Dietz Dazzles; Hogs Even Series against Mavericks

Oliver Grigg February 28, 2026

Box Score Presser: DVH Presser: Dietz, Kozeal & Niu

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Hunter Dietz fired a career-long seven scoreless innings with eight strikeouts to power No. 6 Arkansas (8-3) to a 9-0 shutout win against UT Arlington (3-7) Saturday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium.

With the win, the Hogs evened the series with the Mavericks at one game apiece. Arkansas, winners of 33 consecutive non-conference home weekend series, will go for the series win in tomorrow’s finale, which is now scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, March 1, on SEC Network+ after being moved up from 1 p.m. due to anticipated rain in the forecast.

Dietz, who logged his first career quality start in the outing, helped the Razorback pitching staff secure its third shutout of the season in the two-hitter. True freshman Mark Brissey relived Dietz and closed out the Hogs’ combined two-hitter, Arkansas’ first since Zach Root (7.0 IP) & Gabe Gaeckle (2.0 IP) did so against Tennessee on June 7, 2025, in the NCAA Fayetteville Super Regional, with a career high-tying two scoreless innings and a career high-matching three strikeouts.

Through his first three starts of the season, Dietz owns a 1-1 record with a 4.15 ERA and a team-leading 22 strikeouts in 13.0 innings of work on mound. Opposing hitters are batting a meager .200 against the hard-throwing left-hander.

Offensively, Arkansas’ bats came alive for nine runs on 12 hits, including two home runs. Nolan Souza and Damian Ruiz each collected RBI singles in the bottom of the second inning to give the Hogs an early 2-0 lead before Zack Stewart’s RBI sacrifice fly and Maika Niu’s three-run homer in the bottom of the third inning extended the advantage to six runs.

The Razorbacks and Mavericks exchanged zeroes for the next four frames before Camden Kozeal launched a three-run shot, his team-leading fifth homer of the campaign, with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to put Arkansas ahead 9-0. Through 10 games played this season, Kozeal is slashing .368/.478/.842 with five homers and a team-high 13 RBI.

Kozeal (2-for-5, R, HR, 3 RBI) was one of four Razorbacks to record a multi-hit game in Saturday’s ballgame. Ruiz (2-for-4, R, RBI), Reese Robinett (2-for-4, 2 R) and Niu (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI) each turned in multi-hit performances in the win.

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