FAYETTEVILLE — The No. 5 national seed Arkansas Razorbacks scored 17 runs on 16 hits and they mashed six home runs in their regional-opening win Friday over 4-seed Southeast Missouri State at Baum-Walker Stadium.

Hosts of the Fayetteville Regional, the 1-seed Diamond Hogs had to sweat things out on the mound with Razorbacks' pitchers issuing 10 walks to Redhawks' hitters — a new single game program-record for SEMO. Arkansas started with an 8-0 lead, SEMO tied it at 8-8, and the Razorbacks then ended with an eight-run lead, 17-9.

"Credit to them, man," Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said. "Their offense came back and took a couple walks and I don’t know, maybe a home run or whatever, but it was a great job by our offense really the whole game. We’re up eight, it’s tied and we end up winning by eight. It didn’t feel like that, but it was a really good job of continuing to play the game and have good at bats."

Two sluggers had multi-homer outings for the Hogs, as catcher Hudson White mashed two longballs and first baseman Ben McLaughlin hit a pair of three-run bombs.

"I guess I want to talk to whoever said Arkansas couldn’t hit," SEMO head coach Andy Sawyers said postgame. "That was the narrative kind of coming into it, was one of the best pitching staffs in the country, but had struggled offensively."

Right from the start, the Razorbacks were getting to SEMO starter Haden Dow, who surrendered a solo homer to White in the bottom half of the first inning.

"He’s swinging the bat with a lot more bat speed, not so tied up," Van Horn said of White. "Obviously he’s really confident, but he’s been hitting the ball a lot better ever since we played Kentucky on the road, that’s when it started."

Arkansas broke things open an inning later by plating seven runs on four hits to take an eight-run lead in what felt like an instant.

Left fielder Peyton Holt made it a two-run lead with a one-out RBI single and centerfielder Ty Wilmsmeyer followed that with an RBI fielder's choice knock. Following the second out of the frame and a pitching change to right-hander Collin Wilma, Arkansas third baseman Jared Sprague-Lott dropped a two-RBI single to left to make it 5-0.

The next at bat, McLaughlin hit a 104 mile per hour three-run laser off the JB and Johnelle Hunt Family Baseball Development Center in right field to give the regional hosts an 8-0 lead.

"I’ve just been staying consistent with my work and what I do," McLaughlin said postgame. "For me, I’m just keeping the same approach and if it goes out, it goes out, but stacking AB’s is all I’m trying to do."

SEMO responded against Arkansas starter Mason Molina by plating four runs on two hits — one of which was a three-run homer from Redhawks' shortstop Ben Palmer — in the top of the third inning to make it an 8-3 ballgame.

Wilmsmeyer led the bottom of the fourth off by reaching via an error on the second baseman for the second time, but he was stranded at second. Meanwhile, the Redhawks managed to tied at eight runs each in next half inning — this time via a three-run homer off hit off right-hander Will McEntire.

Arkansas responded in the bottom half of the fifth with back-to-back homers from shortstop Wehiwa Aloy and right fielder Kendall Diggs. Aloy's ball traveled 427 feet to left field as his team-leading 14th homer, while Diggs' swing was his first longball since March 28.

The Redhawks plated their ninth run in the top of the seventh, and Arkansas responded again, this time with four runs in the bottom half. White drove in the first with an RBI sacrifice fly, and McLaughlin then hit his second three-run homer 413 feet and off the scoreboard in right-center to give the Hogs a 14-9 lead.

"I just feel like I was trying to hit it wherever they were pitching it and for me, just competing with two strikes," McLaughlin said postgame. "Both of my home runs were with two strikes. It was more-so just competing. Trying to put a ball in play. Doing whatever I could to help the team."

Diggs led the bottom of the eighth off with a single, Wilmsmeyer hit a one-out double and then White hit his second homer — a three-run shot — to make the lead 17-9 for Arkansas with three outs to go.

McLaughlin led the team with three hits and six RBIs, while White, Aloy, Diggs, Holt and Wilmsmeyer all had two hits in the game. Wilmsmeyer, Diggs and White all scored three runs each.

"I’m just proud of the way we competed at the plate," White said postgame. "You know, we’ve been working hard all season. I felt like we were kind of due for a game like that. I’m proud of the group."

Up next, the Razorbacks will face the winner of 2-seed Louisiana Tech and 3-seed Kansas State on Saturday at 8 p.m. CT at Baum-Walker Stadium. The Bulldogs and Wildcats will play Friday night in Fayetteville.

Good afternoon from Baum-Walker Stadium, where the No. 5 national seed Razorbacks will begin regional play today against SEMO. We will have live coverage in the thread, plus plenty of postgame coverage to follow as always.

