FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — No. 6 Arkansas advanced to the winners bracket final of the NCAA Fayetteville Regional with a 6-2 victory over North Dakota State on Friday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium.
With the win, the Razorbacks improved to 44-13 on the season and set up a prime-time matchup against either Kansas or Creighton, while North Dakota State finished its campaign at 20-33.
Freshman infielder Cam Kozeal was the offensive catalyst for the Razorbacks, going 3-for-4 with a home run, double, and four RBIs.
Kozeal wasted no time, driving in Arkansas’s first run with a single in the opening frame. He followed with a run-scoring double off the right field wall in the third to extend the lead to 4-2.
In his third at-bat, Kozeal hammered the first pitch he saw — a hanging breaking ball — for a two-run homer, giving Arkansas a comfortable cushion through five innings.
“Postseason baseball is always a lot of fun,” Kozeal said after the game. “Just be yourself and have fun and play baseball.”
After starter Aiden Jimenez worked 3.2 innings, Arkansas turned to its bullpen, which delivered 5.1 scoreless frames to shut down the Bison offense.
Sophomore left-hander Parker Coil, who had missed six weeks earlier in the season with a back injury, was especially sharp.
Coil threw 3.1 innings, striking out four and allowing just three hits. His arsenal that featured a fastball in the 89-92 mph range, a sharp cutter, and an unhittable slider, kept North Dakota State hitters off balance.
“I feel like I had everything working for me, slider and cutter,” Coil said. “The thought process was just keep going until I couldn’t anymore.”
Landon Beidelschies followed Coil, combining with him for eight strikeouts and limiting the Bison to just four singles over the final 5.1 innings.
Arkansas’s defense was flawless, a welcome sight for coach Dave Van Horn after a break following the SEC Tournament. It had been a little sloppy at times towards the end of the season and postseason.
Catcher Ryder Helfrick threw out two would-be base stealers, and Brent Iredale started a crucial double play to end a North Dakota State threat in the third inning.
“I thought our defense was outstanding,” Van Horn said. “It was really good to see Ryder throw the ball like he did. Ryder made a perfect throw and ended the inning.”
With the win, Arkansas moves into the winners bracket final, giving the team a valuable rest day and the opportunity to set its pitching staff for the next round.
The Razorbacks will face the winner of the Kansas-Creighton game Saturday at 8 p.m. on ESPN+.
