Arkansas
Three takeaways as Arkansas baseball loses home weekend series to Texas A&M
FAYETTEVILLE — A historic start to the Arkansas baseball season is now facing its first meaningful adversity.
The No. 2 Razorbacks (34-7, 13-5 SEC) dropped two of three games this weekend to Texas A&M as the Aggies (23-16, 8-10) handed Arkansas a second straight series loss. It’s also the first time since 2022 the Hogs have lost a weekend series at home.
Arkansas now sits three losses behind No. 1 Texas in the SEC standings, and there’s no respite in future weeks with upcoming series against the Longhorns, LSU and defending national champion Tennessee.
Here are three observations from the Hogs’ series loss to Texas A&M.
Not enough production from bottom of Arkansas baseball’s lineup
Justin Thomas Jr. had a nice series from the 9-hole with two home runs and four hits, but he was the lone Hog near the end of the order to play well against the Aggies.
The 5-8 hitters in the Arkansas lineup combined to go 6-for-44 across the three games. Players like Cam Kozeal and Ryder Helfrick cooled off, and the Razorbacks got nothing from their right side of the infield. They miss Nolan Souza, who is likely out for the season with a shoulder injury.
“It’s just been a little bit of here-and-there. We just need to get a few more guys rolling and we can put up some bigger innings,” Van Horn said.
The two bright spots for the offense were Wehiwa Aloy and Charles Davalan. Aloy was a dominant force at the plate this weekend, going 7-for-14 with two homers, five runs and four RBIs. He hit a 448-foot bomb to left field in game two that had an exit velocity of 113 mph.
Aloy now has 16 home runs on the season, which lead the Razorbacks and are two more than he hit all of last year. Davalan was 6-for-14 with four runs, and he got unlucky with multiple hard-hit balls going right at Texas A&M defenders.
Bullpen hits first speed pump
Arkansas and Texas A&M were tied 1-1 entering the fifth inning of a decisive rubber match Saturday night. With starting pitcher Landon Beidelschies on five days rest and a pitch count, Van Horn pulled the lefty and went to his bullpen ace, Aiden Jimenez.
A supposed advantage for Arkansas ended up swinging the series toward the Aggies. Jimenez allowed a two-run homer to Jace LaViolette, his fourth of the series, and the Arkansas relievers yielded eight runs across the final five innings. Freshmen Cole Gibler and Carson Wiggins struggled after a brief weather delay.
On the other side, Texas A&M won the series because of the efforts of two relievers. Weston Moss and Luke Jackson didn’t give up a run in 8⅔ scoreless innings during games one and three.
“They pitched better than us,” Van Horn said. “That’s why they won two out of three.”
Is Gabe Gaeckle back?
Gabe Gaeckle lost his spot in the starting rotation this weekend to Gage Wood, but Wood only recorded one out and allowed three earned runs in his return from a shoulder injury during game two.
Gaeckle came out of the bullpen later in the game and seemingly rediscovered his electric form from last season when he was the Hogs’ closer. Gaeckle pitched the final 5⅔ innings of a series-evening 11-5 victory. He struck out eight batters and gave up one run in his arguably his best performance of the season.
Arkansas needed that type of outing after its first two starters — Wood and Zach Root — combined to allow nine runs. Root only lasted four innings Thursday night.
Up Next
Arkansas hosts Little Rock for a two-game series in midweek action beginning Monday before hitting the road next weekend to face Florida.
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jfuller@gannett.com or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
After a compelling two rounds, March Madness 2026 enters the Sweet 16 stage, and those looking to trade on college basketball games can use the Kalshi promo code NYPMAX.
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What our Post expert thinks about the Arkansas vs. Arizona
In a matchup of two potent offenses, can the Razorbacks SEC tournament title momentum propel them to a big-time upset of the Wildcats?
John Calipari and freshman standout Darius Acuff Jr. face their biggest challenge yet, opposite this juggernaut roster of Arizona. Tommy Lloyd’s starting five includes Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley, as well as two dynamic first-year players in Brayden Burries and Koa Peat.
If this game comes down to critical possessions in crunch time, Arkansas has its closer in Acuff Jr., but the Wildcats’ outstanding net margin of victory could make punching their ticket to the Elite Eight a lot easier.
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PALM CITY, Fla. – #7 Arkansas sits in fifth place after two rounds Monday in the stacked 16-team Valspar Collegiate Invitational with a 36-hole, 18-under-par score of 550 (270-280), played at the Floridian National Golf Club (par 71).
Top-ranked Auburn leads the way at 538 (-30), followed by #10 Texas Tech (-28), #6 Texas (-20), #30 Florida State (-19) and Arkansas.