Live stats

Watch on ESPN+

SEMO Line Up

SEMO Starting Pitcher
#22 Dow, Haden

ARK Line Up

Arkansas Starting Pitcher
#21 Mason Molina

It’s finally happening, more to be released in May

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-statues torn down
-riots in our cities
- boys competing in girls athletics
Boys allowed in women’s locker rooms
Now our apple pie being thrown out.
someone decided that the Negro leagues were comparable and reliable statistics to integrate the MLB stats?? Was the League play similar to MLB??? I’ve read where the Negro league had no access to regulation Fields size and base distance. Do we not compare regulation and all were enforced??
Who in the heck decided this was a good move.

From @masonchoate


FAYETTEVILLE — The No. 5 national seed Arkansas Razorbacks are set to host three teams that present very different challenges this weekend at Baum-Walker Stadium for the Fayetteville Regional in the NCAA Baseball Tournament.

Hosting their 11th regional in program history, the Diamond Hogs will welcome 2-seed Louisiana Tech, 3-seed Kansas State and 4-seed Southeast Missouri State. Arkansas will begin regional play Friday at 2 p.m. CT against SEMO on ESPN+.

HawgBeat has already published full in-depth previews of each team filled with metrics, comparisons, projected lineups, quotes, intel and much more. To inform fans even more, we've reached out to writers from within the Rivals network to help out.

Kansas State Rivals (EMAWOnline.com) publisher Kevin Fielder and Louisiana Tech Rivals (BleedTechBlue.com) publisher Ben Carlisle took some time to help us preview this weekend's action in Fayetteville:

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Fayetteville Regional Preview: Louisiana Tech
Fayetteville Regional Preview: Kansas State
Fayetteville Regional Preview: Southeast Missouri State
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Louisiana Tech - BleedTechBlue Publisher Ben Carlisle​

Who are Louisiana Tech’s table setters offensively?

Dalton Davis, Cole McConnell, Ethan Bates, and Jorge Corona make the offense go for Bulldogs. All four guys have 15+ guys home runs with McConnell & Bates pushing for the single-season program record of 76 RBI that McConnell set in 2022.

McConnell is hitting over .400 with RISP and has had numerous big hits throughout his career. He's definitely the guy that opponents have circled in the Tech lineup.

Who is Louisiana Tech’s sparkplug-type guy that will get the team going when things aren't going well?

That's a good question. I'll say Mike Ballard and Adarius Myers. They have good numbers offensively, but they aren't going to jump out with Davis, McConnell, Bates, and Corona hitting ahead of them. Both Ballard and Myers have gotten a number of clutch hits throughout the year and help provide length to a really solid Bulldog lineup.

Who are the go-to guys on the pitching staff? Who could pitch more than once this weekend?

Sam Brodersen and Ethan Bates are the one of the top duos in the country in a relief role. Brodersen is 8-1 with 95 Ks in 54.2 IP, and Bates leads the nation with 17 saves. If the game is on the line, one of these two guys will certainly be in the game.

Players that could come in to pinch hit in a big opportunity?

To be honest, Tech doesn't use its bench a whole lot. One name I'll throw out is Logan McLeod. McLeod had started 160 straight games before an injury derailed his season on April 10th. He returned in a reserve role on May 12th but didn't make his first start until May 26th against Dallas Baptist. The senior was 2-5 in that game and gives Lane Burroughs an additional option offensively this weekend now that he's fully healthy.

What has led to Louisiana Tech winning in big games this year? What has led to the Bulldogs losing disappointing games?

Tech is 21-4 in games decided by 3 runs or less in 2024. A lot of that is due to the effectiveness of Brodersen and Bates on the mound late in games. Tech is 27-5 when Brodersen makes an appearance on the mound, and 31-4 when Bates makes an appearance.

When a game is tight in the 6th or 7th inning, Tech is going to its late inning duo to close things out. When they have dropped close games it's been one of those rare times when Brodersen or Bates have been ineffective. That's baseball though, they'll take their chances against anyone in the country with those two on the mound.

Official prediction?

I'll say Arkansas wins the regional, but I think the Bulldogs will give the Hogs all they can handle. I've said all year that Tech is the toughest team in the country — they just never go away against any opponent. It'll certainly be a fun weekend in Fayetteville. Looking forward to it.

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Kansas State - EMAWOnline Publisher Kevin Fielder​

Who are Kansas State’s table setters offensively?

It all starts with Kansas State’s duo of Kaelen Culpepper and Brady Day, who have been their most consistent hitters this season. Day was selected in the 12th round of the MLB Draft last season but chose to return for another run with the Wildcats. The decision paid off for Day, who leads the team with a .332 average and 53 RBIs.

Day is always capable of providing a massive hit that can change the tides of the game. In Kansas State’s Big 12 Tournament win over West Virginia, Day had a crucial RBI double to kickstart an inning that helped the Wildcats take a 7-3 lead.

