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Big Dan

From @masonchoate:

Arkansas baseball fans might not realize just how far super senior right-handed pitcher Dylan Carter has come since undergoing Tommy John surgery after tearing his UCL during the 2023 season.

Head coach Dave Van Horn and pitching coach Matt Hobbs have once again put together one of the nation's best pitching staffs, headlined by names such as Zach Root, Gabe Gaeckle and Landon Beidelschies. It's safe to say Carter isn't going to get the same recognition as the others on the Razorbacks pitching staff entering the 2025 season.

RELATED: Two freshmen pitchers to watch for Arkansas in 2025

Back in the spring of 2023, Carter stepped up big-time in the midst of plenty of arm injuries. The Bentonville (Ark.) product logged 16 appearances that season and posted a 6-0 record with a 3.65 ERA, two saves and 26 strikeouts in 37.0 innings of work. Carter's own arm injury cut his season short in April, unfortunately.

Carter, who spent his first two seasons in 2020-21 at Crowder College, rehabbed back and made an early return last season on March 10, 2024. While he wasn't leaned on much, the Bentonville West High School product did log eight appearances and he allowed 10 earned runs on 12 hits with six walks and six strikeouts.

RELATED: Ryder Helfrick primed for sophomore jump

During the Oct. 4 annual Fall Classic intrasquad scrimmage in Fayetteville, Carter struck out all three batters he faced — including transfer Kuhio Aloy and Charles Davalan — during his first inning of relief. He returned for a second frame and left the bases loaded despite allowing two hits in the inning.

"It was really good to see Dylan Carter like he did," Van Horn said. "This is a guy that, two years ago when we were already having all kinds of injuries and the weather was terrible that spring it seemed like, he just kept going out there and pitching for us and he hurt himself. Last year didn’t go quite as good because he was a year out of Tommy John.

"The control a lot of times is the issue, the command. His velocity got up last spring, but the command was there. Today and what I’ve seen this fall, he’s been commanding the ball and still throwing the fastball in the mid-90s. He can pitch. He did a great job."

ALSO READ: Wehiwa Aloy looking to put things together in 2025

Carter has some work to do in order to become a significant part of the pitching staff in 2025. According to stats compiled by local media, he appeared five times in the fall and he gave up five earned runs on eight hits in 9.0 inning pitched. Carter struck out 11 and walked five of the 36 batters he faced.

Van Horn said in May 2024 that Carter was touching 98 miles per hour in bullpen sessions. That has yet to be seen in live action, but it could definitely help the team this spring. The Hogs will open their season Friday, Feb. 14, against Washington State at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.

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From @masonchoate:

The Arkansas baseball team brought in one of the nation's best transfer portal classes, especially on the mound, plus they added a handful of highly-touted freshmen that they managed to get to campus.

All of those new additions, paired with returning talent, will make it hard for some dark horse contributors to break through, but one freshmen did about as much as he could during the fall.

ALSO READ: Two freshmen pitchers to watch for Arkansas in 2025

Freshman outfielder Brenton Clark put together enough strong performances at the plate that he was often part of the scrimmage squad that head coach Dave Van Horn stacked with potential starters.

The 6-foot-0, 185-pounder out of Pleasant Grove High School in Texarkana, Texas, put his name squarely in the conversation for competition in the outfield. Clark was rated by Perfect Game as the No. 32 prospect and No. 6 outfielder in Texas for the 2024 recruiting class.

According to stats compiled by local media, Clark logged 34 at bats in the fall and he had a team-high 16 hits with two doubles, three home runs, 12 RBIs and five stolen bases.

RELATED: Ryder Helfrick primed for sophomore jump

"He finished up summer ball out in a tournament in New Mexico and he was, like, I’m going to guess, but like, 13 for 19 in that tournament out there," Van Horn said Oct. 4. "Pretty impressive. He came in here and he just kept getting hits. I think he started off here 8 for 10 or 8 for 12. So I’ve seen a lot. He plays pretty good defense, he can steal a base, he can bunt. Still young. We’ll see what happens."

Clark's first two at bats Sept. 6, which are believed to be his first live at bats of the fall, resulted in a pair of home runs. One week later, he was a triple shy of the cycle in a Sept. 13 scrimmage at Baum-Walker Stadium.

During the Oct. 4 annual Fall Classic intrasquad scrimmage, Clark was with the squad that featured players expected to be starters. He was held hitless with two strikeouts in the contest.

ALSO READ: Arkansas returns intriguing group of second-year pitchers

"I always tell the guys, I don’t care how old you are or what year you are, if you’re earned a spot to start, either a walk-on or a scholarship kid or whatever, it doesn’t matter to us," head coach Dave Van Horn said Oct. 4. "I’ve got to stand behind that, and he’s .450 or .500 going into tonight. So I thought he deserved a chance to play on that team tonight.

"He’s had a good fall. He’s been a tough out, gotten a lot of two-strike hits. He’s hit some home runs. I think he had a game this year where he had four or five hits and got on a little roll there."

The Razorbacks added three outfielders — Rocci Peppi, Logan Maxwell and Charles Davalan — via the transfer portal, plus JUCO transfer Justin Thomas Jr. is right in the mix to start, as well. Throw in veteran Kendall Diggs, and Clark has a lot to prove before play begins Friday, Feb. 14, against Washington State at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.

"Yeah, really the guys that were really impressive in the fall in the outfield was Charles Davalan," Van Horn said Wednesday. "He had an incredible fall, and then he got big and strong in the weight room. Lot of personality, great attitude, and then Logan Maxwell. Put on about, I don’t know, 12, 15 pounds since he’s been here. Getting strong. Hitting for a lot more power, but he still is just a really good hitter.

"You watch our batting practice, he squares up almost everything that comes his way. So there’s two right there. We’ll see how it goes with the other spot. Peppi was injured. We’ve got him working a little bit at first base. You know, he was an infielder coming out of high school. DH, first base, you know, and then Kendall (Diggs)."

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From @masonchoate:

Head coach Dave Van Horn has a roster that features plenty of players from around the nation, but he also has a pair of players who originate from outside the United States.

