HOOVER, Ala. — Arkansas came out swinging Wednesday at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium and didn’t let up.
Behind four home runs and a strong pitching effort, the Hogs knocked off Tennessee 8-4 in the second round of the 2026 SEC Tournament, the program’s first tournament win since 2023.
It’s the kind of statement victory the Razorbacks needed.
Entering the tournament ranked No. 7 with a 37-19 record (17-13 in SEC play), the Razorbacks made clear they’re playing their best baseball at the right time of year.
Stewart Steps Into the Spotlight
It didn’t take long for Zack Stewart to take over the game.
In the bottom of the first inning, Camden Kozeal started things off with a home run to right center — his 18th of the season — on a hanging slider from Tennessee starter Evan Blanco.
Two batters later, Ryder Helfrick drew a walk and Stewart deposited the very next pitch 447 feet to right field to make it 3-0.
That two-run shot was Stewart’s 12th home run of the season and it extended his home run streak to four straight games. He wasn’t finished, though.
In the third inning, he led off by crushing a first-pitch fastball 447 feet out of Hoover Metropolitan Stadium for his 13th homer of the year.
The blast was his first multi-homer game in an Arkansas uniform and gave him five home runs in his last four games combined with numbers that stand out considering he’d hit only eight in his first 40 games of the season.
TJ Pompey capped the offensive explosion with a 434-foot blast to left field in the bottom of the fifth.
His three-run shot, coming off a pair of walks ahead of him, pushed the lead to 8-3 and put the game away.
Pompey’s homer tied him with Helfrick for second on the team in home runs with 15. Nolan Souza added an RBI double in the first inning to cap a four-run frame.
A Pitching Staff That Delivered
With ace Hunter Dietz held back to avoid pitching him on short rest a second straight week, Tate McGuire stepped into the spot start role and handled it well.
He worked three shutout innings, striking out four batters while throwing 32 of his 44 pitches for strikes.
Dietz surrendered one hit and one walk before giving way to Parker Coil to start the fourth.
Coil worked 1.2 innings and ran into some trouble, allowing three runs — though only one was earned.
An error by center fielder Maika Niu in the fourth inning let a pair of runs score on a bloop double off the bat of Blaine Brown.
The ball got through Niu on a slick grass surface after both Tennessee baserunners took extra bases on the play. Brown’s hit cut the Razorback lead to 5-2.
Coach Dave Van Horn turned to James DeCremer with runners still on.
DeCremer, who’s been taking on high-leverage situations since returning from injury, stranded Brown at second and went on to pitch 2.1 innings total, allowing just one run on two hits.
Cole Gibler shut the door with two clean innings to finish the game. It was a welcome sign after he’d given up 23 runs across his previous three appearances.
ABS Challenge Makes Arkansas History
One of the quirkier moments of the afternoon came in the bottom of the fifth.
Ryder Helfrick worked a key at bat before Pompey’s home run and after a pitch was initially called strike one, Arkansas challenged the call using the automatic ball-strike system, the first ABS challenge in program history.
The call was overturned from a strike to a ball, flipping the count from 0-2 to 1-1. Helfrick eventually walked on five pitches, setting the table for Pompey’s three-run shot.
The Razorbacks finished the game 2-for-3 on ABS challenges.
Tennessee’s Blake Grimmer added a run for the Vols with a seventh-inning double that scored Jay Abernathy, but it was too little too late.
Arkansas held Tennessee scoreless over the final two innings to close out the 8-4 victory.
What’s Next for the Hogs
The win means Arkansas moves on to the quarterfinals to face No. 2 Texas on Friday afternoon.
First pitch is set for 3 p.m. and will air on the SEC Network.
A win over the Longhorns could push the Razorbacks into the top 16 of the NCAA Tournament field.
It’s a threshold that typically comes with hosting a regional at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.
The latest projections from D1Baseball had Arkansas slotted as the No. 19 overall seed heading into Wednesday’s game.
A run through Hoover could change that math in a hurry.
