All signs had been pointing toward Brady Tygart making his much anticipated return to the mound during the Arkansas vs Georgia series in Athens, Ga., but that will not happen.
The right-hander is not on the Razorbacks’ 27-man roster, Best of Arkansas Sports has learned, and therefore isn’t eligible to play against the Bulldogs. He is healthy and on the trip, according to a UA spokesperson, but Arkansas opted not to bring him back this weekend. Tygart has not pitched since March 1, when he suffered a UCL sprain.
Game 1 of the series begins at 6 p.m. CT Thursday and will be televised on the SEC Network, while the second and third games will be streamed on SEC Network-Plus. Those matchups are set for 5 p.m. CT Friday and 1 p.m. CT Saturday.
The news of Tygart not being available this weekend comes a few days after head coach Dave Van Horn told reporters that he would “probably” pitch against the Bulldogs with the important caveat of needing to be included on Arkansas’ 27-man roster.
Excitement of a potential return amped up when UA radio play-by-play man Phil Elson told listeners on his midday radio show, Halftime on ESPN Arkansas, that he watched Tygart throw a 20-pitch bullpen session Thursday and that pitching coach Matt Hobbs appeared to like what he saw.
“Not only is he here, but he’s here to pitch and he looks good,” Elson said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they start him on Saturday.”
That, of course, won’t happen. Instead, the Razorbacks will start left-hander Hunter Hollan in the opener, with everything else still up in the air because, for the third straight weekend, Van Horn left his Game 2 and 3 starters as “TBA.” Right-hander Will McEntire has pitched well of late and is likely to start one of the games, but the third starters has been somewhat of a revolving door.
Left-hander Hagen Smith is the “wildcard” and could potentially start, but Van Horn likes using him to close tight games in which Arkansas has the lead. In three of five SEC series, that has meant following Hollan and finishing the game.
Freshman right-hander Ben Bybee and junior right-hander Cody Adcock have also started games on the weekend and could be options to do so again against the Bulldogs.
As always, Best of Arkansas Sports will be locked in and providing live, inning-by-inning updates from all three games of the Arkansas vs Georgia series below…
LIVE UPDATES — Arkansas vs Georgia
Pregame Tidbits (Game 3)
Because he didn’t pitch in either of the first two games of the Arkansas vs Georgia series, left-hander Hagen Smith is available to start for the Razorbacks.
Georgia starter Liam Sullivan, a left-hander, has a 4.14 ERA this season, but it jumps up to 7.71 in five SEC starts.
John Bolton is back in the starting lineup at shortstop and batting in the 9-hole.
T-1st: Georgia 0, Arkansas 0
Josenberger saw six pitches to start the game, but ended up flying out to center. Stovall popped out to left and Bohrofen took strike three to end the first. Sullivan threw 14 pitches.
B-1st: Georgia 0, Arkansas 0
Smith answered with a perfect inning of his own, sandwiching strikeouts of Anderson and Tate around a fly out to center by Condon. It was also a 14-pitch inning.
T-2nd: Georgia 0, Arkansas 0
Following a strikeout by McLaughlin, Diggs drew a one-out walk to become the first base runner of the game. However, he was quickly erased when Cali hit a line drive up the middle that nearly took out the pitcher, but instead the second baseman – shifted up the middle – fielded it and turned a 4-3 double play. It was another 14-pitch inning for Sullivan, who is at 28 through two innings.
B-2nd: Georgia 0, Arkansas 0
Smith struck out Harber and got David to ground out to first for a couple of quick outs, but then Wagner – who went 4 for 4 yesterday – hit a double off the bottom of the wall in left-center. Murillo followed with a full-count walk and, after falling behind 2-0 against Gonzalez, Matt Hobbs came out for a mound visit. Smith responded by getting Gonzalez to fly out to right to end the inning – although it was a bit of an adventure for Diggs. Smith is up to 40 pitches through two innings.
T-3rd: Georgia 0, Arkansas 0
Slavens struck out on three pitches to start the inning. Polk also went down swinging for the second out. Bolton put the ball in play, but he grounded out weakly to first. Once again, it was a 14-pitch inning for Sullivan, who is now at 42 through three innings.
