Razorbacks Face Tigers in Highly Anticipated SEC Showdown
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A highly anticipated showdown between unanimous No. 1 Arkansas (20-3, 5-1 SEC) and No. 8 LSU (20-6, 2-4 SEC) comes to Baum-Walker Stadium this weekend. First pitch in the series opener between the Razorbacks and Tigers is 6 p.m. Thursday, March 28, on ESPN2 with Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Kyle Peterson (analyst) on the call.
The second game of the weekend series between Arkansas and LSU gets underway at 7 p.m. Friday, March 29, on SEC Network. First pitch in the series finale, meanwhile, is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, March 30, on SEC Network+.
Arkansas has won three of its last four weekend series against LSU. The Razorbacks have won consecutive weekend series against the Tigers, who have not won a series in Fayetteville since the 2017 season, inside the friendly confines of Baum-Walker Stadium, including a three-game series sweep during the 2022 campaign.
Schedule
Thursday, March 28
LSU vs. #1 Arkansas – 6 p.m. – ESPN2 – Listen – Live Stats
Friday, March 29
LSU vs. #1 Arkansas – 7 p.m. – SEC Network – Listen – Live Stats
Saturday, March 30
LSU vs. #1 Arkansas – 2 p.m. – SEC Network+ – Listen – Live Stats
On the Mound
Thursday, March 28
LSU – TBA
Arkansas – LHP Hagen Smith (4-0, 1.24 ERA)
Friday, March 29
LSU – RHP Luke Holman (5-1, 0.78 ERA)
Arkansas – LHP Mason Molina (3-0, 2.57 ERA)
Saturday, March 30
LSU – LHP Gage Jump (2-0, 2.38 ERA)
Arkansas – RHP Brady Tygart (3-0, 1.59 ERA)
Tune In
Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Kyle Peterson (analyst) have the call of Thursday and Friday’s nationally televised ballgames on ESPN2 and SEC Network, respectively. Brett Dolan (play-by-play) and Razorback great Troy Eklund (analyst), meanwhile, have the call of Saturday’s series finale on SEC Network+.
The weekend series between Arkansas and LSU 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 41-77 overall series record against LSU, including a 21-25 record in Fayetteville. Under Dave Van Horn, the Razorbacks are 27-44 overall against the Tigers with a 14-16 record in meetings at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The Hogs, however, have held the upper hand in the rivalry since 2019. Arkansas is 9-4 in its last 13 meetings against LSU, including a home weekend series win in 2019 and a three-game series sweep at Baum-Walker Stadium in 2022.
5-1 Start in SEC Play
The Hogs are off to a 5-1 or better start in SEC play for the seventh time in the Dave Van Horn era, and for the third time in the last four seasons. With a win in Thursday night’s series opener, Arkansas would start 6-1 or better in the SEC portion of its schedule for the fifth time under Van Horn, and for the second time in the last three seasons.
Should Arkansas sweep this weekend against LSU, it will mark its first 8-1 start in SEC play since 2009. The Razorbacks began their 2009 campaign with an 8-1 mark in conference play, including consecutive series sweeps against Florida and Auburn, as well as a series win against Mississippi State.
The Hagen Smith Experience
Arkansas ace Hagen Smith, slated to take the mound in Thursday night’s series opener against LSU, is 4-0 with a 1.24 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 29.0 innings over six starts this season. The junior left-hander leads the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (19.2), ranks second in hits allowed per nine innings (3.4) and ranks fourth nationally in total strikeouts (62).
Smith is the reigning SEC Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season after firing six scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts, his fourth double-digit strikeout game of the season, in Arkansas’ series-opening 1-0 shutout road win against nationally ranked Auburn on March 21. The Bullard, Texas, native, who was named the SEC Pitcher of the Week for the first time in his career after his 17-strikeout performance against nationally ranked Oregon State on Feb. 23, is just the fourth pitcher in Razorback history to earn the conference’s top weekly honor multiple times in a season, joining David Walling (1999), Nick Schmidt (2006) and Kevin Kopps (2021).
Behind Smith, the Arkansas pitching staff is ranked first nationally in strikeouts per nine innings (13.2), strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.3), WHIP (1.00) and ERA (2.50), and ranked second nationally in shutouts (5) entering Thursday’s series opener.
Smith has recorded 261 career strikeouts in 178.0 innings of work. His 261 career punchouts are tied for fourth on Arkansas’ career strikeouts list, and he is 22 shy of matching David Walling (283) for third-most in program history.
Career Strikeouts
1. 345 – Nick Schmidt (2003-06)
2. 301 – Matt Carnes (1979-82)
3. 283 – David Walling (1998-99)
T4. 261 – Hagen Smith (2022-pres.)
T4. 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)
Home Sweet Baum-Walker
Arkansas is 16-1 (.941 winning percentage) inside the friendly confines of Baum-Walker Stadium this season. The Razorbacks are currently on a 10-game homestand, their second 10-plus game homestand of the 2024 campaign.
Earlier this season, Arkansas went undefeated during its 12-game homestand from Feb. 27-March 17, which marked, in terms of winning percentage, its most successful homestand of the Dave Van Horn era, as well as its winningest homestand in program history since 1985, when the Hogs went undefeated during a 15-game homestand.
Excluding the shortened 2020 campaign, the Razorbacks have won 28 or more games at home in six consecutive seasons, including a program-record 34 wins in 2018. In 2023, Arkansas went 32-6 (.842 winning percentage) at Baum-Walker Stadium, representing the Hogs’ fourth 30-win season at home since the stadium opened in 1996.
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