No. 13 Razorbacks Set to Take on South Alabama
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 13 Arkansas baseball team hits the middle of its six-game home stand with a three-game set against South Alabama on March 6-8 at Baum-Walker Stadium.
GAME TIMES:
Friday (March 6) – 3 p.m.
Saturday (March 7) – 2 p.m.
Sunday (March 8) – Noon
All three games will air live on SEC Network Plus and can also be heard on the Razorback Sports Network from Learfield/IMG, including locally in Fayetteville on 92.1 FM.
Arkansas and South Alabama have played each other five times, as the Razorbacks are 3-2 all-time against the Jaguars, last facing off in a midweek game in Mobile in 2015. In the lone series between the two teams, South Alabama came away with a 2-1 series win after wins in the final two games of the set in Fayetteville back in 2014.
The Hogs are coming off their third-straight one-run loss, dropping an 8-7 matchup with Illinois State on Tuesday afternoon at home. Before Arkansas’ first midweek game of the year, the Razorbacks had a tough showing at the 2020 Shriners College Classic at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. Arkansas went 0-3 at the tournament against the trio of Big 12 squads. The Hogs opened with a 6-3 loss to Oklahoma, the first loss of the season, after holding a 3-2 lead midway through the game. The Hogs battled back from down 8-0 to come within one, but fell to Texas, 8-7, on Saturday night. In the finale on Sunday night, Baylor scored a run in the fourth, fifth & sixth innings, with the Hogs answering with two runs in the eighth before falling 3-2.
Arkansas has recorded double-digit hit totals in three of the last four games, racking up a season-high 15 against the Redbirds on March 3.
The Razorbacks made a couple tweaks to this weekend’s rotation than what has been seen the last three weekends. Lefty Patrick Wicklander (2-1) will move up to start the series opener on Friday, with right-hander Caleb Bolden (0-0) sliding into the Saturday spot and RHP Kole Ramage (1-1) staying on Sunday. It will be the fourth start for Wicklander, third for Ramage and second for Bolden in 2020.
PITCHING ROTATION
Friday – LHP Patrick Wicklander vs. RHP Drake Nightengale
Saturday – RHP Caleb Bolden vs. RHP Miles Smith
Sunday – RHP Kole Ramage vs. RHP JoJo Booker
After a shaky start to the season, junior shortstop Casey Martin put together one of the best games at the plate by a Hog this season against Illinois State. The Lonoke, Arkansas, native racked up four hits, three RBIs and a run scored, including a two-RBI double, while scoring in the ninth to make it a one-run game. It was the first four-hit game by a Razorback this year and sixth of Martin’s career, last doing so on May 9, 2019. He had two hits in his last 12 at-bats heading into Tuesday’s game against the Redbirds.
After three weeks of action, Arkansas remained in the top 10 in one poll, staying in the top 15 of all six. The Hogs are ranked as high as 10th in the USA Today Coaches Poll heading into the week.
2020 WEEK 4 RANKINGS
USA Today Coaches – No. 10
NCBWA – No. 11
D1 Baseball – No. 13
Baseball America – No. 13
Collegiate Baseball – No. 13
Perfect Game – No. 14
After the series against South Alabama, the Razorbacks will wrap their six-game home stand with a two-game midweek showdown with Grand Canyon on March 10-11.
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