B-3rd: Georgia 2, Arkansas 0
LaPlante grounded out to second to start the inning, but then Anderson walked and Condon – who had been pretty quiet this weekend – unloaded on a 3-1 pitch for a monstrous two-run home run to center. It had an exit velocity of 111 mph and went 474 feet. Tate grounded out to third on the first pitch and Harber was robbed of a two-out hit thanks to a diving catch by Diggs. Smith is at 58 pitches.
T-4th: Georgia 2, Arkansas 0
Josenberger bunted down the first base line and got hurt avoiding the tag by the first baseman. Adding insult to injury, he was called out on the play and Arkansas didn’t challenge, even though replay showed the first baseman never touched him. Stovall flied out to left before a two-out single to center by Bohrofen. McLaughlin was caught looking to end the inning.
B-4th: Georgia 2, Arkansas 0
Bohrofen moved to center and Hunter Grimes entered the game in left, replacing Josenberger. David led off the fourth with a single through the right side. Smith struck out Wagner and Murillo, but then issued a two-out walk to Gonzalez. With runners on first and second, LaPlant hit a grounder to short and Bolton tossed to second to end the inning. Smith is up to 81 pitches.
T-5th: Arkansas 3, Georgia 2
Diggs started the inning with a four-pitch walk and then Cali tied it up with a no-doubter over the left field wall for a two-run home run. After a fly out to right by Slavens, Polk – incredibly – gave Arkansas the lead with a solo blast to center. That was it, though, as Bolton and Grimes struck out to end the inning.
B-5th: Arkansas 3, Georgia 2
Facing the top of the order, Smith struck out Anderson, Condon and Tate in order. He had a little fun with the crowd and Georgia dugout, too. He’s at 96 pitches. Gage Wood is warming up in the bullpen.
T-6th: Arkansas 3, Georgia 2
Stovall looked at strike three to start the sixth. Bohrofen followed with a quick ground out to second. McLaughlin flied out to center to end the inning. Sullivan has thrown 92 pitches through six innings.
B-6th: Georgia 3, Arkansas 3
The new pitcher for Arkansas is right-hander Gage Wood. He issued a leadoff walk to Harber. David followed with a grounder back to Wood, who tried to start a double play, but his throw to second was wide and sailed into center. That puts runners on the corners with no outs and prompts a visit from Matt Hobbs.
Wood struck out Wagner for the first out of the inning, but Murillo caught Arkansas off guard with a perfect safety squeeze to bring in the tying run. He nearly reached himself, but Stovall did a great job of running over and covering the bag, just getting him for the second out. Gonzalez flied out to center to end the inning.
T-7th: Arkansas 5, Georgia 3
Sullivan is still on the mound for Georgia. He issued a leadoff walk to Diggs – his third of the game – and that’s it. He is replaced by right-hander Kyle Greenler. Cali hit a grounder to the left side and the shortstop made a diving stop, but he wasn’t able to make a play with it, so it goes down as an infield single. Slavens followed with a slow roller to third and the third baseman couldn’t field it cleanly. It would have been a tough play even if he had, so it goes down as an infield single to load the bases.
Polk hit the first pitch he saw to center, but it was plenty deep enough for a sacrifice fly to give Arkansas the lead. It also moved Cali up to third. With runners on the corners, it was Arkansas’ turn for the safety squeeze. Bolton laid it down and Cali slid in under the tag, as the throw home was a little high. That makes it 5-3 and puts runners on first and second.
Grimes worked the count full, but looked at strike three. Georgia made a pitching change after that, bringing in left-hander Collin Caldwell. Stovall worked the count full before walking to load the bases for Bohrofen. However, he was called out on strikes to leave them loaded. Dave Van Horn was ejected after arguing the call.
B-7th: Arkansas 5, Georgia 4
LaPlante grounded out to second to start the inning, but Anderson followed with a single into center. Condon flied out to center and then Anderson swiped second. That set the stage for a two-out RBI single by Tate, making it 5-4. In a full count, Wood walked Harber. That puts runners on first and second. Arkansas is making a pitching change, bringing in freshman right-hander Christian Foutch.
His first pitch was wild, moving the runners to second and third. David struck out, though, ending the inning.
