Tag: peyton stovall

Arkansas vs. Texas: How to watch, stream, listen to College Baseball Showdown

Arkansas Razorbacks start their season on neutral ground against the Longhorns.

The 2023 College Baseball season is officially here and the Hogs on the diamond are a part of the sports opening day.

Arkansas takes on the Texas Longhorns in the College Baseball Showdown to open their season. Last time we saw the Diamond Hogs, they suffered a loss to Ole Miss in the College World Series.

This isn’t the same team as last year with a new lineup by longtime coach, Dave Van Horn. The team is still loaded with talent, a few of them earning preaseason honors, with the most notable being Peyton Stovall.

This opening series in the college baseball showdown gives us a chance to see how good this team is against potential CWS opponents.

Arkansas battle future SEC foe in College Baseball Showdown

The Hogs on the Diamond are starting their 2023 season against the future members of the SEC, Texas Longhorns. 

The Hogs on the Diamond are starting their 2023 season against the future members of the SEC, Texas Longhorns.

The Longhorns are the first of three Big 12 teams Arkansas will face this weekend in the College Baseball Showdown. The schools were former members of the Southwest Conference, but in two seasons, we’ll see them renew their rivalry as SEC conference-mate

Overall, the Longhorns have dominated the rivalry against Arkansas with a record of 76-38, the first meeting in 1902. In the last 20 years, the Razorbacks have shifted their power.

The last time the two schools met in the College Baseball Showdown was in 2021, Razorbacks winning 4-0. In 2018, the Razorbacks defeated the Longhorns in the College World Series.

Lucas Gordon is expected to be the starter for the Longhorns. He was 7-2 in 2018, with 3.18 ERA, but the Longhorns are in rebuild mode. They lost six players to the MLB from last season’s College World Series team.

The Hogs are also in reset mode but have more experience in the lineup, led by preseason All-American Peyton Stovall. Another preseason All-American, Hagen Smith, is listed to take the Razorbacks’ mound, also finishing 7-2 in 2022.

While this is an excellent opportunity to renew the rivalry before the Longhorns join the SEC, this should be an easy victory for the Hogs.

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He’s back! Brady Slavens will play one more year with Arkansas

Brady Slavens’ return to Arkansas in 2023 gives the Diamond Hogs back their leading home-run hitter.

Ask an Arkansas baseball fan and he or she will likely tell you Brady Slavens should have been taken in the 2022 MLB Draft.

But sometimes the serendipitous thing happens to Razorbacks country.

The professional ranks’ loss is the Diamond Hogs gain as Slavens announced he would be returning to the Arkansas baseball team next year.

Slavens spent most of the season as Arkansas’ designated hitter and tied for the team lead with 16 home runs while his 58 RBIs was second. He slashed .255/.332/.523 in what was though to be his final season of college baseball.

Slavens’ return gives Arkansas two starters back in the field, as he joins rising sophomore Peyton Stovall.

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn has been busy in the transfer portal to fill the holes left off last season’s College World Series team, including a transfer from Austin Peay at shortstop and a catcher from New Mexico State as recently as Thursday.

Diamond Hogs JUCO All-American, allowing Stovall to shift to natural position

Arkansas is likely going to lose three starting infielders off this year’s College World Series team, so Caleb Cali will help.

Arkansas baseball has landed its likely starting first baseman for next season.

Junior-college All-American Caleb Cali, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound first bagger from the College of Central Florida, will transfer to Arkansas in time to play next season.

He slashed .438/.533/.826 this past spring with 17 home runs, 22 doubles, six triples and 77 RBIs. Cali was primarily a third baseman at CofCF, but his college coach told WholeHogSports that Cali projects as first baseman at the Division I level.

Cali began his career at Florida State where he redshirted before transferring to Hillsborough Community College for the 2021 season. Arkansas will make his fourth school in four years, but Cali will have two years of eligibility with the Razorbacks.

His arrival should allow Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn to shift this year’s starting first baseman, Peyton Stovall, to the middle infield, his primary position in high school.

Cali is one of 10 junior-college commits Van Horn and the Diamond Hogs have landed in the class. Arkansas is losing starters Jalen Battles, Michael Turner, Braydon Webb, Zack Gregory and Chris Lanzilli. They’re also likely to lose third baseman Cayden Wallace and second baseman Robert Moore to the MLB draft.

Peyton Stovall affirms commitment to Razorbacks

Rumors of Peyton Stovall transferring away from the program were put to rest on Monday by Stovall himself.

