Hogs on road for extended spring break trip, starting with Texas

AUSTIN, Texas — After going 12-1 in a 13-game homestand, eighth-ranked Arkansas goes back on the road for spring break this week, starting with a two-game midweek series at ninth-ranked Texas on Tuesday night.

First pitch with the Longhorns is slated for 6:30 p.m. on the Longhorn Network.

Arkansas (17-2) recently finished off a three-game sweep of Missouri to open Southeastern Conference play, marking its third-straight year with a conference-opening sweep.

The Razorbacks have won six games in a row with the help of a pitching staff that is producing 11.3 strikeouts-per-nine-innings, which ranks second-highest in the nation.

Freshman Patrick Wicklander will take the mound for the third-straight week as the starter and helped contribute to that high strikeout rate.

In each of his last two starts, the San Jose, California, native has struck out eight batters over five innings and has only given up one hit with no runs.

Tuesday and Wednesday’s matchups with Texas (15-7) will mark the first time the two teams have met in Austin since the 2005 NCAA Austin Regional, a regional Texas won en route to its sixth National Championship.

However, Arkansas won all three meetings last season, including two games in Fayetteville and one to open the 2018 College World Series.

Follow live

Both games this week will be available on the Longhorn Network via the Watch ESPN app and WatchESPN.com.

Lowell Galindo, Keith Moreland and Greg Swindell will call the action. Mike Capps will have the radio call on the Razorback Sports Network.

Fans can listen to the radio call on ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs, 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home and via the Razorback Gameday app.

Pregame coverage begins 30 minutes prior to first pitch. There will also be a live radio link available on ArkansasRazorbacks.com.

Important links

Game 1 – WATCH | LIVE STATS
Game 2 – WATCH | LIVE STATS

Probable starters

TUE: (ARK) LHP Patrick Wicklander (2-1, 2.45 ERA, 29 K, 9 BB) vs. (TEXAS) RHP Jack Neely (0-0, 6.23 ERA, 6 K, 5 BB)

WED: (ARK) TBA vs. (TEXAS) TBA

Razorback Prime Nine

• The Razorbacks renew their Southwest Conference rivalry with two midweek games at Texas this week. It’s the second-straight year the two teams have faced in the regular season.

• Arkansas won all three games against the Longhorns a year ago, including the opening game of the College World Series. The Hogs have won four-straight over Texas dating back to 2012.

• Arkansas is coming off a 13-game homestand where it went 12-1, including a conference-opening series sweep against Missouri. It’s the third-straight year the Razorbacks have opened SEC play with a sweep.

• At 17-2, the Razorbacks are off to their best start since 2012 and have won 18-straight home series dating back to 2017.

• Freshman lefty Patrick Wicklander will be making his fourth start of the year Tuesday night. In each of his last two outings, Wicklander has thrown five innings and struck out eight.

• Arkansas pitchers have been the difference in recent weeks as they have allowed five or less hits and two or less runs in five of their last six games. The staff goes into Tuesday’s matchup with the Longhorns with a 4.13 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

• Closer Matt Cronin has made three appearances in the last five games, garnering two saves. He currently has six saves on the year, good for second in the SEC.

• Sophomore Matt Goodheart broke out of a slump in a big way last week against Missouri, going 4-for-8 (.500) with two multi-hit games, including two doubles in the series opener.

• Redshirt junior Isaiah Campbell recorded his third-straight outing of six or more innings and 10 or more strikeouts, becoming the first Hog pitcher to do that since Trevor Stephan in 2017.

Up next

Arkansas continues its road trip with a three-game series in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, facing the Alabama Crimson Tide starting Friday at 6 p.m.

Game two of the series will be on Saturday at 2 p.m., followed by the finale at 1 p.m. on Sunday.