Arkansas coach Chad Morris visited with the media following the Hogs’ first day of spring practice and he saw some good things, some, well not so good.
Razorback Invitational starts Friday at Bogle Park
FAYETTEVILLE — On the heels of a midweek win in its home opener, Arkansas returns to Bogle Park this weekend to host the Razorback Invitational.
In the three-day, 11-game tournament, the Razorbacks will welcome Central Connecticut, Dartmouth and Northern Colorado to Fayetteville.
Admission is free for all home games with gates opening one hour to first pitch each day.
Razorback Invitational | Game Notes
March 2-4, 2018
Bogle Park (Fayetteville, Ark)
Friday, March 2
11 a.m. – Central Connecticut State vs Dartmouth – Live Stats
1:30 p.m. – Central Connecticut State vs Northern Colorado – Live Stats
4 p.m. – Arkansas vs Dartmouth – Live Stats
6:30 p.m. – Arkansas vs Northern Colorado – Live Stats
Saturday, March 3
11 a.m. – Northern Colorado vs Dartmouth – Live Stats
1:30 p.m. – Northern Colorado vs Central Connecticut State – Live Stats
4 p.m. – Arkansas vs Dartmouth – Live Stats | SECN+
7:30 p.m. – Arkansas vs Central Connecticut State – Live Stats | SECN+
Sunday, March 4
9 a.m. – Dartmouth vs Central Connecticut State – Live Stats
11:15 a.m. – Arkansas vs Northern Colorado – Live Stats | SECN+
1:30 p.m. – Arkansas vs Central Connecticut State – Live Stats | SECN+
Against the Field
Among this weekend’s opponents, Arkansas has only faced Northern Colorado previously. The Razorbacks carry a 2-1 advantage in that series, last contested in 2009. CCSU and Dartmouth are the third and fourth first-time opponents of the non-conference season.
Last Time Out
The Razorbacks hit four home runs and Mary Haff recorded seven strikeouts in a run-rule win over Missouri State. The team got big flies from Loren Krzysko, Tori Cooper, Hannah McEwen and Haydi Bugarin.
Welcome Back, Coach Easley
Northern Colorado coach Shana Easley was Arkansas’ catcher from 2003-06. She ranks third in program history in base runners thrown out and fourth in putouts. Easley is in her sixth season with the bears.
Scoring by Cosper, Monk not enough against A&M
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Devin Cosper and Malica Monk each scored in double figures, but Arkansas dropped its second-round game to No. 15 Texas A&M, 82-52, at the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament here.
Cosper scored 15 points in her final game as a Razorback while Monk added 13 points. It was Monk’s 29th game of the year to score in double figures.
Arkansas wraps up its season with a 13-18 overall record while Texas A&M improves to 23-8.
Arkansas and the Aggies traded baskets to start the game, but Texas A&M put together an 8-0 run hitting 10-for-10 field goals to close the first quarter.
They took a 10-point, 23-13, advantage into the second quarter where their hot shooting continued.
The Aggies finished the game shooting 50%. They hit nine 3-point field goals and had three players in double figures, including two players with double-doubles.
The Razorbacks got seven points from Taylah Thomas and six points from Keiryn Swenson who hit a pair of 3-pointers.
Arkansas forced the Aggies into 18 turnovers and it is the 27th time Razorback opponents have had double-digit miscues.
The Razorbacks committed just five turnovers and it is the 11th time this season Arkansas has had fewer than 10 turnovers.
Notes
• Arkansas’ six second quarter points tie a season low in that frame.
• Arkansas forced the Aggies into 18 turnovers and it is the 27th time Razorback opponents have had double-digit miscues. The Razorbacks committed just five turnovers and it is the 11th time this season Arkansas has had fewer than 10 turnovers.
• Malica Monk scored in double figures for the 29th time in 31 games this season.
• Devin Cosper scored in double figures for the 21st time in 29 games.
Razorbacks back on SEC road at Missouri this weekend
FAYETTEVILLE — With the non-conference slate in the rear-view mirror, No. 27 Arkansas will open SEC play Friday at 4 p.m. at Missouri in Columbia.
Live Coverage
Fans can follow Friday’s match between the Razorbacks (4-5) and Tigers (11-3) through live scoring at Mizzou.Statbroadcast.com.
Previous Matches
Arkansas is coming off a weekend split, highlighted by a 4-3 win against No. 15 Kansas last Friday. Of Missouri’s three losses, two came last weekend against Wichita State and Kansas State.
Series History
The Razorbacks are 7-3 all-time against Missouri, and defeated the Tigers 4-3 last season in Fayetteville.
Moving On Up
Behind a victory last Friday over No. 15 Kansas, Arkansas improved to No. 27 in the latest edition of the Oracle/ITA Division I Women’s Collegiate Tennis Rankings released Tuesday.
Dominant Doubles
The Razorbacks’ No. 36 nationally ranked doubles duo of junior Ana Oparenovic and freshman Tatum Rice, closed out non-conference competition with an 8-0 record, good for second overall in the Southeastern Conference and first among duos competing at the No. 1 position. As a team, the Razorbacks have won the doubles point in six of seven matches this season.
Singles Success
In singles, sophomore Giulia Pairone boasts a 7-0 record, including a 2-0 mark at the top spot. Pairone’s 7-0 singles record is tied for seventh best in the conference.
Anderson on closing regular season on road at Missouri
Arkansas coach Mike Anderson met with the media Thursday about going on the road against Missouri and finishing season strong.
Rippee, Pamphile head to USA Volleyball tryouts
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas will be represented by sophomore Rachel Rippee and freshman Elizabeth Pamphile at this weekend’s U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryout in Colorado Springs.
