The effect attacks on celebrities may have with sports stars plus how Razorbacks can juggle basketball roster numbers.
Hogs rally, defeat Auburn in slugfest to open weekend series
AUBURN, Ala. — When Arkansas suffered a rally-killing interference call in the fifth inning Friday night, they could have rolled over.
They emerged from the frame down 5-2, but they hung nine runs on the Auburn Tigers over the next three, eventually coming away with an 11-8 victory.
Senior right-handed pitcher Connor Noland tossed one of his shortest outings of the year, making it through just four innings.
A throwing error by senior shortstop Jalen Battles with two outs in the third cost him two unearned runs. Auburn began the fourth with a solo home run, and four more hits turned into two more runs to make it 5-0.
Battles walked to begin the Arkansas fifth, and he scored his team’s first run on a single by sophomore third baseman Cayden Wallace.
Graduate catcher Michael Turner recorded the third straight single to bring the tying run to the plate with nobody out, and then controversy ensued.
Junior second baseman Robert Moore hit a grounder to second, which was bobbled and did not result in an out at first, but Turner was ruled out on an interference call, despite not making contact with the fielder. Senior first baseman Brady Slavens was able to tack on another run with a sacrifice fly, but two was all the Hogs could muster from the inning.
Senior right-hander Kole Ramage relieved Noland in the fifth, and he allowed a two-out solo blast, which brought the score to 6-2.
Another leadoff walk proved costly for the Tigers in the sixth, as sophomore right fielder Jace Bohrofen went deep to right field to cut the Auburn lead in half.
The Hogs drew even closer in the seventh on an error by the pitcher, allowing Turner to score the fifth run. With two on and nobody out, freshman designated hitter Kendall Diggs swatted his second three-run homer in as many starts, giving Arkansas an 8-6 lead.
At one point the Razorbacks trailed by five, but in the eighth inning, they took a five-run lead of their own on Moore’s three-run bomb.
Senior lefty Evan Taylor earned his fourth win of the year after collecting seven outs. He surrendered a pair of doubles to the Tigers in the eighth, allowing them to get within three runs, but freshman righty Brady Tygart took care of the final five outs to seal the victory.
Arkansas and Auburn are set to square off again at 4:30 p.m. Saturday on the SEC Network.
Freshman left-hander Hagen Smith is expected to start for the Razorbacks, opposite Tiger righty Trace Bright.
How to watch-listen to Razorbacks-Auburn series this weekend
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Auburn may have some injured pitchers.
If Arkansas can’t hit any better than they did Tuesday night, though, it really won’t matter.
Maintaining a two-game lead in the SEC West, the Razorbacks will go to The Plains this weekend with an opportunity to strengthen their position atop the division.
The Hogs lost to Missouri State earlier this week when the offense disappeared and made a 6-4 final score look a lot closer than the game actually was.
It was more like a 6-1 game, which was the score before the Hogs mounted a little ninth-inning rally and actually managed to get the winning run to the plate before another easy out ended things.
The ranked showdown between No. 4 Arkansas (34-11, 14-7 SEC) and No. 19 Auburn (31-14, 12-9 SEC) starts at 7 p.m. Friday on SEC Network+ and Fubo.tv.
The second game of the series will broadcast nationally at 4:30 p.m. Saturday on the SEC Network and Fubo.tv before the road trip concludes with a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday on SEC Network+ and Fubo.tv.
The Hogs are going for their fourth consecutive series win over the Tigers this weekend.
Arkansas has won its last three series and five of its last six against Auburn, including the most recent series between the teams on The Plains in 2019.
The Games
7 p.m. Friday
at No. 19 Auburn • SEC Network+ and Fubo.tv • Listen • Live Stats
4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 7
at No. 19 Auburn • SEC Network and Fubo.tv • Listen • Live Stats
1 p.m. Sunday, May 8
at No. 19 Auburn • SEC Network+ and Fubo.tv • Listen • Live Stats
Pitching Matchups
Game 1: Arkansas RHP Connor Noland (5-3, 2.77 ERA) vs. Auburn RHP Mason Barnett (2-1, 4.19 ERA)
Game 2: Arkansas LHP Hagen Smith (6-2, 3.75 ERA) vs. Auburn RHP Trace Bright (2-4, 4.29 ERA)
Game 3: Arkansas RHP Jaxon Wiggins (5-1, 5.75 ERA) vs. Auburn RHP Joseph Gonzalez (6-1, 2.30 ERA)
On the Air
Friday and Sunday’s games at Plainsman Park will stream on SEC Network+.
Wiley Ballard (play-by-play) & Mark Fuller (analyst) have Friday’s call, while Ballard (play-by-play) & Gregg Olson (analyst) will handle Sunday’s series finale.
Mike Morgan (play-by-play) & Todd Walker (analyst), meanwhile, will call Saturday’s nationally televised contest on the SEC Network.
The game can also be heard with Phil Elson (play-by-play) on the call online online at HitThatLine.com or on ESPN Arkansas radio 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.
Series History
• Arkansas and Auburn are dead even since 1992 with the overall series record tied at 48-48.
• While the Hogs have been the more dominant team in Fayetteville (26-19), the Tigers control the series when played in Auburn with a 24-18 record.
• The Razorbacks last swept the Tigers in Auburn in 2009.
Game Notes
• The Razorbacks are 9-4 in their last 13 SEC road series over the last three seasons, having won six of their last eight conference road trips.
• Arkansas, which has won 15 of its last 17 overall SEC series, is 8-4 against SEC West opponents this season, most recently taking two of three games against visiting Ole Miss at Baum-Walker Stadium last weekend.
• For the third straight season, Arkansas has posted at least 14 wins after seven weeks of league play (15 in 2019 & 2021).
• Arkansas is ranked first in the SEC and second in the country in fielding percentage (.985), committing just 25 errors in 45 games this season.
• Two of college baseball’s best home run hitters will square off at Plainsman Park this weekend. Arkansas OF Chris Lanzilli and Auburn INF Sonny DiChiara have combined for 102 career home runs, with Lanzilli’s 48 career blasts ranking seventh most among all active Division I college baseball players.
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
Auburn announcer Andy Burcham previewing big SEC West series
When the Hogs-Tigers get together it’s usually close game that goes down to wire and nothing should change this year.
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Guests- Aaron Torres & Andy Burcham
Halftime is LIVE. Hogs on the Plains, MLB, CBB,CFB, and more
11:30 – Aaron Torres
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Former Razorbacks pitcher Scott Tabor previews weekend series
With the season in the final stretch run, the Hogs going to Auburn this weekend is a big matchup.
Lang Whitman previews final racing weekend at Oaklawn to close season
After a successful season, the final weekend of racing and fans can watch the Kentucky Derby live.
Bud Light Next Morning Rush Podcast: Hogs getting ready for Auburn
Tommy Craft and Clay Henry talks Hogs vs. Auburn, Mothers Day and more. Scott Tabor joins to talk Razorbacks Baseball.
Diamond Hawgs Podcast S2E25: Auburn Series Preview w/ Kendall Diggs and Kevin Bohannon
Join Mason Choate and Robert Stewart as they preview Arkansas’ upcoming series with Auburn. Arkansas freshman Kendall Diggs joins the show to talk about the teams mindset and his walk-off homer against Ole Miss. Coach Kevin Bohannon talks recruiting and NIL with the guys.