ALSO READ — Fayetteville Regional Preview: Kansas State

Culpepper is projected first-round pick in this year’s MLB Draft, largely because he has all the tools that MLB teams want. There isn’t a moment that’s too big for him, and he always seems due for a massive hit that can give Kansas State momentum. He really seemed to lock in during the Big 12 Tournament and had some of his best plate approaches at Globe Life Park.

The Wildcats feel good whenever Day or Culpepper are up to the plate in big moments. The pair are battle-tested and have proven that no moment is too big for them.

Who is Kansas State’s sparkplug-type guy that will get the team going when things aren't going well?

Brendan Jones is Kansas State’s lead-off hitter and one of their biggest spark plugs. With Jones, it’s less about his power or his big hits. Rather, he can get on base and help the Wildcats manufacture runs.

Anytime Jones finds his way onto the basepaths, he’s a threat to steal bases. He’s stolen a team-high 37 bases this season and has stolen multiple bases in a few games. Players have mentioned that when Jones gets on base, they feel confident they’ll have a situation to score runs, as he normally finds himself in scoring position. He’s certainly aggressive on the bases, but Kansas State wants to use that to its advantage.

David Bishop got going oat the end of the season and is riding a six-game hit streak heading into the NCAA Tournament. With Kansas State’s offensive inconsistency, he could provide a few big moments and keep the Wildcats on track.

Who are the go-to guys on the pitching staff? Who could pitch more than once this weekend?

Pete Hughes mentioned that Owen Boerema and Jackson Wentworth would start the first two games of the regional, with the rest of the rotation to be determined after that.

Boerema posted a complete game against West Virginia, striking out 10 and allowing just four runs. Hughes and players have mentioned that his funky delivery makes it difficult for teams to hit off him, and he has great control of his pitches. He likely won’t pitch nine innings again, but they’re hoping he goes deep against Louisiana Tech to keep their bullpen healthy.

Wentworth has only started six games this season but had a strong showing against BYU in one of his recent starts, pitching eight innings, allowing just five hits, and striking out 11 batters. He only pitched 1.2 innings in his most recent start, so it’s unlikely he’ll go as deep as Boerema would, but those innings will be crucial to saving the arms of other pitchers.

Tyson Neighbors will likely pitch multiple games this weekend out of the bullpen, as he’s been Kansas State’s go-to guy. Neighbors has great velocity on his pitches and has reached the upper 90s on his fastball. With his great stuff, Neighbors produces a lot of swings and misses. There’s a good chance Neighbors pitches in the first two games of the regional.

Players that could come in to pinch hit in a big opportunity?

Kansas State doesn’t have much hitting depth, but infielder Danniel Rivera is their best pinch-hitter, should they need one.

Rivera drew the start in place of Chuck Ingram against TCU and hit a 2-RBI single in the sixth inning to cut into the deficit. While there was an unknown if Ingram would be good to go for the regional, it appears that he’ll draw his starting spot back, placing Rivera on the bench. Rivera has had moments where he’s come up with a big hit or produced at the plate, and he might be called upon in certain situations this weekend.

What has led to Kansas State winning in big games this year? What has led to the Wildcats losing disappointing games?

A lot of Kansas State’s success in big games has started with their pitching. When the Wildcats took the series against Oklahoma State earlier this season, they did it on the back of strong pitching performances from Owen Boerema, Jackson Wentworth, and Tyson Neighbors. The same goes for their win against West Virginia in the Big 12 Tournament.

However, there’s been a lack of consistency from their arms this year. Every time they have one good pitching performance, it feels like a disappointing performance looms over Kansas State. They might allow a few runs in the first game, but it feels like they’ll quickly allow double-digits in an important game.

The same can be said for their bats. Kansas State has ruined a few strong pitching performances with cold bats and vice versa. In general, they’ve left a few wins on the table, which might have helped them their feeling on Memorial Day. If Kansas State can put together some consistency, they have the talent to make this regional interesting. However, it just hasn’t happened yet.

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Press release:

(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE) “Some of the best times are had right at last call, and this is one last call that you don’t want to miss!”

With those words, Country Music Hall of FamerAlan Jackson is preparing to bring his LAST CALL: ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD TOUR to Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. on Saturday, September 28. Tickets will be available in a pre-sale Tuesday, June 4 at 9 a.m. CT to University of Arkansas supporters, faculty, staff and students. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, June 7. To purchase tickets, visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com. University of Arkansas students, faculty and staff, Razorback Foundation members and Razorback ticket holders can expect to receive an email with information about accessing the presale opportunity on June 4.

“Fans know when they come to my shows, they’re going to hear the songs that made me who I am – the ones they love,” he says. Last Call: One More for the Road Tour – presented by Silverbelly Whiskey and promoted by Peachtree Entertainment and Doussan Music Group – will find the three-time CMA Entertainer of the Year thrilling audiences as fans relive hits like “Chattahoochee” and “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” night-after-night.

