Razorbacks rally falls short in SEC tourney semifinals

Arkansas will play host to NCAA regional in Fayetteville

From the Arkansas Razorbacks

arkansasrazorbacks.com

HOOVER, Ala. – Trailing by four in the ninth, Arkansas (41-16) rallied back within one but could not pull off the comeback, coming up short against Texas A& M (36-24), 5-4, on Saturday afternoon at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.

With the loss, the Hogs were eliminated from the SEC Tournament. No. 4 Arkansas finished its weekend in Hoover with a 2-1 record, including a win against No. 5 LSU, and advanced to the semifinals for the fourth time in the last six seasons.

The Razorbacks racked up 10 hits, including a pair of extra-base hits from Caleb Cali and John Bolton, but the Aggie pitching staff combined for 14 strikeouts and stranded nine base runners. Arkansas was just 5for-21 (.238) with runners on base, failing to take advantage of numerous run-scoring opportunities throughout Saturday’s ballgame.

On the mound, Brady Tygart started for the Razorbacks and struck out three over 3 1/3 innings of work. He allowed only one run on three hits and two walks, departing the contest after throwing a season- high 64 pitches.

Will McEntire came out of the bullpen in relief of Tygart and posted zeroes before running into trouble in the bottom of the sixth.

Texas A& M broke through for three runs – all of which were charged to McEntire – on two hits and four walks.

Arkansas collected its first run of the day in the seventh inning, thanks to pinch hitter Ben McLaughlin. After Cali’s leadoff double, McLaughlin’s pinch-hit RBI single to left center cut the Razorbacks’ deficit to three runs.

The Aggies would extend their lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the eighth on a twoout single, pushing the Hogs back into a four-run deficit entering the ninth.

Arkansas, however, would not go down without a fight.

Cali, who finished with a team-leading three hits, poked a leadoff single through the left side before Peyton Holt was plunked by a pitch, putting a pair of runners on with no outs in the inning. After Texas A& M recorded the first out, John Bolton, who tallied a two-hit day, delivered a two-run double down the line in right to bring Arkansas within two.

Tavian Josenberger then singled through the left side and moved Bolton to third with one out. Kendall Diggs, the very next batter, reached on a fielding error, which scored Bolton from third as the Hogs cut their deficit to just one.

The score would stay right there, though. Aggie relief pitcher Troy Wansing struck out the next two batters he faced to lock down the 5-4 win and send Texas A& M to the SEC Tournament championship game.

Hogs to Host Baum-Walker Stadium has been selected as one of 16 NCAA regional sites.

Arkansas will host regionals for the 10th time in program history. The regional field will feature four teams, playing in a doubleelimination format. All 16 regionals are scheduled to be conducted from Friday, June 2 to Monday, June 5 (if necessary).

The NCAA Division I Baseball Committee announced the 16 regional sites for the 76th annual NCAA Division I Baseball Championship on Sunday night. The 16 regional sites, with host institutions and records are as follows:

• Auburn, Alabama – Auburn (34-21-1) • Baton Rouge, Louisiana – LSU (43-15)

• Charlottesville, Virginia – Virginia (45-12)

• Clemson, South Carolina – Clemson (43-17)

• Columbia, South Carolina – South Carolina (39-19)

• Conway, South Carolina – Coastal Carolina (39-19)

• Coral Gables, Florida – Miami (FL) (40-19)

• Fayetteville, Arkansas – Arkansas (41-16)

• Gainesville, Florida – Florida (44-14)

• Lexington, Kentucky – Kentucky (36-18)

• Nashville, Tennessee – Vanderbilt (41-18)

• Stanford, California – Stanford (38-16)

See HOGS, page A10

Photo courtesy of the Arkansas Razorbacks STATE

From page A5

Stillwater, Oklahoma – Oklahoma State (41-17) through games of 5/28 Terre Haute, Indiana – Indiana State (42-15) Tuscaloosa, Alabama – Alabama (40-19) Winston-Salem, North Carolina – Wake Forest (47-10) By being awarded a regional, all 16 host institutions have also been selected to the 64-team championship field.

Each regional field features four teams, playing in a double-elimination format.

All 16 regionals are scheduled to be conducted from Friday, June 2 to Monday, June 5 (if necessary).

Indiana State is hosting for the first time and making their 12th appearance in the championship field.

Miami (Florida) (29), LSU (27) and Stanford (21) have each hosted regional competition at least 20 times, the most among the 16 host teams in 2023.

Five institutions, Auburn, Florida, Miami (Florida), Oklahoma St. and Stanford, all hosted in 2022. The Cardinal are hosting for the sixth consecutive championship dating back to the 2017 season.

The field of 64 teams competing for the 2023 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship was announced Monday by the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee.

The national top 16 seeds are: Wake Forest (47-10), Florida (44-14), Arkansas (41-16), Clemson (43-17), LSU (43-15), Vanderbilt (41-18), Virginia (45-12), Stanford (38-16), Miami (Florida) (40-19), Coastal Carolina (39-19), Oklahoma St. (41-18), Kentucky (36-18), Auburn (34-21-1), Indiana St. (4215), South Carolina (3919), and Alabama (40-19).

