The guys recap last night’s Sweet 16 victory over ORU, and look ahead to this evening’s Elite 8 matchup vs. Baylor. Also, hear from ADG’s Tom Murphy and Baylor Sports Talk Radio Host David Smoak, as they give their thoughts on tonight’s matchup.
Goodheart’s homer starts Hogs as they sweep Bulldogs
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Arkansas left zero doubt.
The Razorbacks completed the three-game sweep against Mississippi State and downed the Bulldogs, 6-4, on Sunday afternoon at Dudy Noble Stadium.
The Hogs’ seventh straight win improves their overall record to 19-3, including 5-1 in conference play, on the year.
The Razorbacks earned their first SEC series sweep of the season, marking the first time since the 2010 campaign that Arkansas has gone on the road and swept Mississippi State in Starkville.
After three scoreless frames to start the ballgame, Arkansas’ five-run fourth inning swung momentum in its favor. Matt Goodheart got the onslaught started, teeing off on his fourth homer in as many days to put the Razorbacks ahead, 1-0.
He is the first Hog to swat a home run in four consecutive games since Aaron Murphree did so against Ohio State, South Dakota State and Siena (March 2-8, 2008).
Arkansas piled on four more runs in the inning after Goodheart’s blast. Jalen Battles’ RBI single, coupled with a run-scoring throwing error on Mississippi State’s third baseman, made it 3-0 Hogs.
Robert Moore brought home Battles from first on a bases-clearing triple to right center before Jacob Nesbit singled home Moore.
Staked with a five-run lead, Razorback starter Lael Lockhart ran into trouble in the bottom half of the frame. The Bulldogs tagged him for two runs and knocked him out of the ballgame after he completed 3.1 innings, allowing five hits and a walk while striking out two.
Reliever Ryan Costeiu took over and escaped the jam as Arkansas would enter the fifth with a three-run advantage. The lead grew by one in the sixth after Braydon Webb’s bases-loaded RBI walk.
Mississippi State kept itself within striking distance, scoring a couple more in the bottom half of the inning to make it a 6-4 game. Two runs, however, was as close as the Bulldogs would ever get.
Arkansas turned the game over to Zack Morris, who proceeded to sit down Mississippi State in order on 14 pitches in the seventh. Jaxon Wiggins was called upon for the eighth and ninth, and the outcome was similar.
The freshman phenom closed out the final two innings, racking up yet another strikeout and locking down the 6-4 win in the longest outing of his young career.
His fourth save of the season sealed Arkansas’ first SEC road series sweep since taking all three games at Alabama in 2015 (April 30-May 2).
The Razorbacks return home Tuesday to host in-state foe Central Arkansas at Baum-Walker Stadium. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network+.
Braxton’s two-run homer paces Hogs to sweep over MSU
Tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning, infielder Braxton Burnside whacked a two-run home run to right field, her 17th of the season, catapulting Arkansas to a 4-3 win and a series sweep over Mississippi State on Sunday afternoon.
Burnside tied Nicole Schroeder’s (2017) school single-season home run record and helped the Razorbacks (28-3, 9-0 SEC) improve on the program’s best start to conference play.
How it happened
Arkansas played from in front, scoring a single tally in the second inning.
Catcher Kayla Green was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Outfielder Aly Manzo followed, singling her home on a base hit past the outstretched glove of the Mississippi State shortstop.
Mississippi State (15-14, 0-9 SEC) responded in the top of the third, grabbing a 2-1 lead on a two-run homer, but Arkansas scored again in the bottom half, evening the score at 2-2.
After outfielder Sam Torres singled and outfielder Hannah McEwen walked, the Razorbacks pulled off a double steal and Torres crossed the plate on an errant throw to left by the Bulldogs catcher.
A two out rally in the fifth proved to be the difference as McEwen doubled and Burnside smashed her dinger, making the score 4-2 and providing a necessary insurance run.
Mississippi State hit their second home run of the game, a solo shot in the sixth, to slice into the deficit at 4-3.
Pitcher Mary Haff (17-2) was victorious yet again for the Hogs, and in the complete game effort allowed four hits with nine strikeouts.
She struck out five in a row over the fourth and fifth innings. Her 17 wins this season are tied for ninth-most in program history alongside Miranda Dixon (2009). Haff owns the program record with 29 wins in the 2018 campaign.
