Arkansas

Arkansas wins ugly to extend season; now need just one more to make history

Published

9 months ago

May 25, 2025

Arkansas wins ugly to extend season; now need just one more to make history

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Over the past 56 games, Arkansas’ season is filled with plenty of different pretty moments.

Three of the program’s 17 no-hitters came within the last three months. Twenty-three run-rule victories is a program record for a season that shattered the old record of 16 (2014).

In an elimination game, none of it was pretty. Lefty starter Payton Burnham was throwing up just hours before she took the mound to spin a complete game shutout.

Although she retired the final 14 hitters, she had to strand a runner on base in each of the first three innings in a 2-0 game.

Arkansas Razorbacks pitcher Payton Burnham and first baseman Bri Ellis celebrate winning Super Regional game to set up a third game at Bogle Park in Fayetteville, Ark. / Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

Burnham had her Jordan flu game moment, battling an illness over the past 36 hours.

“ Resting [and] recovering,” Burnham said. “Just trying to get back to at least 80% as fast as possible.”

The Arkansas offense, ranked eighth in runs in the NCAA that averaged nearly eight runs a game, was held to just six hits on four runs.

All the runs were aided by less than stellar Ole Miss defense.

The two runs in the first came without the ball ever leaving the infield. The two runs in the fifth came directly as a result of a pair of errors.

“It doesn’t matter what it looks like,” coach Courtney Deifel. “Tonight it was a phenomenal performance on defense and our hitters did enough, and that’s really all that matters.”

In a season of pretty wins, historical moments and beauty prizes of offensive brilliance, it was perhaps the most ugly duckling of them all that extended its season an extra day.

“ She wants the ball,” Deifel said about Burnham. “She wants the moment. If you’re gonna be a pitcher, you have to want that. It takes a special breed to do that. She thrives in it, and she was just really excited to feel better.”

Now Arkansas finds themselves in the same position that they were nearly three years ago. The Hogs managed just five hits across seven innings in a decisive game three in 2022 against Texas.

Their season ended with a whimper, as the Longhorns took the ticket to Oklahoma City away from Deifel and the Razorbacks on their home field.

The Hogs look to avoid that same fate three years later, win and make program history.

“ I don’t know another team that would be able to do what they did yesterday,” Deifel said. “Just was incredibly proud of ’em.”

“For them to turn the page from yesterday and show up today and play loose with their backs against the wall, but never feeling that from them was really special.

“They know tomorrow’s about toughness. It’s gonna take a lot of guts, a lot of heart, and a lot of toughness. They’ll be ready.”

Ole Miss doesn’t have the same scar tissue, with the first game being the first Super Regional win in school history. It’s a one game shootout where the pressure cooker gets cranked up to another level.

“Having the ability to let go,” Ole Miss coach Jamie Trachsel said. “The great players, the elite players, they just do it faster than everybody else. We would have liked to win, we didn’t. Our team has done a pretty good job of flushing and moving on.”

First pitch between Ole Miss and Arkansas is scheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.

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Arkansas

Arkansas Bested by Mizzou on Sunday

Published

10 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

It was a tight battle all the way through, but ultimately No. 7 Missouri took down No. 8 Arkansas in Sunday’s SEC dual, 197.425-197.225.

There was plenty for the Gymbacks to be proud of in the meet, starting with the all-around performance of freshman Allison Cucci. She earned a new career high of 39.500, good for the all-around crown and the highest of any freshman in the nation this season. Cucci also tied for first on vault (9.900) and got second on beam (9.925).

Redshirt junior had a fantastic outing as a floor specialist and scored a 9.900 on vault and 9.925 on floor. Both marks were good for a share of first place on the events. Senior Morgan Price earned a big 9.925 at bars anchor, which tied for first on the event.

The last two events of the day kept Arkansas in contention with Mizzou, as the Gymbacks went 49.425 on both floor and beam, the latter a season high.

Bars

After a 9.675 from Joscelyn Roberson in the lead-off spot, Hailey Klein got the Gymbacks on pace again with a 9.875. Avery King made her collegiate debut next and delivered a great 9.825 routine in a last-minute situation. Her fellow freshmen Avalon Campbell and Allison Cucci went next and scored a 9.750 and 9.800, respectively. Morgan Price anchored with the energy Arkansas needed and capped her routine with a stick to score 9.925. Arkansas finished the bars rotation with a 49.175.

