Arkansas destroys Tennessee to complete the sweep and advance to the MCWS

No. 3 Arkansas (48-13, 20-10 SEC) put its foot on the gas against the No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers (46-19, 16-14 SEC), 11-4, on Sunday at Baum-Walker Stadium in the Fayetteville Super Regional to complete the sweep. The Razorbacks are heading to the Men’s College World Series for the 12th time in program history and first since 2022.

Arkansas baseball advances to Omaha

Arkansas got on the board first in the top of the third with CF Justin Thomas Jr. drawing a leadoff walk. LF Charles Davalan smoked a two-run home run to deep right field for his 14th bomb of the season to put the Hogs up 2-0.

Tennessee loaded the bases in the bottom of the third with three-straight singles by C Cannon Peebles, 3B Manny Marin and SS Gavin Kilen. Peebles scored from third to cut the lead to one after 1B Andrew Fischer grounded into a double play while Marin moved to third. CF Hunter Ensley flew out to center to prevent the Volunteers from tying the game.

Arkansas responded in the top of the fourth by 2B Camden Kozeal starting off the frame with a single to right. After 3B Brent Iredale flew out to right field, 1B Reese Robinett singles through the right side, but Thomas struck out for the second out of the inning. Tennessee LHP Liam Doyle threw a wild pitch to move the runners into scoring position. He intentionally walked Davalan and was relieved by RHP Brayden Krenzel.

Krenzel threw a wild pitch to allow Kozeal to score while each man moved up a base. SS Wehiwa Aloy was hit by a pitch to load the bases again. RHP AJ Russell was placed on the mound after Wehiwa Aloy was beaned. RF Logan Maxwell busted it open with a grand slam to the left field bullpen to give the Razorbacks a 7-1 advantage.

RHP Gage Wood was relieved in the bottom of the fourth by LHP Cole Gibler with one out and a runner on first. Wood went 3.1 innings in his ninth start of the season while allowing one run, three hits and two walks on 48 pitches (26 strikes).

Both offenses were quiet until the top of the seventh when Maxwell led off with a double and advanced to third on a passed ball. After C Ryder Helfrick grounded out to third for the first out, DH Kuhio Aloy rifled an RBI single up the middle to lengthen the lead to seven. Kozeal and Iredale both reached on back-to-back walks to load up the bases and Volunteers RHP Nate Snead was relieved by LHP Brandon Arvidson. Helfrick and Thomas both drew RBI walks to give Arkansas a commanding 10-1 lead.

Gibler was relieved by RHP Aiden Jimenez to open up the bottom of the seventh. Gibler fired 2.2 scoreless innings of relief while allowing a hit and a walk with four strikeouts on 45 pitches (29 strikes). Jimenez tossed a scoreless seventh while picking up a strikeout. He walked the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the eighth, and was taken out of the game for what looked to be an injury after tossing 20 pitches (10 strikes) in his 20th appearance of the year.

1B Andrew Fischer singled to right field to put runners on first and second, but Ensley lined out to short and LF Dalton Bargo struck out. 2B Dean Curley sliced an RBI single to right to cut the lead to eight. Coil struck out RF Reese Chapman to end the inning.

Iredale built the lead right back up to nine with one out in the top of the ninth with a solo shot to left center for his 14th bomb of the year.

RHP Christian Foutch was brought out of the bullpen in the bottom of the ninth to shut down the game. Pinch hitter Chris Newstrom reached on a one-out double to center field to keep the game alive. After pinch hitter Colby Backus struck out swinging, pinch hitter Jay Abernathy crushed a two-run homer to right field to bring Tennessee within seven. Foutch settled back in and struck out pinch hitter Ariel Antigua to end the game and send the Hogs to Omaha, Neb.

The Razorbacks will take on the winner of the Baton Rouge Super Regional between the No. 6 LSU Tigers and the West Virginia Mountaineers. Times, dates and TV/streaming options are TBA.