Of the 10 rounds played by the Razorbacks on Monday, eight were under par.
Erich Fortlage and Gerardo Gomez are tied for 10th at -6 (136).
Fortlage shot a career-best, bogey-free 65 (-6) in the morning sessions, posting three birdies on each nine, and he was in second place. Fortlage had an even-par round in the afternoon session with three birdies, a bogey and a double.
Gomez had four birdies and a bogey for an opening-round 67, matching his best total for 18 holes for the third time this season. In round two, Gomez turned in a 3-under 69 and moved up two spots into a nine-way tie for 10th.
John Daly II offset a double bogey on the par-5 7th with an eagle on the par-5 15th to finish with a 68 after 18 holes. In round two, Daly was 1-under and is tied for 25th (138 / -4).
Niilo Maki-Petaja carded two rounds of 70 and is tied for 38th (140) while Thomas Curry is tied for 54th (143) with rounds of 70-73.
The Valspar concludes with 18 holes on Tuesday.
VALSPAR COLLEGIATE INVITATIONAL
Host: Houston
Floridian National Golf Club
Palm City, Fla.
Par: 71 • 7,088 yards
Format: 5 count 4 ||36 holes Monday / 18 Holes Tuesday
RESULTS THRU RD2:
1 #1 Auburn 264-274=538 / -30
2 #10 Texas Tech 273-267=540 / -28
3 #6 Texas 268-280=548 / -20
4 #30 Florida State 269-280=550 / -19
5 #7 Arkansas 270-280=550 / -18
6 Houston 271-282=553 / -15
7 #23 Duke 280-274=554 / -14
T8 #14 Oklahoma 274-282=556 / -12
T8 #32 Texas A&M 277-279=556 / -12
10 #24 Southern Cal 277-281=558 / -10
T11 #13 Pepperdine 279-281=560 / -8
T11 #29 Wake Forest 286-274=560 / -8
13 #8 Arizona State 278-283=561 / -7
14 #17 North Carolina 282-280=562 / -6
15 Rice 282-291=571 / +5
16 Augusta 286-294=580 / +12
For more information on Arkansas Men’s Golf, X and Instagram.
The Sweet 16 matchup between No. 1 Arizona and No. 4 Arkansas is set for Thursday at 6:45 p.m. MST in San Jose.
The game will be televised on CBS during the first day of NCAA Tournament regional semifinal play.
The most recent Arizona-Arkansas meeting occurred in 1995, making this a rare date. For what it’s worth, Arkansas leads the all-time series 6-2 and five of the eight matchups took place in the 1990s.
The other Sweet 16 contest in the West Region will see No. 2 Purdue take on No. 11 Texas, which was a First Four winner. That game will tip at 4:10 p.m. Thursday, also on CBS.
Arizona last qualified for the Elite 8 in the 2014-15 season under the leadership of Sean Miller, who has the chance to face his former school as the head coach of Texas.
Arizona defeated the No. 9 Utah State Aggies in the Round of 32 Sunday, 78-66. Brayden Burries and Koa Peat were the catalysts in holding off the Aggies, despite battling foul trouble as they finished with 16 and 14 points, respectively.
Arkansas punched its ticket into the third round of the national tournament by holding off No. 12 High Point, 94-88, on Saturday. The Razorbacks needed 36 points and eight assists from SEC Player of the Year Darius Acuff Jr. and a couple of late missed 3s from the Panthers’ sharpshooting Chase Johnston to emerge victorious.
The John Calipari-led Razorbacks easily defeated No. 13 Hawaii in the Round of 64.
Tommy Lloyd has not coached the Wildcats past the Sweet 16 in four previous NCAA Tournaments, losing each of his three times in the round (2022, 2024, 2025). His team is poised to do so as a unanimous No. 1 in The Associated Press’ Top 25 rankings this season and with a 16-2 record against Quad 1 programs.
Arkansas ended as SEC Tournament champion, defeating Vanderbilt for its first title in 26 years. It finished tied for second with Alabama in the SEC regular-season standings. The Razorbacks, through conference tournament play, were No. 15 in the NCAA net rankings with an 8-8 Quad 1 record and perfect 18-0 mark against Quads 2-4.
Calipari, who is in his second season at Arkansas, led the Razorbacks to the Sweet 16 last season, where they narrowly lost to Texas Tech.
Arkansas most recently made the Elite 8 in 2022, which was its second of two consecutive trips.
Each basketball program possesses a national championship, the Wildcats being victors in 1997 and the Razorbacks in 1994.
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