There is always an uproar from fans when Arkansas baseball games are streamed on FloSports.
It’s an extra expense and a far inferior product when compared to those on the ESPN family of networks, so the complaints are understandable. However, there is one perk to FloSports carrying the Arkansas vs Oregon State game at 7 p.m. CT Friday in Arlington, Texas.
Fans watching from home won’t be subjected to the emotional trauma that comes with seeing multiple replays of *that play* from the 2018 College World Series. You know the one, but here’s a link for those who need a reminder or just want to feel sad.
So how does the broadcast of the first rematch between the Razorbacks and Beavers not feature a replay of such a historic play? Well, it’s simple: They don’t have the rights.
ESPN, as it always does with the College World Series, broadcast that game and still owns the rights to it, so FloSports legally can’t show it. This point was first brought up by the guys on the Diamond Hawgs Podcast and Best of Arkansas Sports has since confirmed with a FloSports producer that it is the case.
The 2018 Arkansas vs Oregon State series and that play will almost certainly still be discussed on the broadcast, which will feature Brant Freeman as the play-by-play man and former big leaguer Pat Combs as the color analyst, but there’s a simple solution for that. Many Arkansas baseball fans will simply mute their TV/computer and listen to Phil Elson on the radio call.
It’s not particularly surprising that FloSports is so up-to-speed on copyright laws because it is pretty strict with its own content.
In fact, Arkansas baseball fan Cory Stewart — known by many for uploading highlights of baseball games under the YouTube username stewhog — once posted a video of an Arkansas game on FloSports and not only was it removed within a couple of hours, but his channel received a copyright strike. He doesn’t have those issues when posting highlights from the ESPN family of networks.
Hack to Save Money on FloSports
Needless to say, you won’t be finding Arkansas vs Oregon State highlights — or highlights from the Oklahoma State and Michigan games — on stewhog’s channel this weekend.
If you want to see more than short clips the Razorbacks post on social media, you’ll have to bite the bullet and purchase a FloSports subscription. Luckily, there’s a way to get a discounted price.
The Coastal Athletic Association — a conference that features the likes of Elon, Hofstra, Stony Brook and other small east coast schools — has a partnership with FloSports that allows fans to get it for 50% off.
By visiting this link, you can get a monthly subscription for just $14.99 instead of the usual $29.99. Just scroll down to the CAA Baseball box, click “join now” and either create a new account or log in to your existing account if you’ve had FloSports in the past. At that point, you can select your desired plan.
IMPORTANT: Be sure to select the monthly plan that is $14.99/month. *DO NOT* select the annual plan, which is marketed as $8.33/month, but actually charges one lump sum of $100. You also must remember to cancel your account after the weekend or else you’ll continue to be charged $14.99 each month.
Don’t want to fork over the money and can’t tune in to the radio broadcast? Best of Arkansas Sports will be providing inning-by-inning updates, stats and highlights below…
(READ NEXT: Check out our in-depth preview of Arkansas baseball’s appearance in the Kubota College Baseball Series)
LIVE UPDATES – Arkansas vs Oregon State
Pregame Tidbits
Oregon State is starting right-hander Aiden May. He is a transfer from Arizona who didn’t exactly have the best numbers last season, posting a 6.33 ERA with 77 strikeouts in 75 1/3 innings. However, he earned the Opening Day nod for the Beavers and has received a decent amount of preseason hype – including landing on the Pac-12’s preseason all-conference team and being tabbed as the 36th-best starting pitcher in Division I by D1Baseball. According to Baseball America’s Peter Flaherty, May’s fastball sits 91-94 mph and has topped out at 97, but his best pitch is the slider.
Dave Van Horn is sticking with Kendall Diggs in the leadoff spot, just as he did in Game 4 vs. James Madison. He is starting Hudson White at catcher, but Ryder Helfrick is the DH for the first time. Ben McLaughlin is at first base, so that means Jack Wagner is on the bench. Jayson Jones got the nod in left.
