#2 Arkansas Closes Out Midweek Slate with Two-Game Series against Missouri State
#2 Arkansas closes out the midweek portion of its schedule against longtime foe Missouri State with a two-game set at Baum-Walker Stadium.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 2 Arkansas (37-7) closes out the midweek portion of its schedule against longtime foe Missouri State (18-24) with a two-game set at Baum-Walker Stadium. First pitch in the opener between the Razorbacks and Bears is 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, on SEC Network+ with Brett Dolan (play-by-play) and Troy Eklund (analyst) on the call.
With a midweek series sweep against Missouri State, Arkansas can finish unbeaten in midweek contests during the regular season for the first time since 2005, head coach Dave Van Horn’s third year at the helm of the program. That season, the Razorbacks went a perfect 9-0 in midweek games, including a pair of midweek wins against the Bears.
Schedule
Tuesday, April 30
Missouri State vs. #2 Arkansas – 6:30 p.m. – SEC Network+ – Listen – Live Stats
Wednesday, May 1
Missouri State vs. #2 Arkansas – 4 p.m. – SEC Network+ – Listen – Live Stats
On the Mound
Tuesday, April 30
Missouri State – LHP Brendan Beaver (2-2, 8.67 ERA)
Arkansas – RHP Gage Wood (2-1, 2.45 ERA)
Wednesday, May 1
Missouri State – TBA
Arkansas – TBA
Tune In
Brett Dolan (play-by-play) and Troy Eklund (analyst) will have the call of the midweek series between second-ranked Arkansas and Missouri State at Baum-Walker Stadium. Both ballgames will stream on SEC Network+.
The midweek series between the Hogs and Bears 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 (analyst) on the call. A full list of radio affiliates is available here.
History Lesson
Arkansas maintains a 57-30 overall series record against Missouri State, including a 35-15 mark in Fayetteville. Under head coach Dave Van Horn, the Hogs are 19-11 overall against the Bears, with an 11-8 record at home in the series.
Got That Wood
Arkansas righty Gage Wood will make his first collegiate start on the mound in Tuesday’s series opener against Missouri State. The sophomore is 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 18.1 innings over 15 relief appearances this season.
As a true freshman in 2023, Wood emerged as the Razorbacks’ closer, posting a 2-0 record with a 4.80 ERA, 42 strikeouts and five saves in 30.0 innings of work. All five of his saves came in SEC play and were of the multi-inning variety.
Home Sweet Baum-Walker Stadium
Arkansas is 29-2 (.936 winning percentage) inside the friendly confines of Baum-Walker Stadium this season. Excluding the shortened 2020 campaign, the Razorbacks have won 28 or more home games in seven consecutive seasons (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024), including a program-record 34 home wins during the 2018 campaign.
The Hogs are just one home win shy of clinching their fifth 30-win season at Baum-Walker Stadium since the venue opened in 1996. Arkansas also accomplished 30-win seasons at home in 2018 (34), 2019 (33), 2021 (30) and 2023 (32).
Midweek Mojo
The Razorbacks are a perfect 10-0 in midweek games this season, including wins against Grambling, UCA, Oral Roberts, Little Rock, Arkansas State and UAPB, as well as a pair of midweek series sweeps over San Jose State and Texas Tech.
Arkansas enters this week’s two-game series against Missouri State looking to finish unbeaten in midweek contests during the regular season for the first time since 2005, when the Hogs went undefeated with a 9-0 midweek record.
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