Hogs Sweep Vandy, Final Four is CHALK, Tommy back in studio! CALL or TEXT the Lewis Automotive Group Hotline: 877-377-6963!
WATCH: The Morning Rush is LIVE!
Hogs complete sweep in Nashville, first since 1995, with 7-3 win Sunday
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For the first time in more than 30 years, the Razorbacks have swept the Commodores in Nashville.
Second-ranked Arkansas (26-3, 8-1 SEC) scored five runs, including solo blasts from Charles Davalan and Logan Maxwell, in the eighth to pull away from No. 14 Vanderbilt (20-8, 4-5 SEC) and leave town with a 7-3 win Sunday afternoon.
It was the Hogs’ first sweep of the Commodores since 2005 as well as its first sweep in Nashville since 1994.
With Sunday’s series-sweeping win, Arkansas, now 8-1 in league action, will start 8-4 or better in SEC play for the eighth consecutive season (2017-25, excluding the 2020 campaign). The Hogs’ streak marks the best stretch of starting 8-4 or better in SEC play by a team in the league since LSU accomplished the feat in eight consecutive seasons from 1991-98.
Davalan’s two-homer, three-RBI performance powered the Razorback offense, while Landon Beidelschies (5.0 IP, 3 R, 4 SO) and Ben Bybee (4.0 IP, 0 R, 7 SO) combined for 11 strikeouts over nine innings of three-run ball on the mound to carry Arkansas to its series-sweeping win Sunday afternoon.
Brent Iredale (2-for-4) and Nolan Souza (2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI) also turned in big days at the plate, helping set the stage for the Hogs’ five-run rally in the eighth to win the game.
Arkansas took a 2-0 lead in the third inning on Davalan’s first of two home runs.
The Razorback outfielder’s two-run shot to left field was the only damage Vanderbilt starter Connor Fennell would allow, limiting the Hogs’ explosive offense to just two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out a career-high 10 in five innings of work on the mound.
The Commodores took their first and only lead of the game in the bottom of the fourth on a three-run homer to go ahead, 3-2.
Beidelschies worked five strong innings before turning the ball over to Bybee in the bottom of the sixth.
Arkansas and Vanderbilt exchanged zeroes until the eighth, when the Razorbacks broke through against Commodore reliever Alex Kranzler.
Davalan’s leadoff solo shot, his second of the day and ninth of the season, evened the game at three before Logan Maxwell stepped up and swatted the go-ahead homer, his eighth of the year, down the line in left.
The Hogs did not stop there, however, tacking on three more thanks to a run-scoring wild pitch and Souza’s two-out two-RBI double to cap their five-run rally in the eighth and open their 7-3 advantage. The four-run lead was more than enough for Bybee, who finished his outing with a career-high seven strikeouts and earned the win to improve to 3-0.
Up next, Arkansas heads to CHI St. Vincent Field at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock, Ark., on Tuesday, April 1 for a midweek matchup against Grambling.
First pitch between the Hogs and Tigers is set for 6 p.m. on SEC Network+.
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
Razorbacks need 10 innings, but clinch series against Vandy with 6-4 win
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For the first time in 15 years, Arkansas has won an SEC road weekend series in Nashville.
The second-ranked Razorbacks (25-3, 7-1 SEC) held off No. 14 Vanderbilt (20-7, 4-4 SEC), 6-4, in 10 innings Saturday afternoon at Hawkins Field to win its seventh consecutive conference game and clinch its first road weekend series win against the Commodores since 2010.
With Saturday’s win, the Hogs have started SEC play with three consecutive series wins for the seventh time (2007, 2009, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2024 & 2025) since joining the conference ahead of the 1992 season.
The Razorbacks will go for their first series sweep against the Commodores since 2005 as well as their first series sweep in Nashville since 1994 in tomorrow’s series finale at Hawkins Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. on SEC Network.
Starter Gabe Gaeckle’s strong outing on the mound set the tone in Arkansas’ series-clinching win Saturday.
The right-hander fired a career-long 5.2 innings, striking out seven while allowing two runs on six hits with zero walks.
Cam Kozeal, the Vanderbilt transfer, landed the ballgame’s first punch with his two-run home run in the top of the second inning to open the scoring.
The Razorback first baseman’s third home run and seventh RBI of the weekend series gave Gaeckle and Arkansas an early 2-0 advantage, which would hold up until the bottom of the fifth inning.
Vanderbilt cut its deficit to one in the fifth before tying the game at two on a two-out RBI single sixth, which ended Gaeckle’s day.
True freshman Carson Wiggins emerged from the bullpen and recorded the final out of the inning, extinguishing the Commodores’ go-ahead threat on two pitches to keep the score level at two entering the seventh.