Alongside Australia native Brent Iredale, the other international player is outfielder Charles Davalan, who hails from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Davalan transferred to the Razorbacks after spending his freshman season at Florida Gulf Coast in 2024.

ALSO READ: Wehiwa Aloy looking to put things together in 2025

Just the second player to commit to Arkansas out of the portal in the latest transfer cycle, Davalan slashed 288/.413/.514 with 10 home runs and 38 RBIs over 276 plate appearances as FGCU's leadoff hitter last spring. Davalan was tied for third on FGCU's squad with 16 doubles and he paced the Eagles with 13 stolen bases. He also posted a .960 fielding percentage with seven errors on the year in the outfield.

"We brought (Charles) Davalan in, really athletic," Van Horn said Sept. 3. "We need to see (the outfielders) hit our pitching, want to see — can these guys run? Can they steal bases? I mean we’ve, we’ve been working on it the first two weeks.

"I think if you come out to watch us work out, you’ll see us doing a few more things maybe than we have in the past, working on trying to score runs and be a threat. That’s one reason we went out and got some guys that could do some things."

ALSO READ: Arkansas returns intriguing group of second-year pitchers

The fall was an overall success for Davalan, who slashed .300/.364/.625 with four doubles, three home runs and seven RBI across 40 at bats. He was only successful stealing one base on his two attempts and he struck out four times compared to three walks.

"Yeah, really (one of ) the guys that (was) really impressive in the fall in the outfield was Charles Davalan," Van Horn said Wednesday. "He had an incredible fall, and then he got big and strong in the weight room. Lot of personality. Great attitude."

One of Davalan's three home runs was when he took elite right-handed sophomore Gabe Gaeckle deep to right field for a 391-foot solo home run to leadoff a Sept. 6 intrasquad scrimmage at Baum-Walker Stadium. His other two home runs went 388 feet and 387 feet, with the latter coming off Ohio State transfer left-hander Landon Beidelschies in the Oct. 4 Fall Classic in Fayetteville.

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Van Horn made it clear after the 2024 season-ending loss to Southeast Missouri State in the Fayetteville Regional that he needed to go get athletes in the transfer portal, especially in the outfield.

RELATED: Ryder Helfrick primed for sophomore jump

"We've got to get a little better athlete," Van Horn said June 2. "We can't just have eight guys that hit homers. I like guys that hit doubles and I like guys that hit homers, but you've got to have some guys that can run, too."

On paper and throughout the fall, Davalan has proven to be an addition along the lines of what Van Horn described.

ALSO READ: Transfer pitcher Zach Root has big shoes to fill

Davalan attended TNXL Academy in Ocoee, Florida, for high school and he'll have three years of eligibility remaining, but he will be a draft-eligible sophomore in 2025.

The Razorbacks will open their season Friday, Feb. 14, against Washington State at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.

Arkansas' tight end unit was surprisingly underwhelming during the 2024 season, but the position will look much different after an offseason of departures and additions.

One of Arkansas' toughest transfer losses after the regular season was tight end Luke Hasz, a former four-star whose high ceiling was never consistently met in Fayetteville, whether due to injury, scheme or otherwise. The Oklahoma native took his talents to Ole Miss.

Joining Hasz in the portal were tight ends Ty Washington and Var'Keyes Gumms, though both players were removed from the team in October due to a violation of team rules. Washington ended up at Notre Dame, while Gumms committed to UNLV.

Returning for Arkansas is 6-foot-6, 265-pound redshirt senior tight end Andreas Paaske, who caught three passes for 19 yards and two touchdowns in 2024. Redshirt sophomore tight end Maddox Lassiter was also placed on scholarship, though he's used primarily as a blocker in the offense.

The lone incoming freshman tight end, 6-foot-7, 240-pound three-star Gavin Garretson, is a solid addition with an ideal frame, but the Razorbacks had to add some difference makers to the position this offseason through the transfer portal.

Arkansas Tight End Production

The first tight end signee of the offseason, Arkansas used Bobby Petrino's connection to Jaden Platt (6-foot-5, 260-pounds) from their time spent together at Texas A&M to get the former 2023 four-star to campus.

Platt played just seven snaps in 2024, but notched 17 snaps and a receiving touchdown as a freshman in 2023. Out of high school, Platt earned offers from teams like Baylor, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Ole Miss, Oregon, Texas and others.

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A member of the FCS Championship runner-up Montana State Bobcats, Rohan Jones (6-foot-3, 235-pounds) was named an honorable mention AP FCS All-American after a nine-touchdown 2024 campaign.

Against North Dakota State in the FCS Championship game, Jones made three grabs for 19 yards and a score.

Before his time at Montana State, Jones played two seasons with the Maine Bears (2022-23). There, he totaled 31 catches for 363 yards and seven touchdowns.

Jones earned multiple offers shortly after entering the transfer portal, including Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, UCLA, Wake Forest and Houston.

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Rounding out Arkansas' tight end class is Chaffey College product Jeremiah Beck (6-foot-4, 240-pounds), a three-star prospect who also earned offers from New Mexico, UMass, Toledo, Missouri State, Eastern Kentucky and others.

Beck, a two-time First-Team All-Conference performer, originally signed with Nevada but received a release in January. He made 40 grabs for 485 yards and three scores in his debut year (2023) at the junior college level.

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Another Southeastern Conference game, another league loss for the Arkansas Razorbacks (11-6, 0-4 SEC), who fell to the LSU Tigers (12-5, 1-3 SEC), 78-74, on Tuesday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Razorbacks, much like they have in previous SEC matchups, had a sizable lead drift away in the first half, but Arkansas showed more fight Tuesday as they continued to punch back every time the Tigers took the lead. However, a backbreaking 20-3 run by LSU in the second half put the Tigers on top for the rest of the game.

Center Jonas Aidoo (12 points, 10 rebounds) and forward Adou Thiero (13 points, 10 rebounds) both posted double-doubles, but they committed a combined four turnovers as well. Guard Boogie Fland was the Hogs' leading scorer, as he finished with 19 points on 6-of-17 shooting.

