Arkansas (37-20) faces Missouri State (34-19) for the third time this season to begin NCAA Tournament play, this time at Hoglund Park in the NCAA Lawrence Regional.
First pitch between the No. 2 seed Razorbacks and the No. 3 seed Bears is set for 5 p.m. Friday, May 29, on ESPNU with (play-by-play) and (analyst) on the call. With a win, Arkansas would play the winner of the other NCAA Lawrence Regional opener, No. 1 seed Kansas or No. 4 seed Northeastern at 12 p.m. Saturday, May 30, on ESPN+. A loss against Missouri State would pit them against the loser of that game on Saturday 5 p.m. Saturday, May 30, on ESPN+.
NCAA Lawrence Regional Friday, May 29 Game 1 – No. 15 Kansas vs. Northeastern – 12 p.m. (ESPN+) Game 2 – Arkansas vs. Missouri State – 5 p.m. (ESPNU)
Saturday, May 30 Game 3 – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 – 12 p.m. (ESPN+) Game 4 – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 – 5 p.m. (ESPN+)
Sunday, May 31 Game 5 – Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3 – 12 p.m. (ESPN+) Game 6 – Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5 – 5 p.m. (ESPN+)
Monday, June 1 Game 7 – If the Game 5 Winner Wins Game 6 – TBD
On the Mound Friday, May 29 Missouri State – LHP Max Knight (4.69 ERA) Arkansas – RHP Gabe Gaeckle (3.99 ERA)
Arkansas’ Gabe Gaeckle will start on the mound Friday night against Missouri State. The right-hander from Aptos, Cali. has made 19 appearances this season, including 11 starts on the hill this season with a 6-3 record, 3.99 ERA, and 80 strikeouts in 67.2 innings of work. Gaeckle, who is holding opposing hitters to a .277 batting average, came out of the bullpen against Texas in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals and earned his sixth win of the season, tying his career high with six innings pitched and matching his season best with nine strikeouts in the Razorbacks’ 8–1 victory. .
Tune In Victor Rojas (play-by-play) and Connor Wanhanen (analyst) have the call of the entire NCAA Lawrence Regional on the ESPN family of networks. Arkansas’ opening game of the regional against Missouri State will air nationally on ESPNU. The matchup between the Razorbacks and Bears can also be heard on the Razorback Sports Network from Learfield, including locally in Fayetteville on 92.1 FM or through the Razorback app, with Phil Elson (play-by-play) and Bubba Carpenter (analyst) on the call from inside Hoglund Ballpark.
History Lesson Arkansas is 60-32 against Missouri State with a 38-16 mark in games played inside the friendly confines of Baum-Walker Stadium. In games played under Dave Van Horn, the Razorbacks are 22-13 and 14-9 at home against the Bears.
Arkansas split their regular season meetings with Missouri State. On March 31 on the road in Springfield, the Razorbacks lost a lead in the 10th inning and fell 15-14 to the Bears. A few weeks later, the hogs avenged their loss to Missouri State with a 12-4 victory on April 21 at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Arkansas doesn’t just have a storied history with Missouri State in the regular season. The Razorbacks will face the Bears for the 10th time ever in the NCAA Tournament. The Razorbacks and Bears are in the same regional for the fourth time since the NCAA went to its 64-team format in 1999.
Missouri State defeated Arkansas once in the 1999 Fayetteville Regional before winning the crazy 2017 Fayetteville Regional, which was played despite many rain delays. The Razorbacks and Bears were both in the 2022 Stillwater Regional but they did not end up facing off.
Missouri State has a 5-4 advantage on Arkansas in the postseason. The Razorbacks will look to change that in Friday night’s game.
It is time for postseason college baseball and the road will end in Omaha like it always does in just a few weeks. Enjoy my preview of all 16 regionals in the 2026 NCAA Baseball Tournament below:
Los Angeles Regional (Los Angeles, CA) No. 1 seed UCLA 51-6 (28-2) Big Ten (4) Saint Mary’s 34-25 (15-12) West Coast (2) Virginia Tech 30-24 (15-15) ACC (3) Cal Poly 36-22 (22-8) Big West
UCLA was the pre-season favorite to win the national and they followed through, winning 51 of their 57 games between the regular season and Big Ten Tournament, on their way to both a Big Ten regular season and conference tournament title.
Shortstop Roch Cholowsky is the engine of the Bruins offense, slashing .329/.461/.662 with 71 runs, 72 hits, 10 doubles, 21 home runs, 59 runs batted in and 35 walks. Senior right-hander Michael Barnett and junior right-hander Logan Reddeman anchor the UCLA’s weekend pitching rotation, striking out a combined 153 batters to only 37 walks.
