1 month ago
Missouri shot returns to SEC play this play pinch yet different trial coming to Columbia, nan No. 24-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks, who person tons to play for coming into this bid and person been a beacon of consistency successful nan SEC since 2017.
The Tigers big nan No. 24-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks for a 3-game bid lasting from Thursday to Saturday. Missouri fans will beryllium greeted pinch a Missouri-style, Masters play chapeau giveaway, followed up by a 7:00 p.m. first transportation connected nan SEC Network successful nan opening game. Friday’s matchup will besides aerial nationally astatine nan aforesaid time, and this bid finale connected SEC Network+ will characteristic a 2:00 p.m. first pitch.
Mizzou (20–21, 3–15 SEC) is looking to bounce backmost aft its 11–5 nonaccomplishment to SIUE connected Tuesday connected location turf. The Tigers’ one-run lead evaporated aft an eight‑run Cougar rally successful nan eighth flipped nan crippled connected its head. Now, onto nan taxable of nan day, interrogating nan adjacent incoming visitant to nan windy confines of Taylor Stadium.
The Razorbacks get aft their 12–4 triumph complete Missouri State connected Tuesday and a erstwhile bid conclusion against No. 5-ranked Georgia successful Fayetteville. Arkansas (27–15, 9–9 SEC) brings an absorbing and challenging floor plan to Columbia: a .277 squad mean pinch 60 location runs, paired pinch a pitching unit that ranks top‑20 nationally successful strikeout‑to‑walk ratio.
Margo Jenkins
Last season’s bid betwixt these teams, which took spot backmost successful 2025, was thing short of a bloodbath tainted successful Razorback red. Arkansas outscored nan Tigers 51-9 successful a bid sweep, successful which nan trifecta of wins came via nan seven-inning tally rule.
More importantly, now walking backmost to nan coming day, a different benignant of walking is what’s connected nan minds of nan Razorbacks astatine nan moment.
Playing connected nan roadworthy is becoming much and much apt for nan Razorbacks successful their location matchup successful this year’s NCAA tournament. 2022 was nan past clip Arkansas didn’t play host, and immoderate nonaccomplishment to nan Tigers successful their upcoming group successful Columbia could beryllium detrimental to their wide synopsis up of May. 29.
Enough of what I person to opportunity astir nan visiting side. Ahead of this upcoming 3-game series, I talked pinch not only a postgraduate of nan Missouri School of Journalism but personification who’s covered Arkansas athletics vigorously complete nan past 3 years for WholeHogSports.com, Anthony Kristensen.
We collapsed down nan strengths and weaknesses of this Arkansas squad. We besides discussed that while connected paper, nan matchup heavy favors nan Razorbacks, really Mizzou could find immoderate much occurrence astatine Taylor Stadium this week, successful nan midst of its seven-game losing streak.
Q&A pinch Anthony Kristensen
Chappell: What were nan keys for Arkansas successful its 12-4 triumph complete Missouri State connected Tuesday?
Kristensen: The point you instantly look to is nan pitching. Arkansas had antecedently mislaid to Missouri State this season, truthful nan betterment you saw connected Tuesday compared to nan 15–14 crippled earlier successful nan twelvemonth was beautiful clear. Arkansas’ pitching was a batch amended and a batch cleaner. They didn’t let a really powerful Missouri State lineup to spell for nan agelong shot arsenic overmuch arsenic it typically likes to, which was nan large rumor successful nan crippled successful Springfield. I thought nan fielding was cleaner, too. Arkansas made plays past nighttime that it didn’t make arsenic often successful nan erstwhile crippled against Missouri State. You besides saw nan bats beryllium what they’re expected to be. They haven’t been arsenic accordant this twelvemonth astatine nan sheet aliases connected nan mound arsenic successful erstwhile seasons, but past nighttime you saw a much complete performance, limiting Missouri State’s expertise to deed location runs and limiting them to one‑ aliases two‑base hits alternatively of having 2 guys connected pinch nary outs was nan large difference.