Following the loss, Arkansas is now in serious danger of missing the NCAA Tournament. Here are some of HawgBeat's takeaways from Tuesday's defeat...

Arkansas falls to 0-4​

We've entered "uh-oh" territory now as the Razorbacks are still winless in SEC play. A season that started with so much hope has turned to dread as there is a real possibility (some might call it a probability) that Arkansas will miss the NCAA Tournament.

Every game, it's been something different. It was the lack of offensive rebounds against Tennessee. It was a stagnant offense against Ole Miss and Florida, and it was a mixture of everything against LSU.

Arkansas head coach John Calipari, his staff and his players have all talked about how difficult the SEC is this season, which it is, but look around the rest of the conference and it's hard to see enough games Arkansas can win to find itself in the field of 68.

Hogs on wrong end of 'game of runs'​

Basketball is a game of runs, and that's what Arkansas did Tuesday night. The Hogs had several big scoring runs throughout the game, but found themselves on the wrong end of a massive one at the end.

Midway through the second half, Arkansas held a 50-43 lead and was on a 10-0 run over the course of two minutes. Unfortunately for the Hogs, the Tigers went on to outscore the Razorbacks, 20-3, over the next five minutes to take a 59-55 lead that they did not relinquish.

"I thought there were a couple of critical turnovers...they made some shots," Calipari said postgame. "Like, we know (Jordan Sears and Cam Carter), if you give them space, and we did, I mean he pulled up at the end of a shot clock. We worked on that. So, they deserve to win the game."

Scoring droughts have been a problem for the Razorbacks since SEC play started, and it was the main culprit against LSU.

Major free throw discrepancy​

No, we're not blaming the refs tonight. But the amount of free throws LSU attempted compared to Arkansas is a glaring spot on the box score that can be attributed to this game.

The Razorbacks attempted a total of 13 free throws — only four in the second half — while LSU attempted 28. To make matters worse, the Tigers, who were a 74.9% free throw shooting team coming into the game, shot 92.9% (26-of-28) at the charity stripe.

"We did not want to foul (Sears or Carter), but to be honest, they were all making free throws," Calipari said. "(Mike Williams) jumped up. He made two. Damien made a couple, I mean, they were all making free throws, so I guess it really didn't matter."

The biggest discrepancy in the free throw department came in the second half. As mentioned above, the Razorbacks shot just four free throws in the final 20 minutes compared to 18 for LSU. The Tigers made the most of those opportunities by hitting 16 of those.

"Some of this stuff, we were just reaching in," Calipari said. "And then you foul their two best free throw shooters. You know they're going to ball fake and get to the rim. I got to watch the tape, for me to sit here and get into that deep, but we were reaching in."

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Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn gave a long-awaited update Wednesday on the status of senior outfielder Kendall Diggs, who suffered a torn labrum during the 2024 season.

Diggs, who exited a game against McNeese State in March with the injury, was hitting .357 at the time before finishing the year with a lowly .229 batting average.

It seems, after an offseason of recovery, the SEC veteran is on track for a major return for the Diamond Hogs.

"He's 100% cleared to do everything now," Van Horn said Wednesday. "Now, it's all about timing at the plate. Getting that bat speed back that he's had in the past. Seeing live pitching and just feeling confident...now it's not about him being part of the team, because he's going to be a big part of the team. It's just a matter of how soon. We know what he can do when he's full-go."

A 6-foot-0, 210-pound lefty hitter from Olathe, Kansas, Diggs was named to the All-SEC Second Team in 2023 after slashing .299/.436/.547 with 12 home runs and a team-high 63 RBIs.

"You look at what (Kendall) has done in the past, he played 50-some games last year with major tears," Van Horn said. "He's swinging the bat, he's going to hit live pitching tomorrow. When I say live pitching, not just batting practice, we're talking live pitching. So, we'll see how that goes. He's a little bit behind, but he'll get there."

Even after his 2024 injury, many expected Diggs to be selected in the 2024 MLB Draft, and his return gave Arkansas another competitive piece in a loaded outfield full of transfer portal additions.

"He's stronger than ever, even with the shoulder injury," Van Horn said. "He's had a chance to work on his lower half and he's a full-grown man now. It's time to go, and I think he's excited about being out there."

The Razorbacks will open their season Friday, Feb. 14, against Washington State at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.

Outside of Lexington, Kentucky I’m not sure many people saw or hoped to see this sort of start coming for the John Calipari era at Arkansas. The formula was right out of Cal’s playbook that has worked at Kentucky for years, and at the very least over the last five years winning in the regular season.

So what happened?

A perfect storm that involves some bad luck, some bad scouting, and some bad coaching.

1) Injuries

Practicing with five guys most of the offseason was a big blow. Can’t build chemistry that way. Two of the biggest portal additions being hurt for an extended period over the offseason didn’t help, either.

Chalk this under bad luck.

2) Freshmen not ready

The great thing about being such a high-level recruiter is that Calipari can almost pick and choose who he wants from the high school ranks this year. Of the four scholarship freshmen he brought in for this roster, only one has lived up to the potential.

Knox and Richmond just haven’t had it. Reducing a roster by two - in two key positions - just limits it even more. Both have been offensively limited, with Richmond not even a threat to shoot outside of three feet, while Knox has struggled defensively all season. Bad scouting? Bad coaching? Whatever it is has just added to the lack of cohesion.

3) No depth

It was a concern coming into the season, and we’ve seen it be a legitimate issue. There are only nine guys in the rotation with two underperforming freshmen and two injured portal guys. That’s not even including Ivisic, who can only play in select matchups.

It’s not to say that spots 10-13 had to be all-stars, but adding another big or another wing from the portal to where there’s a next man up in case of injury or performance couldn’t hurt.

Chalk that up under coaching.

There are plenty of other issues, too: no offensive sets or movement, no new voices on the sideline (same assistants), lack of strength and physicality, etc. That’s stuff that Cal has succeeded in spite of because of the talent on roster.

