Arkansas
Friday D1 Digest: Arkansas Diggs Deep, Irish Rise, Vandy’s Noland Goes Bonkers • D1Baseball
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Sport Of The Day: No. 5 Arkansas 9, No. 1 LSU 3
If all you probably did was take a look at the ultimate rating of Friday’s marquee matchup between Arkansas and LSU you wouldn’t suppose it was game-of-the-day materials. This contest, nonetheless, entered further innings in a 1-1 tie earlier than seeing the visiting Razorbacks explode for eight runs within the prime of the tenth. Freshman Reese Robinett hit a pinch-hit, three-run dwelling run that broke the tie. After a pair of singles, a stroll, a sac fly and a success by pitch, Kendall Diggs stepped to the plate for the second time within the inning – drawing a stroll to open the tenth – and delivered a grand slam that put the sport out of attain. LSU star heart fielder Dylan Crews hit a two-run homer within the backside of the inning earlier than this recreation ended.
Hagen Smith moved to 4-0 on the yr with 4 2/3 sturdy innings, placing out eight LSU batters, after fellow lefthander Hunter Hollan labored the primary 5 1/3 innings of the sport with out permitting a run to attain. LSU ace Paul Skenes continued to do Paul Skenes issues, permitting a run on two hits and three walks with 12 strikeouts in seven innings.
Upset Of The Day: Notre Dame 4, No. 6 Louisville 3
It’s exhausting to name this one an upset contemplating Notre Dame participated within the School World Collection final summer time, however sixth-ranked Louisville entered their collection in South Bend as one of the vital dominant groups within the nation, sporting an 18-2 document with their ace, Ryan Hawks, on the mound. Hawks gave the impression to be cruising, opening the sport with 4 scoreless frames earlier than operating into bother within the fifth inning.
Notre Dame plated three runs within the fifth to take a 3-2 lead, seeing Zack Prajzner and Jack Zyska hit back-to-back doubles. After Louisville bought a run again within the prime of the sixth, freshman second baseman Estevan Moreno hit the second dwelling run of his collegiate profession within the backside of the inning, which proved to be the eventual recreation winner. Irish lefthander Aidan Tyrell offered 3 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen to protect the win.
Participant Of The Day: Parker Noland and RJ Schreck, Vanderbilt
It’s exhausting to discover a good solution to say it, however No. 4 Vanderbilt completely destroyed Mississippi State in Starkville on Friday, 26-3, to open their three-game collection. Normally while you see a recreation like this you count on to see massive numbers up and down the lineup, however on this one the majority of the harm was achieved by two key sluggers.
Proper fielder RJ Schreck went 3-for-3 with a double, a pair of homers, eight RBIs and 4 runs scored. However even these numbers don’t examine to what first baseman Parker Noland did on the plate, going 5-for-6 with a pair of dwelling runs, three runs scored and 11 pushed in. After Enrique Bradfield led off the sport with a house run, Schreck adopted – two batters later – with a two-run dwelling run. Schreck added a two-run double, a three-run homer, and a bases-loaded hit by pitch. Noland hit a two-run single as a part of Vanderbilt’s seven-run third and added one other RBI base knock within the fourth. His actual heavy lifting began within the sixth when he hit grand slams in consecutive innings.
Pitcher Of The Day: Ryan Johnson, Dallas Baptist
After making his earlier 5 begins on Saturdays, Johnson was moved as much as Friday in Dallas Baptist’s opening collection contest at Charlotte. Johnson – a 6-foot-6, 212-pounded righthander that is without doubt one of the prime prospects eligible for the 2024 draft – responded along with his finest outing of the season, out-dueling Charlotte ace Wyatt Hudepohl over seven innings. Throughout that point Johnson allowed a pair of runs on two base hits with out permitting a stroll whereas fanning 12. The runs got here off an opening-inning dwelling run off the bat of Charlotte’s Cam Fisher, however Johnson rapidly settled down and was excellent the remainder of his outing, responding within the second inning by placing out the facet.
D1Baseball’s Aaron Fitt was in Charlotte to look at Johnson’s efficiency as you may study extra about DBU’s 6-2 win right here: Masterful Johnson Leads Surging DBU Previous Charlotte.
