Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman lived in the San Francisco Bay Area of California for years and will play Gonzaga there.
Lykes, Williams, Toney after surviving, advancing in NCAA Tournament
Arkansas players Chris Lykes, Jaylin Williams and Au’Diese Toney following a 53-48 win over New Mexico State on Saturday.
Diamond Hogs shut down Kentucky again, win first SEC series
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas baseball team assembled a complete team win Friday night at Baum-Walker Stadium, using timely hitting and a quality start from freshman pitcher Hagen Smith to down the Kentucky Wildcats 9-3 and win their first Southeastern Conference series of the season.
Smith tossed six innings for the third time in five starts, recording his third quality start and team-leading fourth win. He surrendered five hits and three earned runs to go along with three walks and seven strikeouts.
The lefty had no shortage of run support, as the Razorbacks struck early and often. With two outs in the first inning, graduates Michael Turner and Chris Lanzilli reached base on a double and a walk, respectively, before scoring on junior second baseman Robert Moore’s double, which marked his fifth RBI in as many at-bats on the weekend.
The Wildcats scratched back in the top of the second with four singles and two runs to level the score, but the deadlock did not last long. Senior center fielder Braydon Webb launched a solo home run into the left field bullpen to put the Hogs back on top, and freshman first baseman Peyton Stovall hit a two-out, two-run bomb to center field, stretching the lead to three runs.
Senior shortstop Jalen Battles recorded yet another two-out knock in the third, scoring Lanzilli from second on a hot shot to third base. In the fourth, the Hogs picked up a pair of unearned runs, walking twice with the bases loaded after a fielding error with two outs.
Kentucky brought the deficit back to five runs in the sixth inning on a solo homer by designated hitter Hunter Jump. Arkansas senior designated hitter Brady Slavens got the run back in the bottom of the frame with a sacrifice fly.
Senior right-handed pitcher Zebulon Vermillion took care of the last nine outs and earned a save for the Hogs, retiring nine straight hitters after walking the first one he faced.
The Razorbacks will go for the sweep of the Wildcats at noon Sunday. Sophomore right-hander Jaxon Wiggins will get the ball for Arkansas against a starter to be announced for Kentucky, and the game will stream live on the SEC Network+.
Listen to Hogs trying to make a second straight Sweet 16 on ESPN Arkansas
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It keeps getting tougher to survive and advance.
No. 4-seed Arkansas will face No. 12-seed New Mexico State on Saturday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Buffalo, N.Y.
The Razorbacks are trying to advance to the Sweet 16 for the second straight year after last year’s Elite Eight run.
To get there they can’t let the Aggies’ Teddy Allen go for 37 points like he did in their open-round win on Thursday night.
New Mexico State surprised UConn to move on.
Tipoff is set for 8:20 p.m. and the game will be televised on TNT.
“You just want to survive and advance,” Hogs coach Eric Musselman said later.
Now it will be a challenge on a short preparation time period, but Musselman has been there before. Coaching in the professional leagues he’s had to get a team ready with less than a full day.
And he’s done it for players that were pretty good like they face in Allen.
“(Allen) is really good but I have also game planned for Kobe Bryant and LeBron James and Dwyane Wade,” Musselman said. “He presents a lot of problems because of his ability to draw fouls. He has unlimited range.”
Arkansas earned a No. 4 seed in the West Region after finishing fourth during the SEC regular season and reaching the SEC Tournament semifinal.
• This is the third time Arkansas and New Mexico State have met. The Razorbacks own a 2-0 advantage.
• Arkansas earns its 35th NCAA bid and 2nd straight. Last year, Arkansas advanced to the NCAA Elite 8 before falling to eventual national champion Baylor.
• The Razorbacks own a 46-33 all-time record in NCAA action.
• This is the sixth time in program history Arkansas has earned a No. 4 seed and the 13th time to be among the top-4 seeds since the NCAA began its current seeding process for the 1979 championship. The previous No. 4 seeds came in 1999, 1993, 1990, 1983 and 1982.
• Arkansas is 18-8 in NCAA Tournament first round games.
• Arkansas 1-1 all-time in Buffalo. On Jan. 1, 1944, Arkansas lost to a George Mikan-led DePaul team, 59-30, at Buffalo’s Memorial Auditorium and beat a pesky Vermont team Thursday night, 75-71.
NCAA Tournament, Round 2
Arkansas vs. New Mexico State
Current Records: No. 4 seed Arkansas Razorbacks (26-8) vs. No. 12 seed New Mexico State Aggies (27-6)
Date-Time: Saturday, March 19 at approximately 7:40 p.m.
