Hogs set to begin long homestand Wednesday afternoon against Tigers

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas returns home this week after its first road trip of 2019 and will start a 14-game homestand with a single midweek contest against Memphis on Wednesday at Baum-Walker Stadium.

First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. and will be broadcast on SEC Network+ and can be heard on ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.

The Razorbacks (5-1) are coming home after taking two games of a three-game series with the USC Trojans last week, their first road series win since 2017.

All three games last week at Dedeaux Field were decided by three runs or less and the Hogs nearly swept the Trojans before succumbing to a 10th-inning walk-off home run in the final game, suffering their first loss of the year.

Memphis (2-4) comes into the game after splitting a doubleheader with Southern Illinois on Sunday. This will be the fifth-straight year that Arkansas and Memphis will meet on the diamond going back to 2015.

Arkansas won last year’s contest at AutoZone Park, 8-7, and have won 11 of the last 12 games in the series.

Follow Live

Wednesday’s game will be available on SEC Network+ via the Watch ESPN app and WatchESPN.com. Brett Dolan and Troy Eklund will call the action.

Phil Elson and Bubba Carpenter will have the radio call on the Razorback Sports Network. Fans can listen to the radio call via the Razorback Gameday app.

Pregame coverage begins 30 minutes prior to first pitch.

Probable Starters

Wed. | 9 p.m. | (ARK) LHP Patrick Wicklander (0-0, 6.23 ERA, 6 K, 2 BB) vs. (MEM) LHP Danny Denz (0-0, 6.75 ERA, 2 K, 1 BB)

Razorbacks head west, down Trojans

Arkansas went west last week to face USC in a three-game series and came away with its first road series win since 2017. The Hogs won games one and two 6-3 and 8-6, respectively, and nearly swept the Trojans before a 10th-inning walk-off homer thwarted that plan.

It was the first road series win for the Hogs since they took 2-of-3 from Alabama in Tuscaloosa in April of 2017.

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Scroggins the starter?

After week one’s weather forced a throwing schedule change for Arkansas’ usual rotation, Cody Scroggins was penciled in to start game one against USC last week.

Scroggins stuck out the side in the first inning and totaled two more strikeouts in each of the second and third innings. Only two batters reached base before the fourth inning and before Arkansas went to the bullpen.

Both Scroggins’ innings pitched and strikeouts were career highs.

Against Memphis

Wednesday will mark the 30th all-time meeting between Arkansas and Memphis dating back to 1964.

Last year, the Hogs and Tigers played one game at AutoZone Park in Memphis with Arkansas winning 8-7.

Arkansas has won 11 of the last 12 meetings against Memphis and has scored 10 or more runs three times during that streak.

February success

Since Dave Van Horn took over for the Razorbacks in 2003, Arkansas have played through the month of February with one loss or better 12 times, including six undefeated years.

The Hogs are 117-18 in the first month of the year under Van Horn. Last year, the team went 6-2 in February and hit .310 as a team.

Fire on the basepaths

Last week against USC, Arkansas took advantage of its speed by stealing 11 bases, five coming in the game two victory. The five steals were the most by an Arkansas team in one game since stealing six against New Orleans on Feb. 19, 2013.

Last year, Arkansas stole 39 bases, its second-lowest total since 1972, but is well on pace to surpass that this year.

Trevor Ezell leads all Arkansas players with four stolen bases, ranking fourth in the SEC and the 15 team steals are second-most in the league.

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Up Next

Arkansas continues its homestand this weekend with a three-game series against Stony Brook at Baum-Walker Stadium.

Friday and Saturday’s first pitches are scheduled for 3 p.m., while Sunday’s first pitch will be at 1 p.m.

All games will be broadcast on SEC Network+.