Gamecocks, Volunteers Emerge Victorious In Ranked SEC Matchups
No. 11 South Carolina scored 4 runs within the backside of the ninth to outlive a scare and stroll off newly ranked No. 22 Missouri whereas No. 12 Tennessee bounced again from their collection sweep to Mizzou every week in the past with a convincing 10-4 win over No. 21 Texas A&M on Friday.
The Gamecocks and Tigers exchanged dwelling runs within the early innings of this recreation, together with three off the bat of Missouri third baseman Luke Mann in a 4-for-5, six-RBI efficiency. South Carolina’s leadoff man, Will McGillis, additionally had an enormous day on the plate, going 2-for-2 with a grand slam to kick off the sport’s scoring within the backside of the second inning. The profitable run got here round to attain on a throwing error because the Gamecocks moved to 21-2 on the still-young season.
Tennessee answered Texas A&M’s two-run first with 5 runs within the backside of the body and by no means regarded again. Kavares Tears and Hunter Ensley hit back-to-back doubles to shut out the scoring within the first inning and Tears added a sac fly later within the recreation giving him a 2-for-2, three-RBI efficiency on the plate. The Vols jumped throughout Aggies ace Nathan Dettmer whereas Chase Dollander settled in properly after giving up three runs within the first two innings to go 6 2/3 sturdy, placing out eight within the series-opening victory.
Duke’s Pollard Reaches Milestone In Comeback Win
Duke Head Coach Chris Pollard recorded his 700th profession teaching win on Friday in a comeback 8-5 win over No. 15 North Carolina to even their collection. Of these wins, 315 of them have occurred on the helm of the Blue Devils in his 11th yr as skipper of this system.
Duke carried a 3-1 lead into the underside of the sixth when UNC scored 4 runs to take a 5-3 lead. Duke pulled inside one the following half inning on a homer run by Damon Lux and moved forward within the eighth inning with 4 extra runs, three approaching a house run by Alex Mooney. The 2 ACC rivals will play the rubber match on Saturday.
Fast Hits
• No. 8 Virginia and Florida State took a 1-1 tie into the ninth inning earlier than issues bought attention-grabbing, and never essentially in a great way. FSU scored a run, on a fielding error, within the prime of the ninth to quickly take a 2-1 lead. UVA then scored a single run of their very own, on a wild pitch, within the backside of the ninth to drive further innings. The profitable run for Virginia scored on one other fielding error to win in walk-off style, claiming the primary recreation of the collection in Charlottesville.
• In different ACC motion, newly ranked (once more) Miami held the highly effective Wake Forest offense off the board for the primary two innings earlier than the Demon Deacons awoke with back-to-back four-run innings within the third and fourth as a part of an 11-0 victory. Justin Johnson’s two-run single within the third and Marek Houston’s two-run homer within the fourth proved to be the largest blows of the sport. Wake Forest ace Rhett Lowder moved to 5-0 on the yr with seven shutout innings, permitting simply three hits and a pair of walks with 9 punchouts.
• New Prime 25 entrant West Virginia and Xavier exchanged blows in what turned out to be a win for the 24th-ranked Mountaineers. Xavier answered WVU’s run within the backside of the second with a Jared Cushing solo dwelling run within the prime of the third. Within the backside of the fourth, West Virginia re-took the lead due to a two-run homer by Landon Wallace. Xavier answered as soon as once more, this time seeing former Mountaineer Matt McCormick hit a laser of a two-run dwelling run that tied the sport 3-3 within the prime of the sixth. Single tallies had been exchanged as soon as once more within the backside of the seventh and prime of the eighth earlier than JJ Wetherholt walked it off with an RBI single, his third hit of the sport.
• Additionally within the Large 12, Texas acquired sturdy pitching from the duo of Lucas Gordon and Zane Morehouse that helped the Longhorns to a 6-2 win over the Pink Raiders. Gordon labored the primary 5 1/3 innings, placing out eight, with Morehouse fanning 4 over the ultimate 3 2/3 spotless frames. Porter Brown’s two-run dwelling run within the sixth inning gave Texas the lead for good, including three extra within the eighth, two of which got here on a double by Jack O’Dowd.
• Boston School continued their profitable methods of their Prime 25 debut, beating a powerful NC State squad 4-1. Travis Honeyman’s three-run dwelling run within the third inning would show to be all the runs BC would want, regardless of tacking another on within the fourth inning for good measure. Henry Leake did a pleasant job shutting down the Wolfpack offense over six sturdy innings.
