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Ruscin & Zach visit with Clay Henry and talk Diamond Hogs in Monday’s podcast
We hear about the latest run-in with Canadian geese, say farewell to the Phoenix Suns, and then Clay Henry comes by to breakdown Arkansas’ series win over Florida at Baum-Walker and face the RZ poll questions.
SDS’s Connor O’Gara on Box Nix overcoming Chad Morris
After former Auburn offensive coordinator ran him to Oregon from Auburn, developing into a first-round selection in NFL Draft.
Gimme The Hawgs Chuck Podcast: Gators/Tigers fall to Hogs this weekend
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Hogs beat Florida, Little & Limmer drafted, Hogs basketball class growing
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Peyton Holt lifts Hogs to win in first, but big inning prevents sweep
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Peyton Holt etched his name into Razorback lore, swatting a go-ahead two-run homer and executing a legendary deke double play to help No. 2 Arkansas clinch its second consecutive home weekend series win against Floridain Saturday’s doubleheader at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The Hogs have now won nine consecutive SEC home weekend series since last season, and 20 of their last 21 SEC home weekend series since 2019. Arkansas moved to 16-5 in SEC play this year, its best 21-game SEC start in program history.
With their 6-5 series-clinching win in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Razorbacks secured its 27th consecutive home win to tie the program record for consecutive home wins (27), which was set during the 1984-85 seasons at George Cole Field. Florida, however, won the second game of the doubleheader, 9-5, to snap Arkansas’ 27-game winning streak at Baum-Walker Stadium and hand the Hogs’ their first home loss since Feb. 18 against James Madison.
Up next, Arkansas closes out its midweek slate with a pair of contests against Missouri State at Baum-Walker Stadium. First pitch in the two-game set between the Razorbacks and Bears is 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, on SEC Network+.
Game 1: No. 2 Arkansas 6, Florida 5
Peyton Holt stole the show in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader, hitting the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the seventh inning before executing a legendary deke double play to perfection in the top half of the eighth to help Arkansas earn a 6-5 series-clinching win over Florida, giving the Razorbacks their ninth straight SEC home weekend series victory.
After Florida broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the top of the seventh, Arkansas rallied from its multi-run deficit with a five-spot in the bottom of the inning. Jared Sprague-Lott’s two-out single scored pinch runner Hudson White before Wehiwa Aloy and Holt each clobbered two-run home runs to left field, catapulting the Razorbacks to a 6-4 lead.
Florida threatened to tie the game in the eighth, scoring a run on a fielding error to cut its deficit to one before loading the bases. With one out, Arkansas went to left-hander Stone Hewlett, who induced a fly out toward Holt in center field.
Holt faked a catch before making the catch to throw off Brody Donay, Florida’s runner on third, and his timing on the tag at third base. Holt threw toward third and Sprague-Lott fired home, where White tagged Donay to end the inning.
Christian Foutch preserved the Razorbacks’ 6-5 win in the ninth, recording the final out on a six-pitch strikeout. The right-hander threw six consecutive pitches of at least 100 mph to strike out Donay and secure the series-clinching win.
Right-hander Brady Tygart started on the mound and twirled his second consecutive quality start with six innings of two-run ball. The junior tallied six strikeouts for the second week in a row and limited the Gators to three hits and four walks.
Game 2: Florida 9, No. 2 Arkansas 5
Florida two-way star Jac Caglianone pitched four innings and hit a two-out grand slam in the fourth to help knock off Arkansas, 9-5, in the series finale. Caglianone’s 26th home run of the season capped the Gators’ six-run fourth inning against Razorback right-handers Ben Bybee and Koty Frank, changing the game’s momentum completely.
Arkansas struck first in the finale, opening an early one-run lead on Peyton Stovall’s RBI single in the bottom of the second and setting its sights on completing its fourth consecutive SEC home weekend series sweep. It was not meant to be, however, as Florida responded with a run in the top of the third before its game-changing six-spot in the fourth.
The Razorbacks punched back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth before scoring again in the sixth and eighth, but the Gators would not fold and maintained their lead until securing a 9-5 victory to salvage the series.
Stovall, one of four Razorbacks with multiple hits in the finale, went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and three RBI. Jared Sprague-Lott (2-for-5), Ben McLaughlin (2-for-3, RBI, 2 BB) and Nolan Souza (2-for-5) also turned in multi-hit games.
In relief, Jake Faherty tossed two scoreless frames with a pair of strikeouts to lower his season ERA to 1.23. Parker Coil, meanwhile, also emerged from the bullpen and fired a scoreless inning, recording a strikeout in the process.
Hogs get pair drafted, but it took awhile to finally get there
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Kicker Cam Little and offensive lineman Beaux Limmer extended Arkansas’ streak of having at least one player selected in the NFL Draft to 29 consecutive years when they were selected in the sixth round by the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Los Angeles Rams, respectively.
