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.
