Razorbacks second baseman Robert Moore (2-3, 2 RBI), winning pitcher Connor Noland (6 innings, 3 strikeouts) and catcher Casey Opitz (3-4, 2 RBI) on the 9-3 win.
Van Horn after Hogs stay perfect on season with 9-3 win over Gonzaga
Arkansas advanced to 5-0 on the young season after working to a 9-3 win over the Bulldogs at Baum-Walker Stadium on Friday to guarantee at least a push in series.
Arkansas shows depth in 400-meters in qualifying meet Friday
FAYETTEVILLE — Among a trio of victories in the Arkansas Qualifier on Friday, the Razorbacks produced a 1-2 finish in a pair of events and displayed their depth in the 400-meters.
Racing in Winston-Salem, the Arkansas distance medley improved its time and standing on the current collegiate list.
Roman Turner and Keshawn Andrews were the first pair of Razorbacks to accomplish a 1-2 finish on the night, with times of 6.75 and 6.77 in the 60-meter. Then Gilbert Boit and Graham Brown completed the feat in the 3,000-meter. Boit clocked 8:07.12 with Brown nearing his career best with an 8:22.88.
Jalen Brown established a career best of 46.27 to lead a 2-3-4-5-6 performance by the Razorbacks in the 400-meter.
Following were Hunter Woodhall (46.92), James Milholen (47.02), Nick Hilson (47.16) and Lesley Mahlakoane (47.34). Brown’s effort moves him to No. 10 on this season’s collegiate list.
“It was a good pre-meet to the SEC Championships,” said Arkansas men’s assistant coach Doug Case. “The 400-meter group ran really well, and I think we had four PRs from them tonight. Now we have a couple of sprinters who rank among the top 10 in the NCAA 400-meter list. All the short sprinters and hurdles ran right around their best times, it was a good tune-up for SECs.
“Gilbert Boit ran a nice time in the 3,000-meter, which will get him into the fast heat in the conference meet. We also had a group race in the distance medley relay and those guys ran a time that puts them fifth in the nation, which is a good performance when you convert the time over. We expect to have a really good SEC meet.”
In North Carolina, the Razorbacks clocked 9:39.16 as runner-up to BYU (9:38.02) and ahead of Virginia Tech (9:40.07) and Washington (9:43.45). The crew running for Arkansas included Luke George (2:59.08), Travean Caldwell (47.93), Kieran Taylor (1:51.66) and Cameron Griffith (4:00.48).
With the event being run on a flat 200m track, the time for Arkansas will convert to 9:31.40 and currently ranks the team fifth on the NCAA descending order list. More DMR races are scheduled for Saturday at Notre Dame.
In the 60m hurdles at the Arkansas Qualifier, the Razorbacks placed four in the final. Carl Elliott III won the race in 7.81 as Tre’Bien Gilbert finished third in 7.89. Then multi-event athletes Daniel Spejcher (8.22) and Tyler Brendel (8.28) finished fifth and seventh.
Tylin Jackson set a PR of 21.09 as runner-up in the 200m, finishing as the top collegian, behind a 20.84 for alum Kenzo Cotton. Reese Walters ran 1:53.86 to place second in the 800m.
Multi-eventers Etamar Bhastekar and Markus Ballengee both cleared 16-0¾ in the pole vault. After the hurdles final, Brendel long jumped 22-2 ¼ with Spejcher reaching a distance of 21-11½.
Information from Razorback Sports Communications is included in this story.
Noland’s six solid innings, Moore’s big hit paces Hogs past Bulldogs, 9-3
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas put up multiple runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to post a 9-3 victory over Gonzaga on Friday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The Razorbacks (5-0) improved to 2-0 in the season series over the Bulldogs (2-4), with two games left to play on Saturday and Sunday. Arkansas scored nine runs on nine hits, while allowing just three runs on five hits.
A third of the Hog’s hits in game two came from catcher Casey Opitz, who was a double away from the cycle. All three of his hits came during the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, giving him five hits over the last two days.
He was joined by outfielder Christian Franklin and infielder Robert Moore with multi-hit performances on Friday.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Connor Noland picked up his second win of the year after tossing 6.0 innings against the Zags.
He allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits, walking three and striking out three to move to 2-0 on the year. Last season, Noland didn’t earn his second win until his 11th start.
Arkansas also got three solid frames out of the bullpen, seeing RHP Marshall Denton, lefty Zack Morris and right-hander Jacob Burton combine for two walks and a strikeout over 11 batters.
After three-and-a-half scoreless innings, the Hogs finally drew first blood with two outs in the bottom of the fourth.