The Bruins went 3-0 against SEC tournament teams Tennessee, Texas A&M and Mississippi State while they swept USC and won three of four games against No. 11 national seed Oregon. They will be a favorite alongside national No. 2 seed Georgia Tech to win it all.
Saint Mary’s will attempt to pull an incredible upset by defeating UCLA. The Gaels won the West Coast conference tournament with a 5-0 record and wins over Pepperdine, Gonzaga, and San Francisco twice to clinch an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Sophomore catcher Ian Armstrong (15 home runs and 49 runs batted in) and redshirt sophomore infielder Jacob Johnson (12 home runs and 50 runs batted in) power the Gaels offense while senior right hander John Damonzonio leads their pitching staff with a 2.71 era, 7-2 record, and 81 strikeouts to only 19 walks through 76.1 innings pitched.
The two seed in the Los Angeles Regional is Virginia Tech, who won 30 games during the regular season, with half of them being in ACC play. The Hokies’ took single losses to No. 12 national seed Texas A&M, No. 14 national seed Mississippi State, and the No. 2 seed headed to Chapel Hill Tennessee, and lost series to national No. 2 Georgia Tech, the No. 2 seed headed to Hattiesburg Virginia, and the No. 2 seed headed to Athens Boston College. So, the Hokies weren’t as successful as they wanted to be in conference play but they made it in and must take advantage of their opportunity if they want to advance.
Freshman infielder Ethan Ball is far and away the power guy in the Virginia Tech offense, recording 41 runs, 61 hits, 17 doubles, one triple, and 16 home runs. Senior Luke Craytor, juniors Madden Clement and Brett Renfrow, and sophomore Chase Swift are four arms that the Hokies trust as they begin their run across country against Cal Poly.
Cal Poly will make the short three-hour trip to Los Angeles as the three seed in the Los Angeles Regional. Similar to Virginia Tech, the Mustangs rely on one power bat to hit nukes and get the ball deep in the park. That guy is Ryan Tayman, who is slashing .355/.444/.664 with 48 runs, 78 hits, 18 doubles, one triple, 16 home runs, 53 runs batted in and an impressed 27 walks. Three players headline the Cal Poly pitching staff including redshirt junior Carson Turnquist junior Griffin Naess and freshman Corden Pettey.
The Mustangs defeated the No. 3 seed headed to the Eugene Regional, Washington State, two out of three times, were swept by the No. 2 seed on their way to the College Station Regional, USC, and the no. 2 seed going to the Eugene Regional, Oregon State but dominated the Big West on their way to sharing the regular season championship and a conference tournament championship.
With UCLA’s offensive firepower and athletes on the diamond, they should dominate their opponents in the Los Angeles Regional. Virginia Tech, Cal Poly, and Saint Mary’s don’t have the arms or bats to match the Bruins firepower.
The winner of the Los Angeles Regional will play the winner of the Morgantown Regional in the best-of-three super regionals from June 5-7 or June 6-8.
Morgantown Regional (Morgantown, WV) No. 16 seed West Virginia 39-14 (21-9) Big 12 (4) Binghamton 31-20 (17-7) America East (2) Wake Forest 38-19 (16-14) ACC (3) Kentucky 31-21 (13-17) SEC
The runner-up in the Big 12 for both the regular season and tournament titles is the West Virginia Mountaineers. West Virginia swept No. 15 national seed Kansas, the winner of both the regular season and tournament titles in the Big 12 but the Jayhawks defeated them win the Big 12 Tournament Championship game.
The Mountaineers offense is not strong top to bottom as some other national hosts are but sophomore utility player Gavin Kelly, who slashed .379/.480/.680 with 54 runs, 77 hits, 16 doubles, three triples, 13 home runs, 48 runs batted in and 36 runs batted in. Redshirt junior left-hander Maxx Yehl, sophomore right-hander Chansen Cole, and graduate senior right-hander Ian Korn lead the weekend pitching rotation.
West Virginia’s opponent is No. 4 seed Binghamton, who won both the America East regular season and tournament championships. The Bearcats did not get much experience against NCAA Tournament competition so they must come ready to play against the Mountaineers. Binghamton’s top bat is sophomore outfielder Matt Bolton, who slashes .349/.456/.568 with 46 runs, 67 hits, 16 doubles, four triples, six home runs, 44 runs batted in, and 37 walks. Junior arm Conner Griffin leads the Bearcats in innings pitched with 57.1 and a 3-3 record.
The no. 2 seed headed to Morgantown is Wake Forest, who won 16 of their 38 games in ACC play. The Demon Deacons lost a series to the No. 2 seed headed to Hattiesburg, Virginia, the No. 2 seed headed to Gainesville in No. 2 seed Miami, but defeated the No. 2 seed on their way to Tallahassee, Coastal Carolina.