This roster has some talent, but some young guys just weren’t ready, some guys can’t play in every matchup, and some guys haven’t been healthy yet.

Don’t think there’s much of a way to fix those issues this year. The roster is already set.

Just have to build a better roster next year.

I didn't want to be watching past baseball highlights and getting that itch for baseball right now but here we are after what looks to be another disappointing hoops season.

But Coach Dave Van Horn is our guy to the rescue and he is 110 percent Arkansas. He's been a constant for 22 going on 23 seasons here. He made us all care deeply about baseball. Coach Norm was here and started it all but he was here in the day when it was next to impossible to watch a game until Omaha. Coach DVH has been here through every dud football and basketball coach. His teams were the bright lights in 18 and 19 during so so basketball seasons and the horrific Chad Morris era. DVH gave us hope and gave us something to have pride in as hardcore fans of Razorback athletics. Every season cannot end in Omaha but he's taken us there around a third of his seasons here and every here since 2017 you had every reason to hope this this was finally the year that we win the whole damn thing as Phil would say.

Last two seasons have ended in big time disappointments but we had reason to hope. It seems like it has been a decade since we were in Omaha but that's a testament to the work Coach has done here in his long time. I've never wanted any other coach to win it as much as DVH. He 110 percent deserves it for making us feel all the feelings after basketball. DVH is the reason we get mad at the lack of hitting, pitching decisions, meltdowns in June. He gave us reason to care from Feb through summer. I know I'm on a tangent but you get nostalgic and excited that maybe this could be it. 2018 SHOULD have been it but somehow wasn't.

I am sure some have studied the roster. lineups, and rotations more than I have and have seen fall practices. Is there any reason to believe these guys can get us back to Omaha and give us a chance to win the whole damn thing? Can Gabe/Wood/Root/Cheese give our offense a chance to get things together for a run at what we've been craving since 1994?

Valentines Day cannot arrive fast enough.

Will have updates ITT.
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Alright, with July 1st I feel like it’s time to start the thread again.


Not a change at Utah, but a successor in place.

Smoldering hot P4 jobs - Arkansas, Baylor, Florida, Vanderbilt, Cincinnati (probably just more my opinion), West Virginia

Interesting to keep an eye on - BYU, Pitt, South Carolina, Virginia, Illinois

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There's no way to spin it — the Arkansas Razorbacks (11-6, 0-4 SEC) are playing bad basketball right now, and it culminated in a 78-74 loss to the LSU Tigers (12-5, 1-3 SEC) on Tuesday night.

The Razorbacks actually played some of their best ball of league play in spurts against the Tigers, but that's not saying much considering how poorly they've played in their other three losses.

"This is the third or fourth game, we get up 12, and all of a sudden, you turn around and (the lead is gone)," Calipari said after the game Tuesday. " I thought we were prepared for that moment, but a couple turnovers, missed shots, and I'll watch the tape, but they out scrapped us. I mean we did some half-decent stuff, but not enough."

Arkansas held LSU to 40% shooting from the field and 36.4% shooting from three, but the Tigers hit eight shots from deep and out-rebounded the Hogs, 39-37, with 12 offensive boards — a stat that has plagued Arkansas since SEC play started.

The main thorn in Arkansas' side Tuesday was LSU guard Cam Carter. The former Kansas State guard went off for 27 points and was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line.

"He's a good player and he can create his own shot," Calipari said. "He was going at the rim, he was pulling up, he was making threes. He did it a bunch of different ways."

The Tigers also got a boost from Daimion Collins, who played for Calipari at Kentucky before transferring to LSU. He logged just seven points but had 10 rebounds, three of which were offensive boards, and he blocked four shots.

For Arkansas, one of the main issues was at the free throw line, though it wasn't the same issue it usually is. In games past, the Razorbacks struggled to convert when they got to the line. Tuesday night, they could barely get to the line at all.

The Hogs only attempted 13 free throws in the game. To their credit, they made 11 of those, but they also put LSU on the free throw line 28 times and the Tigers converted 26 of those attempts. Calipari isn't blaming the referees for that discrepancy, though.

"I thought some of the stuff, we were just reaching in," Calipari said. "I mean, we must have, in the first half, and then you’re fouling their two best free throw shooters, and you know they’re going to ball fake to the rim. So, but again, I got to watch the tape. For me to sit here and get into that deep, but we were reaching in."

Calipari also shouldered the brunt of the blame for his team's winless start to conference play, and said he's not close to giving up yet.

"I thought we played more joy than we have," Calipari said. "I know I coached that way, but I got to do a better job. And I told them after the game, I'm not cracking, so let's just keep going. Let's get ready for the next one."

The Razorbacks are on the road again for their next matchup, as they will travel to Columbia, Missouri, to take on the Tigers. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. and the game will air on the SEC Network.

The latest in the Recruiting Rumor Mill:

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Ask Arkansas baseball coach Dave Van Horn, and he'll admit that last year's Diamond Hogs team, led by star lefty Hagen Smith, was probably pretty average without the hard-throwing ace on the mound.

"(Smith is) a once-every-now-and-then type of guy that you get to be around, that talent and what he did for our team," Van Horn said Wednesday. "You take him off of our team last year, we’re probably pretty average because we were a really good fielding team and we didn’t hit real well and we weren’t very dynamic as far as some other things, but we probably overachieved."

Fast forward an offseason full of quality transfer and freshmen additions and a year for players to develop, and that couldn't be more untrue for the 2025 Razorbacks.

To name a few, Arkansas reeled in top portal lefties in East Carolina'a Zach Root (3.56 ERA, 76 strikeouts) and Ohio State's Landon Beidelschies (4.15 ERA, 91 strikeouts), plus freshmen arms in Perfect Game No. 56 RHP Carson Wiggins and Perfect Game No. 109 LHP Cole Gibler.

With those four, plus returning right-handers Gabe Gaeckle (2.32 ERA, 57 strikeouts) and Gage Wood (4.46 ERA, 56 strikeouts) and a plethora of others, Arkansas has the makings of one of the deepest pitching staffs in program history and the country.

