Razorbacks, Gators Ready to Tangle in Gainesville

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 2 Arkansas (22-5, 7-2 SEC) takes its SEC-leading 13-conference series winning streak on the road to Florida (19-10, 3-6 SEC) this weekend.

The Razorbacks and SEC East foe Gators will square off in a three-game set beginning on Thursday, April 7, at Florida Ballpark in Gainesville, Fla. First pitch in the series opener is set for 5 p.m. CT on SEC Network with Mike Morgan (play-by-play) and Todd Walker (analyst) on the call.

Arkansas currently owns the league’s longest active consecutive series win streak (13) as well as the SEC’s second-longest consecutive away series win streak (6). Vanderbilt (2012-14) and Florida (2017-18) share the record for most consecutive SEC series wins (15).

Schedule
5 p.m. CT Thursday, April 7
at Florida – SEC Network – Listen – Live Stats

5:30 p.m. CT Friday, April 8
at Florida – SEC Network+ – Listen – Live Stats

Noon CT Saturday, April 9
at Florida – SEC Network+ – Listen – Live Stats

Tune In
Thursday night’s game will broadcast on SEC Network with Mike Morgan (play-by-play) and Todd Walker (analyst) on the call. Friday and Saturday’s contests, meanwhile, will stream on SEC Network+ with Mick Hubert and Nick Belmonte handling play-by-play and analyst duties, respectively.

Fans can catch all the action through the ESPN app on smartphones, computers and tablets or via Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

All three games of the series can also be heard on the Razorback Sports Network from Learfield/IMG, including locally in Fayetteville on 92.1 FM, with Phil Elson on the call. A full list of radio affiliates is available here.

Matchups
Game 1
Arkansas RHP Connor Noland (4-1, 3.05 ERA) vs. Florida LHP Hunter Barco (5-1, 1.87 ERA)

Game 2
Arkansas LHP Hagen Smith (5-1, 3.62 ERA) vs. Florida RHP Brandon Sproat (3-3, 4.68 ERA)

Game 3
Arkansas RHP Jaxon Wiggins (4-0, 3.69 ERA) vs. Florida TBA

Series History
This weekend, Arkansas and Florida will meet for the fifth time in the last nine seasons. The Razorbacks own a 35-32 all-time series lead, most recently sweeping the Gators in a three-game set at Baum-Walker Stadium last year to close out the regular season and clinch an overall SEC title.

Florida has had more success against Arkansas at home, however, winning seven of the 10 series played in Gainesville. The Hogs enter this weekend looking for their first series win in Gainesville since 2012.

Leading Off

• Arkansas is 7-2 in SEC play for the second straight season and the third time in the last five seasons.
• The Hogs have won six consecutive SEC road series and are 9-2 in their last 11 SEC road series.
• Arkansas has won the opening game of its last eight SEC road series.
• The Razorbacks enter this weekend’s action ranked 14th nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (7.3), 14th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.0), 15th in WHIP (1.21) and 20th in earned run average (3.57).
• Defensively, Arkansas has been superb with a .985 fielding percentage, which tops the SEC and ranks fourth nationally.
• C Dylan Leach became only the second Razorback batter since 1994 to hit for the cycle, going 5-for-5 with two home runs (one from each side of the batter’s box) and five RBI in Arkansas’ wild 21-9 win over UCA on Tuesday night.

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