T-8th: Arkansas 8, Georgia 4
McLaughlin was hit by a pitch to start the inning and Diggs followed with a double into the right field corner. Georgia brought in right-hander Nolan Crisp and he gave up a three-run homer to Cali – his second long ball of the day – on his second pitch. He then walked Slavens, who moved to second on a wild pitch. Polk made solid contact again, but the left fielder didn’t have to move much to catch the line drive for the first out of the inning.
Georgia made another pitching change after that out, bringing in right-hander Zach DeVito. Bolton drew a full-count walk. Grimes fouled off several pitches before working the count full, but he ended up looking at strike three for the second straight inning. Georgia made yet another pitching change after that, bringing in left-hander Jarvis Evans. He got Stovall to ground out on one pitch to end the inning.
B-8th: Arkansas 8, Georgia 4
Wagner flied out to left to start the inning. Murillo followed with a fly ball toward the right field corner, but Diggs managed to track it down – albeit not the cleanest looking play. With two outs, Gonzalez worked the count full before grounding out to second, giving Foutch a perfect 1-2-3 inning.
T-9th: Arkansas 8, Georgia 4
Bohrofen worked the count full before striking out. McLaughlin looked like he might have a home run, but Condon jumped up and robbed him. Diggs hit a sharp grounder down the first base line, but Harber snagged it and tossed to the pitcher for the final out.
B-9th: Georgia 9, Arkansas 8
Foutch is still on the mound for Arkansas. He issued a full-count walk to LaPlante, the 9-hole, to start the ninth. Anderson got down 0-2, but ended up singling through the right side. That prompts a mound visit by Hobbs. Ben Bybee is getting loose in the bullpen. Condon followed with a single through the left side to load the bases. That’s it for Foutch. The new pitcher is Bybee, the freshman right-hander.
Tate, who hit a game-tying grand slam in the ninth inning against Florida last week, is the first batter Bybee faced. Tate did it again, hitting a grand slam, and then Harber hit the next pitch to dead center for a walk-off home run.
FINAL: Georgia 9, Arkansas 8
BOX SCORE – Arkansas vs Georgia
Starting Lineups – Arkansas vs Georgia (Game 3)
| Georgia Baseball | Arkansas Baseball |
|---|---|
| 1. Ben Anderson – CF | 1. Tavian Josenberger – CF |
| 2. Charlie Condon – RF | 2. Peyton Stovall – 2B |
| 3. Connor Tate – LF | 3. Jace Bohrofen – LF |
| 4. Parks Harber – 1B | 4. Ben McLaughlin – DH |
| 5. Will David – 3B | 5. Kendall Diggs – RF |
| 6. Cole Wagner – DH | 6. Caleb Cali – 3B |
| 7. Sebastian Murillo – SS | 7. Brady Slavens – 1B |
| 8. Fernando Gonzalez – C | 8. Hudson Polk – C |
| 9. Mason LaPlante – 2B | 9. John Bolton – SS |
| Pitching: LHP Liam Sullivan | Pitching: LHP Hagen Smith |
Pregame Tidbits (Game 2)
Arkansas waited until the day of the game before naming Will McEntire as its starter for Game 2. Dave Van Horn said on the UA’s pregame radio show that he considered Hagen Smith, but he started to warm up in the bullpen late in Thursday’s game because he was convinced they were going to tie it up.
The most notable change in the lineup is moving McLaughlin into the 2 hole and dropping Stovall down to the 6 hole, while starting Coll in place of John Bolton at shortstop. That is a move for offense, as Coll hits lefties really well and Georgia is starting a left-hander.
Polk is still at catcher as Parker Rowland is dealing with a back injury. However, Rowland is doing better, Van Horn said, and could potentially be available to catch an inning or two if needed. That would give Arkansas the opportunity to pinch hit for Polk in a big spot if it should arise like it did in Game 1.
T-1st: Georgia 0, Arkansas 0
Josenberger worked the count full to start the game, but looked at strike three. The next two batters went down quickly, as McLaughlin grounded out to short and Bohrofen flied out to left. It was an 11-pitch inning for Goldstein.