"We don’t have 'that guy', but what we have is we have a staff and we have a lot of really good pitchers who work hard," Van Horn said. "I think they just make each other better."

Who exactly will start on the mound and in what order is still up for grabs, though, according to Van Horn.

"I mean, we’re going to let them prove it to us a little more," Van Horn said. "We saw a lot of good things in the fall, and then off-season, I think just because we’ve been around Gabe Gaeckle so much, had him here, we feel like that he will definitely be a starter. (Zach) Root looks like a starter. Gage Wood. (Landon) Beidelschies. Those are all possibilities, and there are some other guys in there, now."

Arkansas opens the season with a four-game series against Washington State, which should serve as a good opportunity to see plenty of arms before facing tougher competition in the College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field from Feb. 21-23.

"But the first weekend, we play four games, which I think is a good thing for this team, and then head down to Texas," Van Horn said. "If you look at our schedule, there aren’t a lot of games where you can go, ‘okay, we’re going to experiment with that freshman out there’. Although, in some cases with freshmen, it’s not an experiment. They’re pretty darn good. I mean, yeah, kind of tip-toeing around the question, but I mentioned four guys at the top and they’ll battle for those jobs to start out."

The Razorbacks will open their season Friday, Feb. 14, against Washington State at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.

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From @masonchoate

Arkansas baseball fans should probably start getting familiar with the name Brent Iredale ahead of the 2025 season. The Sydney, Australia, native made a loud debut in the fall and he's looking to turn that into a successful spring with the Diamond Hogs.

A 6-foot-1, 190-pound transfer from New Mexico Junior College, Iredale projects as the likely starting third baseman for the Razorbacks. He was named the Western Junior College Athletic Conference MVP in each of the last two seasons.

Iredale hit for a .441 average with 83 hits, 22 doubles, three triples, 25 home runs and 78 RBI as a sophomore last season. Rated as the No. 1 impact JUCO transfer by Perfect Game, Iredale slashed .411/.508/.807 with 64 runs scored, 19 doubles, four triples, 17 homers, 67 RBI and 16 stolen bases over 55 games as a freshman.

"You know, Brent was a guy that turned down money to come to school here, obviously," Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said Sept. 3. "He’s put up huge numbers at the junior college level. You can say, ‘well, it’s junior college’, but he still put up the numbers. He hit, he’s a good defender, he’s a big, strong kid. He’s got a lot of power. He can actually really run, as well. He’s actually, his tools are a little better than we thought they would be.

"I thought we were looking more at a hitting guy, pretty good fielder. I didn’t know he could run like he can. He throws accurate. He’s one of about five guys that we got through that we didn’t think we were going to get him, to be honest with you. Justin Thomas is one. There’s a couple more in there. A couple high school guys, and then getting Kendall Diggs back. All of a sudden, it might have gotten a little crowded, but we got a little better, too. We’ll just let them battle it out."

Right from the start in fall intrasquad scrimmages, Iredale stood out as someone with elite offensive potential. Of the players with at least 30 at bats recorded by local media, Iredale had a team-best 1.412 OPS across 34 at bats. He recorded 15 hits, one double, a team-high five homers and 16 RBI. Iredale also ranked third on the team with six successful stolen bases on six attempts.

During the Oct. 11 exhibition against Oklahoma State at Baum-Walker Stadium, Iredale went 4-4 at the plate with a double and a triple. Iredale also went 3-4 at the plate with two RBI and two stolen bases in the team's Fall Classic on Oct. 4.

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"He’s better than I thought he would be, because he’s a better defender," Van Horn said Oct. 4. "He really listens. That’s helped a little bit on that end, but he came in good. Offensively, I think he was leading our team in home runs going into tonight. He’s one of the guys that didn’t hit a home run, but he got a couple hits. He’s just been super solid honestly.

"I don’t know if he’s made but maybe one error all fall, and made a couple of really nice plays. You don’t know if he could make those plays. I just want him to be solid, hit and knock in runs. He did that in the first inning tonight. He got a big two-out hit with two strikes and drove in a couple runs."

D1Baseball rated Iredale as the No. 2 impact JUCO transfer entering this season, right behind Houston third baseman Cade Climie from Blinn Junior College. The outlet compared Iredale to Gage Miller, who started 55 games and hit 18 home runs at Alabama as a JUCO transfer last season before he was selected in the third round of the 2024 MLB Draft by the Miami Marlins.

Arkansas will begin its season Friday, Feb. 14, against Washington State at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.

From Sam Spiegelman

——

Cam Sparks is one of the top uncommitted offense playmakers still on the board in the 2025 recruiting cycle as his senior season at Chattanooga (Tenn.) Baylor School nears an end.

The four-star wide receiver has long been courted as both a wide receiver and a defensive back, and down the back nine of Sparks' recruitment it's down to three teams. Penn State, Mississippi State and Arkansas are all swinging away at Sparks, who is s coming off his first visit up to Fayetteville last weekend as the Razorbacks hosted LSU in a rivalry game.

The Razorbacks have come on strong during Sparks' senior season and along with Mississippi State are two teams trending at the top with the four-star pass-catcher out of Tennessee.

"I could play early at both schools -- and not just play, but make an impact," Sparks told Rivals.

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, MISSISSIPPI STATE MAKING A RUN AT SPARKS​

Sam Pittman and the Razorbacks got the 6-foot-3, 195-pound receiver to the Hill last weekend for Arkansas' showdown vs. LSU.
The atmosphere inside the stadium and getting a close-up look at Andrew Armstrong was worth the trip for Sparks.

"I'm fresh off an Arkansas visit last weekend and I spent some time with the coaches getting down there for the first time," he started. "It was a rivalry game, so they didn't have to do too much because the fans showed how crazy it gets there. I was talking to the coaches. They have the No. 3-leading receiver in the SEC, and that's whose shoes they want me to fill."

"With that pitch -- I would have some big shoes to fill," the four-star WR added.

The Bulldogs have also been making a strong run at Sparks throughout the fall and haven't skipped a beat yet with the touted pass-catcher from Tennessee.

