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re: **2025 Arkansas Baseball Thread - May Flowers Edition**
Posted on 5/26/25 at 3:03 pm to UltimateHog
Posted on 5/26/25 at 3:03 pm to UltimateHog
Yea. If they get to him early just let him ride if we are on pace for 10-15 runs.
Also in NCAAt there’s no run rule. Which sucks when conserving bullpen arms if we were to be up by 10 after 7.
Also in NCAAt there’s no run rule. Which sucks when conserving bullpen arms if we were to be up by 10 after 7.
1
Posted on 5/26/25 at 10:31 pm to Hawgeye
I'd just like to say I love getting put up against Kansas postseason in all three major sports, now.
Ended their 2022 football season.
Ended their 2023 basketball season.
Began their 2024 basketball season with an exhibition loss.
Ended their 2024 basketball season.
Unless we shite the bed again, we'd be ended their 2025 baseball season.
Ended their 2022 football season.
Ended their 2023 basketball season.
Began their 2024 basketball season with an exhibition loss.
Ended their 2024 basketball season.
Unless we shite the bed again, we'd be ended their 2025 baseball season.
Posted on 5/26/25 at 10:40 pm to VagueMessage
No excuses, we got gifted a very untalented regional. Kansas is a surprise team out of nowhere not some loaded team with tons of talent.
KU got swept by TCU and Cincinatti, lost 2 of 3 to ASU.
TCU 14-1, 4-3, 7-2.
Cincinatti 7-2, 18-14, 13-4.
They went 1-12 vs Cinci, TCU and ASU.
KU got swept by TCU and Cincinatti, lost 2 of 3 to ASU.
TCU 14-1, 4-3, 7-2.
Cincinatti 7-2, 18-14, 13-4.
They went 1-12 vs Cinci, TCU and ASU.
Posted on 5/26/25 at 10:45 pm to UltimateHog
Well, they are ranked #25. Surprise or not, that's a decent team.
We should steamroll, but we saw how the past two years have gone. Plus 2021.
We should steamroll, but we saw how the past two years have gone. Plus 2021.
Posted on 5/26/25 at 11:19 pm to VagueMessage
Yes, we should steamroll. KU has been pasted by most of the good teams they have faced, their pitching is flat out bad and they will burn their one good P their ace on Friday night.
TCU and KSU were still good teams, expected to be good, with multiple MLB draft picks and good prospects. Kansas has none of that.
Would not surprise me at all if Creighton beat them.
TCU and KSU were still good teams, expected to be good, with multiple MLB draft picks and good prospects. Kansas has none of that.
Would not surprise me at all if Creighton beat them.
Posted on 5/26/25 at 11:21 pm to UltimateHog
Who the F is Cheese? 
I feel like I'm a regular here and how did I miss this?
I feel like I'm a regular here and how did I miss this?
Posted on 5/26/25 at 11:24 pm to VagueMessage
quote:
We should steamroll, but we saw how the past two years have gone. Plus 2021.
NC State was a legit juggernaut.
If covid test don't rear their head, they win the whole damn thing.
I was livid losing to them but seeing them work Omaha...I was proud.
Posted on 5/26/25 at 11:28 pm to UltimateHog
quote:
Everyone just assumed Oral Roberts would win it like usual.
They make the field?
Posted on 5/26/25 at 11:36 pm to Billy Blanks
I still feel bad for Kopps. Dude pitched 8 basically perfect innings and got the loss.
Posted on 5/27/25 at 12:32 am to Billy Blanks
They were not a juggernaut at all. They got swept at home by Georgia Tech and Louisville. They lost 2/3 at home to Clemson and Miami. Then they lost 2/3 on the road to Notre Dame. Louisville and Clemson didn't even make it to a Regional. NC State was ranked #16 going into the postseason.
Meanwhile, we didn't lose one series all year. We swept the eventual national champ at their park, went 1–0 against the runner-up Vanderbilt, went 3–1 against CWS team Tennessee, 1–0 against CWS team Texas, 3–1 against Supers team Ole Miss, and took 2/3 from Supers team LSU.
We lost because our offense went dead the third game. We scored 21 runs the first game, 5 the second, and then only 2 the third.
NC State got hot at the right time and we went cold at the worst time, as it goes. But losing in the Supers is better than the Regionals, so there's that.
