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Iredale Getting Hot, Completes Blazing Razorback Offense

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Iredale Getting Hot, Completes Blazing Razorback Offense


FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — South Carolina coach Paul Mainieri was simply playing the numbers Sunday against Arkansas.

With runners on second and third and one out in a two-run game, Mainieri had a choice, either face Kuhio Aloy, the Razorbacks’ best hitter this season, or put him at first and set up a force out at every base and face third baseman Brent Iredale.

Iredale was 2-for-17 with 10 strikeouts in SEC play when he went to the plate with a point to prove.

Turns out, the Aussie got the last laugh, hitting a grand slam to apply the coupe de grace on a dominant SEC sweep over South Carolina, outscoring the Gamecocks 35-9 across the three games.

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“It’s like you [messed] up basically,” Iredale said amidst the laughter from the media. A teammate told him he could say that. “It’s my turn to show you what I can do.”

Even though Iredale is off to a slow start, he’s still happy with where he’s at and the overall headspace at the plate.

“I’m seeing the ball pretty well,” Iredale said. “I don’t know exactly why I’m not hitting the ball, but I’m seeing it fine. I’m not swinging at bad pitches all at-bats, but stuff is starting to click.”

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Iredale was one of the team’s hottest hitters to start the year to start the season, but has cooled off over the past few weeks. The bottom of the line-up picked up the slack in the series to give the Hogs a 5-1 start for the second straight year in SEC play.

“You’re never going to have nine hitting at a time,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “If you can have five guys hitting and the other guys working the count, even though they’re not getting their hits, it’s going to make it better for everybody.” 

Iredale just missed a grand slam in the fifth inning, sending a ball to the warning track in right for a go-ahead sac fly, losing a bet to the batboy in the process.

“I had a little bet with one of my coach’s kids that he’d give me his shoes if I get a grand slam,” Iredale said. “Unfortunately, I flew out to right. I’m just trying to put good swings on every at bat. That’s all I’m trying to do.”

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Despite Iredale’s struggles, he’s still tied for second on the team with 10 RBIs in SEC play for a team that is averaging 10.8 runs per game.

Arkansas will face Missouri State 6 p.m. Tuesday before heading on the road against Vanderbilt to continue SEC play. Tuesday’s game will be streamed on SEC+.

• SCOUTING REPORT: No. 3 Texas Tech a Big Challenge for Hogs

• Razorbacks sweep Gamecocks with late burst

• Former Razorbacks QB earns new NFL contract with old team

• Portal season will see significant differences at Arkansas this year

• As mid-tier of SEC gets sent packing, Calipari’s Hogs still dancing





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Two Arkansas men convicted on methamphetamine, cocaine conspiracies across multiple states

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Two Arkansas men convicted on methamphetamine, cocaine conspiracies across multiple states


A federal jury has convicted two Arkansas men and a California man involved in methamphetamine and cocaine conspiracies that spanned from California to Texas to Arkansas, involving multiple pounds of drugs.

The trial, spanning six days, ended Tuesday evening with guilty verdicts for 54-year-old Bruce McArthur Smith, of Hesperia, Calif., 54-year-old Kevin Langel, of Pine Bluff, and 71-year-old Larry Rogers, of Benton.

The three men were initially indicted in November 2022, with a federal grand jury returning a Superseding Indictment on January 6, 2026. Smith was charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.

Langel and Rogers were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, with Langel’s charge involving more than five kilograms of cocaine and Rogers’ charge involving more than 500 grams, but less than five kilograms of cocaine.

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Evidence proved the controlled substances being sold by the three men were ultimately purchased from 58-year-old Roderick Toney, of Little Rock.

Toney pleaded guilty on February 7, 2025, to conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Toney is awaiting sentencing.

At the trial, the prosecution presented phone calls between Smith and Toney that detailed multiple methamphetamine transactions.

The investigation revealed that Smith knew individuals in Pine Bluff and came to Arkansas multiple times during the conspiracy period of 2020 through 2022.