Not even 24 hours after Ole Miss knocked off Oklahoma to win their first-ever College World Series title, wild rumors regarding the Transfer Portal began to circulate.

Three Razorbacks have announced their intentions to pursue other opportunities outside of Arkansas Baseball, with one of those announcing his decision Monday afternoon.

However, a wild rumor regarding a fourth member of Arkansas’ special season that concluded in the College World Series semi-finals began circulating on social media Sunday, a rumor that has since been put to rest.

Speculation regarding [autotag]Peyton Stovall[/autotag]’s intent to transfer began making the rounds, especially on Twitter. But, Stovall ended those rumors by joining the “Out of Bounds” radio show on 103.7 the Buzz in Little Rock on Monday afternoon, where he reaffirmed his commitment to the program.

“I don’t know how that got started,” Stovall said to hosts John Nabors and Joe Franklin. “I plan to be a Razorback for the next two years. I’m excited for next year.”

Stovall, a freshman from Haughton, Louisiana, appeared in 52 games for the Razorbacks in 2022, In 200 at-bats, Stovall hit .295 with six home runs and 31 RBI. In the field, he recorded 413 putouts at first base.

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Photo Gallery: Arkansas blasts, eliminates Auburn from College World Series

Will McEntire gave Arkansas a special performance as the Razorbacks eliminated Auburn from the College World Series.

Will McEntire gave Arkansas everything he could and everything the Razorbacks needed.

The sophomore from Bryant tossed seven innings, giving up just three hits and striking out nine in Arkansas’ 11-1 win over Auburn at the College World Series. The victory set up a rematch with Ole Miss on Wednesday. If the Rebels win, they’ll play for a national championship. If the Razorbacks win, the teams will meet again Thursday in a loser-goes-home game.

McEntire’s nine strikeouts were one shy of tying Arkansas’ school record at the College World Series. He carried a no-hitter to the fourth inning and shutout until the seventh. A solo home run was the only blemish on his night.

Meanwhile, his teammates racked up 16 hits, including a three-run third inning and a four-run fourth inning, to send Auburn packing.

Arkansas and Ole Miss will meet at 6 p.m. CT.

Arkansas scores 17 in demolition of Stanford at College World Series

Arkansas’ bats save their best for the College World Series in blasting No. 2 Stanford.

Chris Lanzilli was not fooled by the changeup. The ball left his bat at 106 miles-per-hour and traveled beyond the left field wall.

It was the first of many impressive hitting moments for Arkansas, which had zero trouble with the No. 2 overall seed Stanford, 17-2, in the first round of the College World Series.

Lanzilli’s homer broke a 1-all tie with the Cardinal with one out in the fifth and the Razorbacks piled on from there. Arkansas racked up 21 hits, seven of which went for extra bases, in the easy win.

The Diamond Hogs will now get the winner of Auburn and Ole Miss. Those two meet Saturday night.

Every Arkansas starter had at least two hits, paced by Michael Turner’s 4-for-6 day. Peyton Stovall knocked in four runners and Cayden Wallace knocked in another three.

Alex Williams, the PAC 12 Pitcher of the Year, went 4 1/3 innings, giving up eight hits and two walks while striking out six and allowing five runs.

Robert Moore added the fifth run to Williams’ tally after the Cardinal starter left the game. Moore’s single to right served as the exit for Williams, but after Jalen Battles walked and Peyton Stovall hit into a fielder’s choice, Moore scored from third base on a wild pitch by Ryan Bruno.

An RBI single by nine-hole hitter Zack Gregory tacked on another run off Bruno to make it 6-1. That was that.

Every Arkansas batter had reached base at least once by the fifth. The Diamond Hogs lineup finished with 21 hits and seven walks.

Meanwhile, Arkansas starter Connor Noland mowed down the Stanford lineup. He worked 7 2/3 innings, helping his bullpen in the short week in Omaha, Nebraska, giving up just six hits.

Arkansas wasted little time opening the scoring. Braydon Webb led off the game with a triple and he scored two batters later on Cayden Wallace’s sacrifice fly.

Stanford tied things in the bottom of the inning in even faster fashion. Brock Jones took the third pitch of the game from Arkansas starter Connor Noland to deep left field over the wall.

Arkansas will get either the Tigers or Rebels on Monday night. The Razorbacks won SEC series against both during the regular season.

WATCH: Phil Elson calls Arkansas’ Omaha-clinching walk-off single

Here’s how Brady Slavens’ walk-off single sounded from the voice of Arkansas Baseball

“And you can call them the Omahogs!”

