- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 423,772
- Reaction score
- 43
FAYETTEVILLE — A cold and wet weekend inside Baum-Walker Stadium could not deter a red-hot Arkansas baseball offense.
The No. 2 Razorbacks (30-3, 11-1 SEC) have matched their best start in program history after cruising to a three-game sweep over Missouri. The Hogs also started 30-3 last spring behind a dominant pitching staff.
But this year's team has turned the tide on its offensive struggles with one of the best lineups in America. Arkansas scored at least 14 runs in all three games, earning a 21-3 victory Saturday before sweeping a seven-inning doubleheader on Sunday.
Here are three observations from the Razorbacks' weekend sweep over the Tigers (11-20, 0-12).
More: Arkansas baseball crushes Missouri in SEC series
More: How much has Arkansas baseball's offense improved in 2025 after last year's struggles?
The Razorbacks' 51 runs this weekend are the most they've ever scored in an SEC series, eclipsing the 50 runs they scored against South Carolina in 1997. All three games against Missouri were just seven innings, making the feat even more impressive.
Everyone in the lineup contributed to this destruction of Missouri's pitching staff, but Cam Kozeal and Charles Davalan were the biggest sparks for a second straight week.
After haunting his former team last weekend in Nashville, Kozeal went 9 for 12 with 13 RBIs and 7 runs. Dave Van Horn rewarded the first baseman by moving him up to third in the batting order for the series finale, and Kozeal repaid the faith with two home runs. One of them was a grand slam, and the Vanderbilt transfer leads Arkansas with a .417 batting average.
Davalan was just 5 for 13, but he hit a pair of home runs in game two and now leads the Hogs with 11 this season. The Canadian outfielder finished the weekend with nine RBIs.
But again, this was a dominant weekend from the entire offense. The Aloy brothers combined for 10 hits and 12 runs, while Brent Iredale, Logan Maxwell and Carson Boles all hit homers.
It's been a rough spring for Foutch, who was expected to be the top reliever in 2025. He entered the weekend with a 5.40 ERA and hadn't pitched in the previous seven games before entering in the fifth inning of the series finale.
Foutch was dominant in one inning of work, striking out a pair of batters and getting a line out to right. He controlled his fastball and put the first hitter away with a hard slider.
If Arkansas can get Foutch going, a deep pitching staff gets even better. None of the starters had their best stuff against Missouri, but they combined to allow six earned runs in 13 innings.
The Razorbacks entered the weekend fifth in the country with a .985 fielding percentage, but Arkansas committed two errors in Sunday's doubleheader and a passed ball led to Missouri's first run in the series finale.
This is a minor inconvenience given the overall dominance, but it's something Van Horn will want cleaned up in the coming weeks when the competition gets more difficult.
Arkansas hosts Arkansas State Tuesday night before hitting the road for a three-game series against No. 3 Georgia. The Bulldogs (29-5, 8-4) were swept by Texas this weekend.
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: Record-breaking offense powers Arkansas baseball to sweep over Missouri
Continue reading...
The No. 2 Razorbacks (30-3, 11-1 SEC) have matched their best start in program history after cruising to a three-game sweep over Missouri. The Hogs also started 30-3 last spring behind a dominant pitching staff.
But this year's team has turned the tide on its offensive struggles with one of the best lineups in America. Arkansas scored at least 14 runs in all three games, earning a 21-3 victory Saturday before sweeping a seven-inning doubleheader on Sunday.
Here are three observations from the Razorbacks' weekend sweep over the Tigers (11-20, 0-12).
More: Arkansas baseball crushes Missouri in SEC series
More: How much has Arkansas baseball's offense improved in 2025 after last year's struggles?
Arkansas baseball produces historic weekend at the plate
The Razorbacks' 51 runs this weekend are the most they've ever scored in an SEC series, eclipsing the 50 runs they scored against South Carolina in 1997. All three games against Missouri were just seven innings, making the feat even more impressive.
Everyone in the lineup contributed to this destruction of Missouri's pitching staff, but Cam Kozeal and Charles Davalan were the biggest sparks for a second straight week.
After haunting his former team last weekend in Nashville, Kozeal went 9 for 12 with 13 RBIs and 7 runs. Dave Van Horn rewarded the first baseman by moving him up to third in the batting order for the series finale, and Kozeal repaid the faith with two home runs. One of them was a grand slam, and the Vanderbilt transfer leads Arkansas with a .417 batting average.
You must be registered for see images attach
Davalan was just 5 for 13, but he hit a pair of home runs in game two and now leads the Hogs with 11 this season. The Canadian outfielder finished the weekend with nine RBIs.
But again, this was a dominant weekend from the entire offense. The Aloy brothers combined for 10 hits and 12 runs, while Brent Iredale, Logan Maxwell and Carson Boles all hit homers.
Christian Foutch bounces back
It's been a rough spring for Foutch, who was expected to be the top reliever in 2025. He entered the weekend with a 5.40 ERA and hadn't pitched in the previous seven games before entering in the fifth inning of the series finale.
Foutch was dominant in one inning of work, striking out a pair of batters and getting a line out to right. He controlled his fastball and put the first hitter away with a hard slider.
If Arkansas can get Foutch going, a deep pitching staff gets even better. None of the starters had their best stuff against Missouri, but they combined to allow six earned runs in 13 innings.
Hogs get a little sloppy in the field
The Razorbacks entered the weekend fifth in the country with a .985 fielding percentage, but Arkansas committed two errors in Sunday's doubleheader and a passed ball led to Missouri's first run in the series finale.
This is a minor inconvenience given the overall dominance, but it's something Van Horn will want cleaned up in the coming weeks when the competition gets more difficult.
Up Next
Arkansas hosts Arkansas State Tuesday night before hitting the road for a three-game series against No. 3 Georgia. The Bulldogs (29-5, 8-4) were swept by Texas this weekend.
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: Record-breaking offense powers Arkansas baseball to sweep over Missouri
Continue reading...