Chappell: The squad ERA is successful nan mid‑4s, but nan strikeout totals are huge. Is being strikeout‑heavy nan personality of this staff?
Kristensen: I deliberation so. Sometimes it hasn’t worked arsenic good arsenic they’d like, arsenic nan 26–14 nonaccomplishment against Georgia is an example, and they’ve been prone to giving up a bunch of runs astatine different times. There person been games wherever they didn’t transportation good against teams they astir apt should’ve put away, but yes, nan personality is strikeouts. They tin move to guys who tin get crushed balls erstwhile needed, but they’ve been much error‑prone than successful nan past, and that’s thing they’ve had to woody with. There were a mates of plays against Missouri State they’d for illustration back, and they had six errors successful nan rubber lucifer against Georgia. But overall, nan strikeout personality is decidedly there.
Chappell: Camden Kozeal (.305 average, 14 doubles, 11 homers, 48 RBI) and Ryder Helfrick (14 homers, .626 slugging) person really stood retired offensively this season. What person you seen from those 2 that’s made them quality makers?
Kristensen: Those guys are nan bosom of nan offense, and they were expected to be. Kozeal was a large logic they sewage to Omaha past year, and some he and Helfrick person picked up wherever they near off. They’ve had small droughts, which is normal, but their sheet approaches person been really good. They person a bully oculus for nan pitches they want, and erstwhile they get them, they usually put nan shot successful play. It’s not ever going to beryllium a location run, but they tin get connected base, get sacrifice flies, do what you request them to do. That’s not conscionable pinch nan agelong shot — that’s advancing runners, getting connected base, each of that…They’ve picked up wherever they were past year, and that’s made them nan bosom of nan Arkansas offense.
Chappell: Arkansas’ RPI presently sits astatine 34. What do they request to do complete nan adjacent period to debar going connected nan roadworthy for regionals?
Kristensen: You’ve seen successful nan past that erstwhile they’ve had roadworthy regionals, they’ve recovered ways to make bully runs. Not being successful Fayetteville for nan first information aliases Super Regional isn’t immoderate damning indictment. Obviously, Arkansas ever wants to host, but going connected nan roadworthy doesn’t mean you’re doomed to a first‑round exit.
As for what they request to do: they astir apt person to expanse this bid astatine Missouri. The RPI pinch Missouri isn’t going to bump overmuch pinch a sweep, but if you spell to Columbia and suffer a crippled aliases two, that’s astir apt going to beryllium — if not nan extremity — a large hindrance to hosting. Then they’ve sewage 2 games against Northwestern State. You person to triumph both. Then Ole Miss, Oklahoma, and Kentucky to extremity nan season. On nan roadworthy successful Kentucky is simply a large series. You astir apt person to triumph astatine slightest 2 of those 3 to springiness yourself a bully chance to host, and possibly do immoderate activity successful nan SEC Tournament.
Margo Jenkins
Chappell: Missouri has improved from past play compared to erstwhile Arkansas played them, but is presently successful nan midst of a seven-game losing streak. What factors could lead to Arkansas dropping a crippled aliases 2 this weekend?
Kristensen: Fielding has to beryllium clean. They had six errors successful nan rubber lucifer against Georgia — that can’t happen. Pitching has to beryllium good, too. There person been times this twelvemonth erstwhile nan pitching has fixed up nan agelong ball, and Taylor Stadium is very hitter‑friendly. If you springiness up nan agelong shot and don’t person a bully time astatine nan plate, you could find yourself successful a reliable spot. Missouri is amended than past year; they won their roadworthy bid astatine Kentucky, and they’ve beaten bully teams. Arkansas can’t spell successful reasoning it’s a last‑place squad they tin conscionable rotation through. The mindset of nan squad is good, but nan pitching and fielding person to beryllium sharp.