Justin Thomas Jr. swatted a leadoff home run to put Arkansas back up, 3-2, but Vanderbilt came right back with a run of its own in the bottom of the seventh, evening the game at three on a run-scoring wild pitch with two outs.
Aiden Jimenez took over on the mound for Wiggins in the seventh and closed out the game with 3.1 innings of one-run ball and four strikeouts, earning his third win of the season.
The right-hander retired the first six batters he faced, striking out the side in the bottom of the eighth, and prevented the Commodores from winning the game in regulation.
In the top of the 10th, the Razorback offense used small ball, including two bunts, to scratch out three runs and build a 6-3 lead.
After Wehiwa Aloy and Logan Maxwell reached base to begin the inning, Brent Iredale’s RBI single broke the deadlock before Kozeal and Ryder Helfrick each executed perfect run-scoring squeeze bunts to put the Hogs up three.
Vanderbilt gave Arkansas a scare in the bottom of the 10th, putting the first two batters on base and scoring a run on a sacrifice fly to center.
Jimenez did not blink, however, and induced a game-ending groundout to first to seal the win.
Razorbacks roll to series-opening win over Vanderbilt
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Second-ranked Arkansas (24-3, 6-1 SEC) handed No. 14 Vanderbilt (20-6, 4-3 SEC) its first home loss of the season, securing a 9-0 shutout victory in Friday night’s series opener at Hawkins Field in Nashville, Tenn., to win its sixth consecutive SEC game and shut out the Commodores in a home conference game for the first time since 2022.
The win marked Arkansas’ first shutout win against Vanderbilt since 2005, and the Hogs’ first shutout win against the Commodores in Nashville since 1994. Arkansas will go for the series win tomorrow when the two teams are scheduled to play at 2 p.m. Saturday on SEC Network+ with Kevin Ingram (play-by-play) and Andrew Harris (analyst) on the call.
With a series win this weekend, Arkansas would start SEC play with three straight series wins for the seventh time since joining the league in 1992. The Razorbacks also accomplished the feat in 2007, 2009, 2017, 2021, 2022 and 2024.
Cam Kozeal, a former Commodore, and Zach Root stole the show Friday night to help lead Arkansas to its 9-0 series-opening win. Kozeal went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI in his return to Vanderbilt, where he played his true freshman season last year, while Root spun a career-long 7.2 shutout innings with seven strikeouts on the mound.
Arkansas opened the scoring in the top of the third on Nolan Souza’s RBI. Ryder Helfrick led off the inning with a triple, his team-leading second of the season, before coming home on Souza’s groundout to short to put the Hogs ahead, 1-0. Logan Maxwell, who finished Friday’s game with a pair of hits and a team-high three runs scored, cracked a leadoff home run, his career-high seventh of the season, in the fourth inning to extend the Razorbacks’ advantage to two runs.
After Brent Iredale, the next batter, drew a walk, Kozeal swatted his first of two homers to put Arkansas up, 4-0, before recording an out in the fourth. The Razorback first baseman’s third homer of the year traveled 398 feet to right center.
In Kozeal’s next at-bat in the sixth inning, he blasted a 368-foot solo shot, his fourth of 2025, to right to push the Hogs’ lead to five. The Omaha, Neb., native did not stop there, adding a two-run single in the ninth to collect his fourth and fifth RBI of the night and put the game out of reach as Arkansas’ advantage grew to a commanding nine-run lead.
Led by Root’s strong outing, the Razorback pitching staff combined for its first three-hit shutout since accomplishing the feat in the series opener at Auburn last season. Root, who became the first Arkansas pitcher to record back-to-back starts of at least seven innings since Connor Noland accomplished the feat in 2022, carried a no-hitter into the fifth.
The left-hander allowed three hits and issued three walks while racking up seven strikeouts during his 100-pitch start before turning the ball over to the Razorback bullpen. In relief of Root, right-handers Aiden Jimenez (0.1 IP) and Dylan Carter (1.0 IP) combined for 1.1 no-hit innings with a strikeout to lock down Arkansas’ series-opening 9-0 win.
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
Razorbacks get srong pitching, big hits when they needed for win
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Behind strong pitching and timely hitting, the No. 12/14 Arkansas Razorbacks defeated Kentucky 5-3 for a series-opening victory on Friday evening at Bogle Park.
Arkansas wasted no time getting on the board by plating four runs in the first, courtesy of a pair of two-run doubles from right fielder Kailey Wyckoff and shortstop Atalyia Rijo.
Kentucky cut the Hogs’ lead to 4-3 with a three-run home run from left-fielder Allie Blum in the top of the fifth inning.
Utility player Courtney Day provided insurance in the bottom of the fifth with a sacrifice fly to center field that scored the fifth and final run in the Razorbacks’ 5-3 victory.