Meanwhile, we didn't lose one series all year. We swept the eventual national champ at their park, went 1–0 against the runner-up Vanderbilt, went 3–1 against CWS team Tennessee, 1–0 against CWS team Texas, 3–1 against Supers team Ole Miss, and took 2/3 from Supers team LSU.
We lost because our offense went dead the third game. We scored 21 runs the first game, 5 the second, and then only 2 the third.
NC State got hot at the right time and we went cold at the worst time, as it goes. But losing in the Supers is better than the Regionals, so there's that.
Posted on 5/27/25 at 1:18 am to VagueMessage
quote:I think most of us felt we over performed during the season considering our general offensive output as well. That team's success was always extremely fragile and we leaned heavily on one arm. Never a good recipe in tournament play. We were good, but we weren't the best team in the country by any stretch of the imagination.
NC State got hot at the right time and we went cold at the worst time, as it goes.
It's very similar to how I feel about Texas this year. I don't expect them to do much this postseason, though they did get an extremely favorable draw.
This post was edited on 5/27/25 at 3:05 am
Posted on 5/27/25 at 6:22 am to Billy Blanks
quote:
Who the F is Cheese?
Biedleschies or however you spell it.
Posted on 5/27/25 at 6:22 am to Billy Blanks
quote:
They make the field?
No. ORU is at home
Posted on 5/27/25 at 9:35 am to Drewbie
I could look at any one performance and agree with that. Sweeping the national champions at their park is either is over performing, them under performing, or a touch of both. And our offense was potent, but streaky. We took care of business big time against lesser competition and relied on one or two big innings much of the time against good competition.
But we won every series. We went 4–0 in the SEC-T. We hit 109 home runs for a school record (which we just broke this year). That level of consistency isn't punching above our weight class, we just fell apart at Arkansas o'clock.
I think losing Pallette right at the end of the year (it was against Florida, the last series of the year iirc) hurt is in the postseason more than a lot of us remember. If we had him for that NC State game, we'd likely have won even with the offense going dead.
But we won every series. We went 4–0 in the SEC-T. We hit 109 home runs for a school record (which we just broke this year). That level of consistency isn't punching above our weight class, we just fell apart at Arkansas o'clock.
I think losing Pallette right at the end of the year (it was against Florida, the last series of the year iirc) hurt is in the postseason more than a lot of us remember. If we had him for that NC State game, we'd likely have won even with the offense going dead.
Posted on 5/27/25 at 10:22 am to Hawgeye
OP is updated to reflect the one game played last week.
Posted on 5/27/25 at 10:40 am to Hawgeye
Baseball America ranked every NCAA Tournament team...here are how the teams in our regional stacked up in their rankings...
3. Arkansas
Arkansas has failed to make it to a super regional in each of the last two seasons, but this year feels different. The Razorbacks this spring amassed 20 SEC wins—tied for their second-highest total in a single season this century—and have a handful of quality series wins to their name. “Well-roundedness” will be a key theme in this piece, especially when addressing a number of teams towards the top, and Arkansas certainly falls into that bucket. Their team average of .313 and team ERA of 4.06 both rank inside the top 20 nationally and they are led by newly-minted SEC Player of the Year Wehiwa Aloy.
24. Kansas
2025 has been a historical season in Lawrence. Head coach Dan Fitzgerald has done an outstanding job at the helm, and he’s managed to guide his Jayhawks to their first tournament appearance since 2014 in just his third season. Their 20 conference wins are the most in program history, their 43 overall wins are tied for the second-most in program history and they polished off their regular season with an impressive road sweep of West Virginia. Traveling to No. 3 Arkansas feels harsh considering the season it had, though Kansas will be up for the challenge.
43. Creighton
Creighton is the Big East’s lone representative after taking home its first conference tournament title since 2019. The Blue Jays also won the conference’s regular season title, though their unfavorable metrics had them on the wrong side of the bubble. Their 41 wins are tied for the most in a single season since 2011, and their team ERA of 4.00 ranks 15th nationally. However, heading to Fayetteville is a bit of a “David vs. Goliath” situation.
