FAYETTEVILLE — Opening Day for the 2025 Arkansas baseball team is finally here, and we're lucky enough to get two games in one day when the Razorbacks take on the Washington State Cougars for a doubleheader Friday at Baum-Walker Stadium.
WATCH: Dave Van Horn, players preview Opening Weekend
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Gabe Gaeckle will get the start in Game 1, which was pushed up from a 3 p.m. CT first pitch to a noon first pitch. The second game will begin 30-45 minutes after the conclusion of the first game, and East Carolina transfer left-hander Zach Root will get the start for the Hogs. Both games will stream live on SEC Network+.
The schedule change was due to anticipated freezing temperatures for Sunday's game, which resulted in two nine-inning games being scheduled for Friday.
Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn is entering his 23rd season at the helm of the Diamond Hogs' program, which he has coached to at least 40 wins in each of the last seven full seasons.
"I think like pretty much everybody in our clubhouse, just excited to get this season underway and see what this team can do," Van Horn said Wednesday. "I think the schedule is extremely challenging. There’s really not too many games on there where you’re just going, ‘yeah, we’ll win that one’. We’re going to have to earn them all. I think the guys know that and are excited about that.
"You know, when you start a new season, you push the one from the year before behind you. You know, it was a great year last year. It just didn’t finish the way we wanted it. Another opportunity. A lot of new players. Probably a little bit of a period where we have to continue to bond, but I feel good about where we’re at as a team. I guess in modern-day, Division I baseball at this level, there’s always going to be so many roster changes. You just never know how it’s going to go."
ALSO READ: Arkansas starting rotation set for Washington State series
Nine Division I transfers joined the Razorbacks over the offseason, as did a slew of junior college products and freshmen. Returning names such as Wehiwa Aloy, Kendall Diggs, Nolan Souza, Ryder Helfrick, Will McEntire and others are also back to provide much-needed veteran leadership.
As for Washington State, the Cougars moved from the Pac 12 to the Mountain West Conference for head coach Nathan Choate's second season. According to D1Baseball, the Cougars returned just one starter in the batting order and two relievers from last year's team.
"Our scouting report is brief," Van Horn said. "To the point where if we wanted to do some shifting in the infield, so to speak, we really can’t do it yet. We don’t have enough info. There’s not enough on these guys because there’s so few at bats to go by. I mean, their starting pitcher, we have three pitches and that’s him throwing in a fall scrimmage I think, or maybe it was in junior college. This is what we’re dealing with. We don’t have a bunch of swings against him to go off of.
"So what you do is you just play baseball and kind of set them up straight up out there and you watch swings and see what they’re doing, you make notes and maybe Game 2 you do a little more or maybe the third at bat you do something different. I don’t think they have any overpowering-type arms. They’re going to have guys who throw in the low-90s like everybody, but we know they’re going to go right the first game, then left the second game and right the third game and TBA for No. 4. That’s about all we have, honestly."
Below are details on how to watch, BetSaracen betting lines, links to stream and links to all of our coverage leading up to the game...
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When: Friday, February 14 at 12 p.m. CT; Game 2 to start approx. 30-45 minutes after Game 1
Where: Baum-Walker Stadium — Fayetteville, Arkansas
TV/Stream: SEC Network+ / Watch ESPN (Brett Dolan and Troy Eklund)
Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network(Phil Elson and Bubba Carpenter)
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Washington State – RHP Griffin Smith (2024 at Rock Valley CC: 11-0, 1.99 ERA)
Arkansas – RHP Gabe Gaeckle (2024 at Arkansas: 3-3, 2.32 ERA)
Friday, Feb. 14 [DH-2]
Washington State – LHP Nick Lewis (2024 at Washington State: Redshirt season)
Arkansas – LHP Zach Root (2024 at ECU: 6-2, 3.56 ERA)
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(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
- Arkansas: -650
- Washington State: +450
Double R Props (More available in the BetSaracen app)
- Arkansas team over 1.5 doubles and Washington State under 1.5 doubles (-120)
- Rocco Peppi over 0.5 hit and over 0.5 RBI (-120)
- Gabe Gaeckle over 4.5 innings pitched and over 4.5 strikeouts (+135)
- Ryder Helfrick over 0.5 hit and over 0.5 RBI (+125)
- Wehiwa Aloy over 1.5 hits and over 0.5 home run (+230)
- Brent Iredale over 0.5 home run (+300)
WATCH: Dave Van Horn, players preview Opening Weekend
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Gabe Gaeckle will get the start in Game 1, which was pushed up from a 3 p.m. CT first pitch to a noon first pitch. The second game will begin 30-45 minutes after the conclusion of the first game, and East Carolina transfer left-hander Zach Root will get the start for the Hogs. Both games will stream live on SEC Network+.