Wyckoff led the Razorbacks (24-7, 4-6 SEC) with a 2-3 effort at the dish that featured two RBI and a run scored. Reagan Johnson (2-4, 1 R) also collected a multi-hit night. Raigan Kramer (1-3, HBP) recorded a hit in addition to Wyckoff, Johnson and Rijo.
Arkansas freshman right-handed pitcher Payton Burnham improved to 7-2 after striking out five and allowing three runs on six hits and three walks in 4.1 innings.
Robyn Herron then took it the rest of the way by pitching 2.2 shutout innings, which featured two strikeouts with just one hit and two walks allowed to earn her first career save.
Julie Kelley took the loss for Kentucky (21-13, 5-5 SEC) after allowing four runs on two hits and two walks in 0.1 innings of work.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Freshman Payton Burnham made the start for Arkansas, while Kentucky went with freshman Julie Kelley.
Ally Hutchins singled by driving a 3-2 pitch from Burnham into left-center field to lead off the game for Kentucky.
Allie Blum then followed with a single to shortstop before both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt. Burnham then fanned the next two batters to escape the jam.
In the bottom of the first inning, Raigan Kramer and Bri Ellis were hit by a pitch with one out in the frame. Courtney Day then walked to load the bases.
Kailey Wyckoff gave Arkansas a 2-0 lead with a double to left field that drove home Kramer and Ellis. Atalyia Rijo followed one batter later with a two-run double to left-center field that pushed the Hogs’ lead to four.
Kelley would be pulled with one out in the frame and replaced by Alexia Laceneta, who would take it the rest of the way, allowing just one run on four hits and a walk while striking out two.
Two Wildcats reached on a pair of walks in the second inning but would account for the only baserunners in the stanza as Burnham picked up her third and fourth punchouts of the contest.
In the third, neither team would push a run across. Kentucky had two baserunners reach courtesy of a double and an infield single to account for the inning’s only offensive action.
Burnham and Lacatena both registered 1-2-3 innings in the fourth. Burnham picked up her fifth and final strikeout of the night in the top half of the inning.
Kentucky made it a one-run ballgame in the top of the fifth, courtesy of a three-run home run from Blum.
Following the round-tripper and a one-out walk by Peyton Plotts, Arkansas coach Courtney Deifel made a pitching change and brought in Robyn Herron. Herron would fan her first batter before issuing a walk, which put runners on first and second with two outs.
She would then issue a popout to Ella McDowell at third base to keep the lead intact.
In the bottom of the fifth, Reagan Johnson singled down the left field line and Kramer singled to the pitcher to start the inning.
Johnson would then advance to third base on a long flyout by Bri Ellis to the warning track in right-center field.
Johnson would come around to score on a sacrifice fly to center field by Courtney Day, extending the Hogs’ lead to 5-3.
Wyckoff also added a single through the right side following Day’s sacrifice fly.
Kentucky threatened with two outs in the top of the sixth inning with a single and a walk but would come up empty-handed as Herron issued an inning-ending groundout.
Carlee Ratcliff drew a pinch-hit walk and Johnson reached on an infield single in the bottom of the sixth.
In the seventh, Herron got Plotts to fly out to Kramer in left field for the first out of the frame.
Cassie Reasner then stepped to the plate and hit a major-league popup in-between first and second base that fell out of Ellis’ mitt.
It looked to be heading toward the dirt before second baseman Karlie Davison came out of nowhere to make an incredible diving catch to record the out.
Herron then got the Wildcats’ Madyson Clark to ground out to Davison to wrap up the series-opening victory and earn her first save of the season.
QUOTABLES
Arkansas coach Courtney Deifel
On Kailey Wyckoff and Atalyia Rijo’s two-run doubles…
“It gave us a ton of confidence. We had some big hits and some big at-bats just taking what Kentucky gave us. It is really nice to grab that momentum early and then we just kind of sat on it. It was really good at the end of the night to have a win. I feel like we grinded. We fired early and just kind of got into a grind and never flowed again, but we fought and found a way to win.”
NOTABLES
• Kailey Wyckoff improved her hitting streak to 10 games and her reached-base streak to 16 games.
• Robyn Herron registered her first career save.
• Kailey Wyckoff registered her 36th career multi-hit game and 23rd career multi-RBI game.
• Atalyia Rijo recorded her 10th career multi-RBI game and Reagan Johnson registered her team-leading 56th career multi-hit game.
• Arkansas is now 19-2 when not committing an error this season.
• The Hogs earned their first win of the season when being outhit by an opponent. They are now 1-5 when doing so.
• Arkansas now leads the all-time series with Kentucky, 38-28 and owns a 21-13 advantage in games played in Fayetteville.
NEXT GAME
The Razorbacks will look to take the series tomorrow at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+ with Josh Haley (PxP) and Sydney Parr Lee (Analyst) on the call.
