Category: Arkansas Razorbacks

Texas A&M expands Blue Bell Park capacity ahead of SEC matchup vs. No. 2 Arkansas

With a Top 5 matchup set to take place this weekend, the Aggies have expanded the capacity for fans to attend the series at Blue Bell Park.

With a pivotal Top 5 matchup set to take place this weekend, Texas A&M has expanded the capacity for the upcoming series at Blue Bell Park.

The No. 4 Aggies will host No. 2 Arkansas to conclude the regular season. Texas A&M desperately needs a boost of momentum after losing its last two sets on the road at LSU and Ole Miss, respectively.

Section 12 at Olsen Field has been revamped ahead of the series versus the Razorbacks. Bleachers have been placed in left center field to add about 250 more seats to the ballpark. General admission seats for that area will be sold at the box office on game day, two hours prior to first pitch. Presales for the lawn, general admission and standing room only have closed.

Weather permitting, the Aggies begin the three-game set Thursday evening at 7 p.m. According to Ryan Brauninger of TexAgs, if the series opener is postponed, a doubleheader would be scheduled for Friday, meaning Texas A&M would have its third conference double-dip in a span of five weeks.

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Arkansas enters NCAA Softball Tournament ranked No. 16 in coaches poll

A look at where the Arkansas Razorbacks softball team is ranked entering the 2024 NCAA Division I Softball Championship/Tournament.

The Arkansas Razorbacks enter the 2024 NCAA Softball Tournament ranked in the same spot as a week ago.

The Razorbacks (36-16 overall) are No. 16 in the USA TODAY/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll, released Monday, May 13.

Arkansas lost its SEC Softball Tournament opener to Missouri, 3-1, making a quick one-and-done exit at Auburn’s Jane B. Moore Field last Friday.

Now it’s on to the NCAA Tournament where coach Courtney Deifel’s team will face No. 4 seed Southeast Missouri State in the Fayetteville Regional at Bogle Park. Arkansas earned the No. 12 overall seed for the final field of 64 that will compete for a spot in the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

Joining the Hogs in the Fayetteville Regional are No. 2 seed Arizona and No. 3 seed Villanova. Should Arkansas win its regional, they would head to Oklahoma State for a Super Regional, provided the Cowgirls win the Stillwater Regional. Oklahoma State is the No. 5 overall seed in the tournament.

RELATED: Arkansas lands 12-seed for NCAA Tournament, will host Fayetteville Regional

First pitch for Arkansas-Southeast Missouri State is scheduled for Friday night after the conclusion of Arizona-Villanova, which begins at 5 p.m. CDT. The two games can be seen on ESPN+.

Texas (47-7) is the No. 1 overall national seed in addition to being ranked No. 1 in the coaches poll for the sixth consecutive week as tournament play is set to begin.

Arkansas softball falls in SEC Tournament opener to Missouri

A look at Arkansas’ 3-1 loss to Missouri in the SEC Softball Tournament opener.

The Arkansas Razorbacks are officially one and done in the 2024 SEC Softball Tournament.

Fifth-seeded Missouri (42-14 overall) overmatched the fourth-seeded Razorbacks to complete a 3-1 victory at Auburn’s Jane B. Moore Field in a game that was suspended Thursday night due to severe weather.

When play resumed at 9:02 a.m. CDT Friday, Missouri had a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning with runners at first and third and no one out. Robyn Herron struck out Maddie Gallagher for the first out of the inning before Missouri used a double steal to plate their third run.

Jenna Laird, who had two hits including an RBI double in the fifth inning Thursday, stole home. Afterwards, Alex Honnold was tagged out in a rundown between first and second base. Herron allowed a single to Abby Hay but struck out Stefania Abruscato to end the inning.

The Razorbacks went quietly in the fifth before getting their best chance at a breakthrough in the sixth when they loaded the bases with no one out. Nia Carter singled before Bri Ellis was hit by a pitch.

That prompted Missouri coach Larissa Anderson to remove Tigers starter Cierra Harrison for Marissa McCann. Afterwards, Cylie Halvorson singled off the glove of Laird at shortstop to load the bases.

