Florida coach Mike White was glad to see his team bounce back from Saturday’s loss to South Carolina for the 57-51 win over the Hogs, despite nearly blowing a big lead.
Jones talks about loss to Florida, despite scoring 30 points
Arkansas’ Mason Jones had 30 points against the Gators, but everybody else had just 21 in a 57-51 loss Wednesday night at Bud Walton Arena.
Reports say Storey has put name in NCAA transfer portal
According to reports Arkansas quarterback Ty Storey has put his name into the NCAA’s transfer portal, making him eligible to leave the team.
SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic first reported it Wednesday afternoon, attributing to an unidentified source
Storey, from Charleston, would be a fifth-year senior in 2019. He started nine games last season and completed 143 of 250 passes for 1,584 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Being in the portal does not mean a player cannot return to his school, just that he is exploring transfer options.
If Storey leaves, the only quarterback on the roster with returning experience would be sophomore Connor Noland from Greenwood.
Hogs start 2019 season ranked No. 13 in ‘Perfect Game’ poll
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Arkansas earned a spot at No. 13 in the Perfect Game Preseason Poll that was released earlier today.
The Razorbacks join seven other SEC teams in the top 25, five of which they will face at some point during the season.
Coming off its first national runner-up finish since 1979, Arkansas will once again begin its season as one of the best teams in the nation.
Of the five SEC teams that are ranked and will face the Razorbacks this year, three will be coming to Fayetteville including: No. 10 Ole Miss (March 29-31), No. 17 Mississippi State (April 18-20) and No. 1 LSU (May 9-11).
Arkansas will also go on the road to face No. 3 Vanderbilt (April 12-14) and No. 15 Auburn (April 4-6).
Entering his 17th season at the helm, head coach Dave Van Horn returns 14 letterwinners from a year ago and will be looking to continue the success seen last year where the Razorbacks reached the College World Series for the ninth time in school history.
Offensively, the Hogs return a potent lineup including two of the top freshman hitters in the nation from a year ago.
Reigning SEC Freshman of the Year Heston Kjerstad is back for his sophomore season after hitting .332 while setting the Arkansas freshman record with 87 hits, 14 home runs and 58 RBIs.
As for infielder Casey Martin, the Lonoke, Arkansas native has already racked up two preseason All-American honors and will look to improve on his team-leading .345 batting average, which led all freshmen in the SEC.
Martin was a tough out at the College World Series, hitting .357 with 10 of his 19 NCAA Tournament hits coming in Omaha.
Arkansas is scheduled to open the 2019 season against Eastern Illinois on Friday, Feb. 15 with first pitch at 3 p.m. at Baum Stadium.
2019 Perfect Game NCAA Division I Baseball Preseason Poll
| Rank | Team (2018 Final Record) | 2018 Finish |
| 1 | LSU (39-27) | Corvallis Regional |
| 2 | Oregon State (55-12-1) | College World Series Champions |
| 3 | Vanderbilt (35-27) | Nashville Super Regional |
| 4 | UCLA (38-21) | Minneapolis Regional |
| 5 | Texas Tech (45-20) | College World Series |
| 6 | North Carolina (44-20) | College World Series |
| 7 | Stanford (46-12) | Stanford Regional |
| 8 | Louisville (45-19) | Lubbock Regional |
| 9 | Florida (49-21) | College World Series |
| 10 | Ole Miss (48-17) | Oxford Regional |
| 11 | East Carolina (44-18) | Greenville Regional |
| 12 | Baylor (37-21) | Stanford Regional |
| 13 | Arkansas (48-21) | College World Series Runner-Up |
| 14 | Florida State (43-19) | Tallahassee Regional |
| 15 | Auburn (43-23) | Gainesville Super Regional |
| 16 | TCU (33-23) | Did not make postseason |
| 17 | Mississippi St. (39-29) | College World Series |
| 18 | Oklahoma State (31-26-1) | Deland Regional |
| 19 | Michigan (33-21) | Did not make postseason |
| 20 | UConn (37-22-1) | Conway Regional |
| 21 | NC State (42-18) | Raleigh Regional |
| 22 | Georgia (39-21) | Athens Regional |
| 23 | UC Irvine (32-24) | Did not make postseason |
| 24 | Clemson (47-16) | Clemson Regional |
| 25 | Coastal Carolina (43-19) | Conway Regional |
???? Wednesday Halftime Pod — featuring Derek Ruscin
Phil & Tye discuss Jordan Phillips transferring, Arkansas-Florida, interview Derek Ruscin and more!
Neighbors previews road matchup with Missouri on Thursday night
After getting rid of the loss against Mississippi State, Arkansas rebounded with a 30-point win on road against Ole Miss and face Missouri on Thursday night in another road game.
Hogs set for SEC opener against Gators at Bud Walton tonight
Who: Florida Gators
What: Arkansas’ SEC home opener
When: Wednesday – Jan. 9, 2019 – 7:30 pm
Where: Bud Walton Arena – Fayetteville, Ark.
How (to follow):
• TV: SEC Network (Taylor Zarzour and Barry Booker)
• Watch ESPN/SEC Network Live Stream
• Radio: Razorback/IMG Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
• Satellite Radio: Arkansas Broadcast – Sirius (98), XM (190), Internet (961)
• Live Stats: www.Arkansas.StatBroadcast.com
FAYETTEVILLE — After opening its conference slate with a road win at Texas A&M, Arkansas returns to Bud Walton Arena to host Florida in the SEC home opener on Wednesday (Jan. 9).
Tip-off is set for 7:30 pm and the game will be telecast on SEC Network.
