Arkansas coach Eric Musselman likes way team has come together after 58-48 slugfest win over Tennessee on Saturday.
Van Horn recaps Razorbacks’ first win of season Saturday to even series
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn on freshman pitcher Hagen Smith’s first career start that evens opening series of year.
Razorbacks’ Smith, Moore after pacing 5-1 win over Illinois State
Hogs’ pitcher Hagen Smith after going six innings in first start; Robert Moore after 3 RBI, homer in first win.
Listen here to Hogs battle Tennessee or on ESPN Arkansas radio stations
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas has another big game, another big crowd and a national audience.
It’s getting routine.
This time, though, the Hogs will be wearing red at home and so will the fans, which may make the place look like a tomato can blew up.
The No. 23 Razorbacks will host No. 16 Tennessee at Bud Walton Arena on Saturday afternoon as teams start jockeying for playoff position. The game tips off at 3 p.m. and is televised on ESPN.
Listen online to Phil Elson and Matt Zimmerman at HitThatLine.com and 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-XM 382.
After a nine-game win streak and a one-point loss at Alabama, Arkansas returned to the top 25 this week following a nine-week absence.
The last time Arkansas was ranked in both polls was earlier this season (Dec. 13) at No. 24 in the AP and No. 19 by the coaches.
The Hogs were ranked in both polls for each of the first six polls of the year and have received votes in both polls an additional three weeks (as well as two weeks in just the coaches poll).
Game notes
• This will be the 45th meeting between Arkansas and Tennessee with all but four coming since the Razorbacks joined the SEC for the 1991-92 season. The Volunteers own a slight 23-21 advantage in the series.
• Arkansas leads 11-4 in games played in Fayetteville.
• According to ESPN Basketball Power Index, Arkansas has the toughest schedule in the nation to close the regular season. Four of Arkansas’ final five games will be QUAD 1 games including #9 Tennessee twice, No. 3 Kentucky and No. 16 LSU. Arkansas also plays at NCAA NET No. 54 Florida on Tuesday. Good news, Arkansas plays three of its final five in Bud Walton Arena.
• This game will be the 91st time a ranked Arkansas team has played a ranked opponent and the 21st time a ranked Razorback team has hosted a ranked opponent. Arkansas is 43-47 all-time when ranked and playing a ranked opponent. Arkansas is 15-5 when ranked and hosting a ranked team. The last time a ranked Arkansas team hosted a ranked opponent was last year when #20 Arkansas defeated #6 Alabama, 81-66 (2/24/21).
• The Razorbacks are coming off a 19-point win at Missouri which, was Arkansas’ ninth-largest winning margin in an SEC road game ever. Four of the nine largest SEC road wins have come in the Eric Musselman era.
• Arkansas is only allowing 66.08 points per game in SEC games, which is tops in the conference. Also in league play, the Razorbacks rank second in both field goal percentage defense (.398) and 3-point percentage defense (.296).
Arkansas vs. Tennessee
Current Records: No. 23-24 Arkansas Razorbacks (20-6, 9-4 SEC) vs. No. 16-13 Tennessee Volunteers (19-6, 10-3 SEC)
Date-Time: Saturday, Feb. 19 at 3 p.m.
Where: Nolan Richardson Court at Bud Walton Arena (19,200), Fayetteville, Ark.
TV/Streaming: ESPN (Dave Neal and Dane Bradshaw).
Radio: Listen online at HitThatLine.com and 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-XM 382, online 982.
Sportsbook Info (via BetOnline.ag)
Spread: Arkansas -2 (-135), Tennessee +2 (+115)
Total: 138 – Over: -110, Under: -110
Moneyline: Arkansas -135, Tennessee +115
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Dave Van Horn didn’t like seeing all the zeroes at top of lineup in Hogs’ 3-2 loss to Illinois State.
Moses Moody on Halftime about returning for Tennessee game Saturday
Moses Moody on Halftime about returning for Tennessee game Saturday’s game with other former players.
Previewing Hogs’ Top 25 matchup with Tennessee on Saturday with Burris
Charlie Burris, who covers the Vols, goes in-depth on what has turned into another big game for the Razorbacks.
Halftime Pod Presented by Eastside Liquor: Torres, Moody
OPENING DAY for Razorback Baseball! What shenanigans was DVH referring? Hogs vs. Vols on the hardwood and more!
Guests- Aaron Torres & Moses Moody
Listen to Hogs’ season-opener here or on ESPN Arkansas radio
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Razorback baseball is back.