Vault

Cami Weaver and Leah Smith opened the vault rotation with Yurchenko fulls, scoring 9.800 and 9.750. Cucci and Klein were the team’s first 1.5s of the day, and the two scored 9.875 and 9.800, respectively. Lauren Williams went 9.875 in the fifth position and Morgan Price earned a 9.850. The Gymbacks scored 49.200 total on vault.

Floor

Arkansas started out floor with a 9.825 from Hailey Klein and a 9.850 from Cami Weaver. Cucci then broke into the 9.900 range with a new career high 9.900 midway through the rotation. Smith went 9.850 in the fourth position, keeping Arkansas on pace. Williams and Roberson closed the rotation strong with scores of 9.925 and 9.900, which pushed the Gymbacks’ floor total to 49.425.

Beam

Madison Gustitus began the beam rotation with a 9.775, and Priscilla Park went 9.875 next for the Gymbacks. Klein concluded her all-around day with a 9.850 on beam midway through the final rotation. Cucci came up next and got a huge 9.925, a new personal best for her. Weaver followed with a 9.875, which brought Roberson up to anchor. She did her usual and scored a 9.900, and Arkansas closed the meet with a 49.425 event score on beam, a new season high.

Up Next

Arkansas returns to Bud Walton Arena for its home finale against No. 1 Oklahoma on Friday, March 6. The meet has been deemed a White Out, and the team is pushing fans to help break the NCAA gymnastics attendance record, which is currently just over 16,000. It will also be Senior Night, honoring a fantastic class of Razorbacks. Action is set for 7:15 p.m. and tickets are available online, by phone, or in person. The meet will be streamed live on SEC Network+.

More Information

Visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com for the latest information on all things Arkansas Gymnastics. You can also find the Razorbacks on social media by liking us on Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Gymnastics) and following us on Twitter and Instagram (@RazorbackGym).

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Arkansas

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Arkansas will need more than Robinson’s coerced contribution | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Published

22 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Wally Hall

whall@adgnewsroom.com

Wally Hall is assistant managing sports editor for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. A graduate of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock after an honorable discharge from the U.S. Air Force, he is a member and past president of the Football Writers Association of America, member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, past president and current executive committee and board member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, and voter for the Heisman Trophy. He has been awarded Arkansas Sportswriter of the Year 10 times and has been inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and Arkansas Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame.

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Arkansas

Who is Taylen Green? Arkansas QB dazzles with record-setting NFL combine performance

Published

1 day ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Who is Taylen Green? Arkansas QB dazzles with record-setting NFL combine performance

Move over, Anthony Richardson. There’s a new quarterback athletic marvel at the NFL scouting combine.

On Saturday in Indianapolis, Arkansas’ Taylen Green broke Richardson’s top marks at the position since 2003 for both the vertical leap and broad jump. Green’s 43½-inch vertical topped Richardson’s previous high by three inches, while his 11-2 broad jump beat the Indianapolis Colts signal-caller’s measurement by five inches.

Then, Green reeled off a 4.36-second 40-yard dash time. That stood as the second-best time for any quarterback since 2003, trailing only Reggie McNeal in 2006 (4.35 seconds). Richardson, for comparison, logged a 4.43-second mark in 2023.

Green didn’t even bother with a second attempt after his initial time.

The testing profile created quite the stir around the 6-6, 227-pound passer, who had widely projected as a developmental option for teams on Day 3.

NFL Network’s Charles Davis said Green told him that no teams had approached him about working out as a receiver, adding that he would not be interested in a position switch.

Green started for the Razorbacks for the last two seasons after playing the first three years of his career at Boise State. Known for his running ability and ample arm strength, Green threw for 2,714 yards and 19 touchdowns last year while adding 777 yards and eight scores on the ground.

It was a banner day for Arkansas, as running back Mike Washington Jr. also stood out among his peers with a group-leading 4.33-second 40-yard dash as well as strong marks in the vertical leap (39 inches) and broad jump (10-8).

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