After Goodheart was hit-by-a-pitch and moved to second, Christian Franklin shot a full-count single up the middle to score the first run of the day. He has a hit in all five games this season.
The Zags answered with a run of their own in the top of the fifth, capitalizing on a two-out error.
Ernie Yake began the rally with a single, then quickly got to third after a stolen-base, throwing-error combo. It would be fulfilled by a Brett Harris single up the middle in the next at-bat to even the score.
A wild bottom of the fifth inning would ensue, as Arkansas responded with four runs to take a 5-1 lead. The inning began with a pair of singles from Opitz and Cole Austin to put two on for Moore.
Then, with the infield thinking bunt and the shortstop attempting to execute a wheel play to cover third, Moore chopped an RBI single exactly where the shortstop had been playing to drive in a run.
Following Moore’s at-bat, Braydon Webb reached base after his bunt couldn’t be fielded by the pitcher, driving in Austin. A wild pitch and a sacrifice fly out from Franklin gave Arkansas five runs on the day.
After the four-spot by the Hogs, Gonzaga sent a two-run homer over the left field wall to make it 5-3.
The Hogs got the runs back in the bottom half of the inning to bring the score to 7-3. Opitz led off the frame with a triple off the right field wall, then a walk by Austin put runners on the corners for Moore, who roped a single to right field to score Opitz.
It was followed by a sac fly from Webb to right field for the second run of the inning.
Opitz would finish his day at the plate with two-run dinger into Gonzaga’s bullpen to bring the score to 9-3. It was Opitz’ first homer of the year and fourth of his career.
The Hogs and Bulldogs hit the field for game three on Saturday.
Hogs won’t play spring game in Little Rock after SEC denies waiver
Arkansas won’t be playing a spring game at War Memorial Stadium this year, announcing Friday the Southeastern Conference denied a waiver request to play the game there.
Instead, the game will be played at Razorback Stadium on April 25.
“Unfortunately, we did not receive the necessary waiver to accommodate the spring game at War Memorial Stadium as originally planned,” athletics director Hunter Yurachek said in a statement. “However, we will continue to explore additional opportunities to enhance the numerous events already being held throughout the state to help bring the Razorbacks closer to our fans.”
In other words, nobody has to go to Little Rock for a spring game you wonder how many people actually wanted to play there in the first place.
And, by contract, nobody has broken the deal with War Memorial because it was contingent all along on the league granting permission.
The Hogs begin spring practice Monday, March 16, with the first spring workout. The Razorbacks will practice three times that week before taking a week off for spring break.
The team returns to practice on Tuesday, March 31 with the team’s first scrimmage of the spring set for that weekend on Saturday, April 4.
The Razorbacks wrap up spring practice on Saturday, April 25, with the final spring practice open to the public.
Arkansas opens the 2020 season on Sept. 5 against Nevada in Fayetteville before traveling to Notre Dame the following week for the Hogs’ first-ever match-up with the Fighting Irish at 1:30 p.m. on NBC.
Information from Razorbacks Sports Communications is included in this story.
Musselman on Joe’s status, previewing Saturday game with Missouri
Arkansas coach Eric Musselman gave the media an update on injured guard Isaiah Joe and talked about the second meeting of the years with a Tigers’ team that has been getting better.
Bud Light Seltzer Morning Rush Podcast — Morris’ buyout, Scott Tabor and Mardi Gras Friday
Tye & Tommy on Chad Morri’s contract at Auburn, Scott Tabor talks baseball, and the weekend of sports/fun ahead!
Franklin sparks late runs to lift Hogs past Gonzaga in first game of series
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas used a two-run seventh inning to push past Gonzaga and claim game one of the four game series, 7-5, on Thursday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The Razorbacks (4-0) and Bulldogs (2-3) were tied at five after battling back-and-forth for the first six innings of the game until outfielder Christian Franklin beat out a play at first base with the bases loaded to score a run and take the lead in the seventh.
After a wild pitch scored another run for the Hogs, right-handed pitchers Elijah Trest and Zebulon Vermillion tossed the final two frames of the game to secure the series-opening victory.
Seven of nine players in the Arkansas lineup recorded a hit on Thursday, with catcher Casey Opitz registering the only two-hit performance of the game.
He was one of two Razobacks with two RBIs in the contest, as he and infielder Robert Moore both recorded two-RBI doubles in back-to-back innings.
Junior right-handed pitcher Kole Ramage made the start in the series opener against Gonzaga, his first since April 30, 2019, and fifth of his career. The Southlake, Texas, native tossed 2.2 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with two strikeouts, exiting with the game tied at two.