B-1st: Georgia 0, Arkansas 0
After a first-pitch line out to second by Anderson and a strikeout by Condon, McEntire issued a two-out walk to Tate. His 3-2 pitch was just outside. It didn’t hurt because he ended up getting Harber to look at strike three to end the inning. He threw 16 pitches.
T-2nd: Georgia 0, Arkansas 0
Cali grounded out to short, Diggs struck out swinging and Stovall grounded out to third. Goldstein has gone six up, six down on just 23 total pitches.
B-2nd: Georgia 4, Arkansas 0
Georgia struck first. After a three-pitch strikeout by David, Wagner hit a solo home run to left to break the scoreless tie. McEntire got ahead 0-2 against Murillo, but then threw three straight balls and, in a full count, gave up a second straight long ball. He then issued a full-count walk, prompting a mound visit from Matt Hobbs.
On his very next pitch after the visit, McEntire hung a pitch and LaPlante hit it well over the left field wall for a two-run home run. He did finally retire a batter, getting Anderson to hit a one-hopper right to Stovall. Condon looked at strike three to end the inning on McEntire’s 45th pitch of the game.
T-3rd: Georgia 4, Arkansas 0
Coll singled to left to start the inning, but Goldstein needed only three pitches to retire the next two Razorbacks. Slavens flied out to center on a 1-0 pitch and Polk hit a first-pitch fly out to right. Coll tried swiping second during Josenberger’s at bat and he was out by a mile, but nearly swam over the tag. The play was reviewed, but stood as called on the field – out, to end the inning. It was a seven-pitch inning for Goldstein, so he’s at 30 through three.
B-3rd: Georgia 5, Arkansas 0
Tate led off the third with a single to left and then took second on a wild pitch. Harber walked, but David grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. That put a runner on third and Wagner delivered a two-out RBI single to make it 5-0. Murillo struck out to end the inning. McEntire is at 64 pitches.
T-4th: Georgia 5, Arkansas 0
Just as he did in the first inning, Josenberger led off the fourth by working the count full and striking out. McLaughlin put a good swing on it, but his shot to right-center hung in the air too long and the center fielder tracked it down. With two outs, Bohrofen hit a ball into center and it bounced away from the center fielder trying to charge in and catch it. It’s scored a double. However, he was picked off to end the inning.
B-4th: Georgia 6, Arkansas 0
Gonzalez led off the fourth with a solo home run to right. The bottom four players in Georgia’s lineup have each homered tonight. It’s 6-0. LaPlante followed with a ground out to first and then Anderson grounded out to second. With two outs, Condon struck out for the third time today. McEntire is at 76 pitches.
T-5th: Georgia 6, Arkansas 0
Cali hit a grounder down the third base line that the third baseman fielded several feet behind the bag, but he was able to easily beat the throw for an infield single. However, Diggs flied out to left, Stovall flied out to right and Coll struck out. Goldstein is at 68 pitches.
B-5th: Georgia 6, Arkansas 0
Now pitching for Arkansas: right-hander Cody Adcock. He got a quick pop out in foul territory by Tate and then struck out Harber and David.
T-6th: Georgia 6, Arkansas 0
For the fifth time in six innings, Goldstein faced the minimum in the sixth. Slavens popped out to short, Polk struck out looking and Josenberger grounded out to short. Goldstein is at 78 pitches.
B-6th: Georgia 7, Arkansas 0
Wagner led off the sixth with a single, his third hit of the game. Murillo then lined out to second and Gonzalez flied out to center. With two outs, LaPlante hit a slow chopper to short and reached on an infield single. Anderson followed with a two-out RBI single to left. Condon flied out to left to end the inning.
T-7th: Georgia 7, Arkansas 0
Now pitching for Georgia: right-hander Chandler Marsh. McLaughlin lined out to second to start the inning and Bohrofen gave it a ride to straight away center, but it was caught on the track. With two outs, Cali drew a two-out walk. Diggs also walked, but Stovall popped out to end the inning.
B-7th: Georgia 7, Arkansas 0
For the fourth time in the last five innings, Georgia’s leadoff batter reached. This time it was a single by Tate. Harber followed with a fly out to center and then the base runner was erased with a 4-6-3 double play by David.