Before the first pitch on Saturday, Arkansas will honor senior Courtney Day.
The SEC softball community will again be united tomorrow when all 15 teams participate in the league’s fifth annual “All for Alex” weekend to honor the legacy of Mississippi State’s Alex Wilcox.
Ruscin & Zach March 28
Well…that happened. We recap the shocking end to the Razorback basketball season.
Former Razorbacks’ pitcher James Teague with Andrew Benetindi stories
How much attention to basketball do baseball players get to pay during NCAA Tournament time for Hogs?
Eastside Liquor Halftime Podcast 3-28-25
Hogs lose heartbreaker to Texas Tech in Sweet 16, Hogs start series tonight at Vandy
Guests: Aaron Torres, James Teague and Neal Atkinson
Hog Reaction: Season ends in brutal fashion, losing 85-83 to Red Raiders in Sweet 16
Our coverage in San Francisco was made possible by Mock Legal Solutions, The Stadium Shoppe on Razorback, Ward & Son Plumbing and Big Cypress Lodge.
Razorbacks blow magical run to season watching 16-point lead fade to loss
SAN FRANCISCO — There was nothing sweet for Arkansas on Thursday night in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament against Texas Tech.
The Razorbacks blew a 16-point lead in the second half and with it a shot to get to another Elite Eight in an 85-83 loss at the Chase Center. It was the first time a lead that big had been given up in the Sweet 16 and and the only time Calipari has blown one in the NCAA. This game won’t be forgotten by Hog fans for a long time.
“They made plays down the stretch that gave them a chance and they won the game,” Calipari said later.
That was the correct thing to say in that moment. The reality is this team finally ran out of the magical gas it had been running on after an 0-5 start to SEC play. No one expected them to even be in this spot two months ago.
Taking over an Arkansas program that had recent success, Calipari hastily built a team literally from nothing. He didn’t have any players returning and Trevon Brazile didn’t decide to be the only one coming back until after some transfers were in place. He’s worked on building a new program.
Maybe the most impressive thing he did was keep this team together after it had a chance to throw in the towel. They never let go of the rope when a lot of the Razorback fans were figuring that was going to be any day.
“We were 0-5, but they were also in a dark place individually, that they overcame it,” Calipari said. “And I just kept talking. The first battle you have is the one with yourself. Don’t worry about battling anybody else. Battle yourself. How do you keep a good attitude? How do you understand there’s only one way to do this is work your way through it. Get in the gym. Spend more time.”
Then he had to get them thinking about the team and not indivduals.
“You’re so worried about yourself, you can’t play for us,” he said. “Then the game’s really hard. They became one heartbeat and the game became easier for each of them. Each of them did some good stuff. Every one of them played better, grew as a player, grew as a person, that’s what made it so rewarding for me because there was a chance they could have let go of the rope.”
At the time, Calipari kept the fath when the question was first asked. He saw something in the team most fans couldn’t. You can’t be critical of the fans because there’s no way they know much about the players and they weren’t seeing or hearing enough to get their hopes very high.
“I was asked that question, will they let go of the rope, you’re 0-5?” Calipari said “And I said, no, I don’t believe it because of who they are and what they stand for. And I’ll say it again. Aidoo probably shouldn’t have even tried to play today, and Boogie still wasn’t fully there, but he wanted to play. It tells you all about them and their love for their teammates and their team.”
None of that caused the problem against Texas Tech. It was just a simple deal where the Hogs went cold and the Red Raiders suddenly figured things out down the stretch.
“Today we gave up a lead but we did that a bunch this year,” Calipari said. “Up 15 and all of a sudden you turn around and it’s a two-point game.
“They had a will to win. And even this game. I mean TB’s 3, the way we started the half, the way we ended the half, and then the way we executed coming out. They did all the right stuff except we didn’t rebound. And that was a big difference in this game.
“But when you talk about how we guarded them, pretty good. They’re a good team. Field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage, our free-throw percentage, there was a lot of stuff — it was one of our Achilles’ heels, offensive rebounding against us.
Last game it was 28 offensive rebounds. I thought TB down the stretch came up with rebounds. We miss a free throw that made it a 3-point game. Now you’re, like, okay, it’s 12 seconds. A little too early to foul. A kid that was 1-for-9 makes it. And it was contested.”
In the end, Calipari just put things where they probably belong in these games.
“Sometimes that stuff is stuff that happens in these games,” he said.
Folks tend to forget a lot that every team still playing has pretty good players. By the Sweet 16, the pretenders are separated from the contenders.
These Hogs proved they weren’t pretenders.
In the end they finished about where the preseason polls had them. Just to refresh your memory that was in the bottom half of the first 16 teams.
Which is exactly where things ended up.
