After sweeping a four-game series against Washington State to open the season, Arkansas will travel to Arlington, Texas, for the College Baseball Series. The Razorbacks will play three games against three different opponents: Kansas State, No. 22 TCU and Michigan.
Previewing Kansas State
The Wildcats have started the season 1-4, with their lone win coming in a 12-7 victory over Saint Joseph’s. They have suffered two losses to Coastal Carolina, one to Washington and one to No. 6 North Carolina. Seth Dardar, who has started every game, is hitting .450 with one home run and three RBI in 20 at-bats. As a team, Kansas State’s lowest ERA is 6.00 in its season-opening loss to Washington. The Razorbacks will have a chance for revenge against the Wildcats, who won the Fayetteville Regional last season.
Previewing TCU
TCU has been another difficult opponent for Arkansas after eliminating the Razorbacks from the 2023 Fayetteville Regional. The No. 22 Horned Frogs have started the season 4-0 with a series sweep of San Diego. Cole Cramer and Issac Cadena are both hitting over .400 and have each homered twice. Cramer has six RBI, while Cadena has five. Pitchers Tommy LaPour and Braeden Sloan have yet to allow an earned run, with Sloan holding opponents to a .200 batting average and recording eight strikeouts.
Previewing Michigan
Michigan opened the season with a statement win, defeating No. 2 Virginia 5-4 in 11 innings at the Puerto Rico Challenge. The Wolverines remain unbeaten at 4-0. Jonathan Kim leads the team with a .500 batting average, while Mitch Voit is hitting .471 with a team-high seven RBI. Michigan’s pitching staff has also impressed, with its highest team ERA being 3.27 in the win over Virginia.
Previewing Arkansas
Arkansas dominated its opening series against Washington State, outscoring the Cougars 34-8. The Razorbacks’ pitching staff recorded 38 strikeouts while the lineup struck out only 28 times. With the lineup still being adjusted early in the season, one constant has been Brent Iredale. Through four games, Iredale leads Arkansas in batting average with .467, in RBI with nine, and is tied for the team high in home runs with two.
Starting Pitchers for Arkansas
Arkansas will let Gabe Gaeckle get the first start against Kansas State after throwing five scoreless innings in his first start, allowing one hit and striking out seven. Against No. 22 TCU, the Razorbacks will turn to Zach Root, who also pitched five innings last week, posting a 1.80 ERA with eight strikeouts. Gage Wood will start the final game against Michigan after allowing two hits and striking out seven in five innings with a 3.60 ERA.
Broadcast Information
Game 1: vs. Kansas State – Feb. 21, 7 p.m. CST
Game 2: vs. No. 22 TCU – Feb. 22, 6 p.m. CST
Game 3: vs. Michigan – Feb. 23, 11 a.m. CST
All three games will be played at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, and will be streamed live on FloCollege.