The Wake Forest offense is powered by four position players. Sophomores Luke Costello (17 home runs and 61 RBIs), Dalton Wentz (17 home runs and 51 runs batted in), and Matt Conte (10 home runs and 46 runs batted in), and junior Kade Lewis (13 home runs and 55 runs batted in) have powered the Demon Deacons offense. Sophomore right-hander Chris Levonas, who recorded a 2.90 earned run average, a 10-3 record, 110 strikeouts, and only gave up 42 hits, 24 runs, 22 earned runs, and 32 walks over 68.1 innings pitched and junior left-hander Matthew Dallas recorded a 2.45 earned run average, a 2-0 record, 14 strikeouts, and only gave up seven hits, two runs and earned runs, and three walks will anchor the Wake Forest weekend rotation.
The Demon Deacons’ opponent is the No. 3 seed going to Morgantown, the Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky was apart of the last four in the NCAA Tournament this season and still made it in despite only two SEC series wins and series losses to the two bottom teams in the league, Missouri and South Carolina. The Wildcats must prove their worth with a win against Wake Forest and potentially advancing on through the Morgantown Regional.
Kentucky has a balanced offense, with junior infielder Ethan Hindle slashing .306/.434/.622 with 47 runs, 55 hits, 18 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs, 47 runs batted in and 27 walks. Wildcat ace Jaxon Jelkin has recorded an 8-3 record with 46 runs, 37 earned runs, and only 20 walks and 98 strikeouts in 88.1 innings pitched.
This is a regional West Virginia can definitely win but watch out for Wake Forest, Kentucky and Binghamton. If Wake Forest matches up with the the Mountaineers in the 1-0 game on Saturday, the Demon Deacons will advance to the super regionals but it will take seven games.
The winner of the Morgantown Regional will play the winner of the Los Angeles Regional in the best-of-three super regionals from June 5-7 or June 6-8.
Florida has been playing fantastic baseball of late. The Gators defeated SEC regular season and tournament champion Georgia during the regular season and had a 6-0 lead on them in the SEC Tournament Semifinals before losing the lead in that game and losing 8-7. Kevin O’Sullivan’s team is always going to be playing baseball in May and June as long as he is in charge and they are capable with the combination of their offense, pitching staff, and overall defense.
Florida has four bats that stood out this season in sophomore infielder Brendan Lawson (11 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs, and 43 runs batted in), sophomore infielder Ethan Surowiec (14 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs, and 61 runs batted in), Blake Cyrl (15 doubles, one triple, 13 home runs and 56 runs batted in) and junior outfielder Hayden Yost (10 home runs and 22 runs batted in).The Gators’ top two arms Aidan King (84.0 innings pitched) and Liam Peterson (79.1 innings pitched) combined for 196 strikeouts so far this season.
Florida’s opponent on Friday is the Rider Broncs. The regular season and conference tournament champions of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference don’t have much experience this season against NCAA Tournament competition but they sure earned their bid to the tournament after dominating their conference this season. The Rider offense does not have an overlying star but were still able to put together a 3-1 week to win the league tournament title. Seniors Christian Aiello and PJ Craig anchor the Broncs’ pitching and will have to step up if they want a shot against Florida.
Miami, the No. 2 seed headed up north for the Gainesville Regional on Friday, fell to the Gators twice at the end of February before 16 wins in the ACC regular season and a run to the tournament semifinals.
The Hurricanes have three impressive position players that can swing the bat. Junior catcher Alex Sosa, who slashes .332/.447/.663 with 60 runs, 69 hits, 14 doubles, two triples, 17 home runs, 66 runs batted in and 40 walks. Graduate senior outfielder Derek Williams slashes .376/.466/.673 with 52 runs, 76 hits, 15 doubles, 15 home runs, 66 runs batted in and 28 walks. Junior infielder Daniel Cuvet slashes .305/.437/.649 with 49 runs, 46 hits, 14 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, 45 runs batted in and 33 walks. Senior left-hander Rob Evans and sophomore right-handers AJ Ciscar and Lazaro Collera will be important pitchers for the Hurricanes if they want to get past Florida and advance to the Super Regionals.
Another Sun Belt team, the Troy Trojans, are in the NCAA Tournament as the No. 3 seed in the Gainesville Regional. Troy won 16 games in a tough Sun Belt and despite losing to Southern Miss in the tournament, they are here in the NCAA Tournament ready to make their run. The Trojans have two offensive stars including sophomore catcher Jimmy Janiki (22 doubles, one triple, 17 home runs and 73 runs batted in) and senior infielder Blake Cavill (10 doubles, 12 home runs and 44 runs batted in). Senior left-hander Benjamin Stubbs and senior right-hand pitcher Tommy Egan will anchor the Troy pitching staff this weekend as pitchers with the two most innings pitched on the team.