T-8th: Georgia 7, Arkansas 3
Coll led off the eighth with a double to right. It was his third hit since replacing John Bolton in Game 1. Then, in a full count, Slavens smacked a home run to right-center. That gets Arkansas on the board and is the end of the road for Marsh.
The new pitcher for Georgia is right-hander Dalton Rhadans, the side-armer who closed Game 1. Polk ripped the second pitch into the left-center gap for a double. Josenberger gave it a ride to right-center, but his fly ball was caught on the track. Polk tagged up to third on the play. McLaughlin walked to put runners on the corners. Bohrofen just missed a home run, instead flying out to deep right for a sacrifice fly. Cali followed with a single, but Diggs grounded out to second to end the inning.
B-8th: Georgia 7, Arkansas 3
Now pitching for Arkansas: left-hander Zack Morris. He promptly gave up a single to Wagner on his first pitch. Murillo then grounded into a fielder’s choice and Gonzalez walked. LaPlante singled to left and it looked like it might be an RBI, but Bohrofen made a great throw to the plate to gun down the runner. Anderson struck out to send the game to the ninth.
T-9th: Georgia 7, Arkansas 3
A lengthy at bat by Stovall ended with a fly out to right. Coll grounded out to short for the second out. Slavens flied out to left to end it.
FINAL: Georgia 7, Arkansas 3
BOX SCORE – Arkansas vs Georgia (Game 2)
Starting Lineups – Arkansas vs Georgia
| Georgia Baseball | Arkansas Baseball |
|---|---|
| 1. Ben Anderson – CF | 1. Tavian Josenberger – CF |
| 2. Charlie Condon – RF | 2. Ben McLaughlin – DH |
| 3. Connor Tate – LF | 3. Jace Bohrofen – LF |
| 4. Parks Harber – 1B | 4. Caleb Cali – 3B |
| 5. Will David – 3B | 5. Kendall Diggs – RF |
| 6. Cole Wagner – DH | 6. Peyton Stovall – 2B |
| 7. Sebastian Murillo – SS | 7. Harold Coll – SS |
| 8. Fernando Gonzalez – C | 8. Brady Slavens – 1B |
| 9. Mason LaPlante – 2B | 9. Hudson Polk – C |
| Pitching: LHP Charlie Goldstein | Pitching: RHP Will McEntire |
Pregame Tidbits (Game 1)
With No. 1 starter Jaden Woods out this series because of “arm fatigue,” Georgia will start freshman right-hander Kolten Smith in the opener. It will be his third SEC appearance and second start in conference play. He has a 4.80 ERA in 15 total innings this season, but has been pretty good in limited SEC action, posting a 1.69 ERA in 5 1/3 innings. Opponents are just 3 for 18 (.167) against him. He went 3 1/3 innings in his start against Auburn back on March 23.
For the first time since the LSU series, Hudson Polk is getting the start behind the plate in an SEC game. Parker Rowland had started the last 10 conference games at catcher.
Polk is still batting in the same spot as Rowland. The only change to the order is flipping McLaughlin and Slavens, who are now in the 5 and 7 holes, respectively.
T-1st: Arkansas 2, Georgia 0
It didn’t take long for Arkansas to get on the scoreboard. Josenberger drew a leadoff full-count walk to start the game and came all the way around to score on Stovall’s double to right-center. Bohrofen struck out and Diggs flied out to left, but with two outs, McLaughlin delivered an RBI single to right-center. Cali’s soft liner to short ended the inning after 28 pitches by Smith, who is on a pitch count and expect to go only about three innings for the Bulldogs.
B-1st: Arkansas 2, Georgia 0
Anderson singled through the right side to start the home half of the first. Condon followed with what looked like a tailor made 6-4-3 double play, but Bolton bobbled it. He recovered to get the force at second, but Condon reached on a fielder’s choice. Hollan got ahead 0-2 against Tate, but hit him with the next pitch.
With runners on first and second, Harber flied out to right for the second out. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third before a walk by David loaded the bases. However, they were stranded when Murillo grounded out to second. Hollan threw 21 pitches, but would have thrown 14 had Bolton not booted the double play ball earlier in the inning.
