Arkansas vs Oklahoma State: Razorbacks Rock Cowboys in College Baseball Showdown Finale

Arkansas baseball, Oklahoma State baseball, Arkansas vs Oklahoma State, College Baseball Showdown
photo credit: Arkansas Athletics / ESPN

The Razorbacks can’t lick their wounds too long, as they’ll be back on the diamond in the College Baseball Showdown just 15 hours after getting blown out by TCU — this time for an Arkansas vs Oklahoma State rematch.

Last time these two teams were on the field together, they played what Dave Van Horn has described as the “most intense regional I’ve ever been a part of” and Arkansas baseball came out on top by winning the Stillwater Regional. This time around, first pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT Sunday.

It could be an emotionally charged game, as Oklahoma State’s star second baseman, Roc Riggio, didn’t make many friends with his prance around the bases after a home run against the Razorbacks.

This will be Arkansas’ final game at the College Baseball Showdown, but if you haven’t already subscribed to FloSports and would like to do so for the discounted price of $12.50, follow these steps:

  1. Go to https://go.flosports.tv/partner/caa
  2. Then scroll down and click the “CAA Baseball” box
  3. Click on “Join Now”
  4. Create an account
  5. When asked what plan to buy, choose the monthly one for $12.50

It’s important to remember to go back on FloSports following the game and cancel your plan. Otherwise, you’ll be charged $12.50/month in perpetuity.

If you still don’t want to pay that much because you’re worried about the feed crashing and being an overall poor product, you can always listen to the radio broadcast of the games, with Brett Dolan and Bubba Carpenter on the call.

Unable to watch or listen? We’ve got you covered with inning-by-inning updates below…

(Get caught up on all of the action so far this weekend by reading our recaps of the Texas win and TCU loss.)

LIVE UPDATES – Arkansas vs Oklahoma State

Pregame Tidbits

Arkansas is the designated away team for the matchup vs Oklahoma State. It was the home team in Saturday’s loss and the away team in Friday’s win.

The Cowboys are also 1-1 on the weekend, beating Missouri 5-3 on Friday and losing to Vanderbilt 11-9 on Saturday. They will have some momentum, though, as they scored six runs in the eighth inning to give themselves a chance against the Commodores.

As a team, the Razorbacks are hitting just .239 through their first two games. All four of their home runs came in Saturday’s loss to TCU, with newcomers Jared Wegner, Hudson Polk and Jayson Jones hitting their first long balls as Razorbacks and returner Kendall Diggs hitting the fourth of his career.

Left-hander Hunter Hollan is set to make the first start of his Arkansas baseball career. He is a transfer from JUCO powerhouse San Jacinto J.C. and a top-100 draft prospect for 2023.

Dave Van Horn has shuffled his starting lineup for Game 3 of the weekend. Freshman Jayson Jones, who homered last night, is starting in place of Caleb Cali at third base and Parker Rowland is getting the nod at catcher over Hudson Polk. The full order can be found below.

Oklahoma State, which had originally left the Sunday slot as “TBA,” will start right-hander Bayden Root. A super senior who began his career at Ohio State, Root posted a 7.96 ERA in 26 innings across 21 relief appearances last season — one of which was against Arkansas in the Stillwater Regional. He was charged with two earned runs in just 1/3 of an inning.

If either team leads by 10 through seven innings, the game will end with a mercy rule:

T-1st: Arkansas 0, Oklahoma State 0

Not a great start for Arkansas, as Josenberger struck out on three pitches and Stovall – after drawing a full-count walk – was picked off at first base. Following a HBP for Wegner, Slavens couldn’t check his swing on strike three to end the inning.

B-1st: Arkansas 0, Oklahoma State 0

Ehrhard gave it a ride to start the home half of the first, but Wegner – the left fielder – managed to track it down in the left-center gap. Josenberger, the center fielder, appeared to misread it.

