Diamond Hogs Sweep Vanderbilt

The No. 2 Diamond Hogs improved to 26-3 after sweeping No. 14 Vanderbilt in Nashville, outscoring the Commodores 22-7 in the series. It marked the Razorbacks’ first series win at Vanderbilt since 2010. Arkansas will return to the Natural State to face Grambling at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock for their next game.

Series Summary

Game 1

After a slow start offensively, Arkansas broke through in the third inning when Ryder Helfrick led off with a triple and scored on a Justin Thomas Jr. single. The Hogs added three more runs in the fourth, highlighted by a solo home run from Logan Maxwell and a two-run blast from former Commodore Cam Kozeal. Kozeal homered again in the sixth, finishing with three hits and five RBI, while Arkansas’ pitching staff shut out Vanderbilt in a 9-0 series-opening win.

Game 2

Kozeal continued his strong series, launching a two-run homer in the second to give Arkansas an early lead. Vanderbilt battled back to tie the game before Thomas Jr. put the Hogs ahead again with a solo home run in the seventh. The Commodores responded to force extra innings at 3-3, but Arkansas pulled away with a three-run 10th inning to secure a 6-4 victory and clinch its first series win in Nashville since 2010.

Game 3

Arkansas struck first in the third inning with a two-run homer by Charles Davalan, but Vanderbilt answered with a three-run blast in the fourth to take its first lead of the series. The game remained close until the eighth inning when Davalan and Maxwell hit back-to-back solo home runs, followed by a 2 RBI single from Nolan Souza and a run on a wild pitch. The Razorbacks sealed their first sweep over Vanderbilt since 2005 with a 7-3 win.

Who Stood Out for the Hogs

Kozeal tormented his former team, going 7-for-12 with three home runs and eight RBI in the series. Davalan, after a quiet start, delivered in the finale with two home runs and three RBI to help complete the sweep. On the mound, Ben Bybee closed out Game 3 with four scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and one walk. Zach Root set the tone in the opener, throwing 7 2/3 scoreless innings while surrendering only three hits and three walks.

Looking Ahead

Arkansas returns home to face Grambling in a midweek matchup at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 1, with streaming available on SEC Network+.