T-2nd: Arkansas 2, Georgia 0
Slavens nearly had an oppo taco to start the second, but his deep fly ball was caught just in front of the wall in left, so instead, it was a one-pitch out. Polk followed with a strikeout and Bolton flied out to right on the first pitch. After making him throw 28 pitches in the first inning, Smith threw only five in the second.
B-2nd: Arkansas 2, Georgia 0
Gonzalez struck out to start the bottom of the second, but LaPlante followed with a full-count walk. The Razorbacks got out of it, though, thanks to a tremendous double play started by Stovall. He fielded the sharp grounder up the middle and Bolton threw to first to complete the 4-6-3 double play. Georgia challenged it, but replay showed Slavens kept his foot on the bag. It was a 12-pitch inning by Hollan, who is up to 33 through two innings.
T-3rd: Arkansas 2, Georgia 0
Josenberger worked the count full and fouled off a pitch before drawing his second leadoff walk of the day. Stovall followed with a slow grounder to second. He was thrown out, but it moved Josenberger to second. Bohrofen popped out to short for the second out and Diggs grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning. Smith is at 45 pitches through three innings.
B-3rd: Georgia 5, Arkansas 2
Just as he did in the first, Anderson led off the third with a single to right. Condon followed with a single into left, marking the 37th consecutive game he’s reached base. The first out came on a fly out to center by Tate, but Anderson was able to tag up to third on the play.
With runners on the corners, Harber fouled off several two-strike pitches before hitting an RBI single up the middle. Georgia nearly took the lead with a three-run homer by Will David, but Diggs was able to do what he failed to do a couple of times last week – rob a homer to right. Condon was able to tag up on the play, though, putting runners on the corners.
That proved to be a big play because ball four to Murillo got by Polk for a passed ball that brought in the tying run. Gonzalez followed the walk by crushing the first pitch he saw for a monstrous three-run homer to left, making it 5-2. LaPlante ended up grounding out to third to end the inning. Hollan is at 62 pitches.
T-4th: Georgia 5, Arkansas 2
McLaughlin flied out to center for another one-pitch out for Smith. Cali ripped a double down the third base line to put a runner in scoring position and a ground out by Slavens moved him to third, but with two outs. He was stranded there because Polk struck out on three pitches for the second time today.
B-4th: Georgia 6, Arkansas 2
Hollan got a quick ground out to third by Stinson, but leadoff man Anderson reached for the third time today by drawing a full-count walk. Condon flied out to right and Tate hit a grounder to short that should have ended the inning, but he booted it. The error immediately led to another run, as Harber hit a two-out RBI single.
He advanced to second on the throw, putting runners on second and third, but they were stranded there because David struck out. Hollan is at 83 pitches.
T-5th: Georgia 6, Arkansas 2
The new pitcher for Georgia is left-hander Luke Wagner. He faces pinch hitter Harold Coll, who will replace Bolton at short. He flied out to right on the first pitch he saw. Josenberger ripped a single into left and then moved to second on Stovall’s soft grounder up the first base line. Bohrofen flied out to center to end the inning, though.
B-5th: Georgia 6, Arkansas 2
Hollan is still on the mound for Arkansas. He got Murillo to ground out to second, but Gonzalez drew a walk. LaPlante then laid down a perfect push bunt and reached, making it a single. A slow grounder by Stinson nearly resulted in an infield single, but Cali made the play at first. The runners moved to second and third on the play, but they were stranded there when Anderson popped out to third. That came on Hollan’s 99th pitch of the game.
T-6th: Georgia 6, Arkansas 3
Diggs got things started in the sixth by poking the ball the other way and stretching it into a double. McLaughlin followed with a single into right, but Diggs only advanced to second because he had to hesitate and make sure it got through. He ended up scoring on a sacrifice fly by Cali – the right fielder made a nice sliding grab to get that out. Slavens worked the count full before flying out to center and Polk lined out to center to end the inning.
B-6th: Georgia 6, Arkansas 3
The new pitcher for Arkansas is right-hander Dylan Carter. He got Condon to look at strike three, Tate popped out to second and Harber grounded out to second for the first 1-2-3 inning of the day by Arkansas pitching.
