Hogs get first of 6 in-state clashes

FAYETTEVILLE — Another seminal moment for athletics in the state will go down tonight at the University of Arkansas’ Baum-Walker Stadium.

The No. 2 Razorbacks will face the University of Central Arkansas on the baseball diamond for the first time since 1948 after Arkansas’ decision in 2019 to end a long-standing ban on playing in-state opponents.

Arkansas (19-3) is coming off a three-game sweep at then-No. 4 Mississippi State that featured nine home runs and winning a duel against the Bulldogs’ celebrated bullpen. It was the boldest weekend yet on the season for the Razorbacks, who also swept top-11 foes Texas Tech, Texas and TCU on the opening weekend in Arlington, Texas.

The Bears (9-11) are in the midst of playing nine games in nine days, just

after returning from a ninehour bus ride after a fourgame split at Incarnate Word in San Antonio. After today’s game, UCA faces a Thursday-Saturday four-game set at home against preseason Southland Conference favorite Sam Houston State.

Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn has been on the vanguard of making in-state matchups happen. This will be the first of six scheduled games this season between the Razorbacks and in-state rivals UCA, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Arkansas State University.

“This is what this state needs,” Van Horn said. “It needs in-state battles like this. I think it’s going to mean a little bit more to everybody around the state that the Razorbacks are playing other teams.”

Said UCA Coach Allen Gum, “Listen, it’s great. Going to an SEC school, with the stadiums and everything like that, it’s always exciting. The facilities are great. One thing too, a lot of our guys know a lot of their players.”

UCA catcher Connor Flagg and Arkansas outfielder Cayden Wallace were teammates last season at Greenbrier High.

“There’s that part to it,” Gum said. “We know those guys and have a good relationship there.”

UCA right-hander Tate Busey (0-0. 3.38 ERA) will make the first start of his college career against the Razorbacks. Busey, a freshman from nearby Pea Ridge, has allowed 6 hits and 3 walks to go along with 6 strikeouts in 51/3 innings.

“Tate, he’s young and he’s going to be a good one,” Gum said. “He’s only got 5 or 6 innings on the year, but we have confidence in him.

“For us, sometimes first starts come against those No. 2 teams in the nation, or No. 1. We’ve had a lot of guys in the past whose first start was against Vanderbilt or Mississippi State or Ole Miss.”

Arkansas announced righthander Kole Ramage (0-1, 9.95 ERA) will start against the Bears.

Arkansas senior Matt Goodheart was named SEC player of the week Monday. The designated hitter and first baseman had a four-hit game, including a home run, against Memphis on Wednesday. After homering in every game at Mississippi State, he has a fourgame home run streak.

The Razorbacks pounded Mississippi State’s sterling staff for 25 runs on 30 hits, raising the Bulldogs’ ERA from 2.30 to 2.97.

“We knew coming in here that all the hype was about their pitching staff and how great their bullpen was, and how … everybody’s ERA in the bullpen’s under 1.00 just about, and we saw it all,” Van Horn said. “You know, we thought we were up to the challenge. But yeah, I’d have to say that our pitching staff outdueled them this weekend.”

Gum said he’s seen plenty on the Razorbacks.

“Dave’s done a good job, very impressive team,” Gum said. “It’s easy to say sometimes, ‘They’ve got all the talent,’ but I’ve watched those guys. We offered several of those guys, and not only how they’ve done such a good job just in recruiting, but development. Their guys have gotten a lot better, and they’re playing good baseball.

“When I’m watching them, they can beat opponents six ways to Sunday. Their kids compete on the mound, their defense is outstanding, they can run. They’ll hit balls out of the yard but they play small ball. To me it looks like an extremely complete baseball team. They have a good plan and good talent on top of it.”

Arkansas officials allowed an increased capacity of up to 5,700 fans at Baum-Walker Stadium a couple of weeks ago, and it’s going up to 6,500plus this weekend, so there’s a chance this game could rival the atmosphere of a weekend series.

“It’s going to be a great atmosphere,” Van Horn said. “I think my job between now and the first pitch is to get our guys focused to get ready to play, because UCA is going to come in there — first time ever at Baum Stadium — and they’re going to be excited to play, and play a team ranked in the top five.

“Coach Gum has done a great job with that team. They’re hard-nosed, they play hard and they’re going to do all the little things right, and we’re going to have to play well to beat them.”

UCA is 7-5 in Southland Conference play and tied for third, two games behind Southeastern Louisiana.

“We’re doing the little things,” Gum said. “We don’t do a lot of big things. That’s kind of obvious if you look at our statistical numbers.”

Van Horn needs only point to the in-state game that started this trend, a 17-7 home loss to UALR on April 2, 2019, to fuel his team.

Arkansas has won seven games in a row since suffering its only losses in succession at Louisiana Tech, and to Oklahoma and Alabama at home.