But the Hogs soon squandered a golden opportunity when Hannah Gamill popped up with the infield fly rule in effect for the first out. McCann then struck out Kennedy Miller to end an 11-pitch battle before Rylin Hedgecock, pinch-hitting for Hannah Camenzind, struck out on three pitches to end the threat.

Arkansas went in order against Missouri pitcher Taylor Pannell in the seventh inning to end the game — and the Razorbacks’ hopes of a deep conference tournament run. Pannell earned her 14th save of the season.

Harrison (14-3) earned the win for Missouri. She allowed one run on four hits in five-plus innings. Morgan Leinstock (13-5) suffered the loss for Arkansas, allowing three runs and seven hits in four innings.

Missouri advanced to play LSU in the semifinal round of the tournament after LSU defeated No. 1 seed Tennessee in a 2-1 upset Thursday.

Even with the loss, Arkansas (36-16) still figures to be one of the 16 Regional site hosts for the NCAA Tournament. The Razorbacks are ranked as high as No. 9 in the latest D1Softball Top 25 poll, and they’d won five straight SEC series before dropping two of three to Ole Miss last weekend.

RELATED: Where does Arkansas softball rank in final regular-season Top 25 polls?

Arkansas will learn its postseason fate when the final field of 64 is revealed during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show beginning at 6 p.m. CDT Sunday. The Selection Show will be televised by ESPN2.

Arkansas-Missouri softball game suspended, to continue Friday

Arkansas Softball: The Razorbacks’ SEC Tournament opener will have to be finished Friday.

A weather delay caused the Arkansas softball team’s SEC Tournament opener against Missouri to be suspended in the top of the fifth inning late Thursday at Auburn’s Jane B. Moore Field.

The game is scheduled to resume Friday at 9 a.m. CDT. Missouri will be leading the Razorbacks, 2-1, and will have runners at first and third with no one out.

A day of thunderstorms caused two games to be postponed until Friday: quarterfinal matchups between Georgia-Florida and South Carolina-Texas A&M. Thursday’s scheduled first game between LSU and top-seeded Tennessee (won by LSU in a 2-1 upset) was delayed from its scheduled 10 a.m. start time until 5 p.m.

When Arkansas-Missouri got underway shortly after 8 p.m., the Tigers struck in the first inning against Razorbacks starter Morgan Leinstock. Jenna Laird led off the game with a single and stole second. Maddie Gallagher drove in Laird with an RBI double that fell just in front of a sliding Reagan Johnson in left-center for an early 1-0 Missouri lead.

After Arkansas’ Hannah Gammill ended a nine-pitch at-bat with a game-tying solo home run to center off Missouri starter Cierra Harrison in the fourth inning, the Tigers’ bats wasted no time in going right back to work in the fifth.

Kayley Lenger led off the inning with a bunt single along the first base line. Arkansas catcher Kennedy Miller waited for the ball to go foul until home plate umpire Robbie Guest correctly signaled that it was a fair ball. Afterwards, Laird connected for her second hit of the night, a run-scoring double off the top of the wall in center that put Missouri back on top.

When Alex Honnold followed Laird with an infield single to put runners at the corners with no one out, it forced Arkansas coach Courtney Deifel to make a pitching change. Robyn Herron entered in relief before a nearby lightning strike caused the game to go into a delay at 9:24 p.m. CDT officially.

Leinstock finished the night with four innings pitched. She allowed two runs and seven hits and will be responsible for both runners on base when play resumes Friday.

The game’s continuation can be seen on SEC Network.

Where does Arkansas softball rank in final regular-season Top 25 polls?

Here’s where the Arkansas ranks in the final regular-season Top 25 softball polls.

How costly was the Arkansas softball team’s series loss to Ole Miss over the weekend at Bogle Park in the eyes of pollsters?

Not a lot, it turns out.

Despite dropping two of three to the SEC’s last place team, the Razorbacks (36-15 overall) fell only one spot to No. 16 in the final USA TODAY / NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll, released Tuesday, May 7.

They also fell one spot to No. 9 in D1Softball’s Top 25 poll tand two spots to No. 13 in the new ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. Arkansas fell three spots to No. 11 in Softball America’s poll.

