#5 Arkansas Hosts #14 Mississippi State in Final SEC Home Weekend Series
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – SEC Western Division leader No. 5 Arkansas (40-9, 17-7 SEC) hosts divisional foe No. 14 Mississippi State (32-16, 14-10 SEC) at Baum-Walker Stadium in the final SEC home weekend series of the season. First pitch in the series opener between Razorbacks and Bulldogs is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 10, on SEC Network+.
The Hogs, who are 31-2 (.939 winning percentage) inside the friendly confines of Baum-Walker Stadium, have won all four of their SEC home weekend series, including three sweeps, this season. Arkansas has won nine straight SEC home weekend series since last season, as well as 21 of its last 22 SEC home weekend series since the 2019 campaign.
Schedule
Friday, May 10
#14 Mississippi State vs. #5 Arkansas – 6:30 p.m. – SEC Network+ – Listen – Live Stats
Saturday, May 11
#14 Mississippi State vs. #5 Arkansas – 6 p.m. – SEC Network+ – Listen – Live Stats
Sunday, May 12
#14 Mississippi State vs. #5 Arkansas – 2 p.m. – SEC Network – Listen – Live Stats
On the Mound
Friday, May 10
Mississippi State – RHP Khal Stephen (7-3, 2.96 ERA)
Arkansas – LHP Hagen Smith (9-0, 1.36 ERA)
Saturday, May 11
Mississippi State – BHP Jurrangelo Cijntje (7-1, 3.53 ERA)
Arkansas – RHP Brady Tygart (4-2, 3.34 ERA)
Sunday, May 12
Mississippi State – TBA
Arkansas – LHP Mason Molina (3-2, 3.81 ERA)
Tune In
Brett Dolan (play-by-play) and Razorback great Troy Eklund (analyst) have the call of Friday and Saturday’s games between fifth-ranked Arkansas and 14th-ranked Mississippi State on SEC Network+. Sunday’s series finale, meanwhile, will air on SEC Network with Derek Jones (play-by-play) and Todd Walker (analyst) on the call remotely.
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 57-57 overall series record against Mississippi State, including a 27-19 record in games played in Fayetteville. Under head coach Dave Van Horn, the Hogs are 36-28 overall and 18-12 at home against the Bulldogs.
Since 2019, Arkansas is 11-1 against Mississippi State and has won four consecutive weekend series. The Hogs have not lost a series to the Bulldogs in Fayetteville since 2007 and are going for their eighth straight weekend home series win.
It Just Means More Wins
Arkansas is 17-7 through 24 games of SEC play, matching its best 24-game SEC mark in program history. The Hogs have gone 17-7 through 24 SEC games five times – 1999, 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2024 – since joining the conference in 1992.
With a sweep this weekend, the Razorbacks can match their best 27-game SEC mark (20-7) in program history. Arkansas last boasted a 20-7 SEC record in 1999, finishing with a 22-8 mark in league play and claiming its first SEC overall title.
Home Sweet Baum-Walker Stadium
Arkansas is 31-2 (.939 winning percentage) inside the friendly confines of Baum-Walker Stadium this season. Excluding the 2020 campaign which was canceled after 16 games, the Razorbacks have won 28 or more home games in seven consecutive seasons: 2017 (29), 2018 (34), 2019 (33), 2021 (30), 2022 (28), 2023 (32) and 2024 (31).
Since the stadium opened in 1996, Arkansas has posted six 30-win seasons at Baum-Walker Stadium: 2004 (31), 2018 (34), 2019 (33), 2021 (30), 2023 (32) and 2024 (31). The program record for single-season wins at Baum-Walker Stadium is 34 in 2018.
The Best Pitcher in College Baseball
Arkansas ace Hagen Smith, slated to take the mound in the series opener against Mississippi State, has made his case as the best pitcher in college baseball. The junior left-hander is 9-0 with a nation-leading 1.36 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 67.0 innings over 12 starts this season. Smith, who is 7-0 with a 1.10 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 49.0 innings through eight SEC starts, has a team-leading 10 quality starts and nine double-digit strikeout games, a single-season program record.
Entering Friday, Smith leads the nation in ERA (1.36), hits allowed per nine innings (3.9) and strikeouts per nine innings (17.1) and is second nationally in WHIP (0.82), third in strikeouts (125) and fifth in victories (9). Arkansas is a perfect 12-0 this season with Smith on the mound, and the Hogs’ pitching staff leads the nation in hits allowed per nine innings (6.7), strikeouts per nine innings (12.) and WHIP (1.14) and is second nationally in ERA (3.36) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.4).
Smith has recorded 324 career strikeouts in 215.0 innings of work. His 324 career punchouts rank second on Arkansas’ career strikeouts list, and he is just 21 strikeouts shy of matching Nick Schmidt (345) for first in program history.
Career Strikeouts
1. 345 – Nick Schmidt (2003-06)
2. 324 – Hagen Smith (2022-present)
3. 301 – Matt Carnes (1979-82)
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)
Senior Day
Nine Razorbacks will participate in Senior Day festivities prior to Saturday night’s ballgame: Koty Frank, Stone Hewlett, Peyton Holt, Ross Lovich, Hudson Polk, Parker Rowland, Jared Sprague-Lott, Jack Wagner and Ty Wilmsmeyer.
For complete coverage of Arkansas baseball, follow the Hogs on Twitter (@RazorbackBSB), Instagram (@RazorbackBSB) and Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Baseball).