T-7th: Georgia 6, Arkansas 3
Coll ripped a double into the left field corner to start the inning, but Josenberger was called out on strikes (he didn’t like the strike three call), Stovall flied out to left on one pitch and then Bohrofen struck out. That strands Coll on second.
B-7th: Georgia 6, Arkansas 3
David flied out to right before Murillo hit a single into center that landed just in front of a diving Josenberger. He was promptly erased on a 5-4-3 double play by Gonzalez. Carter has thrown 28 pitches through two innings.
T-8th: Georgia 6, Arkansas 3
The new pitcher for Georgia is left-hander Collin Caldwell. He promptly walked Diggs on four pitches and then plunked McLaughlin with his fifth pitch. Cali followed with an RBI single up the middle and that’s it for him. The Bulldogs bring in right-hander Leighton Finley.
In a full count, Slavens was hit by a pitch. That loaded the bases for Polk, who struck out on three pitches for the third time today. Coll worked the count full before looking at strike three. With two outs, Josenberger fouled off several pitches before going down swinging. Arkansas leaves the bases loaded.
B-8th: Georgia 6, Arkansas 4
LaPlante led off the eighth with a single to right-center, but Carter bounced back by striking out Stinson. Anderson nearly grounded into a double play, but he beat the throw at first for a fielder’s choice. That’s it for Carter. Now pitching for Arkansas is freshman right-hander Christian Foutch. His first pitch was hit to deep center by Condon and easily caught for the final out.
T-9th: Georgia 6, Arkansas 5
Stovall worked the count full before flying out to left. Bohrofen swung at the first pitch and beat the shift with a single through the left side. Diggs followed with a double off the wall in left-center, missing a home run by a couple of feet. It’s an RBI that makes it a one-run game. After McLaughlin was HBP, Georgia makes another pitching change.
Right-hander Dalton Rhadans is the new pitcher for the Bulldogs. He’s a side-armer. Hunter Grimes pinch runs for McLaughlin. Cali flied out to center on the first pitch he saw. With two outs, Slavens popped out to short to end the game.
FINAL: Georgia 6, Arkansas 5
BOX SCORE – Arkansas vs Georgia
Starting Lineups – Arkansas vs Georgia (Game 1)
| Georgia Baseball | Arkansas Baseball |
|---|---|
| 1. Ben Anderson – CF | 1. Tavian Josenberger – CF |
| 2. Charlie Condon – 1B | 2. Peyton Stovall – 2B |
| 3. Connor Tate – LF | 3. Jace Bohrofen – LF |
| 4. Parks Harber – DH | 4. Kendall Diggs – RF |
| 5. Will David – 3B | 5. Ben McLaughlin – DH |
| 6. Sebastian Murillo – SS | 6. Caleb Cali – 3B |
| 7. Fernando Gonzalez – C | 7. Brady Slavens – 1B |
| 8. Mason LaPlante – 2B | 8. Hudson Polk – C |
| 9. Josh Stinson – RF | 9. John Bolton – SS |
| Pitching: Fr. RHP Kolten Smith | Pitching: Jr. LHP Hunter Hollan |
SEC Baseball Standings
These are the SEC baseball standings through last weekend, which is exactly halfway through the conference slate:
SEC West
| Team | SEC Record | Overall Record | Games Back | This Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Arkansas | 11-4 | 30-7 | — | at UGA |
| 2. LSU | 9-5 | 29-7 | 1.5 | at MISS |
| 3. Texas A&M | 7-8 | 23-14 | 4 | at KENT |
| 4. Alabama | 6-9 | 26-12 | 5 | at MIZZ |
| t-5. Mississippi State | 5-10 | 22-15 | 6 | at AUB |
| t-5. Auburn | 5-10 | 21-15-1 | 6 | vs. MSU |
| 7. Ole Miss | 3-12 | 21-16 | 8 | vs. LSU |
SEC East
| Team | SEC Record | Overall Record | Games Back | This Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Vanderbilt | 13-2 | 29-8 | — | at TENN |
| 2. Florida | 11-4 | 31-7 | 2 | at SC |
| 3. South Carolina | 10-4 | 31-6 | 2.5 | vs. FLA |
| 4. Kentucky | 10-5 | 29-7 | 3 | vs. A&M |
| t-5. Missouri | 5-10 | 23-13 | 8 | vs. ALA |
| t-5. Tennessee | 5-10 | 23-14 | 8 | vs. VAN |
| 7. Georgia | 4-11 | 20-17 | 9 | vs. ARK |
Baseball Schedule This Week
Tuesday — Arkansas 6, UCA 3
Thursday — at Georgia — 6 p.m. CT (SEC Network)
Friday — at Georgia — 5 p.m. CT (SECN+)
Saturday — at Georgia — 1 p.m. CT (SECN+)
Accountability Check — 2023 Arkansas Baseball Predictions
Best of Arkansas Sports managing editor Andrew Hutchinson published his week-by-week predictions for the 2023 season just before the Razorbacks opened the year at the College Baseball Showdown. Those predictions can be read in full here, but we’ll also be doing weekly “accountability checks” in this space.