Arkansas earned the No. 4 seed in this week’s SEC Softball Tournament. The Razorbacks will face the winner of Wednesday’s matchup between seventh-seeded Georgia and 10th-seeded Auburn Thursday at Auburn’s Jane B. Moore Field. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m. CDT and can be seen on SEC Network.

Texas (45-6) finished the regular season at No. 1 in every major poll after sweeping Texas Tech over the weekend. The Longhorns have spent five weeks in the top spot.

Tennessee (40-9), the SEC’s regular-season champion, moved up to No. 2, and Oklahoma State (44-9) jumped Oklahoma (46-6) for No. 3 after taking two of three from the reigning champion Sooners in Norman over the weekend. Oklahoma fell to No. 4 with ACC regular-season champion Duke (43-6) rounding out the top five.

The SEC led the way with nine teams ranked in the coaches poll and 10 teams ranked in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25.

Arkansas outside Top 10 in final Softball America poll ahead of SEC Tournament

Arkansas Softball: Here’s a look at where the Arkansas Razorbacks are in this final regular season Softball America Top 25 rankings for the week of May 6.

Arkansas’ weekend series loss to Ole Miss in conference play caused the Razorbacks to fall in the final Softball America Top 25 poll for the regular season.

Losing to the last-place team in the SEC’s standings dropped Arkansas (36-15 overall, 14-10 conference) three spots to No. 11 in the poll.

The Razorbacks finished fourth in the final SEC standings and will receive the No. 4-seed for the league tournament, which begins later this week.

In all, there was a lot of movement in the top 10 of Softball America’s poll. While Texas (45-6) stayed at No. 1 for the fourth consecutive week after a series sweep of Texas Tech, Tennessee (40-9) moved up to No. 2 and Oklahoma State (44-9) climbed two spots to No. 3.

The Cowgirls won two of three from Oklahoma over the weekend in Norman, dropping the Sooners (46-6) from No. 2 to No. 4. Duke (44-6) moved up one spot to finish the regular season at No. 5.

UCLA (No. 6, 34-10), Stanford (No. 7, 42-12), Missouri (No. 8, 40-14), and Florida (43-12) all moved up in the poll. Florida leapt past Arkansas to move to No. 9 after sweeping Texas A&M over the weekend. The Aggies (39-12) fell six spots to No. 10.

The SEC led the poll with nine schools ranked.

Arkansas is ‘biggest mover’ in new D1Softball Top 25 poll, lands at No. 8

Arkansas Softball: Here’s a look at where the Arkansas Razorbacks are ranked in this week’s D1Softball Top 25 poll after Week 12.

Welcome to the Top 10, Arkansas. You’re just in time for the party.

With one weekend series left in the SEC’s regular season, coach Courtney Deifel’s softball team is on the move.

After taking two of three from previously sixth-ranked LSU in Baton Rouge over the weekend, the Razorbacks (34-13 overall, 13-8 conference) moved up four spots in this week’s D1Softball Top 25 poll to land at No. 8.

Per D1Softball:

“Florida State and Arkansas were the week’s biggest movers, rising five and four spots, respectively. FSU routed Florida in a midweek matchup in Gainesville, while Arkansas took a weekend series win on the road at LSU.”

The top four teams in D1Softball’s poll remained the same as last week.

Texas (42-6 overall) stayed at No. 1 for the fourth consecutive week since their series victory over Oklahoma (45-4) in early April. The Sooners were No. 2, followed by Tennessee (37-9) at No. 3 and Oklahoma State (42-8) at No. 4.

Stanford and UCLA flipped one spot in D1Softball’s poll, with the Cardinal moving back up to No. 5 and the Bruins dropping to No. 6.

Texas A&M was the only other SEC team in the top 10 at No. 10. Florida State’s 4-0 week moved the Seminoles up to No. 11. FSU has won 14 straight games and 22 of its last 23 since March 23.

In other major polls, Arkansas stayed at No. 8 in this week’s Softball America Top 25 poll and remained at No. 15 in the USA TODAY / NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll. They rank No. 15 in the NCAA’s RPI rankings.

The Razorbacks close out the regular season beginning Friday at Bogle Park when Ole Miss (28-23, 12-13) visits Fayetteville. First pitch Friday is scheduled for 6 p.m. CDT. The game can be seen on SEC Network+.