No. 2 Arkansas begins its 2022 campaign, the program’s 100th season of competition, with a three-game series against Illinois State this weekend at Baum-Walker Stadium.
First pitch in the opener is set for 3 p.m. Friday online on SEC Network+ and FuboTV.
You can listen to Phil Elson and Bubba Carpenter online at HitThatLine.com or on ESPN Arkansas radio stations 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.
Game two of the series between the Razorbacks and Redbirds gets underway at noon Saturday before concluding with the finale at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Schedule
3 p.m. Friday: Illinois State • SEC Network+ • FuboTV • Listen
Noon Saturday: Illinois State • SEC Network+ • FuboTV • Listen
1 p.m. Sunday: Illinois State • SEC Network+ • FuboTV • Listen
Tune In
Arkansas’ season-opening series against Illinois State will stream on SEC Network+ with Brett Dolan (play-by-play) and Troy Eklund (analyst) on the call for all three games.
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.
All three contests can also be heard Phil Elson and Bubba Carpenter online all weekend at HitThatLine.com or on ESPN Arkansas radio stations 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.
Matchups
Friday: Arkansas RHP Connor Noland (2021: 1-0, 6.91 ERA) vs. Illinois State RHP Jordan Lussier (2021: 6-3, 4.36 ERA)
Saturday: Arkansas LHP Hagen Smith (2021: N/A) vs. Illinois State LHP Sean Sinisko (2021: 5-5, 4.44)
Sunday: Arkansas RHP Jaxon Wiggins (2021: 3-1, 5.09 ERA) vs. Illinois State RHP Derek Salata (2021: 2-4, 4.95)
Series History
Arkansas and Illinois State will meet for the eighth, ninth and 10th time in history this weekend. The Razorbacks are 5-2 overall against the Redbirds, with all seven games taking place in Fayetteville, Ark.
Illinois State, however, holds the momentum against Arkansas entering this weekend’s three-game series. The Redbirds have won two of the last three clashes with the Hogs, including a midweek contest at Baum-Walker Stadium during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
In the Polls
The Razorbacks begin the year ranked in all six major preseason polls, cracking the top 10 in five of them.
D1Baseball – No. 2
USA Today Coaches – No. 4
NCBWA – No. 4
Baseball America – No. 8
Perfect Game – No. 9
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper – No. 20
Big Hit Bob
Arkansas second baseman Robert Moore has the attention of general managers, scouts and talent evaluators across the board entering his junior season.
A consensus preseason All-American, Moore earned a spot on this year’s preseason watch list for the Golden Spikes Award after slashing .283/.384/.558 with a team-leading 16 home runs and 53 RBI in 2021. The Leawood, Kan., native also landed on the preseason All-SEC First Team at second base, garnering high praise from the league’s 14 coaches.
Moore has done nothing but amaze since stepping foot on campus as an early enrollee ahead of the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, slashing .291/.388/.534 with 18 home runs and 70 RBI in 77 games over two seasons as a Razorback. He established himself as one of college baseball’s premier middle infielders last year, earning All-SEC, Newcomer All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive praise following his first full season at Arkansas.
It’s Wally Time
Alongside Moore in Arkansas’ infield, Cayden Wallace has big expectations ahead of the 2022 season.
The Greenbrier native burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2021, becoming the 24th Razorback in program history to earn Freshman All-America status by slashing .279/.369/.500 with 14 homers and 44 RBI. The Hogs’ primary right fielder last season, Wallace will take over at the hot corner for Arkansas this year.
One of the Hogs’ three team captains, Wallace enters the campaign as a preseason All-SEC Second Team honoree at third base. He also joined Moore as a preseason candidate for the Golden Spikes Award as Arkansas was one of nine programs to boast a pair of student-athletes on the watch list.
100 Seasons of Arkansas Baseball
Celebrating its 100th season of play in 2022, Arkansas will embark on its 75th consecutive campaign (after eight early seasons of non-varsity sponsorship and a program discontinuation from 1930 to 1946) on the diamond.
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
Halftime is LIVE. At Eat My Catfish, Hogs BSB opener, Basketball and more… 877-377-6963
11:30 – Aaron Torres
Phil and Drew are at Eat My Catfish.
OPENING DAY for Razorback Baseball! What shenenigans was DVH referring? Hogs vs. Vols on the hardwood and more! Call or text, 877-377-6963
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