58. North Dakota State
Nobody in college baseball played a tougher non-conference schedule than North Dakota State. The Bison had the No. 1 non-conference strength of schedule in which it earned key victories over UTRGV, Tulane, Creighton and Minnesota. They then went on to beat Summit League power Oral Roberts twice in the conference tournament to secure their first tournament berth since 2021. Keep a close eye on sophomore shortstop Jake Schaffner. A high-level athlete who had a Wisconsin football offer in high school, Schaffner this year hit a league-leading .384/.443/.489 with 15 extra-base hits and has double-plus bat-to-ball skills.
3. Arkansas
Arkansas has failed to make it to a super regional in each of the last two seasons, but this year feels different. The Razorbacks this spring amassed 20 SEC wins—tied for their second-highest total in a single season this century—and have a handful of quality series wins to their name. “Well-roundedness” will be a key theme in this piece, especially when addressing a number of teams towards the top, and Arkansas certainly falls into that bucket. Their team average of .313 and team ERA of 4.06 both rank inside the top 20 nationally and they are led by newly-minted SEC Player of the Year Wehiwa Aloy.
24. Kansas
2025 has been a historical season in Lawrence. Head coach Dan Fitzgerald has done an outstanding job at the helm, and he’s managed to guide his Jayhawks to their first tournament appearance since 2014 in just his third season. Their 20 conference wins are the most in program history, their 43 overall wins are tied for the second-most in program history and they polished off their regular season with an impressive road sweep of West Virginia. Traveling to No. 3 Arkansas feels harsh considering the season it had, though Kansas will be up for the challenge.
43. Creighton
Creighton is the Big East’s lone representative after taking home its first conference tournament title since 2019. The Blue Jays also won the conference’s regular season title, though their unfavorable metrics had them on the wrong side of the bubble. Their 41 wins are tied for the most in a single season since 2011, and their team ERA of 4.00 ranks 15th nationally. However, heading to Fayetteville is a bit of a “David vs. Goliath” situation.
58. North Dakota State
Nobody in college baseball played a tougher non-conference schedule than North Dakota State. The Bison had the No. 1 non-conference strength of schedule in which it earned key victories over UTRGV, Tulane, Creighton and Minnesota. They then went on to beat Summit League power Oral Roberts twice in the conference tournament to secure their first tournament berth since 2021. Keep a close eye on sophomore shortstop Jake Schaffner. A high-level athlete who had a Wisconsin football offer in high school, Schaffner this year hit a league-leading .384/.443/.489 with 15 extra-base hits and has double-plus bat-to-ball skills.
Posted on 5/27/25 at 1:26 pm to VagueMessage
quote:
But we won every series. We went 4–0 in the SEC-T. We hit 109 home runs for a school record (which we just broke this year). That level of consistency isn't punching above our weight class, we just fell apart at Arkansas o'clock.
The difference this year IMO is that team couldn’t “manufacture” runs outside of the long ball. That’s been my argument since the emphasis on launch angle, metrics, etc at all levels. It’s great for 162 games (40-50 in college) but if you hit a slump at the wrong time your toast. I feel our approach this year is more consistent and more often than not we are seeing better quality AB’s, even when the long ball isn’t there.
Every team that makes a run has guys step up that maybe didn’t deliver a ton in the regular season. Usually it’s pitchers. If we have a few arms that step up I’m cautiously optimistic.
Posted on 5/27/25 at 1:49 pm to GoldenSombrero
We have as good a chance as anyone, honestly. Nate did a lot of putting up and I did a lot of shutting up after February when the offense finally found its footing. Maybe this is the year he proves us all idiots.
Posted on 5/27/25 at 6:05 pm to GoldenSombrero
quote:Yep. This is part of what I was referring to when calling the success fragile. If we weren't hitting the ball over the fence, we had a horrible time putting runs on the board. That coupled with the having to hold our breath every time a bullpen arm not named Kopps came into the game.
The difference this year IMO is that team couldn’t “manufacture” runs outside of the long ball.
I like this year's team waaaaaay more. Just wish we had a little more consistency out of our starters, but the insane bullpen depth is a nice band-aid for that.
