#1 Arkansas Hosts SEC West Division Foe Ole Miss in Weekend Series
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Unanimous No. 1 Arkansas (24-3, 8-1 SEC) takes on SEC West Division foe Ole Miss (18-12, 3-6 SEC) in a three-game set this weekend at Baum-Walker Stadium. First pitch in the opener between the Razorbacks and Rebels is 6 p.m. Thursday, April 4, on SEC Network with Dave Neal (play-by-play) and Chris Burke (analyst) on the call.
The Razorbacks, winners of a program-record 18 consecutive games inside the friendly confines of Baum-Walker Stadium, have swept two consecutive SEC home weekend series to start the season. Arkansas has won seven straight SEC home weekend series and secured 20 of its last 21 SEC home weekend series wins since the 2019 campaign.
Arkansas is off to a blazing hot start through its first 27 games of the 2024 season. The Razorbacks boast a 24-3 overall record, marking their best start to a campaign since 1982 when the Hogs, coached by the legendary Norm DeBriyn and led by starting second baseman and Southwest Conference Newcomer of the Year Dave Van Horn, started 27-2-2.
Schedule
Thursday, April 4
Ole Miss vs. #1 Arkansas – 6 p.m. – SEC Network – Listen – Live Stats
Friday, April 5
Ole Miss vs. #1 Arkansas – 6:30 p.m. – SEC Network+ – Listen – Live Stats
Saturday, April 6
Ole Miss vs. #1 Arkansas – 2 p.m. – SEC Network+ – Listen – Live Stats
On the Mound
Thursday, April 4
Ole Miss – RHP Riley Maddox (2-2, 4.02 ERA)
Arkansas – LHP Hagen Smith (5-0, 1.94 ERA)
Friday, April 5
Ole Miss – LHP Liam Doyle (2-1, 6.04 ERA)
Arkansas – LHP Mason Molina (3-0, 3.00 ERA)
Saturday, April 6
Ole Miss – TBA
Arkansas – RHP Brady Tygart (3-0, 2.51 ERA)
Tune In
Dave Neal (play-by-play) and Chris Burke (analyst) have the call of Thursday night’s series opener between Arkansas and Ole Miss on SEC Network. Josh Haley and Razorback great Troy Eklund, meanwhile, will handle the play-by-play and analyst duties, respectively, for Friday night and Saturday afternoon’s ballgames on SEC Network+.
The series between the Razorbacks and Rebels can also be heard on the Razorback Sports Network from Learfield, including locally in Fayetteville on 92.1 FM or through the Razorback app, with Phil Elson (play-by-play) and Razorback great and former big leaguer Bubba Carpenter on the call (analyst). A full list of radio affiliates is available here.
History Lesson
Arkansas maintains a 59-53 overall series record against Ole Miss, including a 26-23 record in games played in Fayetteville. Under head coach Dave Van Horn, the Razorbacks are 34-43 overall and 14-19 at home in the series.
Since 2021, Arkansas is 8-5 overall against Ole Miss. The Hogs have won three consecutive regular-season weekend series against the Rebels since the 2021 campaign, including a weekend series win in 2022 at Baum-Walker Stadium.
H. Smith’s Strikeout Sprint
Arkansas ace Hagen Smith, slated to take the mound in Thursday night’s series opener against Ole Miss, is 5-0 with a 1.54 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 35.0 innings over seven starts this season. The junior left-hander leads the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (18.5) and is ranked third in WHIP (0.74) and fourth nationally in total strikeouts (72).
Behind Smith, the Arkansas pitching staff is ranked first nationally in ERA (2.95), hits allowed per nine innings (6.1), shutouts (6), strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.3), strikeouts per nine innings (13.2) and WHIP (1.02) entering Thursday night.
Smith has recorded 271 career strikeouts in 184.0 innings of work. His 271 career punchouts are fourth on Arkansas’ career strikeouts list, and he is just 12 strikeouts shy of matching David Walling (283) for third in program history.
Career Strikeouts
1. 345 – Nick Schmidt (2003-06)
2. 301 – Matt Carnes (1979-82)
3. 283 – David Walling (1998-99)
4. 271 – Hagen Smith (2022-present)
5. 261 – Scott Tabor (1979-82)
6. 244 – Blaine Knight (2016-18)
7. 232 – Kevin Kopps (2017-21)
8. 229 – Charley Boyce (2003-06)
9. 225 – Gerald Hannahs (1971-74)
10. 224 – Isaiah Campbell (2016-19)
It Just Means More Wins
Arkansas is 8-1 through nine games in SEC play for only the second time under head coach Dave Van Horn, and for the first time since 2009. The 8-1 record marks the Razorbacks’ best nine-game start in conference play in the Van Horn era.
Regardless of the outcome of this weekend’s series against Ole Miss, Arkansas will move to 8-4 or better through 12 games in SEC play for the seventh consecutive season (2017-present). It will mark the best stretch of starting 8-4 or better in SEC play by a team since LSU accomplished the feat in eight consecutive seasons from 1991-98.
Home Sweet Baum-Walker
The Razorbacks, who are 20-1 (.952 winning percentage) inside the friendly confines of Baum-Walker Stadium this season, ride a program-record 18-game home winning streak into Thursday night’s series opener against the Rebels.
The previous program record for the longest winning streak in Baum-Walker Stadium history was 16 consecutive wins, which was accomplished by the 1997 Arkansas Razorbacks under legendary head coach Norm DeBriyn.
Excluding the shortened 2020 campaign, the Hogs have won 28 or more games at home in six consecutive seasons, including a program-record 34 wins in 2018. In 2023, Arkansas went 32-6 (.842 winning percentage) at Baum-Walker Stadium, marking the Razorbacks’ fourth 30-win season at home since the stadium opened in 1996.
For complete coverage of Arkansas baseball, follow the Hogs on Twitter (@RazorbackBSB), Instagram (@RazorbackBSB) and Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Baseball).