“I’ve been touring for over 30 years – my daughters are all grown, we have one grandchild and one on the way…and I’m enjoying spending more time at home. But my fans always show up to have a good time, and I’m going to give them the best show I can for this Last Call.”

Alan’s performance comes as he continues to live with CMT (Charcot-Marie-Tooth), a chronicneuropathy condition that he first revealed in 2021. The Last Call: One More for the Road Tour serves as just that – one final chance for people to see and hear the iconic singer-songwriter perform his best-loved songs – music that’s been the soundtrack of their lives – in concert.

Tickets, tour information and fan club presale for Alan Jackson’s Last Call: One More for the Road Tour are available at alanjackson.com. VIP experiences will be offered – top-tier packages include a pre-show party presented by AJ’s Good Time Bar, the Nashville honky-tonk owned and operated by the entertainer in the heart of Music City. A dollar from every ticket sold for the Last Call: One More for the Road Tour will be donated to the CMT Research Foundation, a 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt organization that funds research, and each dollar will be matched by a generous group of CMTRF donors.

Alan Jackson’s music and performances have gained him worldwide acclaim. In Fayetteville, he’ll continue his long-running tradition of “keepin’ it country” as he brings over 30 years of hits to the stage one final time. Raise a glass – it’sLAST CALL: ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD!

Wonder if this will affect Mizzou game date/time

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Anyone need them lmk

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas junior pitcher Brady Tygart is battling through a shoulder injury and will not be on the 27-man roster for the Fayetteville Regional this weekend at Baum-Walker Stadium, head coach Dave Van Horn announced Thursday.

Tygart has started 13 games and appeared in 14 for the Razorbacks this year. He's earned a 4-3 record to go with a 3.94 ERA in 59.1 innings pitched, and he's allowed 26 earned runs on 46 hits with 36 walks and 69 strikeouts.

Most recently, Tygart pitched a scoreless frame in relief one week ago against Kentucky at the SEC Tournament before he had an error, gave up a two-run homer, issued a walk, a wild pitch and hit a batter in the next inning.

"Tygart, one really good inning, struggles, probably won’t be on the 27 because he doesn’t feel very good," Van Horn said. "So we’ll leave it at that. And even if he was, it would be one inning. We’ve got guys that can throw one inning and do a great job. I just want healthy people out there."

Van Horn went on to confirm that Tygart will definitely not be on the 27-man roster this weekend with Louisiana Tech, Kansas State and Southeast Missouri State in town. The Razorbacks are set to begin play against SEMO at 2 p.m. CT Friday.

"It's more like a shoulder," Van Horn said. "I don't know. They're going to have to do some testing. I don't know the exact word. It's not a ligament. Shoulder is not a problem. It's just something that needs a little time."

Van Horn wouldn't commit to Tygart being available if the Hogs were to advance to a super regional.

"I don't know. I want guys when they get on the mound, they feel good about how they feel and they go pitch, and not have something going on," Van Horn said. "The mental part of this game won't let you perform if you're thinking like that and you've got something going, which he does."

After a strong start to the season, the Hernando, Mississippi, native struggled to end the regular season with back-to-back rough outings against Kentucky and Mississippi State. Over a combined 4.2 innings pitched against those two teams, Tygart gave up nine earned runs on nine hits with eight walks and four strikeouts.

Tygart couldn't make it out of the second inning in Arkansas' 8-5 loss to Mississippi State on May 11. He tied his season-high with five walks and also matched his season-low with two strikeouts.

As a sophomore in 2023, Tygart missed over eight weeks with a sprained UCL before he returned in late April in the starting pitcher role. He had a 3.20 ERA across 25.1 innings last season with 31 strikeouts and eight walks. The year before, he picked up eight saves and earned a 3.82 ERA as a Perfect Game First Team Freshman All-American.

The Razorbacks will now have to turn to a different arm in a starting role, which has featured Hagen Smith, Tygart and Mason Molina for the majority of the season.

Names in the mix include sophomore right-hander Gage Wood (3-1, 3.86 ERA), veteran righty Will McEntire (5-0, 4.26 ERA) and sophomore Ben Bybee (2-1, 6.15 ERA).

This could also be a spot for freshman left-hander Colin Fisher (6-1, 1.96 ERA) to step up, but Fisher had season-ending surgery May 6. Van Horn also revealed Thursday that sophomore right-hander Cooper Dossett is being shut down for the year after suffering an arm injury May 18 at Texas A&M, but surgery won't be required for Dossett.

The Razorbacks will open Fayetteville Regional play Friday at 2 p.m. CT against 4-seed SEMO at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.