Given that Florida continues its success against Miami from earlier in the season, the Gators will advance to the super regionals fairly easily. The Hurricanes have the bats to keep up with their instate rival but will they have the arms? That will determine the result of the Gainesville Regional. I favor Florida to advance to the Super Regional round.
The winner of the Gainesville Regional will play the winner of the Hattiesburg Regional in the best-of-three super regionals from June 5-7 or June 6-8.
Hattiesburg Regional (Hattiesburg, MS) No. 9 seed Southern Miss 44-15 (22-8) Sun Belt (4) Little Rock 36-26 (16-11) Ohio Valley (2) Virginia 36-21 (14-16) ACC (3) Jacksonville State 46-13 (23-7) Conference USA
Southern Miss won the Sun Belt regular season title by one game and also took care of the conference tournament, clinching a hosting spot though not as a national seed in the top eight. Head coach Christian Ostrander continues the great tradition of baseball in Hattiesburg. Eyes are on this team making it to Omaha for the Eagles this season.
Southern Miss has four position players with over four home runs including senior infielder Kyle Morrison (16 home runs), senior designated hitter and outfielder Joey Urban (14), redshirt junior outfielder and designated hitter Davis Gillespie (13) and senior infielder Matthew Russo (11) to power the Eagle offense. Southern Miss has a lot of reliable pitchers including sophomore Camden Clark (8-0) and Grayden Harris (8-1 record) plus senior Colby Allen (7-1). All three of those guys can give good innings for the Eagles.
Little Rock should pose problems for Southern Miss like they did for reigning national champion LSU in the Baton Rouge Regional last year. The Trojans forced a winner-take-all game 7 in the regional a year ago and fell just short against the Tigers, who would go on to win their second championship in the last three seasons.
The star of last season’s run for Little Rock was senior first baseman Angel Cano. Cano slashes .299/.365/.515 with 42 runs, 69 hits, 14 doubles, 12 home runs, 29 runs batted in and 14 walks. Redshirt freshman right hander and Arkansas transfer Tag Andrews stood out and won the Most Valuable Player of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament last week. Andrews has a .307 earned run average, a 4-2 record, and he has struck out 41 batters this season.
The No. 2 seed heading to Hattiesburg is Virginia. The Cavaliers made the NCAA Tournament even after losing head coach Brian O’Connor to Mississippi State. Former Duke head coach Chris Pollard won 36 games overall but only 14 in the ACC regular season. The Cavaliers defeated Pollard’s old school to open the ACC Tournament but quickly bowed out against No. 2 national seed Georgia Tech in their final game in Charlotte.
Junior outfielder AJ Garcia, junior outfielder Joe Tilroy, and junior first baseman and outfielder Sam Harris all have hit 14 home runs and have accounted for 40 or more runs batted in this season for Virginia. Sophomore left-hander Henry Zatkowski, graduate senior right-hander Lucas Hartman, and freshman right-hander John Paone will eat up innings for the Cavaliers.
Jacksonville State is the three seed that will be matching up with Virginia in Hattiesburg. The Gamecocks dominated the Conference USA with 46 overall wins and half of them being in conference (23). Jacksonville State challenged No. 7 national seed Alabama during the regular season as well.
There is no true standout on the Gamecock offense but senior infielder Brady Thomas, who slashes .316/.470/.632 with 42 runs, 48 hits, 10 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs, 38 runs batted in and 32 walks is a guy that can really swing the bat. Senior left-hander Steven Cash leads the Jacksonville State pitching staff with 93 strikeouts in 82.2 innings pitched.
Southern Miss got a bad draw with the Trojans, Cavaliers, and Gamecocks coming into their regional. This regional should definitely be seven games and there is always a three seed that wins a regional so give me Jacksonville State to do so. The Gamecocks would pull the upset with some incredible pitching.
The winner of the Hattiesburg Regional will play the winner of the Gainesville Regional in the best-of-three super regionals from June 5-7 or June 6-8.
Chapel Hill Regional (Chapel Hill, NC) No. 5 seed North Carolina 45-11-1 (22-8) ACC (4) VCU 37-23 (20-10) Atlantic-10 (2) Tennessee 38-20 (15-15) SEC (3) East Carolina 36-22-1 (17-10) American
North Carolina earned another top eight national seed after finishing second in the ACC during the regular season and were the runner-up in the ACC Tournament, losing to No. 2 national seed Georgia Tech after winning a series in Atlanta versus the Yellow Jackets during the regular season.
The Tar Heels’ offense includes four notable name. Juniors Cooper Nicholson, Gavin Gallaher, and Erik Paulsen make up one of the best offensive infields in the country with a combined 37 home runs and 146 runs batted in. Right-hander Caden Glauber won ACC freshman of the year behind a 1.93 earned run average and 80 strikeouts.