Hollan got ahead 0-2 against Riggio, but he took a couple of balls before lining a pitch toward the right field corner. It looked like a double, but he fell rounding first and was limited to a single. After a four-pitch walk by McLean, Mendham hit an awkward chopper to short and it took a weird hop just before Bolton fielded it. That caused him to bobble it briefly, which prevented the Razorbacks from turning a 6-4-3 double play. The fielder’s choice put runners on the corners with two outs.

That’s where they were stranded because Hollan got Wulfert to go down swinging to end the inning. It was a 19-pitch inning.

T-2nd: Arkansas 5, Oklahoma State 0

A single up the middle by Diggs started the inning and then the Razorbacks dialed up a hit-and-run. Bohrofen hit it sharply at the first baseman, who deflected it. The second baseman scooped it up and tossed it back to first. It was a bang-bang play, but Bohrofen was called safe and the call stood after a review. It was ruled a single.

The first pitch to Jones was in the dirt and the runners read it nicely, advancing to second and third on the wild pitch. He ended up walking to load the bases with no outs, bringing up Rowland. In his first at bat with the Razorbacks, the JUCO transfer struck out for the first out of the inning.

Bolton, the 9-hole, delivered the RBI with an infield single. It looked like a ground out at least, but the pitcher didn’t cover the bag after the first baseman fielded it and Bolton beat him to first before a collision. Josenberger followed with a rocket that Riggio made a tremendous diving stop on. He was able to get the out at first, but it was still an RBI – making Root’s mistake of not covering first on the previous play loom even larger.

Stovall reached on a HBP to load the bases for Wegner, who stayed hot with a bases-clearing triple to the gap in right-center. That is the end of the day for Root. Oklahoma State brings in right-hander Evan O’Toole. He walked Slavens, but got Diggs to pop out to end the inning.

B-2nd: Arkansas 5, Oklahoma State 0

The long layoff didn’t seem to bother Hollan. He got Meola to ground out to third, struck out Brown and then got Sylvester to ground out to short. It was an 11-pitch perfect frame.

T-3rd: Arkansas 10, Oklahoma State 0

A leadoff single by Bohrofen prompted a mound visit by OSU’s pitching coach. The visit seemed to work, as Jones popped out in foul territory and then Rowland hit what appeared to be a tailor-made 6-4-3 double play, but the shortstop booted it. That put runners on the corners and set the stage for a sacrifice fly by Bolton to make it 6-0.

Josenberger followed with a double into the right field corner. With runners on second and third, Stovall drove them in with a single up the middle. Wegner followed with his second homer of the weekend. The two-run shot makes it 10-0. Slavens grounded out to second to finally end the inning.

B-3rd: Arkansas 10, Oklahoma State 0

Hollan came out after another long layoff and got Daugherty to pop out before striking out Ehrhard. He then plunked Riggio and walked McLean on four pitches, but it didn’t hurt him because he struck out Mendham to strand them. Hollan is at 49 pitches through three innings.

T-4th: Arkansas 10, Oklahoma State 0

Oklahoma State turned to freshman right-hander Gabe Davis in the fourth and he made quick work of the Razorbacks. He induced a ground out by Diggs before striking out Bohrofen and Jones.

B-4th: Arkansas 10, Oklahoma State 1

The Cowboys are on the board. After a leadoff double by Wulfert and single by Meola, which put runners on the corners, Brown hit a sacrifice fly into center. That was all the damage, though, as Hollan got another fly out and then struck out Daugherty to end the inning.

T-5th: Arkansas 15, Oklahoma State 1

Davis retired the first five batters he faced, including four straight strikeouts, but the sixth guy he faced – Josenberger – crushed a two-out solo bomb to push Arkansas’ lead back to 10.

Stovall followed with a three-pitch walk, as ball four was the result of a delay of game violation. He’s now reached all four times today, with two walked, a HBP and a single.

The homer seemed to rattle Davis because he also walked Wegner before giving up a two-run double to left-center by Slavens. It’s at least the second opposite-field extra-base hit by Slavens this weekend. That makes it 13-1. Davis then plunked Diggs and walked Bohrofen to load the bases. A wild pitch brought in a run and that’s finally it for Davis.

