Category: Arkansas baseball

Hagen Smith named Freshman of the Week by the SEC

Smith had one of his best outings on the mound in Friday’s 4-0 win over LSU, which allowed him to earn SEC Freshman of the Week honors.

Arkansas freshman [autotag]Hagen Smith[/autotag] was honored by the Southeastern Conference on Monday, by being named the SEC Freshman of the Week.

The freshman left hander pitched lights out in Friday’s 4-0 win over LSU, playing an instrumental role in Arkansas winning their fourth SEC series of the season in five opportunities.

In game two’s win, Smith tied his career-highs in innings pitched (7.0), hits allowed (2), strikeouts (7), and walks issued (1).

Arkansas head coach [autotag]Dave Van Horn[/autotag] says that Smith used more change-ups and worked on hitting targets against LSU, which was one of the many things that he did differently following a tough loss at Florida in his previous start.

“It didn’t go good for him last weekend in Florida. He took it personal,” said Van Horn following Arkansas’ win on Friday. “He worked extremely hard this week. He got with coach ([autotag]Matt Hobbs[/autotag]) and they did a lot of talking. He had a great bullpen session. He’s on a mission. He really spotted it up and did a nice job.”

Smith has a 3.88 ERA and a 6-2 record through nine starts in a Razorback uniform, with 52 strikeouts in 48.2 IP.

Arkansas receives boost in national polls following sweep of LSU

Arkansas Baseball’s sweep over LSU was deemed impressive by the national polls

Arkansas Baseball is trending upward following a successful week that saw the Razorbacks finish with a 5-0 record.

Arkansas (28-7, 11-4 SEC) bounced back last week after suffering their first SEC weekend series loss since 2019 at Florida April 7-9 in Gainesville by taking two games from in-state foe Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Tuesday, and by sweeping rival LSU, all in front of the home fans at Baum-Walker Stadium.

Because of that, the national polls are on the side of the Razorbacks. Arkansas has now climbed back into the top-5 in all major polls, ranking as high as No. 2 according to one publication.

Arkansas’ placing in the top-5 is very telling, as the Southeastern Conference only has two teams remaining in the top-10 across the board, Arkansas and Tennessee.

Here’s a look at how Arkansas has fared this week in the latest polls:

Tigers Weep? Tiger Sweep: Arkansas sweeps LSU for first time since 2011

Arkansas took all three games from LSU in a battle of national powerhouses and two top-15 teams.

The response [autotag]Arkansas baseball[/autotag] had to losing their first SEC series in three calendar years over the previous week was impressive.

On Saturday, the No. 6 Diamond Hogs, who were ranked No. 2 before falling in two of three in Gainesville against Florida last week, sent No. 15 LSU back to Baton Rouge winless in a three-game set in Fayetteville. A four-run fifth inning was more than enough for the Razorbacks, who stretched their winning streak to five games with a 6-2 win over the Tigers.

[autotag]Jaxon Wiggins[/autotag] kept his record perfect at 5-0 when he went 5 1/3 innings on Saturday. He gave up nine hits and walked three batters, but his nine strikeouts kept Arkansas mostly out of danger, even if he was tagged for two runs.

Down 1-0 after an RBI double from Dylan Crews in the second, Arkansas sent eight batters to the plate in the fifth. [autotag]Peyton Stovall[/autotag] knocked the Diamond Hogs’ first run on a fielder’s choice, [autotag]Cayden Wallace[/autotag] knocked in two more with a single up the middle and [autotag]Brady Slavens[/autotag] added one more with a sacrifice fly.

Slavens would add two more in the seventh on a two-run shot to right field.

The series sweep is Arkansas’ first over LSU since 2011. The sweep also guarantees the Razorbacks will hold on to second place in SEC play with five league series remaining.

Arkansas is back on the diamond Tuesday and Wednesday when it hosts Arkansas State at Baum-Walker Stadium.

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Hagen Smith’s incredible start lifts No. 6 Diamond Hogs over LSU

Arkansas freshman Hagen Smith is having one of the best freshman pitching seasons in recent memory.

[autotag]Hagen Smith[/autotag] turned a performance for the ages on Friday.

Arkansas’ freshman left-hander, in Game Two against rival LSU, was brilliant and the sixth-ranked Hogs clinched the series victory of the Tigers with a 4-0 win at Baum-Walker Stadium.

Smith allowed just three total baserunners – one via walk and two with base knocks – in working seven innings and striking out seven in the process.