Where: Keybank Center (20,500), Buffalo, N.Y.
TV/Streaming: TNT (Brad Nessler, Brendan Haywood and Evan Washburn).
Radio: There is no online streaming. Listen to Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman on the radio at ESPN Arkansas 99.5 in Fayetteville, 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and central Arkansas, 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home and on satellite radio at Sirius 136 and XM 203.
Sportsbook Info (via BetOnline.ag)
Spread: Arkansas -6.5 (-113), New Mexico State +6.5 (-107)
Total: 139 – Over: -110, Under: -110
Moneyline: Arkansas -290, New Mexico State +245
Van Horn: ‘Solid baseball’ in win over Wildcats in difficult weather conditions
Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn’s press conference after 6-2 win over Kentucky to open SEC play in cold, damp weather.
Noland, Moore after Razorbacks down Kentucky to start SEC play
Pitcher Connor Noland (6.1 innings, 109 pitches, but seven strikeouts) and Robert Moore (3-for-4, homer) after win over Wildcats.
Razorbacks claim SEC opener against Kentucky
Errors killed the Kentucky Wildcats as the Razorbacks put up four unearned runs Friday night at Baum-Walker Stadium in a 6-2 victory to open Southeastern Conference play.
Sophomore third baseman Cayden Wallace led off the bottom of the first reaching on the first of three Kentucky errors. He came around to score on a two-out RBI double by junior second baseman Robert Moore, who recorded a three-hit, three-RBI night.
The Wildcats leveled the score in the third inning with a two-out RBI knock from third baseman Chase Estep, who is hitting .436 on the season. It was the only run senior right-handed pitcher Connor Noland allowed in 6 1/3 innings of work. Friday’s outing marked his third quality start of the season and his third win in four decisions.
The Hogs wasted little time reestablishing their lead in the bottom of the third. Graduate right fielder Chris Lanzilli led off with an infield single, and Moore reached on the second error of the game by Daniel Harris IV, advancing Lanzilli to third base. Senior shortstop Jalen Battles put Arkansas on top with a sacrifice fly, and the Wildcats extended the frame with their third error of the game. With two runners in scoring position and two outs, junior left fielder Zack Gregory roped a double into the right field corner to make it a 4-1 Razorback lead.
Moore drove in his second run of the ballgame in the fifth, scoring graduate catcher Michael Turner from second after the latter doubled to left field with one out. Moore’s third RBI came in the form of a solo home run in the seventh inning, a 352-foot blast and his first in nearly a month.
The Razorbacks received 2 2/3 innings of relief pitching from seniors Evan Taylor and Kole Ramage. The left-handed Taylor retired all five hitters he faced, stranding two runners he inherited from Noland. The right-handed Ramage allowed a pair of hits and a run in the ninth, but it was not enough for the Wildcats to come back.
Arkansas and Kentucky will square off again at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in a contest that will stream live on the SEC Network+. Freshman lefty Hagen Smith will get the start for the Razorbacks opposite lefty Magdiel Cotto for the Wildcats.
Hogs’ season comes crashing down in Austin … again
AUSTIN, Texas — Arkansas has played for the last time in Frank Erwin Center here … and Mike Neighbors won’t be sorry to see the place gone.
Arkansas (18-14) had its season end Friday night in a 92-69 loss to Utah (21-11), 92-69.
The Utes shot exceptionally well, hitting 52 percent from the field while hitting 48 percent of their triples, making 15 of them. They also dominated the Hogs on the boards, 52-35.
Amber Ramirez led the way in her final collegiate game, scoring 24 points in the loss.
The point guard duo of Makayla Daniels and Samara Spencer had 18 points each. With her four points early, Daniels surpassed the 1,000-point mark, becoming the 31st Hog to ever do so.
Arkansas battled back in the second half after trailing by 17 at the break, cutting the lead to 10 with 5:46 left in the third quarter. Utah would respond to end the frame, though, pushing the lead back up to 19 by the close of the period.
The Razorbacks end the season with back-to-back tournament appearances for the first time since the 2002-2003 season.
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
Hogs’ Musselman on facing big-time scorer against New Mexico State
Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman compared the Aggies’ Teddy Allen to former player Mason Jones on how he can get hot.
Toney, Wade look ahead to Saturday night’s second round matchup
Razorbacks Au’Diese Toney and Trey Wade on what they expect from the Aggies in the next game of NCAA Tournament.
Coffee with Counsel Episode 13 – When And Where To File; March Madness Memories
Kevin Hickey and Brad Hull with the Hickey & Hull Law Partners