• Large Ten play opened up on Friday for almost half (6) of the groups within the league, with probably the most notable matchup occurring in Lincoln between Illinois and Nebraska. Huskers second baseman Max Anderson continued his torrid begin of the 2023 season by belting his fourth dwelling run of the yr within the first inning, a three-run shot. Cole Evans added a two-run double later within the inning that gave Nebraska an early 5-0 lead. Emmett Olson moved to 4-1 on the yr by placing out 10 Illini batters in seven strong innings of labor.
• As a substitute of beginning Large Ten play Rutgers had a tricky project dealing with UConn in Storrs this weekend and anticipated unhealthy climate within the Northeast on Saturday made for a doubleheader on Friday between the 2 groups. The Huskies bought the most effective of the Scarlet Knights in each contests, getting a walk-off single from Dominic Freeberger within the first recreation as a part of a 9-8 win and squeezing out one other one-run win within the second recreation, 6-5. UConn moved to 15-5 with the 2 wins whereas a beforehand red-hot Rutgers squad fell to 12-10.
• As Iowa moved to 17-3 on the season with a 9-3 win over Western Michigan on Friday, their fireballing ace, righthander Brody Brecht, had some massive information to share after the win. Brecht, as proven within the tweet under, introduced that he’ll not play soccer and as an alternative will concentrate on baseball shifting ahead. A sophomore armed with a triple-digit fastball and a depraved breaking ball; Brecht isn’t draft eligible till subsequent season. Via six begins this season, together with the final two as Iowa’s Friday ace, Brecht is 2-1, 2.20 with 46 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings and a .146 opponent’s batting common.
• No. 19 Florida Gulf Coast hit seven dwelling runs in a 28-7 thumping of North Alabama, together with a pair by leadoff hitter Brian Ellis. Second baseman Edrick Felix hit a grand slam with seven complete RBIs and Jake Mummau had a pair of doubles in a 4-for-6, four-RBI efficiency. FGCU scored a run in each inning of the run-shortened contest and hit a house run in each inning besides the sixth.
• UCF continues to make a powerful push for Prime 25 consideration with a 4-2 win over Maryland on Friday in Orlando. In a battle between two sturdy offenses, it was the pitching that dominated at the present time, seeing Ruddy Gomez transfer to 4-0 on the yr with eight sturdy innings. Kyle Kramer picked up his sixth save of the season with a clear ninth inning. UCF now has wins over Clemson (a highway sweep), Georgia Southern, Troy and Florida State as they transfer to 16-6 on the season.
• Auburn already claimed their collection in opposition to visiting Georgia with back-to-back wins on Thursday and Friday. The Tigers used a four-run sixth inning to tug forward of the Bulldogs, the largest blow being Justin Kirby’s three-run dwelling run.
• Coastal Carolina dominated Texas State to open their collection in Conway, S.C. with a 19-0 win. The Chants scored 4 within the first – kicking issues off with a grand slam off the bat of Zack Seaside – 4 extra within the second and 5 within the third to take a commanding, early lead and scored in every of each inning. Because the offense proved to be almost unstoppable, accumulating 16 base hits and 11 walks, Jacob Morrison moved to 3-0 on the yr by placing out eight batters over 5 shutout innings.
• After profitable their first two Pac-12 collection, USC’s upstart season continues with a powerful begin to their third in-conference collection, beating Washington State on Friday 13-3. Tyler Stromsborg had a formidable begin on the mound, placing out 10 Cougar batters in seven innings, permitting two runs on 4 hits and a stroll. Offensively Nick Lopez went 4-for-5 with three RBIs, Austin Overn, and Cole Gabrielson every loved three-hit performances and Ethan Hedges went 2-for-3 with 4 RBIs.
• Each of the Los Angeles-based Pac-12 groups collected wins over the Washington-based groups as UCLA shut out the Huskies 5-1. Jake Brooks spectacular season continues, placing out 9 batters in 6 2/3 scoreless innings permitting him to decrease his ERA from 4.91 to three.90. UCLA’s runs got here in a two-run fourth and a three-run seventh with the largest hits being Jack Holman’s two-run dwelling run and Duce Gourson’s two-run double.