The schedule change was due to anticipated freezing temperatures for Sunday's game, which resulted in two nine-inning games being scheduled for Friday.
Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn is entering his 23rd season at the helm of the Diamond Hogs' program, which he has coached to at least 40 wins in each of the last seven full seasons.
"I think like pretty much everybody in our clubhouse, just excited to get this season underway and see what this team can do," Van Horn said Wednesday. "I think the schedule is extremely challenging. There’s really not too many games on there where you’re just going, ‘yeah, we’ll win that one’. We’re going to have to earn them all. I think the guys know that and are excited about that.
"You know, when you start a new season, you push the one from the year before behind you. You know, it was a great year last year. It just didn’t finish the way we wanted it. Another opportunity. A lot of new players. Probably a little bit of a period where we have to continue to bond, but I feel good about where we’re at as a team. I guess in modern-day, Division I baseball at this level, there’s always going to be so many roster changes. You just never know how it’s going to go."
ALSO READ: Arkansas starting rotation set for Washington State series
Nine Division I transfers joined the Razorbacks over the offseason, as did a slew of junior college products and freshmen. Returning names such as Wehiwa Aloy, Kendall Diggs, Nolan Souza, Ryder Helfrick, Will McEntire and others are also back to provide much-needed veteran leadership.
As for Washington State, the Cougars moved from the Pac 12 to the Mountain West Conference for head coach Nathan Choate's second season. According to D1Baseball, the Cougars returned just one starter in the batting order and two relievers from last year's team.
"Our scouting report is brief," Van Horn said. "To the point where if we wanted to do some shifting in the infield, so to speak, we really can’t do it yet. We don’t have enough info. There’s not enough on these guys because there’s so few at bats to go by. I mean, their starting pitcher, we have three pitches and that’s him throwing in a fall scrimmage I think, or maybe it was in junior college. This is what we’re dealing with. We don’t have a bunch of swings against him to go off of.
"So what you do is you just play baseball and kind of set them up straight up out there and you watch swings and see what they’re doing, you make notes and maybe Game 2 you do a little more or maybe the third at bat you do something different. I don’t think they have any overpowering-type arms. They’re going to have guys who throw in the low-90s like everybody, but we know they’re going to go right the first game, then left the second game and right the third game and TBA for No. 4. That’s about all we have, honestly."
Below are details on how to watch, BetSaracen betting lines, links to stream and links to all of our coverage leading up to the game...
--------------
How to Watch/Listen
Who: Arkansas Razorbacks (0-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. Washington State Cougars (0-0, 0-0 MWC)When: Friday, February 14 at 12 p.m. CT; Game 2 to start approx. 30-45 minutes after Game 1
Where: Baum-Walker Stadium — Fayetteville, Arkansas
TV/Stream: SEC Network+ / Watch ESPN (Brett Dolan and Troy Eklund)
Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network(Phil Elson and Bubba Carpenter)
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Starting Pitchers
Friday, Feb. 14 [DH-1]Washington State – RHP Griffin Smith (2024 at Rock Valley CC: 11-0, 1.99 ERA)
Arkansas – RHP Gabe Gaeckle (2024 at Arkansas: 3-3, 2.32 ERA)
Friday, Feb. 14 [DH-2]
Washington State – LHP Nick Lewis (2024 at Washington State: Redshirt season)
Arkansas – LHP Zach Root (2024 at ECU: 6-2, 3.56 ERA)
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BetSaracen Odds (Game 1 only)
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
- Arkansas: -650
- Washington State: +450
Double R Props (More available in the BetSaracen app)
- Arkansas team over 1.5 doubles and Washington State under 1.5 doubles (-120)
- Rocco Peppi over 0.5 hit and over 0.5 RBI (-120)
- Gabe Gaeckle over 4.5 innings pitched and over 4.5 strikeouts (+135)
- Ryder Helfrick over 0.5 hit and over 0.5 RBI (+125)
- Wehiwa Aloy over 1.5 hits and over 0.5 home run (+230)
- Brent Iredale over 0.5 home run (+300)