I put this in the Kamare Williams commitment thread but just in case anyone didn’t click on that one, Waden Charles is taking an OV to Arkansas June 7-9.

Charles is Williams’ teammate down in Florida. I don’t have direct confirmation from Williams but a source told me they’ll take the OV together.

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a teammate of Kamare Williams, Waden Charles decommitted from Miami tonight. Arkansas is set to host him for an official visit next month.

The Arkansas Razorbacks (43-14) are set to host the Fayetteville Regional as the No. 5 national seed in the 2024 NCAA Baseball Tournament this weekend at Baum-Walker Stadium.

While the first squad the Diamond Hogs will face is the 4-seed Southeast Missouri State Redhawks, the Fayetteville Regional also features the 2-seed Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, which will begin regional play against 3-seed Kansas State.

Led by Conference USA Co-Coach of the Year Lane Burroughs, the Bulldogs (44-17) won their conference with an 18-6 record in league play this year. Louisiana Tech made a run to the CUSA Tournament title game, but fell short against Dallas Baptist, 17-10, on Sunday.

"You’re going to have to bow up and face great arms against Arkansas," Burroughs said Monday. "I don’t know if there is such thing as a good or bad draw, there are only 64 left playing and they are all pretty good. The fact we are still playing is what matters."

Former Razorback and Conference USA Player of the Year Ethan Bates will be making his second trip back to Fayetteville, this time as the nation's leader in saves (17). The Hot Springs native returned to his home state last year with the Bulldogs, who were swept by the Hogs in three games from March 10-12, 2023.

Bates was also named First Team All CUSA as a utility player, as he is also slashing .343/.438/.622 with 15 home runs and a team-high 74 runs batted in.

"We knew Ethan had a great arm and power from the left side as a hitter," Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said Monday. "But when he got to Tech, it’s all come out. As an older player and confident, he’s been lights out. Maybe one of the best, is definitely one of the best two-way players in the country."

Louisiana Tech's offense also features two more First Team All CUSA selections in Dalton Davis (15 HR, 53 RBI) and Cole McConnell (18 HR, 71 RBI).

Ace left-hander Luke Nichols was a First Team All CUSA selection for the Bulldogs this year. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound junior owns a 3.74 ERA with 27 walks and 81 strikeouts in 77.0 innings pitched. Senior righty Sam Broderson has been great out of the bullpen with a 2.47 ERA, 37 walks and 95 strikeouts across 32 appearances. As a staff, the Bulldogs rank 51st nationally with a team ERA of 4.99.

Louisiana Tech will begin regional play Friday evening at 7 p.m. CT against the 3-seed Kansas State Wildcats at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Arkansas and Southeast Missouri State will play the first game of the Fayetteville Regional on Friday at 2 p.m. CT and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Fayetteville Regional Preview: Southeast Missouri State

Below is a comparison of the Arkansas and Louisiana Tech's metrics and stats, as well as a look at the projected starting lineup and noteworthy pitchers for the Bulldogs...

Team Metrics Comparison


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Team Stats Comparison


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Louisiana Tech Projected Starting Lineup (based on 5/25 lineup)​

1. 1B Dalton Davis — Senior, R/R, 6'0", 210 pounds

2024 stats: 213 AB, 56 R, 70 H, 11 2B, 1 3B, 15 HR, 53 RBI, 33 BB, 20 K, 8 SB, .329/.428/.601

2. CF Cole McConnell — Senior, L/L, 6'1", 210 pounds

2024 stats: 242 AB, 66 R, 92 H, 17 2B, 1 3B, 18 HR, 71 RBI, 28 BB, 68 K, 1 SB, .380/.462/.682

3. DH Ethan Bates — Senior, L/R, 6'0", 185 pounds

2024 stats: 251 AB, 66 R, 86 H, 21 2B, 2 3B, 15 HR, 74 RBI, 34 BB, 20 K, 2 SB, .343/.438/.622

4. C Jorge Corona — Senior, R/R, 6'2", 215 pounds

2024 stats: 243 AB, 43 R, 77 H, 14 2B, 16 HR, 51 RBI, 24 BB, 46 K, 8 SB, .317/.385/.572

5. 2B Michael Ballard — Senior, R/R, 6'0", 195 pounds

2024 stats: 238 AB, 33 R, 74 H, 11 2B, 4 HR, 37 RBI, 31 BB, 40 K, 2 SB, .311/.394/.408

6. LF Adarius Myers — Redshirt Senior, R/R, 5'9", 171 pounds

2024 stats: 252 AB, 35 R, 76 H, 18 2B, 3 HR, 31 RBI, 27 BB, 43 K, 8 SB, .302/.376/.409

7. 3B Grant Comeaux— Redshirt Freshman, R/R, 5'10", 175 pounds

2024 stats: 193 AB, 28 R, 50 H, 7 2B, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 8 BB, 52 K, .259/.323/.342