T-1st: Arkansas 0, Oregon State 0
- Hagen Smith struck out the All-American, Travis Bazzana, on just three pitches. He started him with a 99 mph fastball and then finished him off with a slider, which he watched for strike three.
- McDowell followed by laying down a perfect bunt along the first base line. Smith fielded it, but had to quickly flip to first and it went over McLaughlin’s head. That’ll be an infield single.
- Guerra goes down swinging, as he can’t catch up to the high fastball. 2 outs.
- Turley also went down swinging at a similar pitch. That was an electric first inning for Smith – 10 of his 11 pitches were strikes.
B-1st: Arkansas 0, Oregon State 0
- Diggs couldn’t check his swing. It’s a strikeout to start the game for May. 1 out.
- White chases a pitch for strike three for another strikeout. 2 outs.
- Arkansas gets a two-out base runner when McLaughlin was hit by a pitch.
- He was stranded there, though, as Aloy grounded out to first to end the inning. Solid 15-pitch inning by May.
T-2nd: Arkansas 0, Oregon State 0
- Kasper put the ball in play with a grounder toward the middle of the field. Holt got to it with a slide, but didn’t field it cleanly. It’s ruled an infield single, but that’s a play he made several times vs. James Madison.
- Caraway went down swinging. 1 out.
- Peterson chases a pitch out of the zone for strike three. 2 outs.
- Smith goes down on three pitches. That’s six strikeouts for six outs by Smith. He’s thrown 23 pitches – 20 for strikes.
B-2nd: Arkansas 0, Oregon State 0
- Helfrick hit a foul pop up down the right field line and the right fielder came running in to make the catch. It was very similar to *that* play. 1 out.
- Jones worked the count full before drawing a walk.
- The base runner was promptly erased when Holt swung at the first pitch and grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. May threw just 10 pitches and is at 25 for the game.
T-3rd: Arkansas 0, Oregon State 0
- Hainline fouled off an 0-2 pitch, but then struck out on the next pitch. 1 out.
- It came in a 1-2 count this time, but Bazzana looked at strike three again. 2 outs.
- You guessed it: McDowell goes down swinging. That’s nine strikeouts for nine outs for Smith, who has thrown 36 pitches (31 strikes) through three innings.
B-3rd: Arkansas 0, Oregon State 0
- Sprague-Lott hit a chopper up the middle, but May snagged it and tossed to first. Nice play. 1 out.
- The first hit of the game for Arkansas comes from Wilmsmeyer, who hit a grounder to the 6 hole that the shortstop fielded, but he beat the throw to first with his speed. It’s an infield single.
- Arkansas dialed up the hit-and-run and Diggs perfectly executed it with a single up the middle. Wilmsmeyer went first to third on the play.
- White goes down swinging. He’s struck out in both of his at bats. 2 outs.
- McLaughlin smoked a line drive, but it was right to the first baseman. He caught it from his knees, ending the inning.
T-4th: Arkansas 0, Oregon State 0
- Smith issued a four-pitch walk to Guerra to start the inning.
- He bounced back by striking out Turley on three pitches. He looked at strike three. 1 out.
- Kasper also strikes out on three pitches. He went down swinging. 2 outs.
- In an at bat that featured a late timeout granted to the batter, Caraway hit a chopper up the middle for Oregon State’s first hit into the outfield. That puts runners on first and second.
- Peterson goes down swinging to end the inning. That’s 12 strikeouts for Hagen Smith. Unreal. He’s up to 53 pitches (42 strikes) through four innings.
B-4th: Arkansas 0, Oregon State 0
- Aloy goes down swinging to start the fourth. 1 out.
- In a 3-1 count, Helfrick hit a sharp grounder to short. It was an easy play, though. 2 outs.
- Jones chases a pitch out of the zone for strike three. May has been pretty good today, too, limiting the Hogs to two hits in four scoreless innings so far. He’s at 54 pitches.