Posted on 5/29/25 at 10:21 am to Hawgeye
D1 Baseball Fayetteville Regional Preview
Checking the Field
Arkansas, the betting favorite in Vegas to win the national title, is hosting again this season, looking to break a pattern that has seen it lose back-to-back home regionals. Kansas, which set a regular-season program wins record, is a gritty team capable of playing spoiler and knocking the Razorbacks out early once again, while Creighton will look to send retiring head coach Ed Servais out on a high note. North Dakota State is on a Cinderella run that saw it defeat Summit League regular-season champion Oral Roberts for the conference’s automatic bid despite finishing under .500 in league play during the regular season.
Fayetteville Regional Superlatives
Most Exciting Player: Nolan Sailors, OF, Creighton
Sailors has been an excellent catalyst in the Creighton lineup each of the last two seasons, but this season has been his masterpiece for the Bluejays. He’s batting .392/.490/.555 with 16 doubles, 39 RBIs and 27 stolen bases. His seven outfield assists as the everyday left fielder have also made him a value add defensively. There are more talented players in this regional, but none that does as much for his team.
Best Hitter: Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas
The Hawaiian won SEC player of the year honors and one look at his numbers makes it easy to see why. He’s batting .353/.437/.668 with 17 doubles, 18 home runs and 58 RBIs. When the Arkansas lineup is clicking, it’s arguably the best and the deepest in the country, but Wehiwa Aloy is the clear centerpiece of the operation.
Best Defensive Player: Jake Schaffner, SS, North Dakota State
Schaffner does a lot for the Bison, as he’s the team’s leader in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and stolen bases, but he’s also a standout defender at shortstop who won Summit League defensive player of the year honors this season. He made just five errors at the position all season (good for a .974 fielding percentage) and until committing an error in the championship-clinching game against Oral Roberts over the weekend, he hadn’t made one in nearly six weeks.
Best Pitcher: Zach Root, LHP, Arkansas
The lefthander Root has been everything Arkansas could have hoped for when he transferred from East Carolina. In 79.2 innings, he has a 4.07 ERA, a .239 opponent batting average and 106 strikeouts compared to 28 walks using a five-pitch arsenal made up of a heavy fastball that reaches the mid 90s, a low-80s curveball that has a 39% whiff rate, a mid-80s changeup that has a 36% whiff rate, a mid-to-high-80s cutter that has a 35% whiff rate and a mid-80s slider that has a 48% whiff rate, albeit with the slider being used more sparingly than his other pitches.
X-Factor: Dominic Voegele, RHP, Kansas
When Voegele is on his game, he’s capable of shutting down any lineup in the country, and he’s shown that at times this season, but the issue is that he’s not been consistent in doing so from week to week, which has contributed to him going into regionals with a 5.34 ERA in 91 innings. Take the last two weeks, for example. In the last weekend of the regular season, the righthander tossed seven shutout innings against West Virginia, but in the Big 12 Tournament against Oklahoma State, he gave up six runs in four innings. Which Voegele shows up in Fayetteville will have a lot to do with how far the Jayhawks can go.
Best Starting Rotation: Kansas
Arkansas certainly has the most raw talent in its rotation, but it has had to move some pieces around this season in an effort to find the right roles for everyone. Meanwhile, KU has had much more certainty with its three starters and as a result knows what it’s going to get, even if its ceiling is more limited than the Arkansas rotation. Voegele leads the way, but Cooper Moore (7-2, 3.76) is a ground ball machine who has had an excellent year and Kannon Carr (5-1, 4.42) isn’t your standard Sunday starter, as he shows a fastball up to 95 mph as part of a true four-pitch mix.
Best Bullpen: Arkansas
One of the benefits of the mixing and matching in the Arkansas rotation is that the bullpen improved greatly once Gabe Gaeckle (5.02 ERA, 57.1 IP) was taken out of the rotation and moved back to his role as a multi-inning high-leverage reliever. Aiden Jimenez (3.37 ERA, 34.2 IP) has been a revelation this season, Christian Foutch (3.48 ERA, 20.2 IP) has as much arm strength as anyone, with a fastball that routinely touches 100 mph, Dylan Carter (2.18 ERA, 33 IP) has arguably been the most consistent bullpen arm all season long, Cole Gibler (3.60 ERA, 25 IP) has come on strong as his freshman campaign has gone on and Will McEntire (2.59 ERA, 24.1 IP) is a steady veteran presence. In terms of both quality and depth, no bullpen in this regional matches Arkansas.