8. RF Will Safford — Redshirt Junior, L/R, 5'8", 173 pounds

2024 stats: 131 AB, 24 R, 26 H, 4 2B, 7 HR, 24 RBI, 22 BB, 37 K, 3 SB, .198/.329/.389

9. SS Kasten Furr — Senior, R/R, 5'9", 178 pounds

2024 stats: 228 AB, 70 R, 63 H, 6 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 28 RBI, 34 BB, 40 K, 4 SB, .276/.417/.386

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Louisiana Tech Noteworthy Pitchers​

LHP Luke Nichols — Junior, 6'1", 200 pounds

2024 stats: 16 APP, 15 GS, 3.74 ERA, 4-3 W/L, 77.0 IP, 69 H, 40 R, 32 ER, 27 BB, 81 K

RHP Reed Smith — Senior, 6'2", 225 pounds

2024 stats: 18 APP, 16 GS, 5.92 ERA, 7-4 W/L, 73.0 IP, 85 H, 50 R, 48 ER, 17 BB, 76 K

RHP Turner Swistak — Redshirt Junior, 6'2", 225 pounds

2024 stats: 16 APP, 13 GS, 7.98 ERA, 5-3 W/L, 53.0 IP, 68 H, 52 R, 47 ER, 17 BB, 53 K

RHP Ethan Bates — Senior, 5'11", 185 pounds

2024 stats: 35 APP, 0 GS, 3.50 ERA, 2-1 W/L, 17 SV, 43.2 IP, 28 H, 19 R, 17 ER, 20 BB, 52 K

RHP Sam Brodersen — Senior, 6'1", 190 pounds

2024 stats: 32 APP, 0 GS, 2.47 ERA, 8-1 W/L, 1 SV, 54.2 IP, 29 H, 17 R, 15 ER, 37 BB, 95 K

RHP Grant Hubka — Senior, 6'4", 220 pounds

2024 stats: 27 APP, 5 GS, 3.74 ERA, 4-0 W/L, 55.1 IP, 41 H, 25 R, 23 ER, 33 BB, 67 K

LHP Connor Nation — Junior, 5'11", 185 pounds

2024 stats: 21 APP, 5 GS, 4.19 ERA, 5-0 W/L, 34.1 IP, 41 H, 21 R, 16 ER, 11 BB, 31 K

RHP Blake Hooks — Junior, 6'0", 195 pounds

2024 stats: 24 APP, 0 GS, 4.88 ERA, 1-0 W/L, 31.1 IP, 31 H, 20 R, 17 ER, 16 BB, 29 K

RHP Jacob Havern — Sophomore, 6'6", 180 pounds

2024 stats: 18 APP, 2 GS, 4.61 ERA, 3-3 W/L, 27.1 IP, 28 H, 15 R, 14 ER, 13 BB, 28 K

From @DanielFair


The TV times and broadcast information for the first three weeks of Arkansas’ 2024 football season were announced by the SEC on Thursday.

Arkansas will open its season with an in-state tilt against UAPB on Thursday, Aug. 29, at 6:30 p.m. CT before traveling to face Oklahoma State on Sept. 7 with kickoff set for 11 a.m. CT. The Razorbacks will return home in Week 3 to host UAB with a 3:15 p.m. CT kickoff on Sept. 14.

The game against UAPB will air on ESPNU, while the Oklahoma State and UAB matchups will broadcast on ABC and the SEC Network, respectively.

This is the first time since the 2017 campaign that the Razorbacks will open their season on a Thursday. The game will be played at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

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UAPB last faced off against Arkansas in 2021, another game that was held at War Memorial Stadium. The Hogs made quick work of the Golden Lions with a 45-3 win that featured shortened quarters in the second half.

Arkansas’ Week 2 matchup against Oklahoma State at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma, will be the first matchup between the two programs since 1980, one that Arkansas claimed victory by a final score of 33-20 in Little Rock.

The Week 3 matchup against UAB is the second head-to-head in the two schools’ history, with the most recent outing occurring in 2014. Arkansas won that game 45-17 in then-head coach Bret Bielema’s second season with the Razorbacks.

Here is Arkansas’ full schedule for the 2024 season:

— vs. UAPB, Aug. 29 (6:30 p.m.)

— at Oklahoma State, Sept. 7 (11 a.m.)

— vs. UAB, Sept. 14 (3:15 p.m.)

— at Auburn, Sept. 21

— at Texas A&M, Sept. 28 (at AT&T Stadium in Arlington)

— vs. Tennessee, Oct. 5

— BYE, Oct. 12

— vs. LSU, Oct. 19

— at Mississippi State, Oct. 26

— vs. Ole Miss, Nov. 2

— BYE, Nov. 9

— vs. Texas, Nov. 16

— vs. Louisiana Tech

— at Missouri, Nov. 30

Louisiana Tech already went. HC Lane Burroughs, LHP Luke Nichols, 1B Dalton Davis and RHP/DH Ethan Bates.