"Mississippi State is also talking to me a lot and I talk to their coaches almost every other week," he detailed.

"They tell me that I'd run Starkville and Starkville really wants me there, and me and Michael Van Buren would have some pretty good Saturdays down there in Starkville."

Penn State also continues to stay involved in the race for Sparks.

"They're having a good season there so far and I would fit great into their offense," he said. "They don't go into both transfer portal that much, and it's a really great program."

SPARKS IS MOVING CLOSER TO A DECISION​

Sparks has made a string of visits to and from Starkville this fall and after another visit to Fayetteville, the four-star WR is moving closer to locking in his decision, which is expected to come sometime in the next month.

"I feel like I'll make a decision really soon," he asserted.

Sparks will graduate in December.

There is a sense that the race between Mississippi State and Arkansas has only tightened after his most recent visit to see the Razorbacks. There’s an opportunity to play early on the offensive side of the ball at both SEC schools, and that is a major catalyst as Sparks closes in on a decision.

For the bulk of the fall, the buzz has centered around the Bulldogs, but this feels like a much tighter race as November approaches.

Over the past five years we are 2-13 in the first 3 conference games. Wild to think three of those teams made it to the Sweet 16.

This team has been underwhelming in every sense, but it’s not time to jump ship yet.

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The Arkansas Razorbacks (11-5, 0-3 SEC) will hit the road Tuesday to face the LSU Tigers (11-5, 0-3 SEC) at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

LSU, which is led by third-year head coach Matt McMahon, is coming off a 77-65 loss to mutual opponent Ole Miss, which defeated Arkansas, 73-66, on Jan. 8. Both teams are winless in conference play, as the Tigers have also been handed defeats by Vanderbilt and Missouri.

Head coach John Calipari's squad continued its poor shooting streak against then-No. 8 Florida on Saturday, as the Razorbacks hit just 30.0% of their field goal attempts, 18.8% of their three-pointers and 68.6% of their charity stripe shots.

"Free throws, open shots, most of that stuff's mentality," head coach John Calipari said Saturday. "We can talk and go and, you know, we grew up. We didn't have this social media barrage that these guys have. There's a lot of stuff coming at them, from around them. I've just got to hold them accountable, let them know what's acceptable and what's not, and keep building them up.

"But you got to go in the game and perform. That's your job to get in the game and perform. Your job is to perform. My job is to coach. If I only play you 15 minutes, in that 15 minutes show me you should play 20...This isn't easy, for our fans, for our team, for our coaches, for me, it is what it is. Let's go on to the next one. Get this thing going."

Below are details on how to watch, links to stream and links to all of our coverage leading up to the game...

How to Watch/Listen​

Who: Arkansas Razorbacks (11-5, 0-3 SEC) vs. LSU (11-5, 0-3 SEC)
When: Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 8 p.m. CT
Where: Baton Rouge, Louisiana — Pete Maravich Assembly Center (13,215)
TV/Stream: SEC Network / Watch ESPN (Kevin Fitzgerald and Carolyn Peck)
Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network(Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
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BetSaracen Odds​

Below are details on the betting odds for the game and Double R Prop bets. To get in on the action, visit BetSaracen.com and click on the Arkansas Specials tab.

(Lines and odds are subject to change at any point after the publishing of this story. HawgBeat does not guarantee any bet as a winner or loser. You must be at least 21 years of age to use BetSaracen. If you have a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit 1800gambler.net)

*All odds accurate as of the publishing of this story. They are subject to change.*

Moneyline/Spread
- Arkansas: -125, -1.5 (-115)
- LSU: +105, +1.5 (-105)
- O/U: 148 (-110/-110)

Double R Props (more available in the BetSaracen App)

- Jonas Aidoo OVER 7.5 points scored and OVER 5.5 rebounds (+185)
- Zvonimir Ivisic OVER 3.5 points scored and OVER 2.5 rebounds (+125)
- Adou Thiero OVER 18.5 points scored and OVER 6.5 rebounds (+200)
- Boogie Fland OVER 16.5 points scored and OVER 4.5 rebounds (+250)
- DJ Wagner OVER 11.5 points scored and OVER 3.5 rebounds (+220)
- Trevon Brazile OVER 6.5 points scored and OVER 6.5 rebounds (+250)

Catch Up On HawgBeat's Arkansas Basketball Coverage​

- Scouting Report: Arkansas vs. LSU
- Will confidence issues spark an Arkansas lineup change?
- Missed layups, poor rebounding spoils Arkansas' upset bid
- Takeaways from Arkansas' loss to No. 8 Florida
- VIDEO: Calipari, Aidoo postgame - Florida 71, Arkansas 63

In front of a solid crowd at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the Arkansas Razorbacks (11-6, 0-4 SEC) were defeated, 78-74, by the LSU Tigers (12-5, 1-3 SEC) on Tuesday evening.

Leading the way in the first hafl for Arkansas were former transfers Johnell Davis and Jonas Aidoo, who finished with 10 and eight points each, respectively. Davis splashed two threes, while Aidoo added eight rebounds and two blocks.

Though the Hogs shot better than they have recently (14-of-32 FG), they still found themselves in a battle with the Tigers at halftime, with Arkansas up 36-34.

In the second half, Arkansas found itself with as much as an eight-point lead before the Tigers went on an extended 20-3 scoring run. Despite a back-and-forth battle charged by freshman guard Boogie Fland with under five minutes to go, the Razorbacks couldn't overcome LSU's clutch scoring.

Below are highlights from the game and reactions from fans and media throughout the Hoop Hogs' loss:

CLICK HERE FOR HIGHLIGHTS AND REACTIONS

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With three straight losses to Southeastern Conference foes, the Arkansas basketball team is sitting on thin ice to make the 2025 NCAA Tournament, according to Joe Lunardi's Bracketology on Tuesday.

Lunardi, one of the most well-known college basketball bracketologists who updates his field of 68 frequently throughout the regular season, now projects Arkansas as his 'First Team Out' of the tournament.

