Starting pitching struggles as Arkansas baseball drops SEC series to Kentucky

Arkansas baseball picked an unfortunate time for its worst pitching performance of the SEC slate, dropping a top-10 showdown with Kentucky that now puts the Wildcats alone in first place atop the league standings.

The No. 8 Wildcats (35-10, 18-6) scored 21 runs while winning two-of-three games against the No. 2 Razorbacks (40-9, 17-7) this weekend. Arkansas dropped the final two games of the series, with Kentucky's 11 runs Saturday representing a season-high allowed by the Hogs in 2024.

Arkansas still sits in first place in the SEC West, but this is just the second losing weekend of the season. Here are four observations from the series loss to Kentucky.

Not good enough from Arkansas baseball starting pitchers

Hagen Smith (9-0, 1.36 ERA) was his usual dominant self Friday night, striking out 14 batters and giving up just one run across six innings in a 10-3 win. He's the best pitcher in America, but unfortunately for the Razorbacks, their other two starters had their worst collective weekend of the season.

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Brady Tygart and Mason Molina combined to give up eight earned runs across six innings. Both pitchers walked three batters in their respective starts and only struck out five Kentucky batters.

The starting pitching has been terrific all year, so this feels more like a rare blunder rather than a point of major concern, but the Wildcats have the type of offense Arkansas will see throughout the postseason. The starters must be better down the stretch.

Highs and lows for two struggling Hogs

Right fielder Kendall Diggs and reliever Will McEntire both looked to have turned the corner on recent slumps Friday night. Diggs had two hits and drove in four runs in the series opener, while McEntire pitched two scoreless innings.

However, both players quickly reverted back to their downward slide.

Diggs had just one hit, struck out three times and left eight runners on base across the final two games. He stranded runners on first and second in the top of the ninth Sunday while representing the tying run.

McEntire gave up three runs and only recorded two outs in Sunday's 7-4 loss. McEntire made two appearances before freshman Gabe Gaeckle's first trip to the mound against Kentucky.

It's getting hard to justify McEntire's spot atop the bullpen pecking order, with Gaeckle and Christian Foutch continuing their fine form with zero earned runs allowed in 4⅓ combined innings.

Outfield blunders proves costly

Arkansas led Kentucky 2-0 with two outs and two runners on base in the bottom of the second when Ross Lovich misplayed a fly ball in left field Saturday. The Wildcats capitalized by scoring three runs in the inning and they never looked back, winning Game 2 11-3 and didn't trail again on the weekend.

"(Lovich) just drifted back and back," Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. "About the time he was about ready to catch the ball he hit the fence. It ended up being a mistake and it was a tough one."

Peyton Holt mishandled a pair of plays in center field Sunday that led to three runs. Only one miscue was ruled an error, but the outfield's overall defense remains a concern.

Hudson White shines at the plate

The Arkansas catcher was an offensive bright spot this weekend, going 5-for-9 with five runs and three RBIs. He hit his first home run since opening day Saturday with a two-run blast in the top of the second.

Peyton Stovall also had a great weekend for the Arkansas offense with seven hits, four RBIs, three runs and one homer.

Up next

With no midweek games left on the schedule, Arkansas will return to Baum-Walker Stadium next weekend for its final home series of the regular season against No. 21 Mississippi State.