All of this will actually happen and I'm right.
arkansas.rivals.com
The Diamond Hogs will begin their season Friday at the College Baseball Showdown, and it is time for HawgBeat's week-by-week predictions for the Razorbacks' 2023 schedule.
With 55 regular season games scheduled, we went through each week and gave notes on each opponent, plus the record we think Arkansas will have that week. We finished things off with a postseason projection as well.
Enjoy...
Week 1 - vs. Texas (Feb. 17), vs. TCU (Feb. 18), vs. Oklahoma State (Feb. 19)
Mason: While the starting rotation will feature a pair of arms who have proven themselves as Hogs — Hagen Smith and Will McEntire — there are a lot of new faces that will be playing on the big stage for the first time. Facing three big-time opponents, two of which are ranked, is a good start to the season for a new group, but it’s also very challenging. The veteran pitching will power them to a pair of victories, but I can see the Hogs dropping one of the three matchups at Globe Life Field.
KBo: After starting the fall with so many unanswered questions, everything seemed to work out like we thought it would with the lineup and pitching rotation, sans the Wiggins injury. I think Hagen Smith announces to the world he’s an All-American candidate and stifles a brand new Texas lineup. TCU is a veteran team and Kirk Saarloos is one of the best young coaches in the nation but they get to face a vet in Will McEntire, Arkansas wins a close game late. Oklahoma State will have a bit of revenge on Sunday and be ready for the Hogs. Another barnburner against the Cowboys is expected and Hogs come up short.
Record: Mason - 2-1 / KBo 2-1
Week 2 - vs. Grambling (Feb. 21), vs. Eastern Illinois (Feb. 24-26)
Mason: While Grambling was picked to finish second in the SWAC Western Division, they won’t match the Hogs. Last season, the Tigers lost a pair of eight-inning midweek games to the Hogs by a combined score of 27-4.
Eastern Illinois will likely finish in the middle of the Ohio Valley Conference this season. Shortstop Chris Worcester and senior utility player Ryan Ignoffo were named preseason First Team All-OVC, but they won’t be able to stop the Razorbacks from sweeping the series at Baum-Walker.
KBo: A good week of baseball after facing three ranked teams in Arlington gets some younger guys on the mound and in the lineup. The SEC was undefeated against SWAC teams last year and I don’t expect that to change. Eastern Illinois won’t be a pushover but expect the Hogs to sweep, let's not overthink this one.
Record: Mason - 4-0 (6-1 overall) / KBo 4-0 (6-1 overall)
Week 3 - vs. Illinois State (March. 1), vs. Wright State (March 3-5)
Mason: Like Arkansas, Illinois State has a lot of new faces in the lineup. The Redbirds do return sixth-year senior LHP Jared Hart, who was the team’s Friday night starter for the second half of last year, but he probably won’t pitch on a Wednesday, giving the Hogs a midweek win.
Wright State won the Horizon League in 2022 and made an appearance in the Blacksburg Regional, where it lost its first two games to Virginia Tech and Gonzaga. The Raiders return a lot of talent on the mound, and I can see them stealing a game from the Razorbacks.
KBo: A team from Illinois usually gives the Hogs a hard time but the Redbirds don’t have the pop to get the win. I predict a new arm emerges as a midweek starter in this game. Wright State may be an unknown to many fans but they have a very good program. They made a regional last year and could very well take a game in Fayetteville.
Record: Mason - 3-1 (9-2 overall) / KBo - 3-1 (9-2 overall)
Week 4 - vs. Army (March 7), vs. Louisiana Tech (March 10-12)
Mason: Army has won the Patriot League for four straight seasons, and it was picked to win the league again this year. The Black Knights had four preseason All-Patriot League Selections, including shortstop Kevin Dubrule, who was picked as the preseason Defensive Player of the Year. This won’t be your normal midweek snooze fest, but I think the Hogs get a victory.
Louisiana Tech was picked to win the Conference-USA this season, and it has a very talented starting pitcher in Jonathan Fincher. Arkansas will win the series, but I don’t expect a sweep.
KBo: Another conference champion comes to Fayetteville, this time for a midweek game. Army has a great tradition on the diamond and will test the Razorbacks' depth and mentality. Louisiana Tech returns to Fayetteville and I expect Lane Burroughs team to show up and show out. Former Hog Ethan Bates is expected to be in the Bulldogs lineup. Tech wins game one and the Hogs rebound with a close win on Saturday and comfortable win on Sunday.
Record: Mason - 3-1 (12-3 overall) / KBo - 3-1 (12-3 overall)
Week 5 - vs. UNLV (March 14-15), vs. Auburn (March 17-19)
Mason: For some reason, Van Horn has mentioned the UNLV series on a few different occasions. Another team picked to win their conference, UNLV also had three players on the preseason All-Mountain West Conference team. If Van Horn hadn’t made it seem like this one was circled, I’d pick UNLV to steal a game in the midweek, but I’ll take the Hogs to win both right before conference play gets started.
After fielding a College World Series team in 2022, Auburn is expected to take a step back this season. The Hogs got the job done last year in Auburn by winning two of three games, and I expect them to sweep the series to start conference play in Fayetteville.
KBo: I cannot remember Arkansas ever playing UNLV in baseball but kudos to Van Horn for bringing them to Baum Walker. Auburn made a run last year behind a potent offense but those guys are gone. Hogs need to sweep this series because the schedule gets tougher immediately.