Arkansas
Fed report: Arkansas’ economic expansion continued in December | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Arkansas’ economic expansion continued in the last months of 2024 and positions the state to continue building momentum as the year opens, according to a regional economic analysis released Wednesday.
Nevertheless, rising prices could hinder growth and business executives are worried about persisting inflation and the potential economic hurdles that tariff increases could create. Christmas holiday sales were uplifting, coming in better than expected and brightening the outlook for 2025.
Sales were helped by a late Thanksgiving that fueled a spending spree and delivered a kickstart to the year, the Federal Reserve Bank reported Wednesday in its Beige Book economic analysis. The report covers 12 regional districts, including Arkansas and surrounding states in the St. Louis district.
“Retailers in our district indicated that December sales were stronger than in previous years,” Charles Gascon, the Fed economist for the Arkansas region, said Wednesday.
Arkansas
Diggs '100% cleared' for big return to Arkansas lineup
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn gave a long-awaited update Wednesday on the status of senior outfielder Kendall Diggs, who suffered a torn labrum during the 2024 season.
Diggs, who exited a game against McNeese State in March with the injury, was hitting .357 at the time before finishing the year with a lowly .229 batting average.
It seems, after an offseason of recovery, the SEC veteran is on track for a major return for the Diamond Hogs.
“He’s 100% cleared to do everything now,” Van Horn said Wednesday. “Now, it’s all about timing at the plate. Getting that bat speed back that he’s had in the past. Seeing live pitching and just feeling confident…now it’s not about him being part of the team, because he’s going to be a big part of the team. It’s just a matter of how soon. We know what he can do when he’s full-go.”
A 6-foot-0, 210-pound lefty hitter from Olathe, Kansas, Diggs was named to the All-SEC Second Team in 2023 after slashing .299/.436/.547 with 12 home runs and a team-high 63 RBIs.
“You look at what (Kendall) has done in the past, he played 50-some games last year with major tears,” Van Horn said. “He’s swinging the bat, he’s going to hit live pitching tomorrow. When I say live pitching, not just batting practice, we’re talking live pitching. So, we’ll see how that goes. He’s a little bit behind, but he’ll get there.”
Even after his 2024 injury, many expected Diggs to be selected in the 2024 MLB Draft, and his return gave Arkansas another competitive piece in a loaded outfield full of transfer portal additions.
“He’s stronger than ever, even with the shoulder injury,” Van Horn said. “He’s had a chance to work on his lower half and he’s a full-grown man now. It’s time to go, and I think he’s excited about being out there.”
The Razorbacks will open their season Friday, Feb. 14, against Washington State at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.
Arkansas
New address, same issues: Why John Calipari's dismal start at Arkansas mirrors his fall from favor at Kentucky
Give John Calipari credit for stumbling upon a foolproof way to avoid extending his streak of early-round NCAA tournament flameouts.
You can’t get Gohlked again if you’re watching from the couch.
Arkansas is in major jeopardy of missing the NCAA tournament in Calipari’s highly anticipated debut season after an unremarkable non-league showing and a nightmare start to SEC play. The preseason No. 16 Razorbacks lost 78-74 at previously struggling LSU on Tuesday night to fall to 11-6 overall and 0-4 in the SEC.
It was concerning when then-No. 1 Tennessee outclassed Arkansas by 24 in Knoxville on the first Saturday of January. The warning signs grew more ominous when the Razorbacks followed that with back-to-back home losses against nationally ranked Ole Miss and Florida last week. Now it’s full-blown panic time in Hog Country after Arkansas went to Baton Rouge for an apparent get-right game against one of the SEC’s only non-NCAA tournament contenders and somehow lost that too.
Despite playing without its third- and fourth-leading scorers due to injury, LSU erased deficits of 12 points late in the first half and eight points a few minutes into the second half. The Tigers (12-5, 1-3) built a nine-point lead of their own with less than five minutes to go, then withstood full-court pressure and a late scoring flurry from standout Arkansas freshman Boogie Fland to close out the victory.
Calipari’s postgame news conference Tuesday night was reminiscent of many that he delivered after losses late in his Kentucky tenure. He shouldered the blame for not preparing his team well enough yet offered few specifics regarding adjustments he intended to make.
