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Hogs put up big inning early, but can’t slow down Florida to drop series
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Despite scoring five runs in the second inning, No. 5 Arkansas (37-9, 14-7 SEC) could not slow Florida (30-16, 8-13 SEC) and was handed a 9-5 loss in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Condron Family Ballpark.
With Sunday’s setback, the Hogs dropped the rubber match to the Gators and were unable to secure their first series win in Gainesville since 2012.
Arkansas has now lost three straight SEC weekend series for the first time since 2016.
A run-scoring walk, wild pitch and groundout gave the Razorbacks their first three runs of the afternoon before Cam Kozeal laced a two-out, two-run double to right center, putting Arkansas ahead, 5-1, in the top of the second inning.
Arkansas would lead by three through the first three innings of play but had no answers for Florida’s offense all afternoon.
The Gators overcame their early multi-run deficit by scoring in seven of their eight frames at the plate, tagging seven Razorback pitchers for nine runs on 12 hits and five walks in their series-clinching win Sunday.
Offensively, six Arkansas batters collected at least one base hit.
Kozeal led the way with his team-leading two knocks, including his second-inning double, and two RBI, while Kuhio Aloy also added a double to begin the second inning.
Up next, the Razorbacks will conclude the midweek portion of the regular season with a road trip to Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo., to take on Missouri State.
First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN+.
Wood’s dominant three-inning start paces Hogs to tie series with Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Led by Gage Wood’s dominant three-inning start on the mound, three Razorback pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts and shut out Florida (29-16, 7-13 SEC) for the first time in program history to lead fifth-ranked Arkansas (37-8, 14-6 SEC) to a 7-0 series-evening win Saturday afternoon at Condron Family Ballpark.
With Saturday’s win, the Razorbacks forced a rubber match in tomorrow’s finale in Gainesville.
First pitch in the series-deciding contest between Arkansas and Florida is scheduled for noon Sunday on SEC Network+.
In his second start since returning from injury, Wood fired three shutout frames with five strikeouts against the Gators.
The right-hander retired the first eight he faced before a two-out double in the third but would escape without damage.
Wood, who hit his pitch count at 42, departed after three innings and turned the ball over to Gabe Gaeckle.
His fellow right-hander spun 3.1 scoreless innings with two strikeouts in relief, earning the win to improve to 4-1 on the year.
With Gaeckle on the mound, the Razorback offense broke through in the top half of the fifth after four scoreless innings to start the game.
Kuhio Aloy’s bases-loaded single through the left side scored a pair of runs and put Arkansas up, 2-0.
Aloy finished the game 2-for-5 with two RBI, his team-high 58th and 59th runs batted in of the year, and raised his season slash line to a team-leading .376/.453/.648 in 41 games with his 19th multi-hit performance of the campaign.
After Carson Boles and Brent Iredale each collected RBI with a sacrifice fly and ground-rule double, respectively, later in the inning, Cam Kozeal entered as a pinch hitter for Rocco Peppi and swatted a two-run homer, his 10th of the year, to right field on the second pitch he saw, extending the Razorbacks’ advantage to 6-0 and capping the six-run frame.
Wehiwa Aloy, meanwhile, tacked on another run in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly to center, giving Arkansas a 7-0 lead and collecting his 50th RBI of the season in the process.
The Hogs’ seven-run edge was plenty for Aiden Jimenez, who locked down the final 2.2 innings of Saturday’s win and racked up three strikeouts to secure the shutout victory.
The Razorbacks, who have not won a series in Gainesville since 2012, have an opportunity to snap their 13-year drought tomorrow when they send left-hander Landon Beidelschies (4-0, 4.06 ERA) to the hill to clinch the series win.
TeSlaa, then Jackson first two Hogs taken in NFL Draft in third round
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Isaac TeSlaa and Landon Jackson heard their names called in the third round of the NFL Draft on Friday night with TeSlaa going 70th overall to Detroit and Jackson not long after at 72nd overall to Buffalo.
The duo going in the third round gives Arkansas 30 consecutive Drafts with at least one Hog being called and marks the first time two Razorbacks have been selected in the third round since 2022 when Drew Sanders and Ricky Stromberg were selected.
TeSlaa came off the board when he became the 16th Razorback to be selected by Detroit and first since Frank Ragnow went 20th overall in 2018.
TeSlaa, a Michigan native, will join former Hogs Ragnow and Dan Skipper on the Lions’ roster. TeSlaa is the highest selected Arkansas wide receiver since Treylon Burks went in the first round to Tennessee in 2022.
In two seasons at Arkansas after transferring from Division II Hillsdale College, TeSlaa caught 62 passes for 896 yards and five touchdowns.
As a senior in 2024, he recorded 28 catches for 545 yards and three touchdowns. In his first season on The Hill, he posted 34 receptions for 351 yards and a pair of scores.
His performance at the Hula Bowl earned him an invite to the Reese’s Senior Bowl, which led to his invitation to the NFL Combine.
