Plus looking at latest addition of twice-traveled wide receiver adding another body to large group of pass catchers.
Bud Light Next Morning Rush Podcast: Arkansas falls to Vandy
Tye & Tommy on the loss to Vandy, Treylon Burks news out of Nashville, Tom Murphy and more!
Diamond Hawgs Podcast S2E28: Vanderbilt Series Recap, Weekend MVPs, Raccoon at Baum-Walker
Join Mason Choate, Robert Stewart and Christian Cheetham as they recap Arkansas’ series loss against Vanderbilt. The guys go through each game and give their biggest takeaways and series MVPs. Stick around for some of the questions facing the Razorback team and an untold story on the rally raccoon.
Razorbacks get No. 4 seed for NCAA Tournament; highest ever
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — For the third time in program history, Arkansas will host an NCAA Tournament Regional.
The No. 5 ranked Razorbacks drew the No. 4 national seed, the highest in school history, as announced Sunday night.
No. 24 Oregon, Wichita State and Princeton will join Arkansas at the Fayetteville Regional.
The Razorbacks will play Princeton at 5 p.m. Friday on SEC Network. Oregon vs. Wichita State will follow at 7:30 p.m.
Arkansas and Princeton meet for the first time in program history. The Hogs are 0-2 against the Ducks and 10-4 all-time against Wichita State.
Arkansas defeated the Shockers, 7-4, on Feb. 19.
Bogle Park last hosted a regional in 2021, with Arkansas claiming the regional championship after defeating Manhattan, South Dakota State and Stanford.
Schedule
Friday, May 20
Game 1: 1 Arkansas vs. 4 Princeton – 5 p.m. (SEC Network)
Game 2: 2 Oregon vs. 3 Wichita State – 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday, May 21
Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 – 1 p.m.
Game 4: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 – 3:30 p.m.
Game 5: Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 – 6 p.m.
Sunday, May 22
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5 – 1 p.m.
*Game 7: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5 – 3:30 p.m.
*if necessary
Commodores shut out Razorbacks in rubber match
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Needing a win to stay alone atop the Southeastern Conference West Division, Arkansas flopped.
In the series finale with Vanderbilt on Sunday, the Razorbacks fell, 5-0, dropping their first home series of the season.
Arkansas recorded just two hits in the seven-inning loss, in which Commodore left-handed pitcher Carter Holton tossed a complete game shutout.
Sophomore right-hander Jaxon Wiggins stranded runners in scoring position in each of the first two innings, and he was in a position to do the same in the third, if not for senior first baseman Brady Slavens’ fielding error.
Vanderbilt catcher Jack Bulger advanced from first to third on the play, and first baseman Dominic Keegan drove him in on a sacrifice fly.
Keegan stretched the lead to 3-0 in the fifth after the Commodores had chased Wiggins from the game.
He left after an infield single and a walk, and two batters latter, Keegan snuck a grounder through the middle against senior lefty Evan Taylor. In 4 1/3 innings, Wiggins allowed four hits, three runs, two earned runs and a walk with eight strikeouts to boot.
Second baseman Tate Kolwyck hit his second homer in as many games, a two-run shot off Taylor in the sixth to keep the Hogs out of slam range.
Arkansas had the leadoff man reach in the seventh for the first time all game, but it was for naught as the next three Razorbacks went down quietly.
The Hogs are sitting tied atop the SEC West with the Texas A&M Aggies, who hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Aggies will be in Oxford, Mississippi, next weekend to take on the Ole Miss Rebels, who are fresh off a series sweep at LSU. The Razorbacks are set to play three in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, against the Crimson Tide, the loser of its last six SEC series.
Arkansas and Alabama are set to begin the three-game series at 6 p.m. Thursday. The contest will stream live on the SEC Network+.
Hogs hold onto lead through delay, beat Vanderbilt
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It took more than 17 hours because of a weather delay, but the Razorbacks finished off the Vanderbilt Commodores 11-6 Sunday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Sophomore third baseman Cayden Wallace began his big game Saturday night with a solo home run to lead off the Arkansas half of the first inning, but the Razorbacks had to dig themselves out of a big hole again. The Commodores tagged freshman left-handed pitcher Hagen Smith for five earned runs in the third inning, chasing him after two outs. In 2 2/3 innings, he allowed four hits, walked four batters and struck out three.
Vanderbilt first baseman Dominic Keegan tied the game with a sacrifice fly, left fielder Javier Vaz gave the Commodores the lead with an RBI double and designated hitter T.J. McKenzie made it 3-1 with an RBI single.
Junior left-hander Zack Morris took the mound and surrendered a two-run double to second baseman Tate Kolwyck, closing the book on Smith. Morris took care of the next eight Commodores in order, giving the Hogs a chance to rally.
