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Arkansas baseball outscored Georgia by eight runs this weekend and lost a three-game series in heartbreaking fashion.
A second straight comeback bid ended in a defeat Sunday after Henry Hunter launched a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 12th to gift the No. 6 Bulldogs (32-6, 10-5) a 7-6 win over the No. 1 Razorbacks (32-5, 12-3).
The teams split the first two games, with Arkansas winning the opener by 10 before stranding the tying run 90 feet from home in a one-run loss Saturday.
Here are three takeaways from Arkansas' series loss to Georgia.
More: Arkansas baseball vs Georgia score: Bulldogs' walk-off homer clinches series win over Hogs
More: How Arkansas baseball's Aiden Jimenez returned from Tommy John surgery in just 11 months
Zach Root and Landon Beidelschies were solid in their starts against a fearsome Georgia lineup. Root allowed three runs in 5⅔ innings during a 13-3 victory Friday night, while Beidelschies gave up four runs in five innings. They've been reliable all season.
But Gabe Gaeckle lasted just two innings and yielded five runs on Saturday. The Bulldogs seized early control in a 7-6 win and got to the Arkansas bullpen too soon for Dave Van Horn's liking.
Gaeckle is now 2-1 with a 6.69 ERA. He hasn't pitched six innings in any of his nine starts and doesn't look like the same pitcher who was a dominant closer for Arkansas in 2024. Van Horn indicated on his pregame radio show Sunday that the Razorbacks would make 'an adjustment' to their rotation.
Gage Wood is closing in on a return from injury and is an obvious candidate to take Gaeckle's spot. If Van Horn wants to stay patient with Wood, Ben Bybee (3-0, 3.33 ERA) could be a candidate.
Even in a series loss, the Arkansas relievers were stellar. Nine different arms combined to strike out 28 batters and allow five runs in 16 innings.
The bullpen squandered at the finish line. Aiden Jimenez blew the lead by yielding a run in the 11th inning of Sunday's game, and Cole Gibler allowed the walk-off homer. Both players were making their second appearance of the series.
Ben Bybee, Christian Foutch, Carson Wiggins and Dylan Carter also had successful appearances. The bullpen is a strength in every series, but the Hogs need better starts to maximize this weapon.
Arkansas hitters struck out 40 times this weekend and left 24 runners on base. Batters who entered the weekend hot, like Charles Davalan and Logan Maxwell, struggled to find a groove across the three-game series. All three of Georgia's starting pitchers went five innings.
And still, Arkansas had a chance to steal this series on the road. Ryder Helfrick and Wehiwa Aloy hit solo home runs in the top of the ninth Sunday to force extra innings, and Helfrick had a strong series with four hits, four RBIs and three runs. Kuhio Aloy had the best series at the plate with five hits and five RBIs, but he was 0 for 5 in the finale.
The offense did enough to win the series, even with all of the strikeouts. The biggest concern for the Hogs is if they can maintain their recent form and depth with Nolan Souza out injured.
Arkansas hosts UAPB Tuesday night before a three-game series against Texas A&M gets going Thursday. The Aggies (20-15, 6-9) haven't lived up to their No. 1 preseason ranking, but they've won six straight games while beating Tennessee and sweeping South Carolina in back-to-back series.
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Three takeaways as Arkansas baseball loses weekend series to Georgia
Continue reading...
A second straight comeback bid ended in a defeat Sunday after Henry Hunter launched a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 12th to gift the No. 6 Bulldogs (32-6, 10-5) a 7-6 win over the No. 1 Razorbacks (32-5, 12-3).
The teams split the first two games, with Arkansas winning the opener by 10 before stranding the tying run 90 feet from home in a one-run loss Saturday.
Here are three takeaways from Arkansas' series loss to Georgia.
More: Arkansas baseball vs Georgia score: Bulldogs' walk-off homer clinches series win over Hogs
More: How Arkansas baseball's Aiden Jimenez returned from Tommy John surgery in just 11 months
Is it time for a change to the Arkansas baseball weekend rotation?
Zach Root and Landon Beidelschies were solid in their starts against a fearsome Georgia lineup. Root allowed three runs in 5⅔ innings during a 13-3 victory Friday night, while Beidelschies gave up four runs in five innings. They've been reliable all season.
But Gabe Gaeckle lasted just two innings and yielded five runs on Saturday. The Bulldogs seized early control in a 7-6 win and got to the Arkansas bullpen too soon for Dave Van Horn's liking.
Gaeckle is now 2-1 with a 6.69 ERA. He hasn't pitched six innings in any of his nine starts and doesn't look like the same pitcher who was a dominant closer for Arkansas in 2024. Van Horn indicated on his pregame radio show Sunday that the Razorbacks would make 'an adjustment' to their rotation.
Gage Wood is closing in on a return from injury and is an obvious candidate to take Gaeckle's spot. If Van Horn wants to stay patient with Wood, Ben Bybee (3-0, 3.33 ERA) could be a candidate.
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Hogs bullpen dominates until final innings
Even in a series loss, the Arkansas relievers were stellar. Nine different arms combined to strike out 28 batters and allow five runs in 16 innings.
The bullpen squandered at the finish line. Aiden Jimenez blew the lead by yielding a run in the 11th inning of Sunday's game, and Cole Gibler allowed the walk-off homer. Both players were making their second appearance of the series.
Ben Bybee, Christian Foutch, Carson Wiggins and Dylan Carter also had successful appearances. The bullpen is a strength in every series, but the Hogs need better starts to maximize this weapon.
Offense nearly does enough despite all the strikeouts
Arkansas hitters struck out 40 times this weekend and left 24 runners on base. Batters who entered the weekend hot, like Charles Davalan and Logan Maxwell, struggled to find a groove across the three-game series. All three of Georgia's starting pitchers went five innings.
And still, Arkansas had a chance to steal this series on the road. Ryder Helfrick and Wehiwa Aloy hit solo home runs in the top of the ninth Sunday to force extra innings, and Helfrick had a strong series with four hits, four RBIs and three runs. Kuhio Aloy had the best series at the plate with five hits and five RBIs, but he was 0 for 5 in the finale.
The offense did enough to win the series, even with all of the strikeouts. The biggest concern for the Hogs is if they can maintain their recent form and depth with Nolan Souza out injured.
Up Next
Arkansas hosts UAPB Tuesday night before a three-game series against Texas A&M gets going Thursday. The Aggies (20-15, 6-9) haven't lived up to their No. 1 preseason ranking, but they've won six straight games while beating Tennessee and sweeping South Carolina in back-to-back series.
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Three takeaways as Arkansas baseball loses weekend series to Georgia
Continue reading...
