected No. 3 seed with Texas A&M as the No. 4 seed.

The full Field of 64 that will make up the NCAA Tournament and compete for a berth in the College World Series in Omaha will be unveiled on Selection Monday, May 27 at 11 a.m. CDT.

In the meantime, Arkansas will face either Alabama or South Carolina in the Razorbacks’ SEC Tournament opener in Hoover Wednesday afternoon.

Two SEC teams jump Arkansas in new USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll

A look at where Arkansas baseball ranks in the new USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll.

Arkansas may have clinched the SEC West division title over the weekend at Texas A&M, but losing two of three to the Aggies caused the Razorbacks to fall in the USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll, released Monday, May 20.

Arkansas (43-12 overall, 20-10 SEC) fell two spots to No. 4 in the new poll. Texas A&M (44-11) climbed one spot to No. 3, and Kentucky (39-12) moved up to No. 2.

Tennessee (46-10) stayed at No. 1 for the third consecutive week after sweeping South Carolina to earn the top seed in this week’s SEC Tournament in Hoover. At 22-8 in conference play, both the Volunteers and Wildcats earned a share of the SEC regular-season title.

By virtue of winning the SEC West, Arkansas will be the No. 2 seed in the tournament and will face the winner of Alabama-South Carolina in the Diamond Hogs’ tournament opener Wednesday.

Clemson (40-13) rounded out the top five of the coaches poll. The Tigers were one of seven ACC teams to crack the Top 25 — the most by any conference.

The SEC had six schools ranked in the poll. In addition to the conference taking the top four spots in the coaches poll, Georgia (39-14) ended the regular season ranked No. 9. Mississippi State (36-19) also cracked the Top 25 at No. 16.

Georgia out, Kansas State in as Arkansas baseball opponent next year in DFW

Kansas State and Arkansas have a bit of history on the diamond. Should be good.

Arkansas will still get Texas Christian again next year in Dallas-Fort Worth, giving the modest rivalry an injection, and that’s most important.

But the curiosity of having two SEC teams in the College Baseball Series at Globe Life, home of the Texas Rangers, in 2025 is now gone. Georgia, coached by former Arkansas pitching coach Wes Johnson, is out. In the Bulldogs’ stead, Kansas State, the folks who run the round-robin announced Monday.

Next year’s four-team tournament also features Michigan and will mark the third straight appearance at Globe Life for the Razorbacks and fourth in five years. Every tournament has included teams like the Diamond Hogs, teams considered Top-25 caliber.

Kansas State generally hasn’t been that as the Wildcats haven’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2013, though they’re expected to make it this season. Arkansas does have familiarty with K-State, regardless. KSU beat Arkansas in the Manhattan Regional back in 2013.

The Globe Life series is set for late February and will mark either the first or second weekend for the Arkansas baseball team.

Where Arkansas baseball fell in final regular-season Top 25 rankings

The Arkansas Razorbacks fell to No. 5 in both D1Baseball and Baseball America’s new Top 25 rankings, released Monday, May 20.

Arkansas baseball fell two spots in the new D1Baseball Top 25 rankings and three spots in Baseball America Top 25, released Monday, May 20.

The Razorbacks (43-12 overall, 20-10) checked in at No. 5 in both rankings after dropping two of three to Texas A&M in College Station over the weekend to close out the regular season.

Arkansas clinched the SEC West division title on Friday night and will be the No. 2 seed at this week’s SEC Baseball Tournament in Hoover. The Diamond Hogs will play Tuesday’s winner between No. 7 seed Alabama and No. 10 seed South Carolina on Wednesday.

SEC regular-season co-champions Tennessee (46-10, 22-8) and Kentucky (39-12, 22-8) were Nos 1. and 2 in both rankings, respectively. It’s the third straight week that the Volunteers, the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament, were atop both D1Baseball and Baseball America’s rankings.

ACC regular-season champion North Carolina (41-12) moved up one spot to No. 3 in Baseball America’s rankings while Texas A&M (44-11) moved up one spot to No. 4 in both rankings.

Georgia (39-14) was the only other SEC team to crack Baseball America’s top 10 at No. 8.

