Arkansas
Taking stock of Arkansas’ outfield situation ahead of weekend scrimmages
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas wraps up the fall schedule with its first look at outside competition with a pair of scrimmages at Baum-Walker.
The Razorbacks will play against Arkansas-Little Rock and Dallas Baptist Friday and Saturday to round out over a month of prep before the team takes a hiatus before the spring.
One of the most crowded position battles features six names fighting for three spots to replace one of the more productive and powerful outfields under coach Dave Van Horn.
Charles Davalan, Justin Thomas and Logan Maxwell hit 36 home runs, the third-most for a Dave Van Horn outfield since 2014, behind only the 2023 and 2018 teams. Here’s the case for each of the six players to start.
Fall Stats: 7-for-21, home run, 2 doubles, 6 walks, 6 strikeouts (all stats are kept by the media and unofficial)
For the second straight season, Arkansas is on course to have a converted infielder make the change to outfield. Charles Davalan converted from an infielder to the outfield in high school. Niu will be making a similar transition.
Niu spent the 2024 season as Marshall’s every day shortstop, but spent the summer in the Cape Cod League as an everyday center fielder.
The transition is one that has gone well, Niu has looked comfortable in both center and left field and could replace some of the pop lost from 2025. Niu homered in six straight games as part of a 14-homer campaign with the Thundering Herd.
Fall Stats: 9-for-29, double, triple, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts
Ruiz brings in the most accomplished resume amongst the new candidates. He slashed .388/.511/.607 in his junior season with Lamar en route to winning the Southland Conference Hitter of the Year. Ruiz has yet put one over the confines on Baum-Walker but should remain a solid lock to start somewhere.
Fall Stats: 7-for-16, 2 doubles, 11 walks, 4 strikeouts
Clark has paid his dues after redshirting in 2025. He has put in a strong fall showing for the second straight year and leads the team with 11 walks, five more than anyone else in the scrimmages.
“He usually stays in the strike zone,” Van Horn said. “He went out and had a really good summer, gained a lot of experience, did what we asked him to do. Bunt, take pitches, steal bases, just be a guy that can hit one-two in the order or maybe the nine hole.”
Clark could find himself replacing Davalan’s role in the leadoff spot as someone who routinely gets on base behind some of the more powerful bats in the order.
Fall Stats: 1-for-7, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
Aloy will play somewhere, leading a team that went to the semifinals of the College World Series in RBIs with 70 locks in a spot in the lineup. It remains to be seen if the coaching staff will be comfortable enough to send Aloy out to right field when the team opens the season in February.
His offseason was hampered by a hand injury followed by a undiagnosed illness.
“He lost weight and strength,” Van Horn said. “[He lost] a lot of strength, felt fatigued all the time. Went through a lot of tests, but they really didn’t quite figure it out, but that’s probably the most educated guess, from a few things that have shown up, that he was on the back end of that. So he’s really just getting his strength back.”
Van Horn remains optimistic about the progress that Aloy has made in the outfield. His inexperience still shows at times, especially when covering ground in right field, allowing him to play in the field would allow the Hogs to rotate their DH spot.
Fall Stats: 11-for-23, 1 home run, 2 doubles, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Turner is in a similar spot as Clark was in 2024, crashing an already crowded competition and hitting his way into consideration. His 11 strikeouts are tied for the most on the team, but his consistent hard content has quickly made an impression on the coaching staff over the past month.
Fall Stats: 5-for-22, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Stewart brings the biggest power bat from his previous school. He finished the season seventh all-time in career homers at Missouri State (44). Stewart has struggled mightily in the fall, still searching for his first extra-base hit, but a strong spring could put his name back in the mix,
First pitch against Arkansas-Little Rock is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday. Admission is free.
TULSA, Okla –The Tulsa Drillers defeat the Arkansas Travelers, 11-3, on April 19, 2026 at ONEOK Field and The Sporting Tribune’s Robert Sloter was there to capture the following TST Images.