Arkansas cut it to 5-2 in the bottom of the third, making Vanderbilt righty Chris McElvain pay for a leadoff walk. Graduate catcher Michael Turner hit a two-out single to right, and the ball got behind Spencer Jones, allowing senior shortstop Jalen Battles to score.
Three more walks haunted McElvain in the fourth, as junior left fielder Zack Gregory drove in one on a sac fly, and Wallace put the Hogs on top with a three-run homer the other way.
Sophomore right fielder Jace Bohrofen extended the lead to 8-5 with a two-out, two-run double in the fifth. Kolwyck got one of those runs back for the Commodores with a solo homer in the sixth. That was the lone blemish on Morris’ three-inning relief appearance.
After resuming play Sunday morning, the Hogs made it 9-6 when Gregory scampered home on a wild pitch in the bottom of the sixth. Battles hit a two-run blast in the seventh to stretch the lead to five runs.
Sophomore right-hander Will McEntire earned a three-inning save, retiring nine of the 11 hitters he faced to seal the victory.
The series rubber match, which will be seven innings, is set to begin at 12:45 p.m. Sunday. Sophomore righty Jaxon Wiggins is expected to start for Arkansas, and the contest will stream live on the SEC Network+.
Razorbacks capture first-ever SEC Championship over Missouri
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Fresh off claiming the regular season SEC title outright, Arkansas backed up a regular season crown with the program’s first-ever SEC Tournament title on Saturday afternoon with a 4-0 win over Missouri.
Arkansas ace and SEC Pitcher of the Year Chenise Delce had her talent on full display against the Tigers, allowing only two base runners – both singles – to go with five strikeouts over seven scoreless innings for her fifth shutout of the season.
The Razorbacks wasted no time handing Delce the lead, scratching out a run in the first and another in the second.
In the first, SEC Player of the Year KB Sides started the rally with a leadoff single and came around to score on Danielle Gibson’s single to right after Hannah McEwen’s single.
Freshman Kacie Hoffman led off the second with a triple down the right field line. Marlene Friedman’s single to center plated Hoffman.
A two-run rally in the fifth was all Delce and the Hogs needed to claim their second trophy of the year. Sides was involved once again, working a leadoff walk and scoring on a Mizzou throwing error. A wild pitch with two outs later scored Hannah Gammill.
Four Razorbacks collected two hits as part of the team’s 11-hit outburst. McEwan, Hoffman, Taylor Ellsworth and Audrie LaValley all had two hits with Sides scoring of the squad’s four runs.
Arkansas did not strikeout in the victory and posted 10 singles.
The Hogs will find out tomorrow night at 6 p.m. during the NCAA Selection Show which teams are headed to Bogle Park for an NCAA Regional.
Commodores down Razorbacks in extras
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Vanderbilt center fielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. sucked the life out of Baum-Walker Stadium with a three-run home run in the 10th inning Friday night.
After Arkansas had come back to tie the game twice, that dinger was more than they could recover from, and they fell 9-6.
The Hogs fell into a 5-0 hole for the second straight series opener. Three hits and two walks turned into four runs in the second inning, including a two-run homer for Vanderbilt designated hitter Parker Noland. Bradfield drove in a run on a sacrifice bunt, and third baseman Davis Diaz delivered an RBI single.
Senior right-handed pitcher Connor Noland paid for a walk again in the third, when Parker Noland made it 5-0 on a sacrifice fly. The Greenwood native settled down to make it through five innings on 96 pitches, with six hits, five earned runs, three walks and five strikeouts.
Senior designated hitter Brady Slavens began the comeback with a monster solo homer to right field in the fourth. The longballs kept coming for Arkansas in the fifth, as junior second baseman Robert Moore cut it to 5-3 with a two-run shot, and Slavens went back-to-back with another solo blast.
The Commodores committed two errors in the sixth, allowing senior center fielder Braydon Webb to advance to third base with one out. Sophomore left fielder Jace Bohrofen chopped a single through the left side to score him and tie the game.
Vandy catcher Jack Bulger put his team back on top with a solo home run to left field in the top of the seventh. That was the only run senior lefty Evan Taylor surrendered in two innings of work.
The Razorbacks got that run right back in the bottom of the frame. Moore led off with a double, and advanced to third and home on productive groundouts by Slavens and graduate right fielder Chris Lanzilli.
Freshman right-hander Brady Tygart took the hill for the Hogs in the top of the eighth and struck out the first hitter he faced to end the Vanderbilt threat. He worked a clean ninth, but he ran into trouble in the 10th.
The Commodores had two men in scoring position with nobody out, but Tygart induced a shallow fly out and a weak bunt that produced an out at the plate. With two strikes and two outs, Bradfield took Tygart deep, giving Vandy a lead it did not surrender.