The last time the teams met, Arkansas upset then No. 23 Florida 80-72 in the second round of last year’s the SEC Tournament. However, Florida holds a 23-12 advantage in the all-time series.
• Beginning its 28th season in the Southeastern Conference, Arkansas is 18-9 when playing its SEC home opener.
• This is the seventh time in Mike Anderson’s eight years as head coach the Razorbacks have entered their SEC home opener with at least nine wins and the sixth time with at least 10 wins.
• Arkansas is 47-15 (76%) in SEC games played at Bud Walton Arena under coach Mike Anderson. The Razorbacks have won 13 of its last 16 at home versus league opponents.
• Arkansas and Florida have ranked second or third in most conference wins over the last two years (UF 25, Ark 22), last three years (UF 34, Ark 31), last four years (Ark 44, UF 42), last five years (UF 60, Ark 54) and last six years (UF 74, Ark 64).
• Desi Sills, Jalen Harris and Gabe Osabuohien all had career games in the win at Texas A&M. Sills scored a career-high 14 points, including 13 in the first half for his first double-digit scoring effort.
Jalen Harris tied his career high with 15 points, which was his best in a Razorback uniform.
Gabe Osabuohien pulled down a career-high seven rebounds and tied his career highs with six points and two steals. As a team, Arkansas grabbed a season-high 17 offensive rebounds.
• Over the last two games, Jalen Harris has dished out 16 assists with just one turnover, including nine assists and no turnovers in his SEC debut at Texas A&M.
Harris ranks second in the NCAA and first in the SEC in assist-to-turnover ratio (6.36). He is also 10th nationally and first in the SEC in assists per game (6.8).
• Isaiah Joe ranks eighth in the NCAA and first in the SEC in 3-pointers made per game (3.77). He leads the SEC in 3-pointers made (49). More impressively, while Joe is second in the SEC in 3-PT FG attempted, he is also second in the league in 3-point FG% (.454).
• Daniel Gafford has a league-best seven double-doubles this season, including three straight and four in his last five games. He also leads the league in field goal percentage (.644).
In the SEC, Gafford also ranks second in rebounding (9.7), third in blocked shots (2.38) and fifth in scoring (17.0) – the only player in the league to rank among the top five in each category.
• Arkansas ranks ninth in the NCAA in blocked shots (5.9) and 14th in the NCAA in assists (17.9).
• Arkansas will stay home to host LSU on Saturday (Jan. 12; at 5 pm).
Phillips transferring from Razorbacks’ basketball team
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas coach Mike Anderson announced that Jordan Phillips has decided to transfer from the Razorback men’s basketball program.
Phillips, a freshman from Fort Worth, Texas, played in seven games and posted averages of 5.4 minutes, 1.4 points and 0.7 rebounds.
Four Razorbacks get preseason All-American recognition
FAYETTEVILLE — As Razorback baseball gets set to begin in less than 40 days, the Hogs will be bringing four preseason All-Americans into the new year as Heston Kjerstad, Casey Martin, Dominic Fletcher and Matt Cronin were all recognized by Perfect Game on Tuesday morning.
Kjerstad is the lone Hog on the first team, while Cronin and Martin made the second team.
Fletcher rounds out the list on the third team making Arkansas one of only two teams with four or more players named preseason All-Americans.
After winning the 2018 SEC Freshman of the Year award, Kjerstad comes into his sophomore season as one of the most highly touted players in the nation.
Kjerstad was named a freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball and the NCBWA, while also making the All-SEC Second Team and the SEC All-Freshman Team.
The Amarillo, Texas, native started all 69 games for the Hogs in left field and finished second on the team with a .332 batting average, while leading with 87 hits, 14 home runs and 58 RBIs. His hit total, home runs and RBIs were all Arkansas freshman records.
As for Martin, he practically matched Kjerstad’s numbers as he led the team with a .345 average, an average that also led all freshmen in the SEC. He was named to the All-SEC Second Team and SEC All-Freshman Team at the end of the regular season and was tabbed a freshman All-American by the NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper as well.
Martin was a key part in Arkansas’ run to their ninth College World Series appearance last year as he led all Razorbacks with a .352 batting average in the NCAA Tournament, including a .357 clip in the CWS. He totaled 10 of his 19 postseason hits in Omaha and made the CWS All-Tournament Team.
On the mound, Cronin returns as one of the top relievers in the nation after setting a UA single-season record with 14 saves. The save total tied for the second-most in the SEC and was the 14th most in the nation.
Over his 48.1 innings, Cronin struck out 59 batters, which was the sixth-most on the staff and he held opponents to a .154 batting average, which was the lowest on the team for the second-consecutive season.
Fletcher returns to captain the outfield after another stellar year both defensively and at the plate. The junior notched his second-straight year with a .280 average or higher and 10 or more home runs becoming the first Razorback since Rodney Nye (1998-99) to hit 10 or more homers in his first two seasons.
He finished his sophomore season with 23 multi-hit games and 11 multi-RBI games, which were both higher totals than his freshman season.
Fletcher’s best performances came in the postseason as he hit .346 in the College World Series with nine hits, two home runs and eight RBIs.
He was one of only two players in the CWS to record a four-hit game (vs. Texas Tech) last year and he was the first Razorback to do so since Jeff King in 1985.
???? Tuesday Halftime Pod — featuring Nikki “Nike” Chavanelle
Phil & Tye discuss the natty, interview Nikki “Nike” Chavanelle, plus Phil is headed for a Polar Plunge!
Anderson recapping win over Aggies, previewing Florida game
Razorbacks coach Mike Anderson met with the media Monday afternoon and talked about the tough games in the league, beating Texas A&M on Saturday, Florida matchup.