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We've got teams practicing today out at Baum-Walker Stadium beginning with Arkansas around 10 a.m. CT (not sure if it's open to the public). All teams will have their head coach and player speak with the media as well.

I'll be out there and I'll try to get practice video, plus we'll have all the press conferences and plenty of coverage throughout the day. I love postseason baseball!

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New Arkansas head coach John Calipari is known as one of the greatest recruiters in the sport's history, as he constantly produces NBA talent.

In 14 seasons at Kentucky, Calipari had 47 players selected in the NBA Draft, 35 of which were first round picks. Each of those numbers are set to increase in the upcoming NBA Draft, as well.

Many of those draft picks were one-and-done freshmen, the Calipari formula to success for much of his time in Lexington and even Memphis (2000-2009) prior to his time with the Wildcats.

With rule changes and exceptions allowing players to stay in school longer, the sport has gotten much older. The stark change has affected the entire landscape of college basketball, most notably forcing one of the best recruiters the sport has ever seen to adjust his strategy.

"I’ve always said, ‘What’s next and how can we be first?’" Calipari said to reporters at the SEC Spring Meetings on Wednesday. "So, you kind of read the tea leaves and how they’re going to do things. How are they going to do things where it works for everybody. I’ve always been about players and so I want them to do well but I also want to make sure I’m doing right by them in how you’re dealing with this."

Part of that adaptation has led Calipari not to recruit so many freshmen, but still making a national recruiting impact through any means necessary, such as potentially scheduling games at Madison Square Garden.

"(We) want to have the type of games, national games — you need to play in Madison Square Garden," Calipari said. "Look, we want to recruit Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Saint Louis, we do. We know we’re going to recruit nationally. The only thing is, we’re not going to take six or seven freshmen, now it’ll be three or four. Hopefully we retain a few, get a couple transfers and that is the formula."

ALSO READ: Calipari reveals notable schedule details for Arkansas

Talks of Calipari cutting down on the number of freshmen, adding transfers, and retaining players is a concept that seems so foreign, especially considering the fact that he signed seven true freshmen in the 2023 class at Kentucky. At Arkansas, though, he's added just three incoming freshmen — Boogie Fland, Karter Knox, and Billy Richmond — along with five incoming transfers so far.

"I think of last year’s team and what we were able to do with so many young guys," Calipari said. "The lesson was, you can’t do this now with seven freshmen, you just can’t. You’re going to hit a team that’s 25 years old on average, one was 26 and that team is physically going to get you. Now we have a couple transfers that are older, some kids that transferred from Kentucky that went through it that are a year older and some freshmen."

RELATED: Arkansas signee Johnell Davis withdraws from NBA Draft

There are still five scholarship spots to fill, although the head coach seems to only want to fill one more spot. That concept, on the other hand, is not as foreign. He made the comment that at UMass (1988-96), he only played six players.

While the process is a little bit different, the Head Hog still shows some moxy when it comes to his ability to produce results on the court.

"If you watch my history, hopefully you would feel that we’ll be fine," Calipari said.

Arkansas currently has eight scholarship players for the 2024-25 roster with the recent addition of Kentucky transfer DJ Wagner. Click here for HawgBeat's Arkansas basketball roster tracker.

The Arkansas football team has lost its first player of the spring to the transfer portal, as running back Isaiah Augustave announced his decision to find greener pastures on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday.

A sophomore for the Razorbacks, Augustave showed big-time potential during his freshman campaign in Fayetteville. He carried the ball 35 times for 202 yards and a touchdown in four games, which included a 101-yard performance against FIU and an 80-yard outing against No. 9 Missouri.

"First and foremost I want to thank Coach Pittman and the rest of the coaching staff for blessing me with the opportunity to play the game I love," Augustave wrote in his post. "Thank you to all my teammates, I'm very grateful for the time I've spent with you all."

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A former three-star prospect in the 2023 class according to Rivals, Augustave received second-team snaps for the Hogs during their annual Red-White spring game on Saturday afternoon to the tune of seven carries for 10 yards.

"After long conversations with my family, I would like to announce that I am officially entering my name into the transfer portal with three years of eligibility left," Augustave said. "It's time to do what's best for me. Thank you Hog nation!"

According to Pro Football Focus, Augustave finished the 2023-24 season with an overall grade of 74.7. Following his departure, Arkansas now has six scholarships open to use in the transfer portal, which opens up officially on Tuesday.

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Arkansas basketball transfer portal target Coleman Hawkins has withdrawn from the 2024 NBA Draft, according to a report from Shams Charania on Wednesday.