Luke Fox #15 of the Tulsa Drillers throws a pitch during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Robert Sloter – The Sporting Tribune
Advertisement
Luke Fox #15 of the Tulsa Drillers throws a pitch during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Zyhir Hope #13 of the Tulsa Drillers enter the dugout during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Robert Sloter – The Sporting Tribune
Zyhir Hope #13 of the Tulsa Drillers enter the dugout during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Josue De Paula #55 of the Tulsa Drillers on the field during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Robert Sloter – The Sporting Tribune
Josue De Paula #55 of the Tulsa Drillers on the field during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Zyhir Hope #13 of the Tulsa Drillers stands on first base during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Robert Sloter – The Sporting Tribune
Zyhir Hope #13 of the Tulsa Drillers stands on first base during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Zyhir Hope #13 of the Tulsa Drillers walks through the dugout with his bat during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Robert Sloter – The Sporting Tribune
Advertisement
Zyhir Hope #13 of the Tulsa Drillers walks through the dugout with his bat during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Kyle Nevin #23 of the Tulsa Drillers scores a run during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Robert Sloter – The Sporting Tribune
Kyle Nevin #23 of the Tulsa Drillers scores a run during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Jake Gelof #6 of the Tulsa Drillers celebrates his home run during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Robert Sloter – The Sporting Tribune
Jake Gelof #6 of the Tulsa Drillers celebrates his home run during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Jake Gelof #6 of the Tulsa Drillers celebrates his home run during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Robert Sloter – The Sporting Tribune
Jake Gelof #6 of the Tulsa Drillers celebrates his home run during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Kendall George #1 of the Tulsa Drillers stands on deck during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Robert Sloter – The Sporting Tribune
Advertisement
Kendall George #1 of the Tulsa Drillers stands on deck during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Zyhir Hope #13 of the Tulsa Drillers watches his home run in flight during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Robert Sloter – The Sporting Tribune
Zyhir Hope #13 of the Tulsa Drillers watches his home run in flight during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Zyhir Hope #13 of the Tulsa Drillers rounds the bases on his home run during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Robert Sloter – The Sporting Tribune
Zyhir Hope #13 of the Tulsa Drillers rounds the bases on his home run during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Zyhir Hope #13 of the Tulsa Drillers celebrates his home run during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Robert Sloter – The Sporting Tribune
Zyhir Hope #13 of the Tulsa Drillers celebrates his home run during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
It’s been a bone-dry year in Arkansas. It’s now the 7th driest year on record in Little Rock since record-keeping began in 1875, as of April 20.
24 days so far this year in Little Rock have received measurable rainfall. 12 days received a trace amount of rain, meaning there were no rainfall measurements to report (it was too little to record), as it was just a sprinkle or a few spits.
Only 4 days have received an inch or more of rain so far this year. Those occurred on April 4, March 7, February 14, and January 24. January’s “rain” was really winter precipitation.
April is usually the rainiest month of the year in Arkansas. In Little Rock, April on average receives 5.59 inches of rainfall. So far this April, as of April 20, Little Rock has only recorded 1.17″ of rain for the month.
The rainfall deficit over the last 6 months is well over a foot for much of Arkansas, including Little Rock, North Little Rock, Pine Bluff, and Harrison.
Spring is the rainy season, and summer is the dry season. If rain isn’t recorded soon, the drought will persist into the summer. In fact, the latest seasonal drought outlook shows that while some areas of Arkansas could see improvements, the drought continues into July.
To fully end the drought, parts of central and northeast Arkansas need more than 25 inches of rain over the next 3 months. Parts of northwest Arkansas need between 15 and 20 inches of rain over the next 3 months. The rest of the state needs between 20 and 25 inches of rain over the next 3 months. All of this rain would need to be received slowly, not all at one time.
The odds of receiving this much rain slowly over the next 3 months are very low.
The Arkansas Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Sunday, April 19, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Cash 3 numbers from April 19 drawing
Evening: 5-3-2
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from April 19 drawing
Evening: 7-5-4-8
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Natural State Jackpot numbers from April 19 drawing
02-07-17-20-23
Check Natural State Jackpot payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 19 drawing
32-42-52-53-55, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Arkansas Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Cash 3 Midday: 12:59 p.m. CT daily except Sunday.
- Cash 3 Evening: 6:59 p.m. CT daily.
- Cash 4 Midday: 12:59 p.m. CT daily except Sunday.
- Cash 4 Evening: 6:59 p.m. CT daily.
- Lucky For Life: 9:30 p.m. CT daily.
- Natural State Jackpot: 8 p.m. CT daily except Sunday.
- LOTTO: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arkansas editor. You can send feedback using this form.
-
New York56 minutes agoHarvey Weinstein’s Third Trial on Rape Charge Opens in Manhattan
-
Detroit, MI1 hour agoMan jumps into action to save girlfriend in crash involving teen driver fleeing MSP
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoSanta Rosa: The 1906 earthquake almost lost to history
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoJohnston scores twice, Stars hold off Wild in Game 2 to even West 1st Round | NHL.com
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoBetween Providence And Boston Is A Vibrant Massachusetts Town Bursting With Diverse Entertainment – Islands
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoMinnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Apr 20, 2026 Game Summary
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoAthletics Beat Mariners in Seattle 6-4
-
San Diego, CA2 hours agoEl Cajon crisis unit opens, bringing county’s total to eight