TeSlaa’s performance at the Combine was one of the best ever by a wide receiver that saw him run 4.43 in the 40-yard dash while posting a vertical jump of 39.5 inches and a broad jump of 10 feet, 9 inches.
At Hillsdale, he was the Great Midwest American Conference Offensive Player of the Year and team MVP after hauling in 68 passes for 1,325 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior in 2022.
In his three seasons at Hillsdale, he caught 118 passes for 2,116 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Jackson’s selection of 72nd overall makes him the highest drafted Arkansas defensive lineman since Jamaal Anderson went eighth overall to the Atlanta Falcons in 2007.
Jackson is the first Razorback defensive lineman to be selected since John Ridgeway was taken in the fifth round by Dallas in 2022 and the first Arkansas player to be drafted by the Bills since Jonathan Williams in 2016.
Jackson earned All-SEC Second Team honors from both the league’s coaches and the Associated Press following his senior season in 2024 after earning first-team honors from the league’s coaches in 2023.
He led the Hogs in sacks and tackles for loss for the second straight season, recording 6.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss last season.
The Texarkana, Texas, player became the first Razorback to lead the team in tackles for loss and sacks in consecutive seasons since Wayne Martin – a first-round pick in 1989 – did so from 1986-88.
Jackson is the first Hog to lead Arkansas in sacks in consecutive regular seasons since Chris Smith – a fifth-round selection in 2014 – accomplished the feat in 2012-13.
He logged a four-game sack streak from Oct. 26-Nov. 23, becoming the first Hog to register 1.0+ sacks in four consecutive games since Deatrich Wise Jr. – a fourth-round pick – in 2015.
Jackson finished his career as the only Razorback since 1997 to register 8+ total tackles, 3+ tackles for loss and 2+ sacks in multiple games, having accomplished the achievement twice.
A transfer from LSU, Jackson made an immediate impact upon his arrival on The Hill in 2022.
He played in all 13 games with seven starts, making 23 tackles with three sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss.
In three seasons at Arkansas, he collected 116 total tackles, 26.5 tackles for loss and 16 sacks over 42 games.
His 16 sacks ended a half sack shy of cracking the program’s career Top 10.
Hogs’ three homers not enough to get past Gators to start series
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — No. 5 Arkansas (36-8, 13-6 SEC) bashed three homers, including Wehiwa Aloy’s team-leading 17th blast, but were handed a 6-4 series-opening loss against Florida (29-15, 7-12 SEC) Friday at Condron Family Ballpark.
The Razorbacks, who have not won a series in Gainesville, Fla., since 2012, will look to even things up tomorrow afternoon.
First pitch in game two between Arkansas and Florida is 2 p.m. Saturday on SEC Network.
Aloy’s one-out solo shot in the top of the first helped the Hogs jump out to a quick 1-0 lead.
The Razorbacks’ superstar shortstop, who finished the night 1-for-4 with his seventh home run in his last 10 games played, improved his team-leading slash line to .376/.455/.742 with 17 homers and 49 runs batted in through 44 games this season.
Cam Kozeal’s leadoff shot, his ninth of the season, in the top of the second extended Arkansas’ advantage to 2-0.
Pitching with a two-run lead, starter Zach Root was burned by a three-base error on his failed pickoff with two outs in the bottom half of the second inning, which allowed Florida to cut its deficit to one without putting the ball in play.
Root, who took the loss, would ultimately toss 4.1 innings with eight strikeouts, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks.
The biggest blow came in the fifth on a three-run homer against right-hander Dylan Carter, who inherited a pair of runners when he took over on the mound in relief of Root, to put the Gators ahead, 6-2.
Carter (2.0 IP, 1 R, 2 SO) and Christina Foutch (1.2 IP, 2 SO) combined for 3.2 innings of one-run ball and four strikeouts in relief of Root to give the offense an opportunity to fight its way back into the ballgame.
Justin Thomas Jr. connected on his seventh homer of the season in the bottom of the seventh, hitting a two-run shot to cut Florida’s edge to two.
The two-run deficit, however, would be as close as Arkansas would get.
The Gator pitching staff, led by starter Liam Peterson’s career-high 13 punchouts, combined to strike out 16 Razorback batters in Friday night’s series opener.
BetSaracen’s Neal Atkinson on Ole Miss quarterback paying off big
Jaxson Dart for some reason generated a lot of bets in first round of NFL Draft on Thursday night.
Former Razorbacks’ pitcher James Teague on questions to be answered
Lots of answers coming for Hogs headed into Florida series and all of the answers can’t be identical.
Incoming cornerback Julian Neal on choosing Razorbacks
Tall defender will add length to match up with big wide receivers in SEC and he’d been to Arkansas growing.
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: 4-25-25
Arkansas takes on the Gators for an important SEC series in Gainesville, NFL Draft Reactions, Cuts from Pittman press conference and more!
Guests: Clay Henry, Lang Wittman, and Julian Neal.