Their opponent will be VCU, a team that dominated the Atlantic-10 throughout the entire season, winning 20 of their 37 games in conference play. The Rams lost both of their opportunities to the No. 2 seed headed to the Tallahassee Regional, Coastal Carolina, and lost a single game to the No. 2 seed going to the Los Angeles Regional, Virginia Tech.
Two power bats in the VCU lineup are sophomore catcher Jacob Lee (14 doubles, one triple, 17 home runs and 56 runs batted in) and junior outfielder Michael Petite (14 doubles, three triples, 14 home runs, and 43 runs batted in). Redshirt senior right-hander Patrick Steitz, redshirt senior right-hander Elias Holbert and sophomore right-hander Cooper Campbell eat up innings on the mound for the Rams.
In Josh Elander’s first season as head coach at Tennessee following Tony Vitello’s exit, the Volunteers won 38 games and went .500 in the SEC. The Volunteers was able to salvage a game versus No. 3 overall seed Georgia, they swept No. 14 overall seed Mississippi State, and they won two out of three against No. 7 national seed Alabama and No. 6 national seed Texas.
Junior infielder and outfielder Henry Clark, who slashes .300/.364/.609 with 50 runs, 70 hits, 15 doubles, 19 home runs, 56 runs batted in and 25 walks, Levi Clark, who slashes .245/.359/.527 with 42 runs, 45 hits, 13 doubles, 13 home runs, 44 runs batted in and 26 walks, and sophomore outfielder Blaine Brown, who slashes .243/.312/.473 with 43 runs, 54 hits, 12 doubles, 13 home runs, 42 runs batted in and 20 walks. Sophomore right-hander Tegan Kuhns, senior left-hander Evan Blanco, and freshman left-hander Cam Appenzeller headline Tennessee’s weekend rotation.
East Carolina had to win the American tournament just to make sure they were not left out of this season’s NCAA Tournament after an okay regular season based on the Pirates’ normal expectations. East Carolina won game two and tied game three against the Tar Heels during the regular season back at the end of February.
The Pirates’ all-conference junior Ethan Norby leads the pitching staff with a 7-3 record with 120 strikeouts in 83.2 innings. With an up and down regular season, there was no standout bat in the East Carolina lineup. Senior outfielder Jack Herring leads the way in home runs (9) and runs batted in (51) for the Pirates but the rest of the lineup must be better if they want to advance through Chapel Hill.
All four teams in the Chapel Hill Regional could advance through to the super regionals but North Carolina has been consistent this season and I don’t see the Tar Heels being eliminated this weekend. North Carolina will advance after a tough seven games and will get to host a super regional if they do.
The winner of the Chapel Hill Regional will play the winner of the Bryan-College Station Regional in the best-of-three super regionals from June 5-7 or June 6-8.
College Station Regional (College Station,TX) No. 12 seed Texas A&M 39-14 (18-11) SEC (4) Lamar 34-25 (19-11) Southland (2) USC 43-15 (16-14) Big Ten (3) Texas State 36-24 (16-14) Sun Belt
Texas A&M is joined by a 43-win USC and two other schools in the state of Texas in their regional this season. After missing the NCAA Tournament last season, second year head coach Michael Earley made sure the Aggies did not miss the tournament back to back seasons. Texas A&M fell to No. 1 overall seed UCLA back on Feb. 28 in Arlington but won SEC series against instate rival No. 6 overall seed Texas, No. 8 overall seed Florida, and No. 14 overall seed Mississippi State.
The Aggies have one of the stronger offenses in the SEC with juniors Caden Sorrell (17 doubles, one triple, 23 home runs and 74 run batted in) and Graham Grahovac (16 double, three triples, 19 home runs and 71 runs batted in), freshmen Nico Partida (eight doubles, 12 home runs, and 41 runs batted in) and Jorian Wilson (six doubles, two triples, 12 home runs and 32 runs batted in). The pitching staff has stronger starters in sophomores Gavin Lyons (9-0 record) and Aiden Sims (8-1) but must get production out of their up and down bullpen if they want to close out this regional and advance.
There is no true offensive star for Lamar but senior right-handers Chris Oliver (88.0 innings pitched) and Travis Lutz (59.1) have struck out a combined 170 batters this season. The Cardinals fell to Texas A&M 25-5 back on Feb. 24, meaning they will have to have a different approach if they want to defeat the Aggies and get to the 1-0 game on Saturday. Other notable results for Lamar include a 14-4 loss to No. 6 overall seed Texas on Feb. 17, being swept by the No. 2 seed heading to the Eugene Regional Oregon State from April 2-4, but they were able to defeat No. 15 overall seed Kansas in a single game, 4-1 on Feb. 18.
