Hogs Hammer Five Homers, Advance to Regional Final with Lopsided Win against Bluejays

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Behind multi-homer games from Wehiwa Aloy and Ryder Helfrick, Arkansas (45-13) blasted five home runs and rolled to a lopsided 12-1 win against Creighton (42-15) Saturday night at Baum-Walker Stadium.

With the win, the Razorbacks, the No. 3 national seed, advanced to the NCAA Fayetteville Regional title game, where they will take on the winner of tomorrow afternoon’s elimination game between Creighton and North Dakota State (21-33). First pitch in tomorrow’s regional final is scheduled for 8 p.m. Sunday, June 1, on the ESPN family of networks.

If the Hogs win tomorrow night’s NCAA Fayetteville Regional title game, they will advance and host the super regional round at Baum-Walker Stadium for the sixth time overall and fourth time since the 2018 season. If Arkansas loses tomorrow night, however, there will be a winner-take-all regional championship game played on Monday, June 2.

In front of an announced crowd of 10,115, the Razorbacks won their 34th game of the year inside the friendly confines of Baum-Walker Stadium, tying their single-season program record of 34 home wins set in 2018 and 2024. Excluding the shortened 2020 campaign, Arkansas has won 28 or more games at Baum-Walker Stadium in eight consecutive seasons.

Saturday night’s win was also Arkansas’ 45th victory of the 2025 campaign. The Razorbacks have now won 45 or more overall games eight times in the Dave Van Horn era: 2004 – 45 wins; 2012 – 46 wins; 2017 – 45 wins; 2018 – 48 wins; 2019 – 46 wins; 2021 – wins 50 wins; 2022 – 46 wins; 2025 – 45 wins.

The Hogs scored early and often Saturday night, tagging Bluejay starter Wilson Magers for four runs on seven hits over his three innings. Ahead 4-0 after four innings, Arkansas continued its offensive onslaught against the Creighton bullpen, breaking out for eight more runs against relievers Shea Wendt and Anthony Wenga to take a commanding 12-0 lead.

Cam Kozeal opened the scoring in the second inning, belting his third home run in as many games and his 15th home run of the season to put the Razorbacks up first. Arkansas extended its advantage to 2-0 on a bases-loaded hit batsman before cashing in for two more runs in the third, thanks to Kozeal’s RBI double and Reese Robinett’s two-out RBI single.

From there, Aloy and Helfrick’s bats took over the ballgame. Aloy swatted his first of two home runs in the fifth inning, clobbering a three-run shot to left and expanding the Hogs’ lead to 7-0. Helfrick’s first of two homers came in the sixth, as the Razorback catcher hammered a leadoff solo home run on the first pitch he saw to push Arkansas’ edge to 8-0.

Aloy bashed his team-high 20th home run of the year one inning later, jacking a two-run blast in the seventh to give the Razorbacks a 10-run cushion. Helfrick’s second long ball of the game came shortly thereafter, growing the lead to 12-0.

With his two-homer and five-RBI night, Aloy raised his season slash line to .356/.439/.690 with 20 home runs and 64 RBI over 58 games. He is the first Razorback to reach the 20-homer mark in a season since Chad Spanberger did so in 2017.

Helfrick, meanwhile, tallied three base knocks, including his two homers, and three RBI. Kozeal (2-for-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI) and Logan Maxwell (2-for-5) chipped in multi-hit games, while Reese Robinett finished with a game-high three walks.

On the mound, Arkansas starter Zach Root turned in a gem with his six shutout innings of work. The left-hander, who earned his seventh win and recorded his team-leading sixth quality start, struck out seven in his dominant performance.

In relief, Ben Bybee (1.0 IP, 1 R, 1 SO), Steele Eaves (1.0 IP, 1 SO) and Colin Fisher (1.0 IP, 1 SO) combined for three innings of one-run ball to preserve Saturday night’s win and help Arkansas advance to the regional title game.

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