T-5th: Arkansas 0, Oregon State 0
- Smith goes down swinging to start the fifth. 1 out.
- Hainline goes down swinging. 2 outs.
- For the third time today, Bazzana strikes out. This time it was swinging, though. That’s 15 strikeouts for Smith, who has thrown 66 pitches (51 strikes).
B-5th: Arkansas 3, Oregon State 0
- In a 1-2 count, Holt is hit by a pitch to give Arkansas its first leadoff base runner.
- Sprague-Lott followed with a single through the left side to put runners on first and second.
- Wilmsmeyer couldn’t get the bunt down. He tried in a 1-2 count and fouled it off for a strikeout. 1 out.
- May fell behind 2-0 with Diggs at the plate and called for the trainer. He leaves with an apparent injury. Left-hander Nelson Keljo takes over for Oregon State.
- Keljo’s first two pitches missed the zone to complete the four-pitch walk of Diggs. That loads the bases.
- Keljo also fell behind 2-0 against White, but battled back to strike him out with three straight strikes. White looked at strike three. 2 outs.
- McLaughlin clears the bases with a drive to center. It got over the center fielder’s head and bounced just in front of the wall. It scores three.
- Aloy looks at strike three to end the inning.
T-6th: Arkansas 3, Oregon State 0
- McDowell hit a grounder up the middle, but Holt made a diving stop and manage to make the throw to first for the out. It’s the first non-strikeout out of the game and it comes on a web gem. 1 out.
- Guerra strike out looking. 2 outs.
- Turley looks at strike three. That’s 17 strikeouts for Smith. He’s thrown 78 pitches (59 strikes). He was fired up as he left the mound this time, as he thought he had strike three a pitch earlier.
B-6th: Arkansas 4, Oregon State 0
- Helfrick hit a high pop up in the infield and the third baseman had a hard time following it. He nearly recovered and caught it as he fell to the ground, but it popped out of his glove. He ended up on second with the E5.
- Jones followed with a scorcher back up the middle for an RBI single.
- Holt grounded into another 6-4-3 double play. 2 outs.
- Sprague-Lott flied out to left to end the inning.
T-7th: Arkansas 4, Oregon State 2
- Smith’s day is done. Right-hander Will McEntire is in the pitch for the Hogs.
- Smith’s final line: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 17 K, 78 pitches (59 strikes)
- In a 2-2 count, Kasper beat the shift with a grounder up the middle for a single.
- McEntire bounced back by striking out Caraway. He swing at a slider that ended up out of the zone. 1 out.
- Dallas Macias pinch hit for Peterson and in a 1-2 count, swung at a pitch that didn’t even look like a strike and hit it to the right-center gap for an RBI double.
- A first-pitch ball to Smith prompted a mound visit from Hobbs. McEntire bounced the next pitch and it got away from White. The wild pitch moved the runner to third.
- Smith hit a pop up to shallow center and there looked to be some miscommunication as Aloy and Holt bumped into each other. Aloy caught it, but he was off balance and unable to make a throw home as Macias tagged up on it. It’s a sac fly.
- McEntire bounced back to strike out Hainline and end the inning. He needed 22 pitches to get through the inning.
B-7th: Arkansas 4, Oregon State 2
- Wilmsmeyer gets the bunt down now and nearly had a bunt single, but the pitcher made a great play to get to it and make a diving toss to first just ahead of Wilmsmeyer. 1 out.
- In a full count, Diggs is plunked.
- That’s it for Kiljo, who went through the order once. The new pitcher for Oregon State is right-hander AJ Hutcheson.
- White hit a grounder back to the pitcher and it bounced off Hutcheson’s glove, but he recovered just in time to get him at first. It moved Diggs to second. 2 outs.
- It looked like McLaughlin might get a blooper to fall, but the right fielder raced in and caught it to end the inning.
T-8th: Arkansas 4, Oregon State 4
- Left-hander Stone Hewlett is now pitching for Arkansas.
