There were plenty of reasons to swell up with Razorback pride over the weekend, as quality diamond ball was on full display all across the University of Arkansas campus.
At cozy Bogle Park, softball coach Courtney Deifel’s squad hosted and easily breezed through its regional round of play, winning three straight games, and will host the Rebels of Ole Miss in an NCAA Super Regional round this week in one of eight such matchups around the country. Winners advance to the World Series.
Friday night, Payton Burnham (14-2) kicked things off in fine fashion by tossing the 17th no hitter in program history against St. Louis University. The freshman retired 15 outta the 17 Billiken batters she faced in the five-inning, run-rule-shortened, 10-0, dub. Kailey Wyckoff led the Hogs at the dish, going 3-3 with five RBIs, tying an Arkansas NCAA Tournament single-game record with both offensive stats.
The lady swatters then went on to defeat Oklahoma St., twice, 6-5 (in dramatic, walk-off fashion) and 12-0 to advance and play another day.
Across the road at Baum Walker Park, the Razorbacks baseball team rebounded against Tennessee, after losing the opener, 10-7, and won the next two games, 8-6 and 8-4, to close out the SEC regular season and improve their overall record to 43-12 and 20-10 in conference play.
Long balls were the tale of the tape, as the Volunteers blasted four taters versus nil for the Hogs on Thursday night in their 10-7 win over the home team. Arkansas went on to rebound and take the series, behind some dominant pitching and five big flys, two by catcher Ryder Helfrick, including a grand slam in Saturdaze rubber-match victory, and one each by Brent “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Go, Go, Go” Iredale, Logan Maxwell, and Wehiwa “Aloha Means Goodbye” Aloy.
Next up for Coach Dave Van Horn’s team is their conference tournament, held annually in Hoover, Ala. Scheduled to play on Friday, thanks to earning a double bye due to finishing in the top four of the final conference standings, the Hogs are assured of hosting a Regional, regardless how they fare down in the Yellowhammer State.
In other Razorback news – John Calipari recently polished off another stellar recruiting class (ranked #5, nationally), by signing freshmen Darius Acuff, Jr., and Meleek Thomas, two five-star guards, and four-star, Springdale High product, Isaiah Sealy, to go along with big-bodied transfers in the form of Nick Pringle (S. Carolina) and Malique Ewin (Florida St.). These newcomers should fit in quite nicely with the elite talent already onboard.
And finally, Journalism took the tape by half a length at the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday on the sloppy track at dated Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., proving once and for all that AI is no substitute for the real McCoy.
Stay dry and remember to call those Hogs loudly and often.
WooPig!!
BUENO!!!