Stranded runners wasted an excellent pitching performance by the Hogs’ pitching staff and cost Arkansas in its 2-1,14-inning loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday night at Globe Life Field.
A scoreless six-inning start by RHP Brady Tygart was all-for-not, as the Razorbacks finished the game 2-24 with runners on base and 8-52 overall.
“Yeah, I canât talk about the zone too much, but you saw what I saw and everybody else saw it. It was pretty good size, especially to the outer half,” head coach Dave Van Horn said after the game. “You know, you just get two strikes on you, you got to go out there and â donât let him make that last call on you. If itâs close, youâre going to have to take a swing at it.”
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Five Arkansas hitters recorded a hit and three went 0-for-5 or worse at the plate throughout the game. Designated hitter Hudson White, short-stop Wehiwa Aloy, catcher Ryder Helfrick and left fielder Jayson Jones were a combined 0-24 against the Cowboys.
The lone bright spot for Arkansas was third baseman Jared Sprague-Lott and right fielder Kendall Diggs, who each recorded clutch base hits. The duo combined for five knocks with only two strikeouts. Van Horn thinks thinks the team needs to make adjustments.
“Probably other teamâs pitching is pretty good, and weâve got to make some adjustments that we didnât make tonight,” Van Horn said. But I donât want to get into it.”
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Despite the strong showing by Arkansas’ deep bullpen, the Hogs coudn’t overcome offensive ineptitude as the game went deeper into the night. The Razorbacks ended up using six total pitchers in the outing and broke the program record for strikeouts in a matchup with 25
“Just a great job by the pitching staff,” Van Horn said. “You know, put some freshmen out in some really, really tough situations, and they answered the bell. Gained a lot of really good experience tonight. It was a tough loss, but give their pitching staff credit. They just kept getting us to roll over balls. We hit a lot of ground balls to the pull side. We had a lot of shots for a hit to grab the lead, but we never got it. Just a super job by our pitching staff.”
In the 14th inning, Oklahoma State finally broke through with a single and an error that advanced the runners to second and third. The Cowboys walked the game off with a squeeze on a bunt single. Even after the heartbreak, Van Horn wanted his team to be able to move on.
“Well, like I said, weâre not going to spend a lot of time out here talking,” Van Horn said. “We have another one tomorrow, so the message would be to go get some rest.
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Up next, No. 2 Arkansas (5-1) will take on the Michigan Wolverines (2-4) on Sunday afternoon at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. CT and will stream on FloSports.
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Kentucky had a need at wide receiver entering the only transfer portal window of the offseason. The Wildcats addressed the position again on Day 10. UK has added a second transfer to the room. This is a familiar name to those who follow recruiting.
Arkansas transfer Ja’Kayden Ferguson committed to the Wildcats after his visit to Lexington over the weekend. The wide receiver was a former UK commit who flipped to the Hogs during the 2025 recruiting cycle. Now Ferguson has flipped back to the Big Blue.
Ja’Kayden Ferguson was a three-star recruit out of Metro Houston who picked Kentucky following a June official visit ahead of the 2024 season. However, Ferguson decided to open up his recruitment five months later and flipped to Arkansas. The 6-foot-2 receiver appeared in six games for the Razorbacks as a true freshman and burned his redshirt. Ferguson played just 20 offensive snaps.
The SEC transfer becomes the eighth current full-time scholarship player in Kentucky’s current wide receivers room. Some more additions are expected.
KNOXVILLE, TN – January 16, 2025 – “We Back Pat” on jersey during the game between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Tennessee Lady Volunteers at Food City Center in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Kate Luffman/Tennessee Athletics
Lady Vols basketball is back in Knoxville for a matchup with Arkansas after a two-game road stand. Tennessee is not only looking to stay perfect in SEC play, but is hosting its annual ‘We Back Pat’ game.
Here’s everything to know about the matchup, from broadcast details to a prediction.
More From RTI: Everything Lady Vols HC Kim Caldwell, PG Mia Pauldo Said After Road Win At Mississippi State
How to Watch — No. 20 Lady Vols (11-3, 3-0 SEC) vs. Arkansas (11-7, 0-3 SEC)
Start Time: 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT
Location: Food City Center (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Watch: SECN+ | PxP: Andy Brock, Analyst: Kamera Harris
Online Streaming: Watch ESPN
Radio (Knoxville): The Vol Network/The Vol Network App
Vol Network radio crew: PxP: Brian Rice, Studio Host: Jay Lifford
Betting Odds
None listed yet
ESPN Matchup Predictor
Lady Vols – 98.3%
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Arkansas – 1.7%
What Kim Caldwell Said After Mississippi State
“Good to get a win on the road. We know it’s a tough environment and we know that we got to win on the road in the SEC. It was good to do that. I wasn’t really proud of the rebounding, but I thought we looked a lot better in a couple different categories so that was good.”
Last Five Games
Lady Vols:
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at Mississippi State, 90-90 W
at Auburn, 73-56 W
vs. Florida, 76-65 W
vs. Southern Indiana, 89-44 W
vs. Louisville (Brooklyn), 89-65 L
Arkansas:
vs. South Carolina, 93-58 L
at Alabama, 77-48 L
vs. Vanderbilt, 88-71 L
vs. Arkansas State, 81-72 L
vs. Stephen F. Austin, 82-73 W
Where They Land In Rankings
Lady Vols:
AP Poll – No. 20
Coaches Poll – No. 22
Bart Torvik – No. 13
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Arkansas:
AP Poll – Unranked
Coaches Poll – Unranked
Bart Torvik – No. 107
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Stat Leaders
Lady Vols:
Points: Talaysia Cooper – 14.9
Rebounds: Zee Spearman – 7.3
Assists: Talaysia Cooper – 4.3
Arkansas:
Points: Taleyah Jones – 16.9
Rebounds: Bonnie Deas – 9.7
Assists: Bonnie Deas – 2.6
Prediction
It’s been a rough start for Arkansas’ new coach, Kelsi Musick. The team is 0-3 in SEC games, and though it’s been against three good teams, the Razorbacks haven’t been competitive in any.
While neither side has been strong, Arkansas’ defense has been the weakest point. Not only is it coming off a game in which it gave up 93 points to South Carolina, but Arkansas State hung 81 in its win over the Razorbacks on the road.
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If the Lady Vols don’t get in their own way, then they should be fine. It hasn’t been perfect, and against three teams not necessarily in the mix to win the league, but Tennessee has looked much improved in the SEC slate compared to the lumps it took in the out-of-conference schedule.
I’d think UT jumps on Arkansas in the first quarter and takes a comfortable lead into the second quarter. From there, the lead should continue to grow behind forced turnovers in the press and easy baskets on the other end.