Best Offensive Team: Arkansas
Arkansas is a juggernaut offensively when it’s hot. Wehiwa Aloy is the SEC player of the year, but the Razorbacks also hit the jackpot in the offseason with transfer portal additions Charles Davalan (.352/.430/.576), Logan Maxwell (.347/.461/.576), Kuhio Aloy (.340/.426/.598) and Cam Kozeal (.335/.384/.609). Seven different players in the lineup—both Aloy brothers, Davalan, Maxwell, Kozeal, Ryder Helfrick (.314/.435/.596) and Brent Iredale (.295/.461/.574)—have double-digit home runs and they’re batting .313/.422/.553 as a team.
Best Defensive Team: Arkansas
With a .983 fielding percentage, Arkansas paces the field in terms of defensive prowess, and there are some standout individual defenders in the mix. With Justin Thomas, Jr. in center field and Davalan in left, the Razorbacks effectively have two center fielders patrolling the outfield, and Wehiwa Aloy has developed into a very solid defensive shortstop. He’s made just five errors this season and no player on the Arkansas roster has made more than six errors.
No. 1 Seed Win Probability (1-10): 8
Kansas is a potentially tricky two seed in this regional, especially if its pitchers are generating ground balls by the bushel, but it’s tough to imagine the Jayhawks, Creighton or North Dakota State really pushing Arkansas if Arkansas is playing its A or B game this weekend. KU does have physicality in its lineup, so if it can get to a regional final and drag Arkansas into a high-scoring game, its chances of being competitive at that stage go up when compared to its chances of doing so in pitchers’ duels.
Frisky 4-Seed Factor (1-10): 2
North Dakota State is a team that’s not going to beat itself. It has a solid .974 team fielding percentage and the pitchers it leans on most throw a ton of strikes. The Bison, a team that went 20-32 overall and 13-15 in the Summit League in the regular season, don’t have the depth to be able to go haymaker-for-haymaker with Arkansas and Kansas in this regional, but if they can hang around in games against those teams and keep scores close, anything can happen.
Checking the Field
Arkansas, the betting favorite in Vegas to win the national title, is hosting again this season, looking to break a pattern that has seen it lose back-to-back home regionals. Kansas, which set a regular-season program wins record, is a gritty team capable of playing spoiler and knocking the Razorbacks out early once again, while Creighton will look to send retiring head coach Ed Servais out on a high note. North Dakota State is on a Cinderella run that saw it defeat Summit League regular-season champion Oral Roberts for the conference’s automatic bid despite finishing under .500 in league play during the regular season.
Fayetteville Regional Superlatives
Most Exciting Player: Nolan Sailors, OF, Creighton
Sailors has been an excellent catalyst in the Creighton lineup each of the last two seasons, but this season has been his masterpiece for the Bluejays. He’s batting .392/.490/.555 with 16 doubles, 39 RBIs and 27 stolen bases. His seven outfield assists as the everyday left fielder have also made him a value add defensively. There are more talented players in this regional, but none that does as much for his team.
Best Hitter: Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas
The Hawaiian won SEC player of the year honors and one look at his numbers makes it easy to see why. He’s batting .353/.437/.668 with 17 doubles, 18 home runs and 58 RBIs. When the Arkansas lineup is clicking, it’s arguably the best and the deepest in the country, but Wehiwa Aloy is the clear centerpiece of the operation.
Best Defensive Player: Jake Schaffner, SS, North Dakota State
Schaffner does a lot for the Bison, as he’s the team’s leader in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and stolen bases, but he’s also a standout defender at shortstop who won Summit League defensive player of the year honors this season. He made just five errors at the position all season (good for a .974 fielding percentage) and until committing an error in the championship-clinching game against Oral Roberts over the weekend, he hadn’t made one in nearly six weeks.
Best Pitcher: Zach Root, LHP, Arkansas
The lefthander Root has been everything Arkansas could have hoped for when he transferred from East Carolina. In 79.2 innings, he has a 4.07 ERA, a .239 opponent batting average and 106 strikeouts compared to 28 walks using a five-pitch arsenal made up of a heavy fastball that reaches the mid 90s, a low-80s curveball that has a 39% whiff rate, a mid-80s changeup that has a 36% whiff rate, a mid-to-high-80s cutter that has a 35% whiff rate and a mid-80s slider that has a 48% whiff rate, albeit with the slider being used more sparingly than his other pitches.
