Arkansas
Scouting Report: Arkansas at Kentucky
The Arkansas Razorbacks (12-8, 1-6 SEC) are preparing for a long-awaited matchup against the No. 12 Kentucky Wildcats (15-5, 4-3 SEC) on Saturday at Rupp Arena.
Led by first-year head coach Mark Pope, the Wildcats are off to an interesting start in SEC play in the 2024-25 season. Kentucky owns wins over teams such as Florida, Mississippi State, Texas A&M and most recently Tennessee, but has also lost to Georgia, Alabama and Vanderbilt.
“They’re good,” Arkansas coach John Calipari said Thursday. “(Pope has) got them playing in a way they gotta play to win. They play hard. They shoot 3s. They spread the court. He’s got them playing good. They’re playing in a confident way, so he’s done a good job with them.”
Calipari’s return to Lexington is the obvious storyline for this rivalry game, as the Hall of Famer led Kentucky to four Final Fours and one National Championship in a 15 year span. Though Calipari said he expects boos from fans, it won’t change the history of what he accomplished with the Wildcats.
“(The fans) all remember what went on and where it started and how we got it going in that span of time,” Calipari said. “It could be matched, but you’re going to have to really do some stuff. And I’m not just talking to Kentucky, I’m talking anywhere. And so, yeah, however that is, believe me, my focus is going to be on my team to give us the best chance to be able to play that game, compete at a high level, and be there at the end where you have a chance.”
Here’s a closer comparison of Arkansas’ and Kentucky’s stats, efficiency ratings, projected lineup for the Wildcats and more ahead of Saturday’s game, which is set to tip off at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN:
High-scoring innings have been a common theme of the college baseball season’s early stages.
From Alabama’s 12-run comeback to beat Ohio State to Texas’ eight-run inning against Oklahoma State, some teams haven’t had trouble knocking off the offseason rust — if anything, they’ve been eager to let the bats do all the talking.
No. 5 Arkansas (8-1, 0-0 SEC) added its hat into the conversation on Friday, beating Charlotte (4-4, 0-0 AAC) 11-10 inspired by a 10-run fourth inning.
The 49ers jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first with three extra-base hits and added four more in the fourth. Outside of the Razorbacks’ left fielder Charles Davalan’s home run in the third, Charlotte had all the momentum entering the bottom half of the fourth.
That narrative was erased by the end of the inning. Arkansas right fielder Logan Maxwell started the party with a home run to right center and the Razorbacks didn’t turn back. Five of the next six batters reached base, while the team scored six of its 10 runs with two outs, including shortstop Wehiwa Aloy’s three-run double to right center.
WHO ELSE BUT KUHIO ALOY pic.twitter.com/BKmyHD9Baq
— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) February 28, 2025
Charlotte threw the kitchen sink at Arkansas, using three pitchers in the inning, hoping to stop the bleeding, but it wasn’t enough. Outside of the double-digit runs, the Razorbacks had 16 plate appearances, five singles, three walks, two doubles, two hit-by-pitches and Maxwell’s home run.
The 49ers couldn’t scrummage up much after the meltdown, producing zero hits in the last three innings after first baseman Cody Gunderson’s home run in the sixth.
The series opening win for Arkansas marks the team’s fourth straight victory of the season.
How to Watch, BetSaracen Odds: Arkansas vs. Charlotte
The No. 4 Arkansas Razorbacks (7-1, 0-0 SEC) will start a three-game series against the Charlotte 49ers (4-3, 0-0 AAC) on Friday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.
Arkansas is fresh off a 14-3 run-rule win in seven innings against Grambling State on Tuesday. Charlotte dropped two of three games last weekend against Old Dominion before bouncing back with an 8-1 win over Longwood on Tuesday.
Designated hitter Kuhio Aloy has been on a tear to start the season for the Hogs, and he kept that going with 4 hits that all had exit velocities of at least 100 miles per hour Tuesday. Catcher Ryder Helfrick and centerfielder Justin Thomas Jr. became the first Hogs to homer this year not named Kuhio Aloy, Wehiwa Aloy or Brent Iredale.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Gabe Gaeckle will make his third start of the season Friday. Gaeckle gave up two earned runs on five hits with four walks and two strikeouts across 5.2 innings pitched last Friday in a 3-2 loss to Kansas State at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
The 49ers rank third in the American Athletic Conference with a team ERA of 3.74, but their 75 strikeouts at the plate are second-most among all AAC teams. Merrimack transfer Dawson Bryce leads the team with 10 hits and he has four multi-hit games already this season.
All three games of this weekend’s series will stream on SEC Network+. First pitch Friday is 3 p.m., Saturday is set for a 2 p.m. first pitch and Sunday’s game will begin at noon.
Below are details on how to watch, BetSaracen betting lines, links to stream and links to all of our coverage leading up to the game…
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How to Watch/Listen
Who: Arkansas Razorbacks (7-1, 0-0 SEC) vs. Charlotte 49ers (4-3, 0-0 AAC)
When: Friday, February 28 at 3 p.m. CT
Where: Baum-Walker Stadium — Fayetteville, Arkansas
TV/Stream: SEC Network+ / Watch ESPN (Josh Haley and Shawn Murnin)
Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Phil Elson and Bubba Carpenter)
Starting Pitchers
Arkansas:
Sophomore RHP Gabe Gaeckle
6’0″, 190 pounds / Aptos, California / Aptos HS
2025 stats: 0-0, 1.69 ERA, 2 GP, 10.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 9 K
Charlotte:
Grad Senior RHP Mike Szturma
6’3″, 220 pounds / Beacon Falls, Connecticut / Southern Connecticut State
2025 stats: 1-0, 8.59 ERA, 2 GP, 7.1 IP, 12 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
BetSaracen Odds
Below are details on the betting odds for the game and Double R Prop bets. To get in on the action, visit BetSaracen.com and click on the Arkansas Specials tab.
(Lines and odds are subject to change at any point after the publishing of this story. HawgBeat does not guarantee any bet as a winner or loser. You must be at least 21 years of age to use BetSaracen. If you have a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit 1800gambler.net)
*All odds accurate as of the publishing of this story. They are subject to change.*
Moneyline/Spread
– Arkansas: -325, -1.5 (-170)
– Charlotte: +240, +1.5 (+130)
Double R Props (More available in the BetSaracen app)
– Kuhio Aloy over 0.5 home run (+140)
– Cam Kozeal over 0.5 hits and over 0.5 runs scored (+155)
– Gabe Gaeckle under 3.5 hits allowed and over 84.5 total pitches (+250)
– Logan Maxwell over 0.5 runs scored and over 0.5 strikeouts (+200)
– Justin Thomas Jr. over 0.5 home run (+350)
– Ryder Helfrick over 0.5 hits and over 0.5 runs scored (+250)
Catch Up On HawgBeat’s Arkansas Baseball Coverage
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Arkansas
Arkansas State Police arrested 2 wanted in connection with death investigation in Gassville, Ark.
GASSVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas State Police arrested two wanted in connection with a death investigation in Gassville.
Danny Paul Whitsel, 58, of Gassville, faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of Ian Lapio, 32, of Gassville. A judge set bond at $250,000. State prosecutors also charged Crystal Marie Whitesel on a count of aggravated assault and terroristic threatening.
Investigators say the incident happened on Mountain Loop Road on January 25. Officers found Lapio dead in the street of an apparent gunshot wound. Witnesses told authorities the two men were involved in an altercation.
Arkansas State Police investigators assisted the Gassville Police Department with the investigation.
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