Arkansas vs Texas: Hogs Take Down Horns at College Baseball Showdown

Brady Slavens, Arkansas baseball, Texas baseball, Arkansas vs Texas, College Baseball Showdown
photo credit: Arkansas Athletics

The 2023 season is finally here and it gets started in a big way — with Arkansas vs Texas in the College Baseball Showdown in Arlington, Texas.

The future SEC foes will renew their old Southwest Conference rivalry at Globe Life Field, home of MLB’s Texas Rangers, at 7 p.m. CT Friday. The Longhorns are the first of three Big 12 opponents the Razorbacks will face this weekend.

All three Arkansas baseball games — as well as the other games at the event — will be streamed on FloSports, a subscription-based service that has frequently carried the Razorbacks’ early-season tournament games. Unfortunately, it costs $30 per month.

Before you sign up, though, Best of Arkansas Sports wants you to be aware of two things. First, don’t get tricked by how FloSports markets its annual plan, which appears to have a cheaper monthly price. It will charge you one lump sum for the entire year, when you likely need only one month.

Secondly, we want to make you aware of a trick to get a monthly price of $12.50 that we first introduced to Arkansas fans last summer, when the basketball team’s foreign tour in Europe was available via FloSports.

To pull it off, just 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 Sunday’s 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…

(Got time to kill before the Arkansas vs Texas game? Check out our own Andrew Hutchinson’s week-by-week predictions for the 2023 season: click here)

LIVE UPDATES – Arkansas vs Texas

Pregame Tidbits

The SEC teams have been designate as the away teams on Friday and Sunday. They’ll be the home team on Saturday. That means it’ll be Arkansas baseball up to bat first against Texas.

In the first game at the College Baseball Showdown, former Arkansas catcher Dylan Leach started and hit seventh for Missouri. He went 0 for 4 with a strikeout at the plate and defensively, he allowed a stolen base. The Tigers lost to Oklahoma State 5-3.

T-1st: Arkansas 0, Texas 0

Arkansas doesn’t get anything in the first inning, going 1-2-3. Josenberger nearly legged out an infield single, but the shortstop made a strong throw to get him by half of a step. Stovall made solid contact, but it was caught in left. Then, in a full count, Cali went down swinging.

B-1st: Arkansas 0, Texas 0

Hagen Smith gave up a leadoff single to Kennedy, but bounced back by striking out Campbell and then getting Brown to ground into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

T-2nd: Arkansas 0, Texas 0

The Razorbacks had an opportunity to strike first when Wegner drew a four-pitch walk with one out and Bohrofen hit a ground ball to the where the shortstop would normally be, but it was on a hit-and-run and the shortstop couldn’t field it cleanly. It was ruled an infield single. However, Diggs and Polk struck out to end the scoring threat.

B-2nd: Arkansas 0, Texas 0

Texas once again got the leadoff man on base, only for him to be erased by a double play. This time, Guillemette reached on an error by Cali at third base and O’Dowd followed with a 6-4-3 double play. Daly gave it a ride, but Josenberger was able to track it down for the third out.

Smith has needed just 22 pitches to get through two innings, compared to 40 pitches by the Texas starter.

T-3rd: Arkansas 0, Texas 0

After a leadoff single by Bolton, the 9-hole hitter, it seemed like Arkansas might strike first, but Texas’ right fielder managed to track down a deep line drive by Josenberger. It really looked like it’d get over his head for extra bases and an RBI, but Campbell threw his glove up at the last second to rob him of a hit.

Bolton got back to avoid being doubled up, but then Stovall grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning and keep the Razorbacks off the board.

B-3rd: Arkansas 0, Texas 0

Smith is dealing. He got a pair of strikeouts sandwiched around a fly ball caught by Bolton in shallow left. On the last strikeout, he thought he had it a pitch earlier, but it was called a ball. He got back on the mound and then got Duplantier to chase strike three.

T-4th: Arkansas 0, Texas 0

Gordon opened the fourth with back-to-back strikeouts of Cali and Slavens before Wegner ripped a line drive — unfortunately for him, it was right at the first baseman and caught to end the inning. Even though it was a perfect inning, Gordon still threw 17 pitches and is at 73 through four innings.

B-4th: Arkansas 0, Texas 0

Smith is locked in. He struck out all three batters in the fourth and has now struck out four straight – and five of six. At 14 pitches, it’s the most he’s thrown in an inning tonight. He’s at 48 through four.

T-5th: Arkansas 0, Texas 0

Gordon has also settled in for the Longhorns, as he’s retired eight straight since allowing a leadoff single in the third. In the fifth, he struck out Bohrofen before getting Diggs and Polk to fly out. He’s now up to 84 pitches.

B-5th: Arkansas 0, Texas 0

Texas drew back-to-back walks to start the fifth, with Smith falling behind 3-0 against both batters — including the second, O’Dowd, who was squaring to bunt. Daly followed by successfully laying down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third. However, Smith responded with back-to-back strikeouts to escape the jam.

T-6th: Arkansas 0, Texas 0

Texas makes the first pitching change of the night, bringing in right-hander Lebarron Johnson to start the fifth. The final line for Gordon: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 84 pitches (52 strikes).

After Bolton grounded out to start the inning, Josenberger fouled off several pitches before finally lining a single into left. He took second on a passed ball before Stovall drew a full-count walk. That brought up Cali, the Razorbacks’ top hitter in the preseason, but he grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat.