RELATED: How to Watch, BetSaracen Odds: Arkansas at LSU

"It was only a matter of time before the quality of this year's SEC eroded its quantity of projected NCAA bids," Lunardi wrote. "Since somebody has to lose whenever one SEC team plays another, the league's bubble teams are living a game-to-game existence. A week ago, Arkansas and Vanderbilt were on the right side of the at-large cut line. Now, due to their combined 1-5 record in conference play, both would be hosting an NIT game if it were mid-March instead of mid-January."

Bart Torvik, a top analytics database, also gives the Razorbacks just a 25.4% chance of qualifying for the postseason come March.

The three teams just behind Arkansas in Lunardi's 'First Four Out' category are Arizona State, Indiana and Vanderbilt, with Texas, Cincinnati, SMU and Villanova making up the 'Next Four Out.' Ahead of the Hogs in the 'Last Four In' are New Mexico, Iowa, Dayton and Creighton.

11 SEC teams are projected to make the NCAA Tournament, per Lunardi, in Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Georgia, Missouri and Oklahoma.

RELATED: Scouting Report: Arkansas vs. LSU

Arkansas is faced with a seemingly must-win scenario at 8 p.m. CT Tuesday evening at the LSU Tigers (11-5, 0-3 SEC), who are also not in Lunardi's latest projection. Lose this game, and the odds may be too insurmountable to overcome for John Calipari's Razorbacks.

Creating this thread so the 2025 big board thread doesn't get cluttered with sidebar conversations about the current season. Go crazy folks!

From @masonchoate:

Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn and his staff managed to get a few of their top high school recruits from the 2024 class to campus, including a pair of stud pitchers in Carson Wiggins and Cole Gibler.

Van Horn and pitching coach Matt Hobbs have seen freshmen arms put together big-time first seasons in recent memory, including names such as Hagen Smith, Brady Tygart and Gabe Gaeckle, to name a few.

ALSO READ: Transfer pitcher Zach Root has big shoes to fill

The younger brother of former Razorback pitcher Jaxon Wiggins, Carson Wiggins was rated by MLB Pipeline as the No. 79 overall prospect for the 2024 MLB Draft.

The 6-foot-5, 220-pound right-hander out of Roland, Oklahoma, was rated by Perfect Game as the top pitcher in the state of Oklahoma for the 2024 class.

RELATED: Ryder Helfrick primed for sophomore jump

"I think he’s going to be a starter eventually here," Van Horn said Oct. 4. "It could be this year. We have some good options if everybody stays healthy. With the schedule we’re playing this year in ’25, we’re going to need them all."

Wiggins appeared four times and threw 3.2 live innings in the fall, according to stats compiled by local media. He gave up five earned runs on six hits while striking out five and walking none. Wiggins pitched a perfect inning of relief with two strikeouts in the Oct. 4 Fall Classic at Baum-Walker Stadium.

ALSO READ: Arkansas returns intriguing group of second-year pitchers

"The stuff’s amazing," Van Horn said Oct. 4. "Obviously he’s 18-years-old. You don’t know how they’re going to respond out here in this atmosphere. He’s gotten hit a little bit, but his stuff’s been amazing in our scrimmages. Tonight, they didn’t hit him. Fastball is 97, 98 miles an hour. Throwing strikes. Got a good breaking ball. Looked like a guy that can help us right away tonight."

Wiggins also touched 101 mile per hour, according to TrackMan data, during the Oct. 11 exhibition win over Oklahoma State at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. He will be a draft-eligible sophomore in 2026, as his birthday lands within 45 days of the draft.




Rated by MLB Pipeline as the No. 128 overall prospect in last year's draft, Cole Gibler hails from Blue Springs High School in Blue Springs, Missouri. Perfect Game rated Gibler as the No. 1 left-handed pitcher prospect in the state of Missouri for the 2024 class.

Gibler was arguably as successful as any Arkansas pitcher in the fall, as he gave up just two earned runs on three hits across five total appearances, four of which were starts. He pitched 7.2 total innings and tied for a team-best 14 strikeouts to go with five walks.

ALSO READ: Wehiwa Aloy looking to put things together in 2025

"Gibler’s been amazing," Van Horn said Oct. 4. "He’s been 94-95 almost all fall for us. These guys are working and lifting, I don’t know, maybe a little tired. But yeah, he’s been real reliable. I think he threw five balls in a row (today). We hadn’t seen that all fall. Then he got it back together. That was good to see. He’ll be a big part of our staff in the spring."

MLB Pipeline said Gibler has good depth on his curveball, which sits around 80 miles per hour, plus he has a "bat-missing sink" to his changeup, which will be in the mid-80s.

Perfect Game put out preseason rankings of the top-75 freshmen in college baseball, and Wiggins checked in at No. 12, while Gibler was ranked 57th.

The Razorbacks will open their season Friday, Feb. 14, against Washington State at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.

Arkansas basketball has limped out to a rough 0-3 start in conference play, with each loss coming to a ranked opponent. While it's not time for Razorback fans to panic yet, there are plenty of reasons to be concerned.

Many of those concerns are around the offensive side of the ball, with missed shots piling up and the half-court offense not opening up a ton of opportunities. When chances do arise, be it an open look from three, a driving lane or any other decent look, the team simply hasn't converted at a clip necessary to win basketball games.

HawgBeat ran our regular hoops mailbag series, where we answer reader questions, and the offense was the primary focus from fans and readers. We take submissions from social media and on The Trough premium message board at HawgBeat.com.

Every question posed on The Trough is answered completely, while only a select few are answered on social media. Be sure to subscribe to have your questions answered.

True or false, if Arkansas doesn’t go 2-0 this week, they will miss the NCAA Tournament. - HawgBeat user @P1Hawg​

Most likely true. The Razorbacks are looking for nine conference wins. Eight could be enough given the strength of the conference plus holding a win over Michigan on a neutral floor that keeps aging very well, but it would not be a guarantee.