Annie Willis (7-4) went 5.0 innings for the Bulldogs allowing four hits, four runs (three earned) and one walk. She fanned seven and hit two batters.
Arkansas outhit Mississippi State, 5-4, with infielder Keely Huffine adding the Razorbacks other hit.
During Arkansas’ nine-game conference win streak, five have come by one run. Dating back to 2018, the Razorbacks have won six straight games against Mississippi State.
The Razorbacks travel to Auburn for a three-game series Thursday-Saturday.
Baylor ‘really, really hard’ team for Hogs to prepare for, says Musselman
Arkansas coach Eric Musselman knows how good the highly-ranked Bears are for Monday night’s matchup in the Elite Eight.
Davis thinks Hogs will be ready Monday night for challenge from Baylor
Arkansas’ Davonte Davis met with the media prior to Sunday’s practice ahead of the Elite Eight matchup with the Bears.
Baylor’s Drew says Hogs’ athleticism means they are never out of game
Bears coach Scott Drew said Sunday afternoon that Arkansas is never out of a game because they are good enough to always make a run.
Flagler says Bears have defense back where they want it to be
Baylor’s Adam Flagler thinks they have gotten their defense fixed after practices heading into Monday night matchup with Hogs.
Muss: ‘Tonight the basketball gods were looking over us’
Eric Musselman on Arkansas’ 72-70 win over Oral Roberts saved by a missed three-pointer at the buzzer he’s seen go the other way.
Davis on game-winning shot at end on pass from Tate
Davonte Davis knocked down a short jumper with three seconds left and then played defense to get program back where it hasn’t been since 1995.
Mills on Golden Eagles’ season, surprised at drawing technical foul
After the narrow loss to Arkansas in the Sweet 16, ORU coach Paul Mills talked later about his team, what he said on getting a T.
Hogs survive Oral Roberts behind Davis to advance to Elite Eight
In the NCAA Tournament, it doesn’t really matter how well you play or how long you have a lead as long as you have more points at the end.
Arkansas had the lead for just 4:38 but when Oral Roberts’ Max Abmas’ three-pointer was a fraction of an inch short, the Razorbacks survived and advance, 72-70.
It is the Hogs’ first trip to the Elite Eight since the 1995 season when they lost in the championship game to UCLA.
After Saturday night’s win, Eric Musselman was probably already thinking about Monday night’s matchup with Baylor that is going to be a monumental one for a team that has advanced father faster than most people expected.
“We weren’t great offensively tonight, but obviously found a way to win,” he said later.
That’s an understatement, really. They were 37.7% from the field, including a mind-numbing 1-of-9 on three-pointers.
The play that won the game was typical of this team. Fifth-year senior graduate transfer Jalen Tate drove to the lane, passed to freshman Davonte Davis, who proceeded to put up a short jumper that hit nothing but net.
“Tate made the right read,” Musselman said about the final play after a description of it for the basketball nerds.
I don’t get into the technical talk … all I care about are the results, which in the NCAA have seen Davis play the best of any freshman on the team. Moses Moody is the guy everyone expects to be a lottery pick in the NBA Draft, but Davis has played better in the clutch in the postseason.
As is so often the case, what Davis has improved most is his defense. Amazing how many guys that play really good defense come up big in clutch situations.
“Devo has turned into one of the best defenders in college basketball,” Musselman said. “He was pretty far behind defensively, he worked and he grew. He continued to come into practice. He continued to watch film. He continued to study.”
He didn’t lose his swagger waiting for the minutes he played each game to grow along with his experience.
“Devo’s been walking around with sunglasses,” Musselman said. “He’s feeling pretty good about the way he’s playing. “The last 48 hours he’s been wearing sunglasses into our dinners or breakfasts. Even when the sun’s not out he’s wearing them.
“Maybe I ought to start wearing a pair as well.”
That wouldn’t be that surprising, honestly.
Getting the Hogs back to a place they haven’t been close to in 26 years has exceeded even the dreams of most of the hardcore of one of the most bipolar fan bases in the country.
“It’s an incredible feeling to be in an Elite Eight just our second year,” Musselman said. “I really can’t describe it.”
He doesn’t want to stop at eight, either.
But the hill gets taller and steeper against Baylor on Monday night.
Musselman knows it … and is probably relishing it.