Toney received a large amount of methamphetamine directly from Smith at an apartment complex in Little Rock several times during the period.

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In June and July 2022, Toney was purchasing kilograms of Cocaine from Rogers.

Evidence detailed Toney and Rogers’ movements on July 14, 2022, when Rogers obtained money from a relative of Toney’s at a car wash, and proceeded to travel to a business on Geyer Springs Road in Little Rock, where he met Langel and obtained a kilogram of cocaine.

In addition to evidence that Langel was the source of supply of cocaine that Rogers obtained for Toney, the prosecution presented evidence that Langel was involved in numerous kilogram transactions of cocaine sourced from Houston and Dallas in late 2022 and early 2023.

All men were detained following the jury’s verdict and will be sentenced at a later time.

Smith and Langel’s conspiracy charges carry a minimum sentence of 10 years, with a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a minimum of five years’ supervised release to follow. Rogers’ charge carries a minimum of five years and a maximum sentence of 40 years, and four years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

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Arkansas State University will get $2.1 million in federal funds for steel research | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

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Arkansas State University will get .1 million in federal funds for steel research | Arkansas Democrat Gazette


Arkansas State University will use $2.1 million in congressionally directed spending to acquire industry-grade testing equipment for its advanced materials and steel manufacturing center and to expand steel research, the college said Wednesday.

The funding comes from an earmark by U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., who secured the money in the Fiscal Year 2026 spending package.

A-State’s new equipment will enhance the Center for Advanced Materials and Steel Manufacturing’s ability to study the properties of steel, according to a news release. The investments will let researchers work directly with the college’s industry partners to improve production processes, reduce delays and accelerate innovations in steel manufacturing.

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“This funding allows A-State to connect advanced research with the real-world industry needs across the continuum of the workforce pipeline,” A-State Chancellor Todd Shields said in a statement.

A-State’s $10 million steel center was announced two years ago, with the goal of supporting the region’s steel economy and workforce. Northeast Arkansas has become a center for steel production, particularly in Mississippi County, which has billed itself as “America’s #1 Steel Producing County.”

There are 20 steel-related businesses in the county that employ about 3,600 people, or nearly a quarter of the county’s workforce. The average wage for manufacturing jobs in the county is $99,000.

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Little Rock Firm Acquires $68M Office Portfolio in Northwest Arkansas

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Little Rock Firm Acquires M Office Portfolio in Northwest Arkansas


NWA Office Holdings LLC, an affiliate of Orion Capital Partners of Little Rock, announced the $68 million acquisition of a 22-building office portfolio totaling more than 405,000 rentable SF across Benton County.

The portfolio includes the 14-building Pinnacle Park complex in Rogers and Bentonville Commerce, an eight-building complex in Bentonville located near the Walmart’s new corporate campus.

Natural Capital of Little Rock exited its investment in Pinnacle Park, a portfolio of 12 commercial buildings that it had jointly owned with Orion since May 2023.

“The Pinnacle Park disposition represents one of several realizations underway within Natural Capital Fund II, which is focused on monetizing mature investments and returning capital to limited partners,” a press release from Natural Capital stated.

Orion Capital Partners has consolidated ownership of the portfolio through the newly formed NWA Office Holdings LLC affiliate. The transaction was financed with senior debt provided by Simmons Bank.

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A press release from Orion said that the region’s concentration of Fortune 500 employers, combined with sustained population growth and the supplier and vendor ecosystem, supports consistent demand for well-located office space.

“The portfolio is supported by the same long-term fundamentals that have driven growth in the region for years, including location, tenant demand, and durable performance tied to the broader employer ecosystem,” Ben Lester, a partner at Orion Capital Partners, said in the release. “We have been bullish on this market for a long time, and this transaction reinforces our confidence in its future.”

The properties serve tenants including health care providers, professional services firms and companies connected to the Walmart supply chain ecosystem.

In addition to Simmons Bank, Orion worked closely with Cushman & Wakefield Sage Partners, which will continue to provide property management and leasing services for the portfolio.

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