Those words were exclaimed by Phil Elson, the radio voice of Arkansas Baseball, following [autotag]Brady Slavens[/autotag]’ walk-off single in the bottom of the 9th inning that lifted Arkansas over North Carolina on Sunday afternoon to clinch a spot in the College World Series for the 11th time in program history.

North Carolina broke the 2-2 tie in the top of the 9th inning on an RBI single to take the 3-2 lead, hoping that it would be enough to beat Arkansas and force a winner-take-all game three on Monday.

As they have proven all postseason, the Razorbacks were not going to go away that easily.

The inning started with back to back singles by [autotag]Jalen Battles[/autotag] and [autotag]Peyton Stovall[/autotag]. In the next at-bat, [autotag]Kendall Diggs[/autotag] would reach on a walk, loading the bases for [autotag]Braydon Webb[/autotag]. Webb hit a grounder that resulted in a fielder’s choice, allowing Battles to score from 3rd base to tie the game again at 3-3.

With two on and no outs, Slavens delivered the game winning hit that would send Arkansas to Omaha.

Here is how the walk-off sounded from the voice of Elson:

Arkansas will face the winner of Monday’s Stanford Super Regional between Stanford and UConn in the College World Series later this week at Charles Schawb Field in Omaha, Nebraska. Official dates and times will be released at a later time.

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One down, one to go: Arkansas beats North Carolina in Game 1 of Supers

Connor Noland spun a gem and Peyton Stovall’s home run led the way for Arkansas in a Game 1 win over North Carolina in the Super Regionals.

Arkansas baseball is one game away from the College World Series.

The Razorbacks beat No. 10 in Game 1 of the Chapel Hill Super Regionals, 4-1, on Saturday. The victory means Arkansas needs just one more win, either in Sunday’s Game 2 or a potential Game 3 on Monday, to clinch a spot in Omaha for the third time since 2018.

The Diamond Hogs scored three runs in the fifth inning to take control. Peyton Stovall started events with a solo home run. Brady Slavens followed with an RBI single and Cayden Wallace’s sacrifice fly tacked on the final of the frame.

Meanwhile, Arkansas starter Connor Noland dazzled. He worked 6 2/3 innings, giving up six hits and a walk while striking out six.

North Carolina had its best chance against Noland in the first when a single, double and a walk loaded the bases with one out. But the Arkansas right-hander struck out Alberto Osuna and induced a come-backer from Mikey Madej to get out of the inning.

Noland retired 14 of the next 16 batters he faced. He was lifted with two outs in the seventh after giving up a single. By that point, he had another run of insurance thanks to another RBI single from Slavens in the half-inning before. Evan Taylor needed just one pitch to finish the frame.

North Carolina freshman Vance Honeycutt pulled the Tar Heels within striking distance heading to the ninth with a solo home run. Hagen Smith, Arkansas’ freshman who was the Razorbacks’ Saturday starter for most of the season, replaced Taylor for the final outs.

Smith gave up a single, but the Heels never had a chance to bring the tying run to the plate as the lefty recorded a strikeout and a flyout to end things.

Arkansas will look to clinch its spot in Omaha on Sunday at noon CT.

Michael Turner named Stillwater Regional MVP

Arkansas catcher Michael Turner named MVP of Stillwater Regional as Diamond Hogs advance to Super Regionals.

As if the weekend weren’t already crazy enough, Arkansas’ Stillwater Regional win Monday night was capped in perhaps the best way possible.

Razorbacks catcher Michael Turner, who made national sports news the previous week for…other reasons…was named the Regional’s Most Valuable Player at the conclusion of Arkansas’ 7-3 win.

The graduate transfer from Kent State had a two-run double in the ninth to help insure the Hogs victory. For the Regional, Turner went 8-18 with two walks, two home runs and a double and knocked in nine runs while scoring seven more.

Arkansas will play North Carolina in the Super Regionals in Chapel Hill on the weekend. The Tar Heels, the No. 10 seed, advanced after beating Virginia Commonwealth on Sunday.

Arkansas first baseman Peyton Stovall, third baseman Cayden Wallace, shortstop Jalen Battles and pitcher Connor Noland were named to the All-Regional team, as well.

The trip is Arkansas’ fourth straight to the Super Regionals. The Diamond Hogs lost in the Supers last year to North Carolina State, but the previous two times in the round they advanced to the College World Series.

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