The final SEC West title in conference history is on the line in the Arkansas vs Texas A&M series.
Heading into the last weekend of the regular season, the No. 3 Razorbacks can clinch that title with only one win, while the No. 5 Aggies must sweep the series to overtake them.
Arkansas will try to wrap things up in the series opener at 8:30 p.m. CT Thursday, if the weather allows it.
Even with left-hander Hagen Smith (9-0, 1.65 ERA) on the mound, it won’t be easy for the Razorbacks. Not only are the Aggies an impressive 30-2 at Blue Bell Park this season, but they’re throwing their ace in left-hander Ryan Prager (8-1, 2.71 ERA).
Follow along below for updates from Thursday’s matchup…
LIVE UPDATES – Arkansas vs Texas A&M (Game 1)
Pregame Tidbits
The Arkansas vs Texas A&M series opener was pushed back 1.5 hours to 8:30 p.m. CT because of rain in the College Station area.
Outfielder Kendall Diggs is not in the starting lineup for the Razorbacks. Peyton Holt is starting in his place in right field, with Ty Wilmsmeyer in center and Jayson Jones in left.
T-1st: Arkansas 0, Texas A&M 0
Prager needed just 13 pitches to strike out the Hogs in order to open the game.
B-1st: Arkansas 0, Texas A&M 0
Smith answered by striking out the side himself, but he needed 15 pitches.
T-2nd: Arkansas 0, Texas A&M 0
With two outs, Helfrick reached on the game’s first hit with an infield single. White followed with a single into center, but they were stranded with Jones went down swinging. Prager is up to 29 pitches through two innings.
B-2nd: Arkansas 0, Texas A&M 0
Appel managed to put the ball in play, but it was a ground out to second. Smith struck out the next two Aggies and has gone 6 up, 6 down on 33 pitches.
T-3rd: Arkansas 0, Texas A&M 0
During a Jim Schlossnagle in-game interview, Wilmsmeyer poked a single into right for a leadoff hit. However, Prager retired Holt, Stovall and Sprague-Lott in order to strand him there. It was a 19-pitch inning for him, as he’s up to 48 total pitches.
B-3rd: Arkansas 0, Texas A&M 0
Chestnut bunted his way on to give Texas A&M its first base runner with two outs in the third. It looked like Arkansas had him picked off, but Smith’s throw to first was wide and he was able to steal second. Had he been paying attention, he would have made it to third. Instead, he was stranded on second when Grahovac grounded out to short. Smith is up to 50 pitches through three innings.
T-4th: Arkansas 0, Texas A&M 0
Aloy, McLaughlin and Helfrick each put the ball in play, but none of them were hits. The result was an 11-pitch frame for Prager, bringing his total to 59 through four innings.
B-4th: Arkansas 0, Texas A&M 0
Smith notched another couple of strikeouts before getting a fly out to end the inning. He’s up to eight strikeouts and 63 total pitches.
T-5th: Arkansas 0, Texas A&M 0
Jones singled through the left side with one out and moved to second on a ground out, but he was stranded when Holt grounded out to end the inning.
B-5th: Arkansas 0, Texas A&M 0
Smith struck out the first three batters in the fifth, but the second reached on a wild pitch. The third was career strikeout No. 346, breaking the UA record previously held by Nick Schmidt. Sorrell lined out to right to end the inning, preventing the chance of a four-strikeout inning. Smith is up to 80 pitches through five innings.
T-6th: Arkansas 0, Texas A&M 0
The Razorbacks had something brewing with a leadoff single by Stovall followed by a walk by Sprague-Lott, but a base running blunder hurt them. Aloy hit a slow roller to second and the second baseman attempted to tag Sprague-Lott before throwing to first, Sprague-Lott was never tagged. However, he stopped and never went to second, allowing A&M to turn an unconventional 4-3-6 double play. With a runner on third, McLaughlin hit a slow dribbler to the pitcher for the final out.
B-6th: Arkansas 0, Texas A&M 0
Smith was a strike away from a 1-2-3 inning with three strikeouts, but made his first mistake of the game when LaViolette crushed a pitch to right that got over Holt’s head for a two-out double. It didn’t hurt the Hogs because Smith struck out Montgomery.
