Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said defense, bench big keys for Hogs in first-round NCAA Tournament matchup Friday against Butler from the Big East.
Johnson named top assistant coach in the nation
NEW ORLEANS — Currently in his sixth season as the associate head coach for No. 2 Arkansas, Chris Johnson has been named the 2018 National Women’s Indoor Assistant Coach of the Year, announced Tuesday afternoon by the USTFCCCA.
The first national accolade of his storied career, the award comes two weeks following his 11th regional recognition, having been named the 2018 South Central Region Indoor Assistant Coach of the Year after the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships.
En route to the prestigious award, Johnson guided his event groups (sprints/hurdles/multis) to 12 program all-time best marks this season, inclusive of two record-breaking performances by Taliyah Brooks in the long jump and Payton Chadwick in the 60-meter hurdles.
Both Brooks and Chadwick were multiple-time national qualifiers this season, with Brooks advancing to the national meet in the long jump and pentathlon and Chadwick punching her ticket in the 200, 60-meter hurdles and long jump.
Johnson’s dynamic duo went on to score a combined 20 points toward Arkansas’ runner-up team finish at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships as Brooks took home the Razorback’s first pentathlon gold in the program history while Chadwick did the same in the 60-meter hurdles.
In addition to the talented pair, Johnson’s event groups were responsible for 36 of Arkansas’ points at the SEC indoor meet, pushing the Razorbacks to their 12th-consecutive conference victory across cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field.
Johnson coached freshmen Janeek Brown (60-meter hurdles) and Morgan Burks-Magee (400) to top-five finishes at the league level in their respective events.
Brown claimed the SEC silver medal in the hurdles and earning a place in Arkansas history as the second-fastest hurdler to run for the Razorbacks.
Both freshmen gained entry to the national meet and earned second team All-America honors to close out their first season under Johnson’s guidance.
Since his arrival to Fayetteville in 2013 the Razorbacks have won nine out of a possible 11 SEC indoor and outdoor track and field titles.
Hogs remain in hunt for program of the year honor
NEW ORLEANS — With a pair of top-15 national championship finishes behind them, Arkansas remains in the hunt for the 2017-18 John McDonnell Program of the Year Award, sitting at No. 2 in the latest standings with 18.5 points.
Teams must qualify for each of the NCAA Championships (cross country, indoor and outdoor) to be eligible for the award. A team receives points based on its finish at each championship event (i.e. first = 1 point, 10th = 10 points) and the points are added together with each passing season. The team with the lowest score following the completion of the NCAA Outdoor Championships is determined the winner.
Program of the Year Standings
1. Northern Arizona – 16
2. Arkansas – 18.5
3. Oregon – 19.5
4. Alabama – 23
5. Syracuse – 23.5
Cross Country
The Razorbacks placed fifth at the 2017 NCAA Cross Country Championships led by three-time All-American Jack Bruce who posted his highest career finish in the event, placing 13th. Along with Bruce the Hogs were pushed to their top-five finish by seniors Austen Dalquist and Alex George who finished 43rd and 51st, respectively. Arkansas was the highest-finishing Southeastern Conference team at the national meet.
Indoor Track and Field
Arkansas recently wrapped up its indoor season placing 13th at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships this past weekend in College Station, Texas. Seven Razorbacks combined to score 16 points at the meet, with junior Cameron Griffith finishing as Arkansas’ top performer with his bronze-medal performance at 3,000 meters. In addition to Griffith, the Razorbacks picked up five points from 4-x-400-meter relay quartet Roy Ejiakuekwu, Kemar Mowatt, Jamarco Stephen and Obi Igbokwe. Junior Gabe Moore added three points from a sixth-place finish in the heptathlon, while senior Kenzo Cotton added two points from a seventh-place finish in the 200.