“Real impressive,” Arkansas coach [autotag]Dave Van Horn[/autotag] said. “I mean, it’s hard to shut anybody out, especially a team with that lineup.”

Arkansas scored three runs in the third to take control on a solo home run from [autotag]Zack Gregory[/autotag] and a two-run shot from [autotag]Michael Turner[/autotag]. [autotag]Chris Lanzilli[/autotag] added another solo homer in the fifth to finish off the scoring.

LSU didn’t get a runner to even second base until the eighth inning against Zebulon Vermillion. The Tigers left the bases loaded in the frame when Evan Taylor induced a flyout to end things.

Arkansas will look to get a sweep in the series on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Arkansas baseball vs. LSU: Preview, how to watch, stream, listen to Game 2

Arkansas took Game One from LSU on Thursday and Hagan Smith will get the nod for the Diamond Hogs in Game Two.

A two-game SEC losing streak was about enough for the sixth-ranked Arkansas baseball team.

The Diamond Hogs beat No. 15 LSU, 5-4, at Baum-Walker Stadium in the opener of a three-game set. Game Two is set for a 6 p.m. first pitch on Friday.

Arkansas had lost its last two SEC games to Florida the previous weekend, snapping a 13-series winning streak in league play that dated back to 2019.

Robert Moore’s two-run single in the seventh proved to be the game-winner for the Razorbacks on Thursday. Starter [autotag]Connor Noland[/autotag] worked six innings, striking out seven and [autotag]Brady Tygart[/autotag] picked up his fifth save in pitching the last two.

Player of the Game: Robert Moore was the total package in Arkansas’ win over LSU

From two clutch moments, to earning a spot on Sportcenter’s Top-10, Robert Moore had it going on in Thursday’s win over LSU.

Have yourself a night, kid.

Despite grabbing the 5-4 win over LSU on Thursday night, Arkansas had to retake a lead once and had to fight hard to keep the Tigers from stealing it again.

When it came to making plays where they mattered, [autotag]Robert Moore[/autotag] came through.

In a tie game in the 7th inning, Moore hit a two-RBI single to score [autotag]Braydon Webb[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Turner[/autotag] to push Arkansas ahead, 5-3, which ended up being the game-winning hit.

The next inning, LSU was poised to retake the lead by loading the bases with one out. LSU’s Jordan Thompson would hit a ground ball to Moore at 2nd base, who then turned a double play to end the threat.

While he performed well in high intensity moments throughout, it was what he did earlier in the game that stood out. In the third inning, Moore fielded a ball in shallow right field, and would spin and throw the baseball away from his momentum to get the out at first. The play was so spectacular, that it made Sportscenter’s top-10 plays of the day.

When it mattered most, Robert Moore was that guy.

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Arkansas fights off LSU comeback attempt to win series opener

Robert Moore’s bat and Brady Tygart’s grit lifted Arkansas over LSU on Thursday.

In a game defined by pitching and defense through the first six innings, Arkansas (26-7, 9-4 SEC) needed a late push to fight off the comeback-minded LSU Tigers (23-10, 7-6 SEC) in Thursday’s series-opener in a 5-4 win.

Down 2-0, LSU was able to fight back to take a 3-2 lead in the 6th inning on RBI singles by the heart of their lineup, Jacob Berry, Cade Doughty, and Josh Pearson.

The Razorbacks responded in the 7th inning by scoring three runs to retake the lead, 5-3, headlined by a two-RBI single by [autotag]Robert Moore[/autotag]. But, as they had proven earlier in the game, LSU had the ability to fight back.

Arkansas called on freshman [autotag]Brady Tygart[/autotag] after a tough start to the 8th inning that began with three batters reaching base before a single out was recorded. LSU got a run back, but once that run scored, Tygart got a groundball that turned into a double play to put an end to the pressure that the Tigers were putting on Arkansas.

“That was absolutely huge. That put absolutely all of the momentum in our dugout. That got our fans really, really into the game,” said Tygart of the 8th inning double play.

The headline prior to LSU stealing the lead in the top of the 6th was [autotag]Connor Noland[/autotag]. Noland had everything working for him through 5 2/3 innings, allowing just one baserunner before Dylan Crews singled up the middle to give the Tigers their first hit.

“I was very aware,” Noland said during the postgame press conference when asked if he knew that he was throwing a no-hitter through five innings.

Noland ended the game with seven strikeouts and four hits allowed in 6.0 innings of work. Evan Taylor earned the win out of the bullpen, allowing an unearned run while striking out three batters in 1.0 innings. Tygart would go on to get his 5th save of the season.

