Arkansas

Iredale Getting Hot, Completes Blazing Razorback Offense

Published

1 year ago

March 24, 2025

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.

Intentional walk to face @BrentIredale?
GONNA REGRET THAT ONE, MATE! pic.twitter.com/vXK4ND8pwJ
— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) March 23, 2025

“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.”

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.

We go up on @BrentIredale‘s sac fly! pic.twitter.com/1a5kucmBCt
— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) March 23, 2025

“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.”

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+.

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• 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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Arkansas

Arkansas Governor joins national A.I. workforce initiative

Published

6 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Press Room

Arkansas Governor joins national A.I. workforce initiative

LITTLE ROCK, AR (KATV) — Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has joined a new national artificial intelligence initiative that launched Thursday, June 25.

RAISE US, started by former Governor Eric Holcomb of Indiana and Gina Raimondo, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce is a nonpartisan national organization that will partner with governors, employers, workers and training organizations to help the workforce transition to an AI economy.

“As artificial intelligence transforms America’s economy, we have one clear message: technology should empower people, not replace them. By leveraging our Arkansas LAUNCH initiative, and with the resources and expertise provided by RAISE US, Arkansas will turn that mission into reality. We want the Natural State to be a leader on education, workforce training, and up-skilling, and this new partnership gives us the tools we need to build a model for the entire nation.”

The organization will design and pilot incentives to retrain workers, new approaches to support job transitions, and training models tied to employer demand.

RAISE US launches with more than two dozen American companies and philanthropies and initial state partnerships in Connecticut, Maryland and Utah.

“America has a technology strategy for leading the global AI competition. It does not yet have a people strategy — and we cannot lead without one,” Raimondo, who will serve as CEO of RAISE US, said.

“If we build the best AI systems in the world and leave millions of Americans behind, we won’t have won anything; we’ll have automated our own decline. I believe AI will create new jobs and industries over time, but the transition could be disruptive, and it’s already underway. We shouldn’t fearmonger, but we can’t pretend our training and worker support systems are ready either. It’s time for innovative and practical solutions. This moment demands ambition, urgency, and creativity. We’ve assembled the country’s top companies, best economists, and bipartisan governors at a scale rarely seen — all to advance new ideas and incentives, pilot them with governors and business, and scale what works.”

Governor Sanders is partnering with RAISE US to support Arkansas LAUNCH, an AI-powered career navigation platform that connects students and jobseekers to personalized learning and employer-linked career pathways.

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