Every game of the 2024 SEC Tournament will be televised by SEC Network with the exception of Sunday’s championship game on ESPN2. Each game of the tournament will also air live on SiriusXM Channel 374 for subscribers.

Arkansas baseball ready for business time with SEC, NCAA tournaments

Dave Van Horn would be hitting .318 in the postseason if he were one of his Arkansas players. What does that mean? Well….

Dave Van Horn is at his best at this time of the year.

Arkansas fans couldn’t be happier about that.

Van Horn, the Razorbacks baseball coach now in his 22nd second in Fayetteville, has led Arkansas to seven College World Series. If he were one of his players, he’d be batting just under .333. The march to an eighth such trip to Omaha, Nebraska, is officially in focus.

The calculus on the best route to take to TD Ameritrade, however, is where the curiosity lies. Arkansas starts the SEC Tournament – not totally meaningless for the Diamond Hogs, but, yeah, not much of a factor – with a guaranteed two games.

No team wants to go two-and-out and go home. Pride is too high for that, even if resting is in the best interest of the team. Arkansas will go first against either Alabama or South Carolina, depending which team wins the first-round game there. After that, it depends on how long the Diamond Hogs keep winning.

Arkansas will practice Monday and Tuesday down at Hoover High, not far from the Hoover Coliseum, where the tournament will take place. Don’t expect Van Horn, who has done this a time or two with success, to come out guns blazing all week long.

“We need to rest up a little bit, hydrate and eat,” Van Horn said. “I’m sure some guys lost some weight out here the last few days. Get ready for the run.”

Crimson Tide or Gamecocks due up next for Arkansas baseball in SEC Tournament

It’s the Alabama Crimson Tide or the South Carolina Gamecocks against Arkansas in the Razorbacks’ SEC Baseball Tournament opener.

The Arkansas Razorbacks already knew what day they would first begin play at the 2024 SEC Baseball Tournament in Hoover.

The question now is which team the Diamond Hogs will face come Wednesday.

Either way, it will be one that coach Dave Van Horn’s club has already seen this season. The official SEC Tournament bracket was released late Saturday, and the No. 2 seed Razorbacks will face the winner of Tuesday’s single-elimination matchup between No. 10 seed South Carolina and No. 7 seed Alabama.

The Razorbacks won two of three against the Gamecocks in Columbia back on April 20. A week prior to that, they lost their first weekend series of the year by dropping two of three to the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.

Alabama lost two of three at last-place Auburn over the weekend but has been ranked in the Top 25 for much of the season. South Carolina has also been a consistent Top 25 team but was swept by regular-season SEC champion Tennessee in Knoxville on Saturday.

Alabama-South Carolina is one of four contests scheduled for Tuesday’s opening day of the tournament. No. 6 seed Georgia will kick off the tournament against No. 11 seed LSU. First pitch for that game is slated for 9:30 a.m. CDT before ‘Bama faces South Carolina.

No. 8 seed Vanderbilt will then face No. 9 seed Florida with a tentatively scheduled 4:30 p.m. first pitch. No. 5 seed Mississippi State will close the night against No. 12 seed Ole Miss.

As the No. 2 seed, Arkansas is one of four teams that earned a Tuesday bye, along with No. 1 seed Tennessee, No. 3 seed Kentucky and No. 4 seed Texas A&M.

Arkansas dropped two of three to Texas A&M in its final regular-season series over the weekend in College Station but clinched the SEC West division title with a 6-3 victory over the Aggies on Friday.

All games of the tournament will be televised by SEC Network with the exception of Sunday’s championship game on ESPN2.

Arkansas gets run-ruled in regular-season finale at Texas A&M

A look at how the fourth-ranked Texas A&M Aggies took down second-ranked Arkansas.

Fourth-ranked Texas A&M erupted for nine runs over the final two innings to take down second-ranked Arkansas, 14-4, in seven innings on the final day of SEC regular-season play Saturday at Blue Bell Park in College Station.

The Aggies (44-11 overall, 19-11 conference) hit four home runs to win the series, 2-1.

Arkansas, which wrapped up the SEC West division title on Friday night, trailed only 5-4 until the sixth inning when Texas A&M exploded for six runs off a trio of beleaguered relievers — Ben Bybee, Stone Hewlett and Dylan Carter.

