FAYETTEVILLE — On a chilly Sunday at Baum-Walker Stadium, the Razorbacks are going for a sweep in their Arkansas vs Louisiana Tech series.
Arkansas won the first two games 7-4 and 6-1, clinching their 26th consecutive regular-season non-conference weekend series at home. It hasn’t lost one since dropping two of three to South Alabama in 2014.
As we have been all weekend, Best of Arkansas Sports is in attendance and will provide inning-by-inning updates below…
LIVE UPDATES — Arkansas vs Louisiana Tech
Pregame Tidbits
The Razorbacks are sticking with pretty much the same lineup as Saturday, with only one change: Parker Rowland is behind the dish at catcher. He and Hudson Polk have been splitting duties.
That means Peyton Holt is still in the lineup, batting seventh and playing third base. He hit his first career home run on Saturday.
Louisiana Tech is starting junior right-hander Reed Smith, who is in his first season with the Bulldogs after transferring in from Tyler J.C. He has a 6.75 ERA in 9 1/3 innings this year.
T-1st: Arkansas 0, Louisiana Tech 0
Hollan got his outing started with a strikeout of Myers, but then gave up a weak single to center by Hogart. It didn’t end up hurting, though, because Hogart had a mental lapse and took off running hard on Davis’ fly out to center. He was nearly to third before realizing his mistake, so it was an easy double play for Josenberger, who threw to Slavens to double him up.
B-1st: Arkansas 0, Louisiana Tech 0
Josenberger and Stovall swung at the first strikes they saw and flied out to right and left, respectively. The first came in a 2-0 count and the latter was a first-pitch out. Wegner gave the Razorbacks a base runner with a two-out walk. That was it, though, as Slavens flied out to right.
T-2nd: Louisiana Tech 3, Arkansas 0
It was an ugly inning for the Razorbacks, starting with Burchfield getting hit by a pitch in a 1-2 count. He moved to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on Matulia’s slow ground out to short. Evan hit a grounder to third and Burchfield, for some reason, took off for home and Holt’s throw home was nowhere close. If it was accurate, it would have been an out, so it goes down as an E5.
After a single by Bates – his first hit of the weekend – Hollan then plunked McLeod to load the bases and plunked Ince to bring in another run. Myers put the ball in play, but his slow chopper brought in a run because Arkansas was only able to get the out at first. Hollan ended it with a strikeout. Only one of the three runs was earned.
B-2nd: Louisiana Tech 3, Arkansas 1
Bohrofen led off the second with a rope that hit the base of the wall in right. He hit it 104 mph. Diggs moved him to third with a fly out to right that was deep enough for him to tag up. That set up an RBI situation for Holt, who delivered with a grounder up the middle. The shortstop got to it, but bobbled it for an E6. He still gets the RBI, though. Rowland flied out and Bolton struck out to end the inning.
T-3rd: Louisiana Tech 3, Arkansas 1
Hollan bounced back with a solid third inning. He got Davis to fly out to right, struck out Burchfield and Matulia to ground out to first. He had to run over and cover the bag for that final out and got there just in time. It was a 9-pitch inning, bringing his total to 51 through three innings.
B-3rd: Arkansas 10, Louisiana Tech 3
Josenberger led off the third with a double into the right field corner. After a three-pitch strike out by Stovall, Wegner hit an opposite-field shot that cleared the right field wall at the scoreboard. It was a 372-foot blast that ties it up at 3-3. Slavens grounded out to second before a two-out walk by Bohrofen. The Bulldogs probably didn’t want anything to do with Bohrofen, who has been on fire, but it comes back to bite them because Diggs followed with a two-run homer off the Hunt Center.
A triple off the wall in right-center by Holt chases the Louisiana Tech starter. The new pitcher is right-hander Landon Tomkins, who has a 0.71 ERA in 12 2/3 innings. He promptly walked the all five batters he faced. Rowland and Bolton loaded the bases, with Josenberger, Stovall and Wegner’s walks bringing in runs. The Bulldogs finally make a pitching change, bringing in left-hander Ryan Harland.
Harland throws a strike on his first pitch, but Slavens lined it into center for a two-out, two-run single. The inning finally ended with a fly out to left by Bohrofen.
T-4th: Arkansas 10, Louisiana Tech 3
Despite the long layoff, Hollan picked up where he left off in the third by working quick in the fourth. Evans flied out to center and then he struck out Bates and McLeod. It was a 12-pitch inning, so he’s at 63 for the game.
B-4th: Arkansas 10, Louisiana Tech 3
The Razorbacks went down in order in the fourth, but two of the outs were well hit. After a fly out to center by Diggs, Holt hit a low line drive that Bates snagged at third. Then Rowland gave it a ride to right, but the right fielder made a really nice running catch to end the inning.
T-5th: Arkansas 10, Louisiana Tech 3
Hollan is in a groove, now. He struck out Ince and Myers to start the inning and then got Hogart to fly out in foul territory, with Bohrofen catching it near the line. Hollan has retired 11 straight since the back-to-back HBPs. He’s at 77 pitches through five innings.
