FAYETTEVILLE — Losing streaks happen all the time in college baseball programs.
That hasn't been the case for the Arkansas Razorbacks of late, under 22nd-year coach Dave Van Horn.
Even a single loss has been extremely rare for the University of Arkansas this season, with a 5-3 win over No. 17 Alabama on Friday to give it the No. 1 ranking and its best start in school history at 30-3.
The Crimson Tide then rallied to win its next two games by scores of 4-3 in 10 innings on Saturday and 5-0 on Sunday.
For the Razorbacks, it was their first consecutive loss in about 11 months since losing to Vanderbilt 10-8, 7-6 at the end of the 2023 regular season.
The Razorbacks (30-5), who fell to No. 2 behind Texas A&M (32-4) in this week's USA Today Coaches Poll, will play for the first time heading into a two-game set against Texas Tech starting tonight. Facing great adversity. at Baum-Walker Stadium at 7 p.m.
Arkansas' 6-6 right-hander Ben Bybee (2-0, 1.00 ERA) will face Texas Tech southpaw Zach Erdman (0-0, 7.24 ERA) for the third time tonight. He is expected to be a starter.
“I just want to play well,” Van Horn said after Sunday's shutout at Alabama, his first since the 2022 College World Series. “I think it's great for us to play against a Power Five team, a big name, a good team with a lot of tradition.
“After losing two straight games, I think this is probably the best thing that could happen to us. If we don't play well, we'll lose again. I think that's good for this team. They play well. There is a need.”
Alabama's pitchers did something against the Razorbacks that Van Horn and his staff haven't seen much of this season. After scoring five runs in the first three innings Friday, Arkansas scored just three runs in the final 24 innings, all thanks to solo home runs by Peyton Stovall, Jared Sprague-Rott and Peyton Holt. .
The Razorbacks went 16-for-102 (.157) at the plate against Alabama, including 2-for-14 (.143) with a runner in scoring position (one hit didn't result in a score). ), with 4 hits in 29 at bats (.138). There are runners on base.
Arkansas' leadoff batter was 5-for-28 (.179 batting average), and the Hogs struggled all weekend without a runner on third base with two or fewer outs. So we didn't set the table very often, and when we did, production was small.
“We obviously struggled really hard this weekend from about the middle of the game on Friday, but we still had a chance to win yesterday,” Van Horn said Sunday. “Not so much today. We had a chance to win when our players weren't producing much. This weekend was a weekend focused on timely hits.”
The Red Raiders (26-11) are one of the best-hitting, highest-scoring teams in Division I under 11th-year coach Tim Tadlock. Texas Tech scored in double figures in 17 games and averaged more than 10 points per game. They were giving up more points per game until they gave up 2 of 3 against TCU over the weekend.
The Red Raiders, who are 9-9 in the Big 12, are led by outfielder Damian Bravo (.420 batting average, 4 home runs and 40 RBIs), second baseman TJ Pompey (.346 batting average, 8 hits, 45 RBIs), and outfielder Austin Green (batting average). .313). , 4, 30), first baseman Gavin Kash (.308, 10, 35), and designated hitter Owen Washburn (.305, 5, 19).
Holt, a senior at Greenwood College, had a solid weekend performance while playing left field to earn the Hogs' top batting average (.349), followed by Stovall (.341, 5, 22) and Sprague-Rott. (.319, 5, 16) followed. ), Nolan Souza (.314, 6, 22), Ben McLaughlin (.298, 6, 28). Sprague Lott was the only Razorback with a hit in all three games at Alabama.
Coach Van Horn said after Saturday's loss that right fielders Kendall Diggs (.264, 6, 22) are 14-for-72 (.194) since the start of SEC play and Ty Wilmsmeyer (.209, 1) He lamented the lack of activity among outfielders. , 12) is also struggling with one hit in his past 20 at-bats in six games.
Coach Van Horn on Sunday placed Diggs in the leadoff spot for the first time since Feb. 24 against Oklahoma State, giving Stovall the No. 2 spot.
“We're just trying to shake things up a little bit,” Van Horn said. “Just trying to find a way to score. I thought Payton swung a pretty good bat Friday and Saturday. He looked like a guy who could put in some runs, so to shift the lineup a little bit, , I thought, “Well, let's move him down a little bit.'' …It didn't have much effect, did it? ”
Will Edmundson (.292, 1, 9), Ross Lovich (.276, 2, 15), and Jason Jones (.209, 3, 13) all had opportunities in left field. , Holt's play over the weekend prompted Van Horn to say, “I think that's his position right now.''
Van Horn said the two-game series came about because Texas Tech wants a road game and the Razorbacks don't have a return game provision.