If Arkansas does not go 2-0 this week against LSU and Missouri, it will be really difficult to see where the Razorbacks find seven-plus more wins. The remaining schedule beyond this week is pretty rough, putting it lightly: No. 23 Georgia, Oklahoma, @ No. 8 Kentucky, @ Texas, No. 4 Alabama, LSU, @ No. 11 Texas A&M, @ No. 1 Auburn, Missouri, Texas, @ South Carolina, @ Vanderbilt and No. 15 Mississippi State.

That gives the Razorbacks six more games against ranked opponents, half of them on the road, after already facing ranked opponents in each of the first three SEC games. Failing to go 2-0 this week really makes winning seven more look extremely daunting on paper. Can it be done? Sure, but going 2-0 is Arkansas' best bet of meeting that mark at this point. Each game this week is entering "must-win" territory for the Razorbacks.

​

What’s wrong with this team? Lack of coaching? Lack of retention by players? Leadership issues? Is the emphasis on recruiting too much and not enough X’s and O’s? Depth? - HawgBeat user @Werner-Herzhog​

I think the biggest issues are that the offensive system is designed for guys to be able to get their own, and those guys are not getting their own in conference play.

Field goal percentages are down, open looks aren’t falling, layups are being missed and bad shots are being taken. Player leadership probably has something to do with it, chemistry probably has something to do with it, but at the end of the day, if guys aren’t creating and finishing in this system, it spells trouble. And that clearly hasn’t been happening.

So far, the shooting numbers for Arkansas in SEC play are abysmal, and that's the biggest issue. The Razorbacks are shooting 34.9% from the field, 20.6% from three and 65.3% from the charity stripe. Before there are any think-pieces or deep dives on what is wrong with this team, that has to be addressed first. If a team doesn't make shots in college basketball, it won't win games. That simple.

How do you address the shooting concerns? Some of it might be a slump or confidence issue. Missing wide open shots can't really be "fixed" from a tweaking or offensive set standpoint. Just have to make them. A coach can create more open looks, though.

The pick-and-roll with center Jonas Aidoo where he actually rolls to the basket and doesn't float back to the perimeter can lead to a couple of easy dunks. More of that could help in a multitude of ways. Aidoo, or whoever else may be rolling, could get an open look, or the roll man attracts a defender so Boogie Fland or DJ Wagner or whoever else is taking the screen isn't driving into a loaded paint.

Outside of that — motion, motion, motion. Watching film of this team, there is far too much standing and not enough movement. Defenses haven't had to work too hard to defend this Arkansas team away from the ball, and it shows in their ability to cut off driving lanes and recover.

All of this team's issues revolve around the offensive side of the ball right now. The Razorbacks have defended well enough to win back-to-back games against ranked opponents, but they can't throw the ball in the ocean.

What's your optimism ranking that we can use these next three games to turn the season around? - X user @Rzrbackretweet​

That's tough. The next three games include two road games against bottom-tier SEC foes, plus a home stand against another ranked opponent. Winning away from home isn't easy, especially this year in this league. The "need to" ranking that Arkansas must possess is a 10 out of 10.

I think my optimism ranking that they will do that is about an 8.5 out of 10. LSU and Missouri have worse defenses than any of the three opponents the Razorbacks have played in conference so far, which should give them opportunities to find some things that work offensively and build some confidence. Hitting shots, scoring and winning all help confidence. If Arkansas can get out in transition, hit some shots, score and win against LSU to start things off, I think my optimism level goes to a 10-of-10.

Arkansas has to win two games this week, and I think the Razorbacks do that. If not, sound the alarms on the season.

What are the realistic expectations for Cal in his time at Arkansas? The national media narrative and hate is strong. - X user @HMCCL_sooey​

I think the biggest adjustment I've had to make in covering the Arkansas basketball program has been the notoriety brought on by Calipari, and with that, the amount of hate it brings, as well. It's a pretty wild time, to say the least.

As far as on-the-court expectations go, it's Year 1. Fans were going to have high expectations this season because of who Calipari is and the talent he brought in. Injuries have been an unfortunate factor, along with some roster construction missteps, which have led to this slow start and deflated fan excitement. Even with the 0-3 start, I don't see this as a bad team — just a bad offense.

I anticipated a 12-6 conference record this year, and it's looking highly likely that isn't happening, but hitting nine wins will be a solid year in a loaded conference and will have the Razorbacks in the NCAA Tournament field. Moving forward, though, I think reasonable expectations are that Arkansas will be a top-five basketball program in the SEC.

One thing about Calipari is that he is always going to land talent. That's what he does. When a team has talent, it can compete against anybody, but that team can still get beat if the coaching or the production isn't there. That's what Arkansas fans are seeing now with players not scoring and the offense not being tailored to create more open looks.

Looking ahead at next year, it is a much more offensive-driven recruiting class with five-stars Meleek Thomas and Darius Acuff. Both are certified bucket-getters who can shoot from the perimeter. I think one major aspect of a Calipari-led team is that because he is so relationship-oriented, there will be more retention than Arkansas fans are accustomed to from the previous coaching staff.

Retention, talent and landing top portal prospects (who are healthy) is the recipe to winning basketball games in this landscape. There was obviously no retention in Year 1 with building an entirely new roster, but this team had talent and top portal prospects (with the two crown jewels of the class who were hurt for significant portions of the offseason).

As long as that model holds true, and Calipari is able to land talent, retain talent and land older portal players, Arkansas could be pushing for a second-weekend appearance in Year 2 and beyond. It seems like the first two boxes are already checked for next season — we will see what the portal class looks like.

Chaffey College sophomore tight end Jeremiah Beck has committed to Arkansas, he announced Monday.

A 6-foot-4, 240-pound native of California, Beck caught 37 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns during the 2024 season at the junior college level. He made 40 grabs for 485 yards and three scores in his debut year (2023).

Beck, a two-time First-Team All-Conference performer, originally signed with Nevada but received a release in January. He has also earned offers from New Mexico, Massachusetts, Toledo, Missouri State, Eastern Kentucky and others.

Following Beck's commitment, Arkansas now has six projected players at the tight end position for the 2025 roster. Be sure to follow along at The Trough premium message board for updates on the Razorbacks' offseason recruiting action.

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