2017-2018 Cross Country All-American(s)
Jack Bruce, 13th place
2017-2018 Indoor First Team All-American(s)
Kenzo Cotton – 200 meters, 7th place
Roy Ejiakuekwu – 4-x-400m relay, 4th place
Cameron Griffith – 3,000 meters, 3rd place
Obi Igbokwe – 4-x-400m relay, 4th place
Gabe Moore – Heptathlon, 6th place
Kemar Mowatt – 4-x-400m relay, 4th place
Jamarco Stephen – 4-x-400m relay, 4th place
2017-2018 Indoor Second Team All-American(s)
Jack Bruce – 5,000 meters, 12th place
Kenzo Cotton – 60 meters, 10th place
Obi Igbokwe – 400 meters, 14th place
Laquan Nairn – Long Jump, 11th place
Four Razorbacks prepped for NCAA Championships
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Arkansas is sending four Razorbacks to Columbus, Ohio, this week for the 2018 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion on the campus of the Ohio State University.
It marks the first time in school history Arkansas qualified three female divers for the NCAA Championships, as senior Nicole Gillis and freshmen Brooke Schultz and Maha Amer will each be in Columbus. Schultz will be competing in the one-meter and three-meter springboards, while Amer qualified for the three-meter and Gillis qualified for the platform.
Also competing in Columbus is freshman swimmer Peyton Palsha. The distance swimmer qualified for the championships in the 1650 freestyle but will also compete in the 500 freestyle.
“We are excited to be at the fastest and most competitive meet in the world,” said head coach Neil Harper. “We have four Razorbacks here representing our team and three are freshmen. The team has had a successful year so far and having these ladies here with the opportunity to get our program a final national ranking is our goal.”
Action from Columbus begins Wednesday with the 800 freestyle relay, but the Razorbacks will not jump into the pool until Thursday, when Palsha competes in the 500 free.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Thursday, March 15
500 Freestyle – 9 a.m. CT
One-Meter Trials – 11:30 p.m. CT
Finals – 5 p.m. CT
Friday, March 16
Three-Meter Trials – 10:30 p.m. CT
Finals – 4 p.m. CT
Saturday, March 17
Platform Trials – 11:15 p.m. CT
1650 Free Early Heats – 2:45 p.m. CT
1650 Free – 5 p.m. CT
Finals – 5 p.m. CT
Arkansas-Texas renew longtime rivalry tonight
FAYETTEVILLE — For the first time since 2012, Arkansas and Texas will face off on the baseball diamond, renewing a rivalry that dates back to the early 1900’s.
Coming off its fourth-straight series victory last weekend, the fifth-ranked Razorbacks welcome in the Longhorns to Baum Stadium for a two-game series starting on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Game one between the Hogs and Longhorns will be televised nationally on the SEC Network with Tom Hart and Kyle Peterson calling the action.
Game two will be online only on SEC Network+ with Brett Dolan and Troy Eklund on the call.
Both games will be available on the WatchESPN app also. Phil Elson (PXP) and former Razorback Bubba Carpenter (Analyst) will have the radio call on the IMG Sports Network.
Important Links
Tue, March 13 – Arkansas vs. Texas (Game 1) – 7 p.m. – LIVE STATS | WATCH
Wed, March 14 – Arkansas vs. Texas (Game 2) – 4 p.m. – LIVE STATS | WATCH
Probable Starters
TUE: ARK LHP Kacey Murphy (0.00 ERA, 1-0, 8 K, 3 BB) vs. UT RHP Beau Ridgeway (8.31 ERA, 1-0, 3 K, 3 BB)
WED: ARK TBA vs. UT RHP Nico O’Donnell (2.13 ERA, 1-0, 11 K, 7 BB)
The rivalry between the Longhorns and Razorbacks dates back well into the early 1900s before both teams were part of the now defunct Southwest Conference.
Once Arkansas joined the conference in 1974, the Hogs and Longhorns faced off at least once every year from 1974 until 1991 until Arkansas joined the Southeastern Conference.
Since then, Arkansas and Texas have only faced five times, four coming in the NCAA Tournament.
Tuesday’s matchup will only be the second regular-season meeting between the two teams since 1991 and first since 2012 when the Hogs and ‘Horns played in the Houston College Classic.
As for this year’s team, Arkansas will be sending left-hander Kacey Murphy to the mound as he’ll be making his third start of the year, second in the midweek.
Murphy has only allowed one unearned run in his 10 innings of work and has struck out eight batters, six coming against Arizona two weeks ago in San Diego.