B-6th: Arkansas 0, Texas 0

Arkansas also makes a pitching change to start the sixth, bringing in right-hander Cody Adcock, the JUCO transfer from Crowder C.C. who began his career at Ole Miss. The final line for Smith: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K, 68 pitches (44 strikes).

Adcock made quick work of the Longhorns, getting pinch hitter Peyton Powell to ground out before striking out Kennedy and Campbell. The latter of those came on a called third strike when Campbell stepped out of the batter’s box — a new rule in college baseball.

T-7th: Arkansas 3, Texas 0

The Razorbacks start the seventh inning with back-to-back singles by Slavens and Wegner. That prompts a pitching change by Texas, which brings in left-hander Chris Stuart. Bohrofen squared to bunt a couple of times, even fouling one off, but eventually worked the count full and walked to load the bases.

That set the stage for Diggs. Earlier in the game, he struck out in an RBI situation. This time, he poked a grounder the other way and it went between the third baseman’s legs. He was playing up and it was hit hard (105 mph exit velocity), though, so it was ruled a single. It drives in two runs to make it 2-0.

Polk struck out on two pitches for the first out, as his second strike was called for stepping out of the box. Bolton kept it going with an RBI double down the left field line. Josenberger drew a walk to load the bases again, still with one out.

Arkansas had Texas on the ropes with Stuart falling behind 3-1 against Stovall, but he ended up striking out, taking a big hack for strike three, and then Cali also struck out. That stranded the bases loaded.

B-7th: Arkansas 3, Texas 2

Brown started the inning with a great at bat, fouling off several pitches before lining the 10th pitch over the right field wall for a solo home run. Guillemette followed by ripping a double into the left field corner and that’s it for Adcock. Van Horn is bringing in right-hander Koty Frank, the transfer from Nebraska.

Frank induced a grounder by O’Dowd and Stovall made a really nice play to slide, backhand it, pop up and throw to first for the out. He also got Daly to ground one back to him and, after looking back the runner at third, he threw to first for the second out.

One strike away from getting out of the jam, Frank bounce a pitch in front of the plate and it got away from Polk. That brought in the runner from third, with the wild pitch pulling Texas within 3-2. Thomas grounded out two pitches later to end the inning.

T-8th: Arkansas 3, Texas 2

After Slavens lined a leadoff double over the right fielder’s head, Texas made a pitching change, bringing in right-hander Andre Duplantier II.

Duplantier made quick work of Wegner, getting him to look at strike three, before Bohrofen hit a sharp grounder to first. The Longhorns made the out, but Slavens moved to third on the play. Diggs was plunked, but runners were stranded on the corners when Polk grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

B-8th: Arkansas 3, Texas 2

Texas came out swinging in the bottom of the eighth, jumping all over Frank. Flores crushed the first pitch, but it was a line drive right at the third baseman. Then Powell and Kennedy followed with singles, prompting a pitching change. It’ll be right-hander Brady Tygart.

Campbell went down swinging for the second out, giving him the dreaded golden sombrero (0 for 4, four strikeouts). The runners stole second and third in an 0-2 count, but it didn’t matter. Tygart struck out Brown on the next pitch to get out of the jam.

T-9th: Arkansas 3, Texas 2

Duplantier has been pretty good for the Longhorns since coming into the game. He struck out Bolton, got Josenberger to fly out and nearly had a 1-2-3 inning with a ground ball by Stovall, but the shortstop’s throw sailed over the first baseman, allowing him to reach on an error. A wild pitch moved him to second, but that’s where he was stranded because Cali struck out. He’s now 0 for 5 with four strikeouts and a GIDP.

B-9th: Arkansas 3, Texas 2

Bolton makes a tough play look easy, fielding a slow grounder by Guillemette and throwing him out on the run. Then Stovall made a similar play to get O’Dowd. Tygart struck out Daly to end it.

FINAL: Arkansas 3, Texas 2

BOX SCORE – Arkansas vs Texas

Starting Lineups – Arkansas vs Texas

Texas BaseballArkansas Baseball
1. Eric Kennedy – CF1. Tavian Josenberger – CF
2. Dylan Campbell – RF2. Peyton Stovall – 2B
3. Porter Brown – LF3. Caleb Cali – 3B
4. Garret Guillemette – C4. Brady Slavens – 1B
5. Jack O’Dowd – 2B5. Jared Wegner – LF
6. Mitchell Daly – SS6. Jace Bohrofen – RF
7. Jared Thomas – 1B7. Kendall Diggs – DH
8. Jalin Flores – 3B8. Hudson Polk – C
9. Jayden Duplantier – DH9. John Bolton – SS
Pitching: Jr. LHP Lucas GordonPitching: So. LHP Hagen Smith

College Baseball Showdown Results/Schedule

Friday, Feb. 17

Game 1 — Oklahoma State 5, Missouri 3
Game 2 — Vanderbilt vs TCU (3 p.m. CT)
Game 3 — Arkansas vs Texas (7 p.m. CT)

Saturday, Feb. 18

Game 1 — Oklahoma State vs Vanderbilt (11 a.m. CT)
Game 2 — Texas vs Missouri (3 p.m. CT)
Game 3 — Arkansas vs TCU (7 p.m. CT)

Sunday, Feb. 19

Game 1 — Vanderbilt vs Texas (10:30 a.m. CT)
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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