Right-hander Kade Shatwell inherited a 3-1 count against Jones and walked him on his first pitch. Rowland notched his first RBI in an Arkansas uniform by drawing a bases-loaded walk. The inning finally ended with a Bolton strikeout, stranding the bases loaded.

B-5th: Arkansas 15, Oklahoma State 1

Nebraska transfer Koty Frank relieves Hollan to start the fifth. It’s his second appearance of the weekend, as he also pitched Friday. That is one of multiple defensive changes by the Razorbacks. Harold Coll is in at shortstop and Ben McLaughlin is at first base.

Coll made a nice diving stop on a grounder by Ehrhard, but his throw was a little late, so it’s a leadoff infield single. Riggio then flied out to center for the first out. Frank battled back from down 3-0 to strike out McLean and, after Ehrhard took second on a defensive indifference, Mendham grounded out to end the inning. Stovall made a nice sliding stop and throw on the play.

T-6th: Arkansas 15, Oklahoma State 1

Arkansas sent back-to-back pinch hitters to the plate to start the sixth. Mason Neville singled up the middle in his first career AB and Peyton Holt flied out to center in his first AB in an Arkansas baseball uniform. Wegner was called out on strikes, the first time he’s failed to reach today, and then McLaughlin – in his first career AB – grounded into a fielder’s choice.

B-6th: Arkansas 15, Oklahoma State 1

Right-hander Cody Adcock, the JUCO transfer who began his career at Ole Miss, is now pitching for the second time this weekend. He retired the Cowboys in order, getting Wulfert to fly out to center, Meola to ground out to third and pinch hitter Brennan Holt to look at strike three.

T-7th: Arkansas 18, Oklahoma State 1

Reese Robinett pinch hit for Diggs to start the seventh and notched a leadoff single in his first career AB. Hunter Grimes pinch hit for Bohrofen and also singled. Robinett went first to third on the play, so the Razorbacks have runners on the corners for Jones. He walked to load the bases.

In another bases-loaded, no-out opportunity, Rowland delivered with a sacrifice fly. Coll followed with a sac fly of his own, but this time there was actually a play at the plate. Grimes barely slid in safely to make it 17-1. After a walk by Neville, Holt hit an RBI single up the middle to make it 18-1. Wegner grounded out to finally end the inning.

The Hogs are three outs away from a win via mercy rule.

B-7th: Arkansas 18, Oklahoma State 1

Right-hander Gage Wood will try to close it out for Arkansas. He failed to record an out in his debut Saturday night. Things went much better this time around, as he struck out Schubart, Daugherty and Crull in order to end the game.

FINAL: Arkansas 18, Oklahoma State 1 (7 innings)

BOX SCORE – Arkansas vs Oklahoma State

Starting Lineups – Arkansas vs Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State BaseballArkansas Baseball
1. Zach Ehrhard – CF1. Tavian Josenberger – CF
2. Roc Riggio – 2B2. Peyton Stovall – 2B
3. Nolan McLean – RF3. Jared Wegner – LF
4. David Mendham – 1B4. Brady Slavens – 1B
5. Tyler Wulfert – DH5. Kendall Diggs – DH
6. Aidan Meola – 3B6. Jace Bohrofen – RF
7. Marcus Brown – SS7. Jayson Jones – 3B
8. Beau Sylvester – LF8. Parker Rowland – C
9. Ian Daugherty – C9. John Bolton – SS
Pitching: S-Sr. RHP Bayden RootPitching: Jr. LHP Hunter Hollan

College Baseball Showdown Results/Schedule

Friday, Feb. 17

Game 1 — Oklahoma State 5, Missouri 3
Game 2 — TCU 11, Vanderbilt 4
Game 3 — Arkansas 3, Texas 2

Saturday, Feb. 18

Game 1 — Vanderbilt 11, Oklahoma State 9
Game 2 — Missouri 6, Texas 5
Game 3 — TCU 18, Arkansas 6

Sunday, Feb. 19

Game 1 — Vanderbilt 12, Texas 2
Game 2 — Arkansas vs Oklahoma State (2:30 p.m. CT)
Game 3 — Missouri vs TCU (6:30 p.m. CT)

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