USC is in the NCAA Tournament for back to back years since the 2001 and 2002 seasons. The Trojans won an incredible 43 games but a lack of quad 1 wins kept them from being a regional host. That led them to be sent to College Station, where they are capable of advancing to the super regionals. The Trojans did fall to Oregon State in a single game, were swept by in city rival No. 1 UCLA and No. 13 overall seed Nebraska, and lost the series to No. 11 overall seed Oregon. The Trojans blanked Michigan State 7-0 to open the Big Ten Tournament but fell to the Bruins again to end their stay in Omaha.
Junior left-hander Mason Edwards has stood out on the mound for USC this season. Edwards has an 8-0 record with 160 strikeouts and just 39 walks in 88.1 innings pitched. Four bats pace the Trojan lineup. Sophomore catcher Augie Lopez leads the way with 17 home runs and 48 runs batted in, junior infielder Adrian Lopez pitches in with 11 home runs and 41 runs batted in, senior outfielder Jack Basser has accounted for 10 home runs and 36 runs batted in and junior outfielder and infielder Andrew Lamb has hit 10 home runs and has accounted for 33 runs batted in.
In their last season in the Sun Belt, Texas State won 16 of their 36 games in conference play. The Bobcats defeated the No. 3 seed heading to the Eugene Regional this weekend, Washington State, in a series on March 6th and 8th before falling to No. 6 national seed Texas on March 10 and again on March 31. Texas State upset Texas A&M back on April 7 but if they want to challenge the Aggies again both teams will have to win their first round games.
The Bobcats offense has immense power with seven of the nine bats in their lineup with double-digit home runs so far this season. Junior infielder and outfielder Jaquae Stewart (16 home runs) leads Texas State while junior infielder Manny Salas (15), sophomore infielder and right-hand pitcher Dawson Park (13) lead the way are right behind him. Freshman right-hander Cooper Wade (66 strikeouts), redshirt junior left-hander Jesus Tovar (65), and graduate senior Kyle Froehlich (63) lead the Bobcats’ pitching staff in punch outs.
If the Aggies’ get down in the 1-0 game of this regional, their bullpen will have to step up while their offense attempts to stage a comeback. That makes me think USC can and will win this regional but they have not proven it, not being able to win an important Big Ten series this season. With the help of the home crowd, Texas A&M will get it done in seven games.
The winner of the Bryan-College Station Regional will play the winner of the Chapel Hill Regional in the best-of-three super regionals from June 5-7 or June 6-8.
Auburn Regional (Auburn, AL) No. 4 seed Auburn 38-19 (17-13) SEC (4) Milwaukee 25-31 (14-10) Horizon League (2) UCF 31-21 (19-11) Big 12 (3) North Carolina State 32-22 (14-16) ACC
Auburn’s No. 3 ranked RPI and top ranked strength of schedule paired with their 17 SEC wins and run to the SEC Tournament Semifinals helped them lock up the national No. 4 seed. The Tigers defeated No. 10 overall seed Florida State in Arlington on Feb. 21 and won a series against No. 14 overall seed Nebraska from Feb. 27-March 1 in non-conference play. Despite series losses No. 6 overall seed Texas and No. 7 overall seed Alabama, they bounced back with series wins over the No. 2 seed heading to the Lawrence Regional, Arkansas, No. 8 overall seed Florida, the No. 2 seed going to the Atlanta Regional Oklahoma, No. 12 overall seed Texas A&M,and No. 14 overall seed Mississippi State.
Auburn’s pitching staff is full of great arms that can get them through the regional, especially the fact that they only gave up three runs in three games at the SEC Tournament in Hoover. Sophomore Jake Marciano has only allowed 62 hits, 29 runs, 24 earned runs, 17 walks, and has struck out 100 over 81.2 innings pitched. Junior Alex Petrovic has only allowed 62 hits, 30 runs, 29 earned runs, 19 walks, and struck out 81 over 81.1 innings pitched. Sophomore outfielder Bub Terrell has been a highlight reel all season for the Tigers, hitting home runs (16) and robbing them in left field. Sophomore catcher Chase Fralick also is a solid offensive piece with 16 doubles, 14 home runs, and 45 runs batted in and junior infielder Eric Guevara does his thing too with 11 home runs and 42 runs batted in.
The way Auburn’s pitching staff is dominating lineups right now, Horizon League Tournament champions Milwaukee may not have a great chance to beat them on Friday. The Panthers finished six games under .500 and won 14 out of 24 games in their league. They defeated the top seed in their conference tournament with a walk-off home run from senior catcher and first baseman Joey Spence. Spence has only hit four home runs and batted 33 runs home this season but his teammates senior outfielder Charlie Marion (12 home runs and 54 runs batted in) and junior catcher and outfielder Dominic Kibler (11 home runs and 59 runs batted in) do enough to lead the Panther offense.