Twice, Calipari told reporters in Baton Rouge, “I’ve got to do a better job with my team.” Later, he described himself as disappointed he’s “not getting through to these guys” and claimed he “may have to drag them to the finish line in some of these close games.”
There’s still time for Arkansas to dig its way out of this midseason hole, but the Razorbacks’ road to the NCAA tournament is uphill and obstacle-laden. A neutral-court victory over Michigan is Arkansas’ lone Quadrant 1 or 2 victory this season in seven opportunities. The Razorbacks’ second-best win of the season is … Lipscomb? Troy? Maybe 4-13 ACC doormat Miami?
The historic strength of the SEC could be Arkansas’ salvation or demise. On one hand, plenty of chances for marquee victories remain in a league with nine teams in the current AP Top 25. On the other hand, per Ken Pomeroy, the Razorbacks will only be favored in five of their remaining 14 conference games. At this point, Arkansas is more likely to finish in the bottom third of the SEC than to make the NCAA tournament.
That Calipari’s former program is flourishing in his absence only highlights Arkansas’ struggles. Kentucky coach Mark Pope didn’t inherit a single returning player from Calipari, yet the roster he rebuilt on the fly via the transfer portal is 14-3 overall and 3-1 in the SEC. Fueled by its sleek, modern offense, Kentucky boasts impressive victories over Duke, Gonzaga, Louisville, Florida, Mississippi State and Texas A&M. If the season ended today, the Wildcats would be no worse than a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Deep-pocketed Arkansas boosters envisioned a similar outcome when they plunked down big money to lure Calipari from Kentucky last spring. The fresh start appeared to be a win-win for both parties with Calipari in need of an offramp out of Lexington and Arkansas in search of a jolt of excitement.
Calipari’s tenure at Kentucky was perfect, until it wasn’t. For almost a decade, he fulfilled Big Blue Nation’s wildest dreams. The revolving door of one-and-done talent he recruited won SEC titles, made deep NCAA tournament runs and even captured the 2012 national title. But the program that was two wins away from a historic 40-0 season in 2015 never approached those heights again. The atmosphere in Lexington turned especially toxic after Calipari’s Wildcats lost to 15th-seeded St. Peters in the first round of the 2022 NCAA tournament and to 14th-seeded Oakland last year.
What observers have since learned is that a fresh start requires more than a change of address and an influx of red blazers and quarter-zip pullovers. You can’t hire a 65-year-old coach, allow him to bring over an assortment of longtime assistants and then expect different results.
Armed with a war chest of NIL money that few other programs could match, Calipari assembled a roster that doesn’t mesh well with one-another or fit the modern game. Fland and fellow perimeter players DJ Wagner, Johnell Davis and Karter Knox can all hit a 3-pointer but are best with the ball in their hands attacking downhill. The spacing gets worse with forward Adou Thiero and center Jonas Aidoo in the frontcourt together, as neither are a threat from 3-point range.
Arkansas is shooting 33.7% from behind the arc as a team and is 248th nationally in percentage of points scored from 3-point range. Opposing defenses can afford to clog driving lanes, pack the paint and dare the Razorbacks to hoist contested jumpers early in the shot clock.
The hallmark of Calipari’s best Kentucky teams were long, athletic defenses that aggressively hounded 3-point shooters yet surrendered nothing easy at the rim. This Arkansas team is better defensively than some of Calipari’s most recent Kentucky teams, but it commits too many fouls and surrenders too many second-chance points to make up for the Razorbacks’ offensive woes.
Against LSU, it also didn’t help that a tough call went against Arkansas at a key juncture of the second half. LSU led 53-52 when referees called this a flagrant foul on Arkansas’ Trevon Brazile. The Razorbacks trailed 58-52 by the time they got the ball back.
How will Arkansas respond to a dismal SEC start made worse by the LSU loss? With effort and energy, Calipari says, despite a difficult upcoming schedule. Arkansas visits Missouri on Saturday, then hosts Georgia and Oklahoma. Matchups with Kentucky, Alabama, Auburn, Texas and Texas A&M await in February.
“I told them after the game, ‘I’m not cracking so let’s just keep going,’” Calipari said Tuesday.
The Razorbacks have no choice.
Either they turn their disappointing season around now, or Calipari’s debut campaign in Fayetteville will end shy of the NCAA tournament.
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