- He gave up a single to Bazzana, a lefty, to start the eighth. That will bring the tying run to the plate.
- In a full count, McDowell looked at strike three. Bazzana stole second on the play. 1 out.
- That’s it for Hewlett, the left-on-left specialist. Now pitching is right-hander Gage Wood.
- Wow. In a 1-2 count, Guerra ties it up with a monster two-run homer.
- Wood bounces back with a three-pitch strikeout. Turley looked at strike three. 2 outs.
- Kasper grounds out to second to end the inning.
B-8th: Arkansas 5, Oregon State 4
- Aloy was hit by the first pitch of the inning.
- Helfrick laid down a bunt and it was a good one. The first baseman had to field it and toss to the pitcher covering the bag. There was a collision and he was called safe. The play was reviewed and overturned, so it goes down as a sacrifice bunt, as it moved Aloy to second.
- That’s it for Hutcheson. The new pitcher for Oregon State is right-hander Bridger Holmes.
- Jones grounded out to second, but it moves Aloy to third. 2 outs.
- With two outs, Holt delivers an RBI triple off the wall in center. He crushed that.
- Sprague-Lott was a hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners. That prompted a mound visit by OSU.
- In a full count, Wilmsmeyer struck out swinging to end the inning.
T-9th: Arkansas 5, Oregon State 4
- In an 0-2 count, Caraway hits a grounder back up the middle for a leadoff single. The tying run is on base.
- Macias lays down a sacrifice bunt to move Caraway to second and that’s it for Wood. 1 out.
- The new pitcher for Arkansas is right-hander Jake Faherty.
- Faherty bounced back-to-back pitches after getting ahead 0-2. The second got away from White for a wild pitch that moved the tying run to third. Still with 1 out.
- In a full count, Faherty struck out Smith on a 96 mph fastball. 2 outs.
- Oregon State pinch hits with a freshman, Levi Jones. He struck out to end the game.
FINAL: Arkansas 5, Oregon State 4
Starting Lineups
| Oregon State Baseball | Arkansas Baseball |
|---|---|
| 1. Travis Bazzana – 2B | 1. Kendall Diggs – RF |
| 2. Micah McDowell – CF | 2. Hudson White – C |
| 3. Mason Guerra – 1B | 3. Ben McLaughlin – 1B |
| 4. Gavin Turley – LF | 4. Wehiwa Aloy – SS |
| 5. Brady Kasper – RF | 5. Ryder Helfrick – DH |
| 6. Trent Caraway – 3B | 6. Jayson Jones – LF |
| 7. Tyce Peterson – DH | 7. Peyton Holt – 2B |
| 8. Tanner Smith – C | 8. Jared Sprague-Lott – 3B |
| 9. Elijah Hainline – SS | 9. Ty Wilmsmeyer – CF |
| Pitching: RHP Aiden May | Pitching: LHP Hagen Smith |
How to Watch Arkansas vs Oregon State
Date: Friday, Feb. 23
First pitch: 7 p.m. CT
Location: Globe Life Field (Arlington, Texas)
TV/Stream: FloSports ($)
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SEC Baseball Records Entering the Weekend
SEC West
| Team | 2024 Record |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 5-0 |
| LSU | 5-0 |
| Auburn | 4-0 |
| Texas A&M | 4-0 |
| Arkansas | 3-1 |
| Mississippi State | 2-3 |
| Ole Miss | 2-3 |
SEC East
| Team | 2024 Record |
|---|---|
| South Carolina | 5-0 |
| Georgia | 4-0 |
| Kentucky | 4-0 |
| Tennessee | 4-1 |
| Florida | 2-1 |
| Missouri | 2-1 |
| Vanderbilt | 3-2 |
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Listen to a special episode of the Diamond Hawgs Podcast, featuring interviews with former Arkansas baseball stars Jax Biggers and Jared Gates:
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More coverage of Arkansas baseball from BoAS…