Record: Mason 5-0 (17-3 overall, 3-0 SEC) / KBo - 5-0 (17-3 overall, 3-0 SEC)
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HawgBeat - HawgBeat's week-by-week picks for Diamond Hogs' 2023 season
HawgBeat's Mason Choate provides his week-by-week picks for Arkansas baseball's 2023 season.
arkansas.rivals.com
The Diamond Hogs will begin their season Friday at the College Baseball Showdown, and it is time for HawgBeat's week-by-week predictions for the Razorbacks' 2023 schedule.
With 55 regular season games scheduled, we went through each week and gave notes on each opponent, plus the record we think Arkansas will have that week. We finished things off with a postseason projection as well.
Enjoy...
Week 1 - vs. Texas (Feb. 17), vs. TCU (Feb. 18), vs. Oklahoma State (Feb. 19)
Mason: While the starting rotation will feature a pair of arms who have proven themselves as Hogs — Hagen Smith and Will McEntire — there are a lot of new faces that will be playing on the big stage for the first time. Facing three big-time opponents, two of which are ranked, is a good start to the season for a new group, but it’s also very challenging. The veteran pitching will power them to a pair of victories, but I can see the Hogs dropping one of the three matchups at Globe Life Field.
KBo: After starting the fall with so many unanswered questions, everything seemed to work out like we thought it would with the lineup and pitching rotation, sans the Wiggins injury. I think Hagen Smith announces to the world he’s an All-American candidate and stifles a brand new Texas lineup. TCU is a veteran team and Kirk Saarloos is one of the best young coaches in the nation but they get to face a vet in Will McEntire, Arkansas wins a close game late. Oklahoma State will have a bit of revenge on Sunday and be ready for the Hogs. Another barnburner against the Cowboys is expected and Hogs come up short.
Record: Mason - 2-1 / KBo 2-1
Week 2 - vs. Grambling (Feb. 21), vs. Eastern Illinois (Feb. 24-26)
Mason: While Grambling was picked to finish second in the SWAC Western Division, they won’t match the Hogs. Last season, the Tigers lost a pair of eight-inning midweek games to the Hogs by a combined score of 27-4.
Eastern Illinois will likely finish in the middle of the Ohio Valley Conference this season. Shortstop Chris Worcester and senior utility player Ryan Ignoffo were named preseason First Team All-OVC, but they won’t be able to stop the Razorbacks from sweeping the series at Baum-Walker.
KBo: A good week of baseball after facing three ranked teams in Arlington gets some younger guys on the mound and in the lineup. The SEC was undefeated against SWAC teams last year and I don’t expect that to change. Eastern Illinois won’t be a pushover but expect the Hogs to sweep, let's not overthink this one.
Record: Mason - 4-0 (6-1 overall) / KBo 4-0 (6-1 overall)
Week 3 - vs. Illinois State (March. 1), vs. Wright State (March 3-5)
Mason: Like Arkansas, Illinois State has a lot of new faces in the lineup. The Redbirds do return sixth-year senior LHP Jared Hart, who was the team’s Friday night starter for the second half of last year, but he probably won’t pitch on a Wednesday, giving the Hogs a midweek win.
Wright State won the Horizon League in 2022 and made an appearance in the Blacksburg Regional, where it lost its first two games to Virginia Tech and Gonzaga. The Raiders return a lot of talent on the mound, and I can see them stealing a game from the Razorbacks.
KBo: A team from Illinois usually gives the Hogs a hard time but the Redbirds don’t have the pop to get the win. I predict a new arm emerges as a midweek starter in this game. Wright State may be an unknown to many fans but they have a very good program. They made a regional last year and could very well take a game in Fayetteville.
Record: Mason - 3-1 (9-2 overall) / KBo - 3-1 (9-2 overall)
Week 4 - vs. Army (March 7), vs. Louisiana Tech (March 10-12)
Mason: Army has won the Patriot League for four straight seasons, and it was picked to win the league again this year. The Black Knights had four preseason All-Patriot League Selections, including shortstop Kevin Dubrule, who was picked as the preseason Defensive Player of the Year. This won’t be your normal midweek snooze fest, but I think the Hogs get a victory.
Louisiana Tech was picked to win the Conference-USA this season, and it has a very talented starting pitcher in Jonathan Fincher. Arkansas will win the series, but I don’t expect a sweep.
KBo: Another conference champion comes to Fayetteville, this time for a midweek game. Army has a great tradition on the diamond and will test the Razorbacks' depth and mentality. Louisiana Tech returns to Fayetteville and I expect Lane Burroughs team to show up and show out. Former Hog Ethan Bates is expected to be in the Bulldogs lineup. Tech wins game one and the Hogs rebound with a close win on Saturday and comfortable win on Sunday.
Record: Mason - 3-1 (12-3 overall) / KBo - 3-1 (12-3 overall)
Week 5 - vs. UNLV (March 14-15), vs. Auburn (March 17-19)
Mason: For some reason, Van Horn has mentioned the UNLV series on a few different occasions. Another team picked to win their conference, UNLV also had three players on the preseason All-Mountain West Conference team. If Van Horn hadn’t made it seem like this one was circled, I’d pick UNLV to steal a game in the midweek, but I’ll take the Hogs to win both right before conference play gets started.
After fielding a College World Series team in 2022, Auburn is expected to take a step back this season. The Hogs got the job done last year in Auburn by winning two of three games, and I expect them to sweep the series to start conference play in Fayetteville.
KBo: I cannot remember Arkansas ever playing UNLV in baseball but kudos to Van Horn for bringing them to Baum Walker. Auburn made a run last year behind a potent offense but those guys are gone. Hogs need to sweep this series because the schedule gets tougher immediately.
Record: Mason 5-0 (17-3 overall, 3-0 SEC) / KBo - 5-0 (17-3 overall, 3-0 SEC)
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