Arkansas running back Dominique Johnson enters transfer portal

Arkansas Razorbacks running back Dominique Johnson has entered the transfer portal.

Arkansas running back Dominique Johnson entered the transfer portal on Monday after spending four seasons in Fayetteville.

Matt Zenitz of 247Sports and CBS Sports first reported the news.

A member of the 2020 recruiting class, Johnson had 136 carries for 785 yards and eight touchdowns with the Razorbacks over the past three seasons. He also had nine catches for 75 yards and a touchdown in that span.

Most of those yards came during his sophomore season in 2021 before he suffered knee injuries. Johnson made six starts at tailback that year, finishing the season with 575 rushing yards and seven touchdown on 97 carries. He also added seven receptions for 71 yards and a score.

Last season, Johnson had 31 carries for 167 yards (5.4 per carry) and one touchdown in nine games. He had a season-high 62 yards on six carries in Arkansas’ 44-20 victory over FIU on November 18.

Both 247Sports and On3 listed Johnson as a three-star recruit coming out of Crowley (Texas) High School in 2020.

John Calipari, Arkansas land huge addition via transfer portal

The Arkansas Razorbacks and coach John Calipair have landed former Tennessee forward Jonas Aidoo via the transfer portal, according to a report from CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander.

John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks have landed one of the top players in the transfer portal.

Former Tennessee star Jonas Aidoo has committed to Arkansas. CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander was the first to report the news in a post on X, formerly Twitter, late Monday. Aidoo entered the transfer portal on April 11.

At 6’11”, 245 pounds, Aidoo is one of the top big men in the nation. He averaged 11.4 points per game to go with 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks for Tennessee last season, helping the Volunteers reach the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Those numbers earned Aidoo an All-SEC selection.

On3 had Aidoo rated as the No. 10 overall player and No. 3 center in the transfer portal.

Aidoo had three games of 20 or more points in his junior season at Tennessee, including 23 in the Volunteers’ 92-63 blowout win over the Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena on February 14.

Aidoo later confirmed the report in a post to his official Instagram account.

Aidoo is the fifth addition to the Arkansas roster since Calipari was named the Razorbacks’ head coach earlier this month. Aidoo joins a roster that includes former Kentucky forward/center Zvonimir Ivisic and four-star recruits Boogie Fland, Karter Knox and Billy Richmond.

Change in new D1Baseball, Baseball America top five rankings

Arkansas Baseball: Here’s a look at where coach Dave Van Horn’s Arkansas Razorbacks are ranked in this week’s D1Baseball and Baseball America Top 25 rankings for the week of April 29.

There’s been a change in the top five rankings in both D1Baseball’s Top 25 poll and Baseball America’s Top 25 rankings, released Monday, April 29.

While Texas A&M (38-6 overall) stayed at No. 1 and Arkansas (37-7) remained at No. 2 for the third consecutive week in both polls, Clemson (34-9) moved up one spot to No. 4 in the new D1Baseball poll.

East Carolina (35-8) joined the Razorbacks in D1Baseball’s new top five, as did Florida State (34-9) in Baseball America’s new rankings.

Tennessee remained at No. 3 in both rankings after a 4-0 week. In all, four of the top 10 teams in this week’s D1Baseball and Baseball America rankings were from the SEC — including No. 8/9 Kentucky.

The SEC had the most teams ranked of any conference with nine. Outside of the top 10, South Carolina (29-14) rose nine spots to No. 15 in D1Baseball’s poll after winning two of three from Kentucky over the weekend.

Mississippi State (29-15) jumped into the Top 25 in both rankings after earning a hard-fought series win at Vanderbilt. The Bulldogs climbed to No. 16 in D1Baseball’s poll. Vanderbilt (31-13) fell six spots in the same poll to land at No. 17.

No. 19 Georgia (31-12) and No. 23 Alabama (28-16) rounded out the contingent of SEC teams that placed in D1Baseball’s new Top 25.

Arkansas returns to the diamond when the Razorbacks welcome Missouri State to Fayetteville for two midweek games beginning Tuesday. First pitch Tuesday is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CDT. The game can be seen on SEC Network+.