T-7th: Arkansas 0, Texas A&M 0
Prager retired the Razorbacks in order again in the seventh. He’s up to 101 pitches for the Aggies.
B-7th: Arkansas 0, Texas A&M 0
Smith’s day is done. Right-hander Christian Foutch relieved him. He needed 12 pitches to retire the Aggies in order, getting a fly out and ground out sandwiched around a strikeout.
T-8th: Arkansas 0, Texas A&M 0
The Aggies finally went to their bullpen in the eighth, bringing in left-hander Evan Aschenbeck. Wilmsmeyer bunted his way on to start the inning, but Holt flied out to right and then Stovall hit a deep shot to center that LaViolette managed to track down. Wilmsmeyer ended up swiping second despite the Aggies seemingly having him picked off, but he was stranded there when Sprague-Lott grounded out to third.
B-8th: Arkansas 0, Texas A&M 0
Right-hander Gabe Gaeckle is now pitching for Arkansas. He allowed a two-out base runner when Stovall booted a grounder that was scored a single. After a wild pitch moved him to second, Aloy made a sensational play to end the inning and strand the runner.
T-9th: Arkansas 0, Texas A&M 0
McLaughlin reached on a one-out single, but that was it for the Hogs in the ninth.
B-9th: Arkansas 0, Texas A&M 0
Gaeckle got a couple of strikeouts sandwiched around a ground out to send the game to extras.
T-10th: Arkansas 0, Texas A&M 0
Arkansas had Texas A&M on the ropes when Wilmsmeyer reached on an error and Holt chopped a single over the first baseman. That put runners on the corners, but Stovall and Sprague-Lott struck out on pitches in the dirt.
B-10th: Arkansas 0, Texas A&M 0
Gaeckle got a couple of outs to start the 10th, but then gave up a two-out double to Camarillo. That prompted a pitching change, with Arkansas turning to left-hander Stone Hewlett. He got Sorrell to ground out back to the mound on one pitch, ending the inning.
T-11th: Arkansas 0, Texas A&M 0
McLaughlin hit a one-out double, but that was it for the Hogs. Sorrell made a great catch at the wall to rob White of a two-out RBI hit (likely extra bases) and end the inning.
B-11th: Texas A&M 1, Arkansas 0
Right-hander Jake Faherty is now pitching for Arkansas. He struck out Chestnut before walking Grahovac in a full count. In another two-strike count, LaViolette singled through the right side and Grahovac went first-to-third. With runners on the corners, Arkansas made another pitching change. It’ll be left-hander Parker Coil. He struck out Montgomery, but when he fell behind 2-0 against Appel, the Hogs opted to intentionally walk him to load the bases. They’ll turn to right-hander Will McEntire. He walked Burton to bring in the winning run.
FINAL – Texas A&M 1, Arkansas 0 (11 inn.)
Starting Lineups
| Texas A&M Baseball | Arkansas Baseball |
|---|---|
| 1. Gavin Grahovac – 3B | 1. Peyton Holt – RF |
| 2. Jace LaViolette – CF | 2. Peyton Stovall – 2B |
| 3. Braden Montgomery – RF | 3. Jared Sprague-Lott – 3B |
| 4. Jackson Appel – C | 4. Wehiwa Aloy – SS |
| 5. Ted Burton – 1B | 5. Ben McLaughlin – 1B |
| 6. Hayden Schott – DH | 6. Ryder Helfrick – DH |
| 7. Ali Camarillo – SS | 7. Hudson White – C |
| 8. Caden Sorrell – LF | 8. Jayson Jones – LF |
| 9. Travis Chestnut – 2B | 9. Ty Wilmsmeyer – CF |
| Pitching: LHP Ryan Prager | Pitching: LHP Hagen Smith |
How to Watch Arkansas vs Texas A&M (Game 1)
Date: Thursday, May 16
Location: Blue Bell Park (College Station, Texas)
First Pitch: 8:30 p.m. CT
TV/Stream: ESPN2
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