Razorbacks Host Gators in Penultimate SEC Home Weekend Series at Baum-Walker Stadium
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 2 Arkansas (35-6, 14-4 SEC) welcomes in Florida (21-19, 8-10 SEC) to Baum-Walker Stadium for its penultimate SEC home weekend series of the season. First pitch in the series opener between the Razorbacks and Gators has been moved up to 6 p.m. Friday, April 26, on SEC Network with Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Chris Burke (analyst) on the call. Due to the earlier start time, Friday night’s game will now begin on SEC Network+ with Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Chris Burke (analyst) on the call and be picked up by SEC Network following the conclusion of the 5 p.m. softball game between Auburn and Ole Miss.
The Hogs, winners of a program-record 25 consecutive games inside the friendly confines of Baum-Walker Stadium, have swept each of their first three SEC home weekend series this season. Arkansas has won eight straight SEC home weekend series since last season and has won 20 of its last 21 SEC home weekend series since the 2019 campaign.
Schedule
Friday, April 26
Florida vs. #2 Arkansas – 6 p.m. – SEC Network – Listen – Live Stats
Saturday, April 27
Florida vs. #2 Arkansas – Noon – ESPN2 – Listen – Live Stats
Sunday, April 28
Florida vs. #2 Arkansas – 2 p.m. – SEC Network+ – Listen – Live Stats
On the Mound
Friday, April 26
Florida – LHP Pierce Coppola (0-2, 18.00 ERA)
Arkansas – LHP Hagen Smith (8-0, 1.53 ERA)
Saturday, April 27
Florida – TBA
Arkansas – RHP Brady Tygart (4-1, 2.64 ERA)
Sunday, April 28
Florida – LHP Jac Caglianone (5-0, 3.86 ERA)
Arkansas – TBA
Tune In
Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Chris Burke (analyst) have the call of this weekend’s series between second-ranked Arkansas and Florida at Baum-Walker Stadium. Friday night’s series opener will broadcast on SEC Network and Saturday’s matinee will air on ESPN2, while Sunday’s series finale will stream on SEC Network+.
The entire weekend series can also be heard on the Razorback Sports Network from Learfield, including locally in Fayetteville on 92.1 FM or through the Razorback app, with Phil Elson (play-by-play) and Razorback great and former big leaguer Bubba Carpenter (analyst) on the call. A full list of radio affiliates is available here.
History Lesson
Arkansas maintains a 36-35 overall series record against Florida, including a 16-11 record in games played in Fayetteville. Under head coach Dave Van Horn, the Hogs are 29-23 overall against the Gators, with a 13-5 home record in the series.
Since 2017, Arkansas is 8-5 overall against Florida, including a three-game weekend series sweep at Baum-Walker Stadium during the 2021 campaign. The Razorbacks are going for their second consecutive weekend home series win over the Gators, a feat they have not accomplished since winning four weekend home series in a row from 2005-11.
It Just Means More Wins
Arkansas is 14-4 through 18 games of SEC play for the first time in the Dave Van Horn era, and for only the second time since joining the conference ahead of the 1992 season. The Razorbacks also started 14-4 through 18 games of SEC play in 1999, when the Hogs finished with a 22-8 record in league play and claimed their first SEC overall championship.
With a series win or sweep this weekend, Arkansas will clinch its best 21-game SEC start in program history. The Hogs’ best 21-game SEC start in school history is 15-6, which they have achieved in four seasons – 2004, 2007, 2019 and 2021.
Home Sweet Baum-Walker Stadium
Arkansas is 27-1 (.964 winning percentage) inside the friendly confines of Baum-Walker Stadium this season. The Hogs ride a 25-game home winning streak, a Baum-Walker Stadium record, into this weekend’s series against the Gators.
The all-time program record for consecutive home wins is 27 at George Cole Field, which was set during the 1984-85 seasons. The Razorbacks won their final six home games in 1984 before winning their first 21 home contests in 1985.
Excluding the shortened 2020 campaign, the Hogs have won 28 or more home games in six consecutive seasons (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023), including a program-record 34 home wins in 2018. In 2023, Arkansas went 32-6 at Baum-Walker Stadium, marking the Razorbacks’ fourth 30-win season at home since the stadium opened in 1996.
The Best Pitcher in College Baseball
Arkansas ace Hagen Smith, slated to take the mound in Friday night’s series opener against Florida, is 8-0 with a team-leading 1.53 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 54.0 innings over 10 starts this season. The junior left-hander, who is also 6-0 with a 1.25 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 36.0 innings through six SEC starts this year, has logged a team-best eight quality starts and recorded a team-high seven double-digit strikeout performances.
Entering Friday, Smith leads the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (17.0) and hits allowed per nine innings (4.1) and is ranked second nationally in ERA (1.53), third in victories (8) and fourth nationally in strikeouts (100) and WHIP (0.87). With his dominance on the mound, the Arkansas pitching staff is ranked first nationally in ERA (2.91), hits allowed per nine innings (6.5), strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.8), strikeouts per nine innings (12.4) and WHIP (1.09) entering Friday.
Smith, who is one of only four NCAA Division I pitchers with 100 or more strikeouts this season, has recorded 299 career strikeouts in 202.0 innings of work. His 299 career punchouts are third on Arkansas’ career strikeouts list, and he is just two strikeouts shy of matching Matt Carnes (301) for second in program history.
Career Strikeouts
1. 345 – Nick Schmidt (2003-06)
2. 301 – Matt Carnes (1979-82)
3. 299 – Hagen Smith (2022-present)
4. 283 – David Walling (1998-99)
5. 261 – Scott Tabor (1979-82)
6. 244 – Blaine Knight (2016-18)
7. 232 – Kevin Kopps (2017-21)
8. 229 – Charley Boyce (2003-06)
9. 225 – Gerald Hannahs (1971-74)
10. 224 – Isaiah Campbell (2016-19)
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