Bybee opened the inning by allowing a single, a double, a wild pitch that scored a run, and a walk. He didn’t record an out.

Hewlett entered and allowed two more walks before another wild pitch led to another run. Ted Burton then cleared the bases with a three-run double.

That prompted another pitching change as Carter entered and gave up an RBI single. The Aggies ended the frame with an 11-4 lead.

After Arkansas was retired in order in the seventh, the Aggies sent the crowd home early. Gavin Grahovac hit a two-run home run that made it 13-4 before Ryan Targac’s pinch-hit RBI single walked it off.

Will McEntire started Saturday’s loss and received a no-decision. He struggled early, allowing a leadoff walk to Grahovac before Jace LaViolette hit his team-leading 28th home run for a quick 2-0 Aggies lead.

An inning later, Caden Sorrell took McEntire deep to make it 4-1. McEntire recorded just four outs, allowing four runs on four hits to nine batters.

Arkansas got home runs from Hudson White and Wehiwa Aloy in the second and third innings off Aggies starter Shane Sdao, marking back-to-back games in which both White and Aloy homered. Aloy’s two-run shot in the third tied the game at 4-4 but would be the Diamond Hogs’ last runs of the day.

Texas A&M went right back ahead in the bottom of the third on Braden Montgomery’s second home run of the series, a solo shot that made it 5-4.

Cooper Dossett (3-1) was the losing pitcher in relief with Chris Cortez (8-2) earning the win. The Aggies out-hit the Razorbacks, 15-5.

Arkansas ended its regular season 43-12 overall and 20-10 in SEC play after a blistering 12-1 start. The Hogs finished 8-9 over their final 17 conference games and will be the No. 2 seed in next week’s SEC Tournament in Hoover.

Arkansas gets Georgia, TCU, Michigan in 2025 Globe Life series

Arkansas’ trip to the home of the World Series champion Texas Rangers is becoming habit.

The Arkansas baseball team’s trip to Dallas-Fort Worth is practically a lock at this point.

The folks at Globe Life Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Texas Rangers, announced the Diamond Hogs as one of four participants in next year’s round-robin tournament on Friday. This year, that tournament was called the Baseball Classic. Right now, there is no name for next year’s.

More of interest to Arkansas fans, though, are the opponents. The Razorbacks may get an early shot an SEC foe deep in the heart of Texas, as Georgia is one of the other three teams invited. However, the people who run the event have been loath to put conference rivals against each other in the past, instead of opting for them to play a double against one of the other two opponents.

In that case, Arkansas would get either two games against Michigan or two games against recently-developed rival Texas Christian. TCU won the Fayetteville Regional in the 2023 NCAA Tournament and the Horned Frogs beat Arkansas in the Globe Life series, as well.

The 2025 set of games is scheduled for February 23-25.

Big inning rallies Arkansas against SEMO in first round of Fayetteville Regional

Arkansas escaped on Friday.

Arkansas had only eight outs left. They don’t score at least two runs, they lose to fourth-seeded Southeast Missouri State at home.

In their own regional. Again.

Whew.

The Razorbacks, hosts of the Fayetteville Regional in the NCAA Tournament, scored three runs in the fifth inning to rally past SEMO and stay on the winner’s side of the bracket on Friday. A bases-loaded walk with two outs in the frame provided the Hogs the game-winning run.

Arkansas players not named Reagan Johnson and Nia Carter – she who knocked in the tying and scored the winning run – had a difficult time at the plate. Those two players had two hits each, but the rest of the Razorbacks lineup had only two among them. Kennedy Miller, who drew the go-ahead walk, was the only other player to reach twice.

Southeast Missouri jumped out quickly, knocking Morgan Leinstock out before the second inning finished. They rocked her for four singles, which was exactly how many outs she recorded, and two runs. Coach Courtney Deifel followed with Robyn Herron and things settled.

Herron gave up three hits and hit a batter in her more than five innings of work, but most importantly, she kept SEMO from scoring again, allowing for Arkansas’ comeback.

The Razorbacks advanced to play Arizona, which knocked off Villanova in the other first-round game, on Saturday. The two ‘A’ states split two games in the regular season.