No. 2 seed UCF won an impressive 31 games, including 19 of their 30 games against Big 12. The Knights lost both of their games against the No. 2 seed headed to the Gainesville Regional, Miami, but bounced back with series wins in conference against the No. 2 seed going to the Tuscaloosa Regional, Oklahoma State, and No. 15 overall seed Kansas. UCF’s John Smith III (12 home runs and 49 runs batted in) and Andrew Williamson (12 home runs and 41 runs batted in) stand out in their lineup. Arms Camden Wicker (72.0 innings pitched) and Mateo Gray (57.1) struck out a combined 108 batters so far this season while only giving up a combined 43 walks.
Elliott Avent gets to start his last NCAA Tournament run as the head coach of North Carolina State at the Auburn Regional. Longtime assistant coach Chris Hart was already promoted to replace Avent as he retires. But the focus must be on making a last run, especially in a tough regional. The Wolfpacks have proven they can compete, after series wins against the No. 2 seed going to the Athens Regional, Boston College, and the No. 2 seed headed to the Gainesville Regional, Miami.
Sophomore outfielder Ty Head leads the NC State offense with eight doubles, 14 home runs, 48 runs batted in and 56 walks. Junior infielder Luke Nixon also has impressed this season for the Wolfpack with 16 doubles, three triples, nine home runs, 44 runs batted in and 31 walks. Junior left-hander Cooper Consiglio and junior right-hander Heath Andrews have both pitched 59.2 innings this season. While both of their earned run averages are above five, Cooper has struck out 71 and Andrews has struck out 55 batters.
If Auburn continues to pitch the way it has over the past few weeks, they will advance to the super regional round with ease. The Tigers cannot look past anybody in their regional, but the combination of Marciano and Petrovic on the mound and Terrell, Fralick, and Guevara are swinging the bat makes me think they will advance in six games.
The winner of the Auburn Regional will play the winner of the Lincoln Regional in the best-of-three super regionals from June 5-7 or June 6-8.
Lincoln Regional (Lincoln, NE) No. 13 seed Nebraska 42-15 (23-7) Big Ten (4) South Dakota State 24-31 (12-15) Summit League (2) Ole Miss 36-21 (15-15) SEC (3) Arizona State 37-19 (19-11) Big 12
Nebraska impressed this season in the Big Ten with 42 wins overall and 23 in a Big Ten that also had No. 1 overall seed UCLA and No. 11 seed Oregon as hosts. The Corn Huskers welcome Ole Miss, Arizona State, and South Dakota State to Lincoln this weekend for their regional. They will attempt to advance to the super regional round for the second consecutive season. Senior infielder Dylan Carey is the one clear star of the offense for Nebraska, slashing .342/.414/.610 with 52 runs, 79 hits, 16 doubles, two triples, 14 home runs, 63 walks and 19 runs batted in. Redshirt sophomore right-hand pitcher Carson Jasa recorded 81.1 innings pitched and has struck out 109 batters so far this season.
Their opponent is South Dakota State, who finished seven games under .500 overall and three games under .500 in Summit League play. That meant the Jackrabbits had to win their conference tournament to advance to the NCAA Tournament and they did so by beating Oral Roberts two out of three times in Minneapolis last weekend. SDSU lost to the Cornhuskers 5-4 back on March 4 but they will get another shot to defeat them on Friday.
The Jackrabbits’ lineup is paced by junior infielder Luke Luskey, who slashes .303/.326/.559 with 47 runs, 59 hits, nine doubles, one triple, 13 home runs, 55 runs batted in and 25 walks. Seniors Sam Schlect (72.0 innings pitched) and Ty Madison (66.1), and junior Sam Novotny (63.1) led the SDSU pitching staff.
Ole Miss’ hosting chances ended after a 10-8 loss to Missouri last week in Hoover at the SEC Tournament. While the Rebels probably wanted to host, they are capable of advancing to Omaha no matter how they have to. They swept the No. 3 seed headed to the Lawrence Regional, Missouri State, from Feb. 20-22, won series against No. 8 national seed Florida, and the No. 2 seed going to the Chapel Hill Regional Tennessee, and No. 12 national seed Texas A&M.
They have two position players with 20 home runs. Senior infielder Judd Utermark and outfielder Tristan Bissetta also drove in more than 40 runs each. Redshirt junior left-hander Hunter Elliott leads the Rebels pitching staff, striking out 96 hitters in 71.0 innings.
Arizona State will face Ole Miss on Friday as the No. 3 seed in the Lincoln Regional. Four bats the Sun Devil lineup have hit 16 or more home runs. Sophomore infielder Landon Hairston (20 doubles, two triples, 28 home runs and 79 runs batted in), redshirt junior infielder Nu’u Contrades (15 doubles, one triple, 17 home runs and 53 runs batted in), graduate senior outfielder Dean Toigo (15 doubles, one triple, 17 home runs, and 52 runs batted in) and junior infielder Dominic Smaldino (13 doubles, one triple, 16 home runs, and 49 runs batted in) lead the Arizona State offense. Junior left-hander Cole Carlon has struck out 124 hitters in 77.0 innings and senior right-hander Kole Klecker has struck out 65 hitters in 61.0 innings, anchoring their pitching staff.