The Razorbacks are fresh off a series win over defending MAC-champion Kent State, where they hit .276 as a team with seven home runs.
Four of those long balls came in the deciding game three on Sunday where Arkansas scored 10 unanswered runs over the final five innings to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win 11-4.
Freshman Casey Martin, sophomore Jordan McFarland, and redshirt senior Carson Shaddy all had a hand in the homers on the final day of the series.
McFarland actually went deep twice, including hitting a grand slam, after coming off the bench in a pinch-hit situation for Jared Gates in the fifth. McFarland turned in a career-high five RBIs that day and has now equaled his home run total from his freshman season.
Overall, Martin continued to lead the team in hitting for the second-consecutive week as he went 5-for-12 (.417) at the plate with two doubles, one home run and three RBIs against the Golden Flashes.
Over the last two weeks, Martin is hitting .433 with three home runs, 10 RBIs, and slugged a team-leading .833.
Martin currently has the third-highest batting average in the SEC (.415), highest among all freshmen and his slugging percentage is also the second-highest in the league (.805)
First pitch between the Hogs and Longhorns is set for 7 p.m. on Tuesday with SEC Network bringing the action to your television.
Fans can also catch game two between Arkansas and Texas on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Baum Stadium.
Photos from Monday’s spring practice for Hogs
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Razorbacks fall at Georgia in pair of one-run losses
ATHENS, Ga. — Playing a doubleheader Monday due to rain earlier in the weekend, Arkansas dropped a pair of one-run games at No. 11 Georgia.
The three-game series was Arkansas’ conference opener. With Monday’s results, the team heads back to Fayetteville with a 16-5 overall record.
Up Next
Arkansas returns home this weekend — March 16-18 — to host the Wooo Pig Classic at Bogle Park.
Beginning with the non-conference event, the Razorbacks will play their next 13 games in Fayetteville including two SEC series against Missouri and Mississippi State.
Game 1: #11 Georgia 1, Arkansas 0 (9 innings) | Box Score
In the opening game of Monday’s doubleheader, the Razorbacks were held without a hit until a two-out triple by junior Haydi Bugarin.
Playing in its first extra-inning game of the season, Arkansas put together a rally and loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the eight.
With runners on first and second, senior Tori Cooper pushed a bunt past the charging infielders which doubled as the 100th hit of her career.
However, Georgia starter Brittany Gray retired the next three hitters to keep the game scoreless, cutting Arkansas’ scoring opportunity short with a ground ball to second for the third out.
The Bulldog senior was matched by the strong performance by freshman Mary Haff.
Haff, in her first-career SEC start and facing the top scoring offense in the conference, held Georgia to five hits and a run — unearned — in eight-plus innings of work.
She gave up an infield single to the first hitter she faced but responded by retiring the next 16 UGA hitters. Haff registered nine strikeouts in the game including her 100th K of the season.
After a lead-off hit and passed ball, Georgia had a runner on second in the top of the ninth and secured the win with an RBI single to center.
Game 2: #11 Georgia 5, Arkansas 4 | Box Score
The first two innings were scoreless but Georgia scored four runs off starter Autumn Storms in the bottom of the third frame, including a three-run shot to right.
The home team tacked on an unearned run in the fourth inning to push their lead to 5-0 before the Arkansas bats got going.
Bugarin drew a two-out walk in the top of the fifth and scored from first on an RBI double off the bat of senior Autumn Buczek for the Razorbacks’ first run of the weekend.
With two runners on later in the inning, junior Ashley Diaz reached — and moved to second — on a throwing error that allowed Buczek to score and cut the Bulldogs’ lead to three.
Storms worked a 1-2-3 fifth inning on just nine pitches to get the offense back to the plate.
The bats responded with a two-run shot to center field by Katie Warrick, her first home run of the season and the Razorbacks’ 26th big fly.
The Razorbacks were within one when Georgia turned to Gray out of the bullpen to record the final six outs of the game.
Williams on performance early in spring
Running back seeing more time and getting attention with his runs and talked about the new Hogs’ offense approach.
Ramsey surprised by Chavis’ comments
Both Chad Morris and John Chavis spoke highly of Hogs defensive end Randy Ramsey, which caught him a little by surprise.