[autotag]Cayden Wallace[/autotag] led the Razorbacks with two hits while [autotag]Braydon Webb[/autotag] and Robert Moore recorded two RBI.

Game two of the series with LSU is set for 6 p.m. CT Friday, and can be seen on SEC Network.

 

Razorbacks shut out LSU to take series

The Razorbacks clinched the series over LSU by relying on the long ball and solid pitching.

In game one of the much-anticipated series between rivals No. 6 Arkansas and No. 12 LSU, the Razorbacks relied on solid pitching from Connor Noland, who carried a no-hitter into the 6th inning, and again on Brady Tygart late in the game to secure the win.

Friday’s game was much of the same, as freshman [autotag]Hagen Smith[/autotag] was dominant from the very beginning in Arkansas’ 4-0 win over LSU at Baum-Walker Stadium.

Arkansas (27-7, 10-4 SEC) got a solid outing from Smith on Friday, as he pitched arguably his best game against an SEC opponent in his young career. In the win over LSU (23-11, 7-7 SEC), Smith matched his season-high in strikeouts against SEC foes with seven and allowed a season-low two hits and zero earned runs in SEC play in seven innings of work.

[autotag]Zebulon Vermillion[/autotag] and [autotag]Evan Taylor[/autotag] finished the game and combined to allow one hit in the final three frames.

While Smith did his job on the mound, the Arkansas defense backed him up as well. The Razorbacks played errorless ball, and made elite plays such as this one from short stop [autotag]Jalen Battles[/autotag]:

All four of Arkansas’ runs came via the long ball, with two coming in the 3rd inning.

[autotag]Zack Gregory[/autotag] put the Razorbacks on the board with a solo home run to lead off the inning. He smashed the second pitch of the at-bat to left field to give Arkansas the 1-0 lead. [autotag]Brady Slavens[/autotag] walked later in the inning, setting up [autotag]Michael Turner[/autotag] to extend the lead by nailing his 4th home run to lift Arkansas to a 3-0 lead.

To add insurance, [autotag]Chris Lanzilli[/autotag] joined the home run party by hitting a lazer to left field, pushing the Arkansas lead to 4-0. Lanzilli’s 47th career home run traveled 361 feet, and left his bat at a screaming 100 miles per hour according to Arkansas Baseball Player Development.

Arkansas will go for the sweep over LSU on Saturday. First pitch for the final game of the series is set for 2 p.m. CT.

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Sticks of the Game: Every Diamond Hogs player reaches against UAPB in Game 1

Arkansas’ lineup, after some early season struggles, has been rather consistent in the last several weeks. Arkansas Pine-Bluff allowed the Razorbacks to add some more good mojo to such work in Game One on Tuesday. The Diamond Hogs had no trouble …

Arkansas’ lineup, after some early season struggles, has been rather consistent in the last several weeks. Arkansas Pine-Bluff allowed the Razorbacks to add some more good mojo to such work in Game One on Tuesday.

The Diamond Hogs had no trouble with UAPB in the first of two games of a doubleheader, winning 15-0.

Every Arkansas starter reached base and all but one had at least one hit. All of them also scored, saved one player, as well. Arkansas racked up 15 hits, eight walks and a hit-by-pitch in the win. Five of the knocks went for extra bases.

These players had the best of the day.

Diamond Hogs rolls over Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Game One of doublehader

Arkansas gave up just a single hit in a shutout win over UAPB in Game 1 on Tuesday.

Arkansas baseball needed a tonic after the weekend saw the Diamond Hogs lose their first series of the season.

Arkansas Pine-Bluff was the cure to spell the ills.

The sixth-ranked Razorbacks had no trouble with the visitors from the southeast part of the Natural State, beating UAPB, 15-0, in seven innings of the first game of a doubleheader on Tuesday. Game Two was scheduled to begin 45 minutes after Game One ended.

Arkansas collected 15 hits and walked eight times in the victory. [autotag]Brady Slavens[/autotag] led all hitters from the 2-hole. The first baseman went 4 for 5 with two home runs and six RBI. [autotag]Dylan Leach[/autotag], who had five hits and went for the cycle in his last start behind the plate, went 2 for 4 with two RBI and two runs.

Isaac Bracken was the only Arkansas pitcher to give up a hit. Kacy Higgins doubled for the Lions in the top of the seventh. [autotag]Kole Ramage[/autotag] picked up his first win of the season, striking out five of the nine batters he faced.