Little was the first Razorback to hear his name called when the Jaguars made him the 212th pick overall. Limmer was quick to follow when the Rams made him the 217th overall selection a few minutes later. The Razorbacks have now had multiple players selected in 13 of the past 14 NFL Drafts.
Little is the fifth Arkansas kicker to be drafted in school history and first to be drafted since 2014 when Zach Hocker was selected by Washington in the seventh round. The sixth round is the earliest an Arkansas kicker has been picked since Steve Little was a first-round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1978. Cam Little is the sixth Razorback in history to be selected by Jacksonville and joins former Razorbacks Montaric Brown, who was a seventh-round pick by the Jags in 2022, and Jeremiah Ledbetter, who signed with the club in 2022.
Little’s selection adds to his legacy at Arkansas, where leaves as the school’s most accurate kicker having made 82.8% of his field goals (53-for-64) and all 129 of his extra-point attempts during his three-year career. He sits inside the program’s career top 10 in every kicking category: first in field goal percentage (.828), second in kicking points (288), third in PATs made (129) and field goals made (53), fifth in PAT attempts (129) and sixth in field goal attempts (64). He also holds the seventh-longest field goal in school history with his 56-yard boot at Ole Miss this past season – the longest field goal by a Razorback since 1988. Little’s seven field goals from 50+ yards are the second-most in program history after connecting on four during the 2023 season.
Little was a Freshman All-American in 2021 and First-Team All-SEC last season as a kickoff specialist after leading the league and ranking fourth nationally with 85.5% of his kickoffs going as touchbacks.
Limmer is the 12th Razorback all time to hear his name called by the Rams and first since Keith Jackson Jr. was a seventh-round pick by the St. Louis Rams in 2007. Limmer joins former Razorback Kamren Curl on the Rams’ roster after Curl signed as a free agent during the offseason. With Limmer going to the Rams, it also gives Arkansas back-to-back drafts with an offensive lineman being selected adding to Ricky Stromberg’s selection by Washington last year. The Hogs last had offensive linemen picked in two straight drafts when Frank Ragnow (Detroit) and Hjalte Froholdt (New England) were drafted in 2018 and 2019.
Limmer was a mainstay on Arkansas’ offensive line over the last three seasons, starting all but two games. The Tyler, Texas native played in 49 games over five years with 41 starts. He was the Hogs’ highest graded offensive lineman last season according to Pro Football Focus despite moving to center after playing guard his previous four seasons. His 1,792 snaps over his final two seasons were the most by any Razorback. Limmer earned All-SEC honors in 2021 and 2022 to go along with a Third-Team All-America recognition from Pro Football Focus in 2022.
Another big night by Smith keys Hogs’ close win over Florida
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Hagen Smith tallied 11 strikeouts over a season-long seven innings of work to lead No. 2 Arkansas to a 2-1 series-opening win over Florida on Friday night at Baum-Walker Stadium.
With his 11-strikeout game, Smith increased his career strikeout total to 310, moving into second on Arkansas’ career strikeouts list and becoming only the third pitcher in Razorback history to record 300 or more career strikeouts.
The Hogs extended their home winning streak to 26, a Baum-Walker Stadium record, with Friday night’s win. Arkansas is one win shy of its program record for consecutive home wins of 27, set during the 1984-85 seasons at George Cole Field.
After working around a pair of runners in the first, Smith settled in and retired 17 consecutive batters until a leadoff walk in the top of the seventh. The junior left-hander finished the night with 11 strikeouts, allowing just one unearned run on two hits and a walk over seven innings to log his ninth quality start and eighth double-digit strikeout game of the year.
Smith was staked with an early lead thanks to Ryder Helfrick’s two-out solo shot in the second. Florida starter Pierce Coppola retired the first five he faced, including four strikeouts, before Helfrick hammered a 2-0 pitch into the Hog Pen.
The Hogs’ one-run lead held up until the top of the seventh, when the Gators capitalized on a two-out error to even the game at 1-1. The run went unearned, however, as Smith lowered his season ERA to a jaw-dropping 1.35 in 60.0 innings.
Arkansas broke the deadlock in the bottom of the eighth on Jared Sprague-Lott’s sac fly to right. Ty Wilmsmeyer, who drew a one-out walk before advancing to third on Peyton Stovall’s single, dashed home to put the Razorbacks up, 2-1.
Gabe Gaeckle emerged from the bullpen in relief of Smith and locked down the final two innings to earn the win and secure Arkansas’ series-opening victory. The true freshman struck out three over his two scoreless frames of work.
Due to Sunday’s weather, Arkansas and Florida will now play a doubleheader tomorrow at Baum-Walker Stadium beginning at noon on ESPN2 with Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Chris Burke (analyst) on the call. Saturday’s doubleheader will consist of two nine-inning games with approximately a 45-minute break between games.