RHP Kevin Kopps relieved Ramage, stranding two on base to get out of the third inning. He pitched a total 2.1 frames, allotting three runs on three hits, giving way to lefty Caden Monke, who came on at the start of the sixth with the score tied at five.
Monke would earn the win after going 2.0 innings, allowing one hit & a walk, while striking out three for the first victory of his career.
Vermillion picked up the save in his first outing of 2020 and his third at Arkansas.
The Hogs struck first in the bottom of the second inning thanks to the freshman Moore. A pair of singles and a walk, all with two outs, loaded the bases for Moore, who shot a first-pitch double down the left field line for his first RBIs of the year and Arkansas’ first two runs of the afternoon.
However, the Zags answered with two runs of their own in the third to tie the game after a two-run homer from Brett Harris.
It didn’t stay tied long. Arkansas responded with three scores to push the lead to 5-2.
For the second consecutive inning, Arkansas loaded the bases, this time with one out, allowing Jacob Nesbit to send an RBI groundout to the second baseman to break the tie.
Shortly after, Casey Opitz dropped a bases-clearing double in the middle of center field to increase the Hog lead to 5-2.
It was Opitz’ fifth hit in his last seven at-bats, also producing a single in the second inning.
After a triple to begin the fourth from Mason Marenco, Gonzaga got one back with an RBI groundout from Josh Bristyan to make it a 5-3 game.
In the next inning, a pair of back-to-back doubles from Ryan Sullivan and Gabriel Hughes put the Zags within one, then an RBI groundout from Jack Machtolf with the runners on the corners to tie the game at five.
In the seventh, the Hogs broke the tie, plating two to take a 7-5 lead. A walk to outfielder Heston Kjerstad quickly became a bases loaded situation thanks to a single under the glove of the first baseman from designated hitter Matt Goodheart and a walk to infielder Casey Martin.
From there, Franklin legged out a grounder to the second baseman to bring in the first run, then a wild pitch during Nesbit’s at-bat scored another to bring the score to its final resting place at 7-5.
It was the first win for Arkansas over Gonzaga since a 5-3 win on March 14, 2012, in Fayetteville.
The Hogs and Bulldogs return to action on Friday, Feb. 21, at 3 p.m., at Baum-Walker Stadium, for game two of the four-game set.
You can listen to the game on ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home or online at HitThatLine.com by CLICKING HERE
Information from Razorback Sports Communications is included in this story.
Neighbors said team expected to win Thursday night’s matchup with Lady Vols
Beating Tennessee wasn’t exactly something that shocked Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors, who said he felt the Hogs were confident in practices all week.
Ramirez, Tolefree on big nights downing Tennessee handily Thursday night
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas won its third straight game on Thursday night, beating Tennessee, 83-75.
With their nine wins in conference play this season, the Razorbacks are just one SEC win away from matching the program record with three regular season games left to play.
It is only the second time ever the Hogs have won nine or more conference games since joining the SEC back in 1991.
Redshirt junior guard Amber Ramirez put on a show against the Lady Vols, going for a season-high 29 points, just four shy of her career-best.
The sharpshooter was money all night long, going 11 of 20 from the field and five of nine from deep. Her game against the Vols was her fifth 20-plus game during the conference season, tied for the most on the squad.
Alexis Tolefree also had another big outing for Arkansas, going for 22 points and seven rebounds, leading the team on the glass once again.
Key point of game
The Hogs had the Lady Vols down by as much as 16 early in the fourth, and it looked like they may coast to their third straight win.
Tennessee didn’t back down, though, going on an 18-8 run over six minutes in the final frame to make it a six-point game with 3:59 to play.
The teams went back and forth from there, before Arkansas iced the game at the free throw line.
The Lady Vols cut it closer with 15 seconds to play, as the Hogs held a narrow 79-75 lead, but Ramirez and Tolefree, along with a key defensive stop, buried Tennessee late, as the duo went a perfect four for four from the free throw line to keep this one just out of reach.
Hogs highlights
• Arkansas’ defense was active against the Lady Vols, forcing 23 turnovers, the most since the Hogs forced 26 against UT Martin (12/29/19).
• Ramirez had a team-high three steals to go along with her team-high 29 points.
• Tolefree recorded her fifth game this season with seven or more rebounds.
• Chelsea Dungee stuffed the stat sheet, going for 16 points, three assists, two steals, and two rebounds.
• Dungee was also seven of nine from the free throw line.
• A’Tyanna Gaulden once again led the Hogs in helpers, dishing four assists.
Next game
The Razorbacks head to Gainesville for a rematch with the Gators on Sunday. That game is set to tip at 3 p.m. CT and will air on the SEC Network.