Prediction: 1-0 in the midweek / 28-10 overall, 9-6 in SEC play
UCA gave the Razorbacks quite the scare at Dickey-Stephens Park last season, as Arkansas needed extra innings to avoid the upset, but when the two teams have met in Fayetteville — like they will this year — an Arkansas player has hit for the cycle and the Razorbacks have won in blowout fashion. I’m not ready to predict a cycle, although Tavian Josenberger is fully capable of doing it, but Arkansas wins big.
Actual: 1-0 in the midweek / 30-7 overall, 11-4 in SEC play
Well, it certainly wasn’t “big,” but Arkansas managed to score three runs in the seventh inning and hold off UCA for a close win Tuesday night.
Composite College Baseball Top 25
Unlike football and basketball, which have just the AP and Coaches Polls all year (with football adding the CFP rankings late in the season), college baseball has six major polls.
To get a better feel for how teams stack up, BoAS has combined those rankings into a single top 25 by using a points system in which a No. 1 ranking = 25 points, No. 2 = 24 points and all the way to No. 25 = 1 point. We will update this each week throughout the season…
| Team | Conference | Change | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. LSU | SEC | — | 150 |
| 2. Wake Forest | ACC | — | 141 |
| 3. Florida | SEC | — | 138 |
| 4. Vanderbilt | SEC | — | 134 |
| 5. Arkansas | SEC | +1 | 127 |
| 6. South Carolina | SEC | -1 | 119 |
| 7. Virginia | ACC | — | 109 |
| 8. East Carolina | AAC | +2 | 107 |
| 9. Stanford | Pac-12 | -1 | 97 |
| 10. Louisville | ACC | -1 | 92 |
| 11. Kentucky | SEC | — | 88 |
| 12. Campbell | Big South | +2 | 77 |
| 13. Coastal Carolina | Sun Belt | +6 | 70 |
| 14. Texas | Big 12 | +3 | 62 |
| 15. North Carolina | ACC | -3 | 60 |
| 16. Texas Tech | Big 12 | +4 | 54 |
| 17. Miami (Fla.) | ACC | +8 | 46 |
| 18. Arizona State | Pac-12 | +3 | 45 |
| 19. UConn | Big East | +4 | 40 |
| 20. Boston College | ACC | -5 | 33 |
| 21. Oregon | Pac-12 | +9 | 27 |
| 22. UCLA | Pac-12 | -1 | 26 |
| 23. Tennessee | SEC | -10 | 18 |
| 24. Dallas Baptist | C-USA | +5 | 16 |
| t-25. Cal State-Fullerton | Big West | +1 | 13 |
| t-25. Oregon State | Pac-12 | n/a | 13 |
MOVED IN: Oregon (21), Dallas Baptist (24), Cal State-Fullerton (t-25), Oregon State (t-25)
MOVED OUT: Oklahoma State (16), Florida Gulf Coast (18), USC (24)
Conference Breakdown
- SEC: 7
- ACC: 6
- Pac-12: 5
- Big 12: 2
- AAC: 1
- Big East: 1
- Big South: 1
- Big West: 1
- C-USA: 1
- Sun Belt: 1
***
More coverage of Arkansas baseball from BoAS…