Assistant coach Jon Newman-Gonchar will also be in attendance continuing his role as a member of the USA Volleyball National Team coaching staff.
Overall, a total of 229 athletes from 90 colleges and universities around the country will be vying for selection to the National Team and Collegiate National Team programs.
The tryout process begins Friday at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and will be streamed and available for free. Click HERE to watch. Rippee and Pamphile are part of the Red training wave that begins Friday at 4 p.m.
Rippee is one of 43 setters attending the tryout while Pamphile will be one of 49 middle blockers.
Rippee was an AVCA All-South Region Honorable Mention performer and was twice named SEC Setter of the Week during the 2017 season.
She was second in the SEC and 21st in the NCAA with 11.23 assists per set. The Springfield, Missouri, native dished out 1,303 assists to become just the fourth setter in program history to reach 1,300 assists in a single season and the first to do so since 2003. Rippee also averaged 2.16 digs per set and finished the season with 12 double-doubles.
In her first season in Cardinal and White, Pamphile started in all 30 matches and posted at least seven kills in 22 matches including eight outings with 10 or more kills.
In six of those eight performances, she coupled the double-digit production with a .400 or higher hitting percentage. Defensively, Pamphile amassed 95.0 total blocks and had at least four total blocks in 10 matches.
USA Volleyball will use #USAtryout as the hashtag for photos, notes, quotes and stories posted to its social media platforms under its @usavolleyball handle.
Thompson earns SEC Community Service honors
FAYETTEVILLE — Senior forward Trey Thompson has been named to the SEC Community Service Team for the first time in his career the league office, announced Thursday morning.
In a continuing effort to recognize the accomplishments of student-athletes off the court, this marks the 20th year for the SEC Community Service Team for men’s basketball.
Thompson has helped spearhead all community service efforts for the Arkansas basketball team during his four-year career in Fayetteville.
The two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member participated in fundraising events for the Boys & Girls Club and also helped in relief efforts for flood victims in Houston and Florida.
He has participated in the Book Hogs program to provide children’s books to elementary schools and partnered with Samaritan’s Feet to provide shoes to underprivileged children.
He completed his undergraduate degree in just three years in December and has worn the coveted “SEC Graduate” patch during his senior season.
The Madison, Arkansas, native has played in the second-most games as a Razorback among current players with 109.
He is averaging 2.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in his career. Thompson is having his most productive season yet as a Razorback this year, averaging 3.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
Hogs return from break, open conference action
FAYETTEVILLE — After a nearly three-week break from competition, Arkansas returns to the court for four matches this weekend, opening SEC action Friday, hosting LSU at 6 p.m.
Arkansas will also take the court against No. 7 Texas A&M on Sunday at 1 p.m., followed by a double-header with the UMKC Kangaroos.
Senior Jose Salazar currently ranks 78th in the Oracle/ITA Division I Men’s National Singles Rankings, leading Arkansas with a team-best 13-6 overall record this season, including a 7-2 mark in dual matches. Salazar is 2-1 against ranked opponents this season.
Salazar also has the best doubles record on the team when paired with freshman Josh Howard-Tripp. The duo holds a 4-2 mark this season, with wins in three of the last four results, while two other matches they were leading or tied when the doubles point was clinched.
LSU enters the weekend with a 7-3 overall record, after winning each of its last two matches against North Florida and Nicholls.
Texas A&M is also 7-3, as the Aggies have defeated three top-25 teams this season in No. 24 Texas Tech, No. 11 Florida and No. 3 North Carolina. The Aggies have also knocked off LSU 4-0 earlier this season in the ITA Kick-off Weekend.
Arkansas’ double-header opponent, UMKC, comes to town with a 3-5 record this season with wins over William Jewell, Creighton and Oral Roberts.
Razorbacks tee it up in ‘Darius Rucker’ in South Carolina
FAYETTEVILLE — Third-ranked Arkansas tees it up at the 2018 Darius Rucker Intercollegiate in Hilton Head, South Carolina, this weekend as spring action continues for the Razorbacks.
Arkansas is making its seventh appearance at the event and is looking for their first win on the par-71, 6,160-yard Long Cove Club Course.
The field is one of the best the Razorbacks have faced all season with six top-10 programs as well as nine Southeastern Conference members in attendance.
BY THE NUMBERS
6 » Programs that have won a tournament this season
6 » Teams ranked in Golfstat’s Top 10
8 » Schools that advanced to the 2017 NCAA Championship
22 » Players listed in Golfweek’s Top 50 Rankings
ANNIKA Award Watch List and Arnold Palmer Cup hopeful Maria Fassi headlines Arkansas’ lineup having earned three medalist honors this season.
She ranks No. 5 in the country in stroke average and has wins at the Mason Rudolph Invitational, the ANNIKA Intercollegiate and the Lady Puerto Rico Classic this season.
She is just the third Razorback to win three or more events in a single season.
Fassi leads Arkansas with a 69.60 stroke average this season and is one of four top-10 players in the field this week.
Arnold Palmer Cup hopefuls Dylan Kim and Alana Uriell are second and third, respectively, on the team in stroke average and have nine top-5 finishes between them.
Junior Kaylee Benton checks in with a 74.27 average and senior Jordy LaBarbera is making her second start of the year.
Live scoring is available at Golfstat.com or via the Golfstat Live app.
The Razorback Lineup
Maria Fassi – 69.60
Dylan Kim – 70.80
Alana Uriell – 70.87
Kaylee Benton – 74.27
Jordy LaBarbera – 78.00
The Field
(2) Alabama, (3) Arkansas, (6) Arizona State, Auburn, Baylor, (5) Duke, (9) Furman, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi State, (13) Northwestern, North Carolina, (14) Oklahoma State, (8) South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, (20) Virginia, (23) Wake Forest