X-Factor: Dominic Voegele, RHP, Kansas
When Voegele is on his game, he’s capable of shutting down any lineup in the country, and he’s shown that at times this season, but the issue is that he’s not been consistent in doing so from week to week, which has contributed to him going into regionals with a 5.34 ERA in 91 innings. Take the last two weeks, for example. In the last weekend of the regular season, the righthander tossed seven shutout innings against West Virginia, but in the Big 12 Tournament against Oklahoma State, he gave up six runs in four innings. Which Voegele shows up in Fayetteville will have a lot to do with how far the Jayhawks can go.
Best Starting Rotation: Kansas
Arkansas certainly has the most raw talent in its rotation, but it has had to move some pieces around this season in an effort to find the right roles for everyone. Meanwhile, KU has had much more certainty with its three starters and as a result knows what it’s going to get, even if its ceiling is more limited than the Arkansas rotation. Voegele leads the way, but Cooper Moore (7-2, 3.76) is a ground ball machine who has had an excellent year and Kannon Carr (5-1, 4.42) isn’t your standard Sunday starter, as he shows a fastball up to 95 mph as part of a true four-pitch mix.
Best Bullpen: Arkansas
One of the benefits of the mixing and matching in the Arkansas rotation is that the bullpen improved greatly once Gabe Gaeckle (5.02 ERA, 57.1 IP) was taken out of the rotation and moved back to his role as a multi-inning high-leverage reliever. Aiden Jimenez (3.37 ERA, 34.2 IP) has been a revelation this season, Christian Foutch (3.48 ERA, 20.2 IP) has as much arm strength as anyone, with a fastball that routinely touches 100 mph, Dylan Carter (2.18 ERA, 33 IP) has arguably been the most consistent bullpen arm all season long, Cole Gibler (3.60 ERA, 25 IP) has come on strong as his freshman campaign has gone on and Will McEntire (2.59 ERA, 24.1 IP) is a steady veteran presence. In terms of both quality and depth, no bullpen in this regional matches Arkansas.
Best Offensive Team: Arkansas
Arkansas is a juggernaut offensively when it’s hot. Wehiwa Aloy is the SEC player of the year, but the Razorbacks also hit the jackpot in the offseason with transfer portal additions Charles Davalan (.352/.430/.576), Logan Maxwell (.347/.461/.576), Kuhio Aloy (.340/.426/.598) and Cam Kozeal (.335/.384/.609). Seven different players in the lineup—both Aloy brothers, Davalan, Maxwell, Kozeal, Ryder Helfrick (.314/.435/.596) and Brent Iredale (.295/.461/.574)—have double-digit home runs and they’re batting .313/.422/.553 as a team.
Best Defensive Team: Arkansas
With a .983 fielding percentage, Arkansas paces the field in terms of defensive prowess, and there are some standout individual defenders in the mix. With Justin Thomas, Jr. in center field and Davalan in left, the Razorbacks effectively have two center fielders patrolling the outfield, and Wehiwa Aloy has developed into a very solid defensive shortstop. He’s made just five errors this season and no player on the Arkansas roster has made more than six errors.
No. 1 Seed Win Probability (1-10): 8
Kansas is a potentially tricky two seed in this regional, especially if its pitchers are generating ground balls by the bushel, but it’s tough to imagine the Jayhawks, Creighton or North Dakota State really pushing Arkansas if Arkansas is playing its A or B game this weekend. KU does have physicality in its lineup, so if it can get to a regional final and drag Arkansas into a high-scoring game, its chances of being competitive at that stage go up when compared to its chances of doing so in pitchers’ duels.
Frisky 4-Seed Factor (1-10): 2
North Dakota State is a team that’s not going to beat itself. It has a solid .974 team fielding percentage and the pitchers it leans on most throw a ton of strikes. The Bison, a team that went 20-32 overall and 13-15 in the Summit League in the regular season, don’t have the depth to be able to go haymaker-for-haymaker with Arkansas and Kansas in this regional, but if they can hang around in games against those teams and keep scores close, anything can happen.
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