B-5th: Arkansas 10, Louisiana Tech 3
Bolton started the inning with a single up the middle and Josenberger followed with a walk. Stovall moved the runners up with a slow ground out to second and then Wegner also walked to load the bases. However, the Razorbacks couldn’t do anything with it. Slavens popped up behind the plate and Bohrofen flied out to shallow center.
T-6th: Arkansas 10, Louisiana Tech 6
The new pitcher for Arkansas is right-hander Cody Adcock. Davis started the inning with an infield single before Burchfield struck out. It looked like Adcock would get out of it with a 4-6-3 double play, but Stovall booted it and didn’t get anyone out. Then Evans smacked a three-run homer into the left field bullpen. A strikeout of Bates and line out by McLeod ended the inning.
B-6th: Arkansas 10, Louisiana Tech 6
The new pitcher for Louisiana Tech is right-hander Justin Williams. Diggs flied out to left to start the inning. Holt and Rowland each worked the count full, but struck out.
T-7th: Arkansas 10, Louisiana Tech 6
Caleb Cali replaces Holt at third base to start the seventh inning. Adcock is still on the mound. He issued a leadoff walk to the 9-hole, Ince. He got out of it, though, as Myers flied out to left and Drost grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.
B-7th: Arkansas 14, Louisiana Tech 6
Bolton was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Williams fell behind 2-0 to Josenberger and Louisiana Tech makes a pitching change. The new pitcher is right-hander Isaac Crabb. He finished off the walk of Josenberger. A wild pitch moved Bolton to third. That set up an RBI fielder’s choice by Stovall. Crabb then walked Wegner, leading to another pitching change.
Ethan Bates, the former Arkansas player, will slide over from third to the mound. Slavens reached on an infield single to load the bases and then a passed ball allowed a run to score. Bohrofen followed with a two-run single up the middle. That was all of the damage, though, as Diggs grounded out to the pitcher and Cali grounded into a fielder’s choice.
T-8th: Arkansas 14, Louisiana Tech 6
The new pitcher for Arkansas is freshman right-hander Gage Wood. He struck out Davis to start his outing, but then gave up a line drive right back up the middle to Safford. Wood then struck out Matulia and Evans to end the inning.
B-8th: Arkansas 15, Louisiana Tech 6
It looked like Rowland might have a leadoff single, but the first baseman made a nice diving stop and tossed to Bates covering the bag for an out. Bolton followed with an infield single and then went first to third on Josenberger’s single to right. Stovall gave it a ride to deep center, but it was caught at the wall, making it a sac fly. Wegner followed with a walk, his fifth of the game, which ties a school record. The Razorbacks had a chance to end it early, but Slavens grounded out back to the pitcher to end the inning.
T-9th: Arkansas 15, Louisiana Tech 6
The new pitcher for Arkansas is freshman right-hander Christian Foutch. This is his collegiate debut. He got Bates to look at three straight strikes to start his career. Colton Hegwood, a pinch hitter, popped out behind the plate for the second out. Ince drew a two-out walk, but Myers flied out to center to end it. Arkansas completes the sweep and has won eight straight.
FINAL: Arkansas 15, Louisiana Tech 6
BOX SCORE – Arkansas vs Louisiana Tech (Game 3)
Starting Lineups — Arkansas vs Louisiana Tech (Game 3)
| Louisiana Tech Baseball | Arkansas Baseball |
|---|---|
| 1. Adarius Myers – LF | 1. Tavian Josenberger – CF |
| 2. Jonathan Hogart – CF | 2. Peyton Stovall – 2B |
| 3. Dalton Davis – 1B | 3. Jared Wegner – LF |
| 4. Walker Burchfield – DH | 4. Brady Slavens – 1B |
| 5. Philip Matulia – RF | 5. Jace Bohrofen – RF |
| 6. Karson Evans – C | 6. Kendall Diggs – DH |
| 7. Ethan Bates – 3B | 7. Peyton Holt – 3B |
| 8. Logan McLeod – SS | 8. Parker Rowland – C |
| 9. Jeffrey Ince – 2B | 9. John Bolton – SS |
| Pitching: Jr. RHP Reed Smith | Pitching: Jr. LHP Hunter Hollan |
Baseball Schedule This Week
Tuesday — Arkansas 7, Army 5
Friday — Arkansas 7, Louisiana Tech 4
Saturday — Arkansas 6, Louisiana Tech 1
Sunday — vs Louisiana Tech — 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: 3-0 on the weekend / 1-0 in the midweek / 10-2 on the season
It may not be a big-name school, but Wright State is a very good baseball program. The Raiders have reached the NCAA Tournament in five of the last seven seasons and are picked to win the Horizon League again this season. Fans may not recognize it as such, but a sweep this weekend will be the first sign that Arkansas is still a dominant team worthy of a top-10 ranking.
Army won’t be a pushover, as it’s picked to win the six-team Patriot League and nearly its entire infield is on the preseason all-conference team, but it should be another quality win for the Razorbacks.
Actual: 3-0 on the weekend / 1-0 in the midweek / 10-2 on the season
Wright State doesn’t have a very impressive record, but it was competitive last weekend and showed that it should still be the favorite to win its conference this year. That said, we correctly predicted the sweep. We also predicted that Army wouldn’t be a pushover, which was definitely the case — Arkansas had to rally back from a 4-0 deficit to win.
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