Arkansas and Vanderbilt are set to square off again at 6:30 p.m. Saturday on the SEC Network+. Freshman left-handed pitcher Hagen Smith is the expected starter for the Razorbacks.
Listen to complete Hogs-Vanderbilt series online here or ESPN Arkansas radio
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — With a two-game lead in the SEC Western Division entering the penultimate week of the regular season, No. 4 Arkansas (36-12, 16-8 SEC) hosts No. 24 Vanderbilt (31-15, 12-12 SEC) in a throwdown between two top-25 programs.
The opener between the Hogs and Commodores gets underway at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 13, from Baum-Walker Stadium. First pitch in Saturday’s contest is set for 6:30 p.m. followed by a 2 p.m. start in Sunday’s series finale. All three games of the series will stream on SEC Network+.
Arkansas, winners of 12 consecutive SEC home series, is looking to become the first team since LSU (1997-99) to post perfect 5-0 conference series records at home in consecutive seasons.
Schedule
6:30 p.m. Friday: vs. No. 24 Vanderbilt • SEC Network+ • Listen • Live Stats
6:30 p.m. Saturday: vs. No. 24 Vanderbilt • SEC Network+ • Listen • Live Stats
2 p.m. Sunday: vs. No. 24 Vanderbilt • SEC Network+ • Listen • Live Stats
Matchups
Game 1: Vanderbilt LHP Devin Futrell (8-1, 2.03 ERA) vs. Arkansas RHP Connor Noland (5-3, 2.99 ERA)
Game 2: Vanderbilt RHP Chris McElvain (5-3, 3.48 ERA) vs. Arkansas LHP Hagen Smith (6-2, 3.79 ERA)
Game 3: Vanderbilt Carter Holton (6-3, 3.82 ERA) vs. Arkansas RHP Jaxon Wiggins (6-1, 5.40 ERA)
How to Watch
Brett Dolan (play-by-play) and Troy Eklund (analyst) will have the call on SEC Network+ for all three games this weekend. Fans can catch all the action through the ESPN app on smartphones, computers and tablets or via Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
The series can also be heard online HERE and ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home with Phil Elson (play-by-play) and former Razorback Bubba Carpenter (analyst) on the call.
Series History
• Friday will mark the 63rd time Arkansas and Vanderbilt have met in the all-time history between the two programs.
• The Hogs lead the all-time series, 33-29, including an 18-11 record in Fayetteville.
• Arkansas last swept Vanderbilt in Fayetteville during the 2005 campaign.
Hogs at Home
• Arkansas owns the longest active SEC home series winning streak (12).
• The Hogs are 18-1 in SEC home series over the last four seasons.
• Arkansas’ last SEC home series loss came against Ole Miss in 2019.
• A series win this weekend would give Arkansas back-to-back seasons with perfect 5-0 series records at home.
• The last team to accomplish the feat in SEC play was LSU, when the Tigers posted three straight perfect home series records between 1997-99.
Leading Off
• Arkansas will celebrate Senior Day prior to Saturday’s game, honoring RHP Issac Bracken, OF Chris Lanzilli, RHP Kole Ramage, C Michael Turner, RHP Zebulon Vermillion and OF Braydon Webb.
• The Razorbacks are ranked second in the SEC in fielding percentage (.982), committing just 31 errors in 48 games this season.
• Arkansas ace RHP Connor Noland will take the mound in Friday’s series opener against Vanderbilt. The veteran owns a 5-3 record with a 2.99 ERA over 72.1 innings in 12 starts. Noland’s 81 strikeouts are second most among all SEC pitchers this season.
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story
Eric Musselman lands another big-time player out of portal
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coach Eric Musselman has done it again.
Ricky Council IV announced Friday he was coming to the Razorbacks from his final list of Alabama, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, Kansas and Iowa State. He will have three years of eligibility.
And the Hogs have a stunning wealth of talent on the roster with the No. 2-ranked signing class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
That includes the No. 1 high school recruit in the country in North Little Rock’s Nick Smith Jr. along with Anthony Black and Jordan Walsh among a host of others.
Musselman’s biggest challenge is going to be blending them together.
Council played at Wichita State and is the second transfer in a row from the Shockers. Will Wade played a big role in the Hogs’ run to the Elite Eight last year.
was named the AAC Sixth Man of the Year in 2021-22 after averaging 12.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game on 43.7% shooting from the field, 30.6% from beyond the arc and 84.9% from the charity stripe for the Shockers.
He scored in double-figures 17 times on the season, including a season-high 31 against UCF on January 26. Council also logged a pair of double-doubles for Wichita State, including a 17-point, 10-rebound effort against No. 14 Houston on February 20.