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) leads the way with 10 teams selected from the conference. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) has eight teams in the field followed by the Big 12 (6), Pac-12 (5), Sun Belt (4) and Big Ten (3).

The American Athletic, Big East, Colonial and Conference USA all have two teams in the field.

Florida A& M and Lipscomb are making their third appearances in the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, while Penn (1995) and Nicholls (1998) are making their first appearances in the past 23 years.

Vanderbilt has the longest active streak with its 17th straight appearance. Other notable consecutive streaks include Florida (15) and Oklahoma State (10).

2023 NCAA Division I Baseball Regional Games

Friday, June 2, 2023 (all times Eastern)

#2 Southern Miss. (41-17) vs. #3 Samford (36-23), 2 p.m., ESPN+ #1 Auburn (34-21-1) vs. #4 Penn (32-14), 7 p.m., ESPN+

Baton Rouge Regional hosted by LSU

#1 LSU (43-15) vs. #4 Tulane (19-40), 3 p.m., ESPNU #2 Oregon St. (39-18) vs.

#3 Sam Houston (38-23), 8 p.m., ESPN+

Charlottesville Regional hosted by Virginia

#1 Virginia (45-12) vs. #4 Army West Point (38-16), Noon, ESPN+ #2 East Carolina (45-17) vs. #3 Oklahoma (31-26), 7 p.m., ESPN2

Clemson Regional hosted by Clemson

#1 Clemson (43-17) vs. #4 Lipscomb (36-24), 1 p.m., ESPN+ #2 Tennessee (38-19) vs.

#3 Charlotte (34-26), 6 p.m., ESPNU

Columbia Regional hosted by South Carolina

#2 Campbell (44-13) vs. #3 NC State (35-19), 1 p.m., ACCN #1 South Carolina (39-19) vs. #4 Central Conn. St.

(36-12), 7 p.m., ESPN+

Conway Regional hosted by Coastal Carolina

#2 Duke (35-21) vs. #3 UNCW (34-21), 1 p.m., ESPN+ #1 Coastal Carolina (3919) vs. #4 Rider (35-19), 7 p.m., ESPN+ Coral Gables Regional hosted by Miami (FL)

#2 Texas (38-20) vs. #3 Louisiana (40-22), 2 p.m., LHN #1 Miami (FL) (40-19) vs.

#4 Maine (32-19), 7 p.m., ESPN+

Fayetteville Regional hosted by Arkansas

#1 Arkansas (41-16) vs. #4 Santa Clara (35-18), 3 p.m., ESPN+ #2 TCU (37-22) vs. #3 Arizona (33-24), 9 p.m., ESPNU

Gainesville Regional hosted by Florida

#2 UConn (43-15) vs. #3 Texas Tech (39-21), Noon, ESPNU #1 Florida (44-14) vs. #4 Florida A& M (29-28), 5:30 p.m., ESPN+

Lexington Regional hosted by Kentucky

#1 Kentucky (36-18) vs. #4 Ball St. (36-21), Noon, SECN #2 West Virginia (39-18) vs. #3 Indiana (41-18), 7 p.m., ESPN+

Nashville Regional hosted by Vanderbilt

#2 Oregon (37-20) vs. #3 Xavier (37-23), 1 p.m., ESPN+ #1 Vanderbilt (41-18) vs.

#4 Eastern Ill. (38-19), 8 p.m., SECN

Stanford Regional hosted by Stanford

#1 Stanford (38-16) vs. #4 San Jose St. (31-25), 5 p.m., ESPN+ #2 Texas A& M (36-25) vs.

#3 Cal St. Fullerton (3122), 10 p.m., ESPN2

Stillwater Regional hosted by Oklahoma St.

#2 DBU (45-14) vs. #3 Washington (34-18), 1 p.m., ESPN+ #1 Oklahoma St. (41-18)

See HOGS, page A13

From page A4

vs. #4 Oral Roberts (46-11), 7 p.m., ESPN+

#1 Indiana St. (42-15) vs. #4 Wright St. (39-21), 1 p.m., ESPN+ #2 Iowa (42-14) vs. #3 North Carolina (35-22), 7 p.m., ACCN

Tuscaloosa Regional hosted by Alabama

#2 Boston College (35-18) vs. #3 Troy (39-20), 3 p.m., ESPN+ #1 Alabama (40-19) vs. #4 Nicholls (34-22), 7 p.m., ESPN+

Winston-Salem Regional hosted by Wake Forest

#2 Maryland (41-19) vs. #3 Northeastern (44-14), 1 p.m., ESPN+ #1 Wake Forest (47-10) vs. #4 George Mason (34-25), 7 p.m., ESPN+ Selection of the eight super regional hosts will be announced onlline at www.NCAA.com/mcws, Tuesday, June 6 at 10 a.m.

(ET). The Men’s College World Series begins play Friday, June 16, at Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska.

Follow the Hogs

For complete coverage of Arkansas baseball, follow the Hogs on Twitter (@RazorbackBSB), Instagram (@RazorbackBSB) and Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Baseball), or visit the the Hogs online at www.arkansasrazorbacks.com.