The No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks (41-12, 18-10 SEC) lost Game 1 of its three-game series against the No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers (41-13, 16-12 SEC) 10-7 on Thursday night in Baum-Walker Stadium. Both teams' bats were hot. However, the Volunteers hit with considerably more power, as evidenced by their four homers; the Hogs didn't hit one.
As has become a recurring theme, Arkansas lost Game 1 because of a poor performance from its starting pitcher. Zach Root got the Game 1 start. He only lasted 3.2 innings, surrendering four earned runs and seven hits. When a team's starting pitchers often place it in such an early deficit, it's difficult to experience success, given that the offense too often has intense pressure on it to overcome such a deficit. Although the Hogs' elite bullpen is usually reliable, it allowed six runs in relief for Root. Therefore, as the series and remainder of the season progress, the bullpen will need to perform well as it typically does, given that Arkansas' starting pitching is in decline.
After the No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks lost a hot-hitting battle to the No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers in Game 1, many Hog fans expressed their displeasure with the team's performance on social media.
Arkansas Razorbacks baseball vs. Tennessee: Game 1 Social Media Reactions
Richard Davenport, an Arkansas Razorbacks recruiting reporter for Whole Hog Sports, wrote, "That was bad baseball there."
That was bad baseball there.
— Richard Davenport (@ArRecruitingGuy) May 16, 2025
RCC, a Razorback fan, stated, "Terrible baseball. Coaching decisions weren't much better either."
Terrible baseball. Coaching decisions weren’t much better either.
— RCC (@ATTY_R_C) May 16, 2025
Chris Cronice, a Hog fan, said, "Somebody needs to ask DVH if the game has passed him up all the younger coaches out coaches and out recruits him."
Somebody needs to ask DVH if the game has passed him up all the younger coaches out coaches and out recruits him.
— chris cronice (@ccronice53) May 16, 2025
K Money, an Arkansas Razorbacks fan, contended that "Bad baseball is what we have been calling April and May for 3 years."
Bad baseball is what we have been calling April and May for 3 years
— K🐗Money (@K_Money4real) May 16, 2025
Jeff Davis, an Arkansas fan, was disgusted with the Hogs' performance: "Yep! Tony out coached us and had his team ready to play. Get within 1 run and bring in a pitcher that has barely pitched all year and then boot the ball around to give more runs away. Ugly!"
Yep! Tony out coached us and had his team ready to play. Get within 1 run and bring in a pitcher that has barely pitched all year and then boot the ball around to give more runs away. Ugly!
— Jeff Davis (@jtagdavis) May 16, 2025
M Andrews, a Razorback fan, has noticed a sharp decline in Arkansas' performance since the team was given the top ranking.
Literally as soon as this team was ranked #1, drank that rat poison and have pretty much choked ever since.
— M_Andrews (@Hog_MarkAndrews) May 16, 2025
RyanB, a Hog fan, has not had much faith in the Razorbacks from the beginning.
From a bad team that just got to play a bunch of crappy teams and now are seeing the results of their lack of ability. I’ve never seen a team with so much take talent play so poorly for the last 6 weeks
— RyanB (@WXBach) May 16, 2025
SEC Unfiltered highlighted when the Volunteers' Dean Curley's home run gave Tennessee a four-point lead.
Dean Curley BIG BOMB and the Vols now lead by 4 in Fayetteville. Don’t let this team get hot. pic.twitter.com/cOTHTIJIEn
— SEC Unfiltered (@SECUnfiltered) May 16, 2025
SamVanCalipari, an Arkansas fan, expressed his displeasure with the team's pitching.
Feel free to disagree if you’d like to be wrong, but our pitching has been trending the wrong direction since mid-April. Not good…
— 🐗🐗SamVanCalipari🐗🐗 (@SamVanCalipari) May 16, 2025
Cory Stewart, an Arkansas Razorbacks fan, shared a historical note: "Tonight was just the 6th game in the DVH era in which both teams had at least 15 hits. Arkansas is 2-4 in those games."
Tonight was just the 6th game in the DVH era in which both teams had at least 15 hits. Arkansas is 2-4 in those games.
— Cory Stewart (@Stewhog) May 16, 2025
The most recent was @ LSU on May 7th, 2016. The rally possum game.