A 6-foot-10, 225-pound senior forward transfer from Illinois, Hawkins averaged 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game for the Fighting Illini last season. He shot 45.1% from the field, 36.9% from beyond the arch and 79.2% from the charity stripe.

Hawkins made his decision to withdraw after showing out during NBA Combine scrimmages and taking multiple visits to NBA organizations. He was named the Player of the Game after a scrimmage on May 15 following a 17-point, 5-rebound, 3-assist outing against other top talent.

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The stretch forward had a career best season in 2023-24, as he had 22 double-digit performances, five 20+ point games and a season-high 30 points against Iowa.

During Illinois' NCAA Tournament run to the Elite 8, Hawkins had three straight games with double-digit points on efficient shooting before meeting a buzzsaw in UConn.

Hawkins and Arkansas do have some connections, as Associate Head Coach Chin Coleman's time as an assistant at Illinois overlapped with Hawkins' time as a player.

As things currently stand, the Razorbacks have eight scholarship players on their projected roster. Be sure to follow along at The Trough premium message board for updates on all the offseason action.

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Arkansas head coach John Calipari revealed new schedule details for the Razorbacks while speaking with reporters Wednesday at the SEC Spring Meetings in Destin, Florida.

The new Head Hog did not disclose any opponents for the Razorbacks 2024-25 non-conference schedule, which remains a mystery, but he did mention a few locations. According to Calipari, Arkansas will play in Dallas, North Little Rock and potentially at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

"Most of the stuff is done of who we're playing, and then there may be one team that I try to do a home-and-home with," Calipari said. "But we're going to play in Little Rock. We're going to play in Dallas. You need national games. You've got to play in Madison Square Garden.

"Look, we want to recruit Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, St. Louis — we do. But you know we're going to recruit nationally. The only thing is, we're not going to take 6-7 freshman. Now, it'll be 3 or 4. Hopefully retain a few, get a couple transfers and that is the formula today."

As of now, the Razorbacks do know their 2024-25 conference opponents at home and on the road. Arkansas will have home-and-homes with LSU, Missouri and Texas, plus they will host Alabama and Oklahoma while taking trips to Kentucky and Tennessee, among others.

"Right now, some of the games I've scheduled, you get calls from ESPN, different events, CBS — Can you do this? Can you do this?" Calipari said. "Until I get the rest of the roster, I probably won't fully do the schedule, but we're in good shape right now. I'm juiced about it. Like, let's go."

In recent years under former head coach Eric Musselman, the Razorbacks took trips to the Maui Invitational in Hawaii and the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas. The Hogs have also played a neutral site game against Oklahoma, which is now set to be an SEC opponent, along with Texas.

"Both in football and basketball what they add, it just keeps separating (the SEC)," Calipari said of Oklahoma and Texas. "And we didn't have to change the footprint. You start going east-west and time zones and all that. We've been able to do this and stay within the footprint of what we're doing. My guess, they won't change that."

Arkansas currently has eight scholarship players for the 2024-25 roster with the recent addition of Kentucky transfer DJ Wagner. Click here for HawgBeat's Arkansas basketball roster tracker.

Is SEMO enough of a threat that you start Hagen? Do you go with the safest option other than Hagen (Molina)? Do you try and beat SEMO with someone other that your top two guys?

I probably go Molina.

Arkansas basketball transfer signee Johnell Davis has officially withdrawn from the 2024 NBA Draft, according to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski on Wednesday.

A 6-foot-4, 203-pound soon-to-be senior, Davis was one of the most electric players in the country during the 2023-24 season for the Owls. He averaged 18.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 48.3% from the field, 41.4% from beyond the arch and 85.7% from the charity stripe.

Davis scored a season-high 35 points against then-No. 4 Arizona and added nine boards and three assists against the Wildcats. He had 14 games with at least 20 points and crossed the 30-point threshold on three separate occasions.

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Originally from Gary, Indiana, Davis first stepped foot into the national spotlight during his 2022-23 campaign. That season, he averaged 13.8 points per game and helped carry Florida Atlantic to the Final Four with four straight double-digit performances in the NCAA Tournament against Memphis (12 points), Fairleigh Dickinson (29 points, 12 rebounds), Tennessee (15 points) and Kansas State (13 points, eight rebounds, six assists).

According to KenPom, Davis finished his 2023-24 season with a 114.0 offensive rating, a 54.9 effective field goal percentage, a 59.9 true shooting percentage and a 17.6 assist rate.

Arkansas currently sits with eight scholarship players on its roster. Be sure to follow along at The Trough premium message board for updates on all the offseason action.

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After getting traded to the White Sox, Dominic Fletcher is anticipated to challenge for right field while Benintendi mans left. I don’t watch much pro ball, but may have to try to catch a few games since two of my favorite former hogs could be playing together in the OF.

MLB article about Fletcher

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