Ole Miss did not finish the regular season well but if their bats wake up, watch out. Arizona State also has a strong lineup so it will be difficult for Nebraska to advance out of their home regional. The Rebels will advance through to the super regionals, potentially matching up with No. 4 seed Auburn.
The winner of the Lincoln Regional will play the winner of the Auburn Regional in the best-of-three super regionals from June 5-7 or June 6-8.
Austin Regional (Austin, TX) No. 6 seed Texas 40-13 (19-10) SEC (4) Holy Cross 25-28 (13-13) Patriot League (2) UC Santa Barbara 38-18 (22-8) Big West (3) Tarleton State 37-19 (12-6) WAC
Jim Schlossnagle’s Texas Longhorns earned a top eight national seed and the right to host through the super regionals assuming they advance through this season. Texas fell to UTSA a year ago in this same round. It does not feel like any of the other three teams heading to Austin this weekend are as capable of defeating the Longhorns as the Roadrunners were a year ago.
Texas had an early exit in the SEC Tournament just like a season ago but something tells me Schlossnagle will have his team better focused on the job to advance this season with the roster they have now. Juniors Carson Tinney (10 doubles, 20 home runs, 54 runs batted in and 45 walks), Aiden Robbins (nine doubles, two triples, 19 home runs, 53 runs batted in and 32 walks), and redshirt senior Casey Borba (10 doubles, 17 home runs, 55 runs batted in and 31 walks) head up the Longhorn offense. Sophomore left-hander Dylan Volantis is one of the best pitchers in the country with an 8-1 record and 109 strikeouts in 76.2 innings pitched.
Texas’ opponent is the champion of the Patriot League Tournament, Holy Cross. The Crusaders finished three games under .500 overall and at 13-13 in the league during the regular season. Senior right-hander Jaden Wywoda (79 strikeouts in 93.1 innings pitched) leads their pitching staff and Gianni Royer (32 runs, 46 hits, 12 doubles, one triple, six home runs, 28 runs batted in and 15 walks) leads the offense.
UC Santa Barbara is the No. 2 seed that will be in Austin this weekend. Despite losing to UC San Diego in the Big West Tournament, the Gauchos are the team that is likeliest to be able to compete with Texas this weekend if they can get through their first game against Tarleton State with a win. Senior catcher Nate Vargas (31 runs, 40 hits, 10 doubles, 11 home runs, 36 runs batted in and 19 walks) and graduate outfielder Noah Karliner (28 runs, 37 hits, six doubles, nine home runs, 27 runs batted in and 24 walks) headline the UCSB lineup offensively. Junior right-hander Jackson Flora has dominated the innings for the Gauchos with 124 strikeouts in 94.1 innings pitched.
No. 3 seed Tarleton State will face UCSB on Friday and attempt to make a run after potentially winning that game. The Texans won the WAC Tournament after an impressive regular season that saw them win 37 games and 12 in the regular season in the conference. Sophomore utility player Rayner Henrich leads their offense with 22 doubles, four triples, 12 home runs, 62 runs batted in and 18 walks. Junior right-hander Ethan Wendel tops the TSU pitching staff with 41 strikeouts in 68.2 innings pitched. They will need to be at the top of their games if they want to advance through the Austin Regional.
If Texas does not advance through their regional with relative ease, I would be shocked. The Longhorns have the arms and the bats to advance deep into this tournament so they should get to the super regionals by winning the Austin Regional in just six games.
The winner of the Austin Regional will play the winner of the Eugene Regional in the best-of-three super regionals from June 5-7 or June 6-8.
Eugene Regional (Eugene, OR) No. 11 seed Oregon 40-16 (20-10) Big Ten (4) Yale 30-13-1 (14-6-1) Ivy League (2) Oregon State 43-12 Indepedents (3) Washington State 30-26 (15-9) Mountain West
Despite being slated as the No. 14, 15, or 16 seed in late tournament projections, the tournament committee decided on Oregon as the No. 11 national seed. The Ducks won 40 games overall and half of them in the Big Ten, taking one game from No. 1 national seed UCLA and won a series against in-city rival USC to close out the regular season. They lost to instate rival Oregon State back on March 3 and may get a chance to avenge that loss in the 1-0 or elimination game on Saturday depending on Friday’s results.
Senior infielder and outfielder Drew Smith (15 home runs), freshman outfielder Angel Laya (14), junior infielder Maddox Molony (12) and redshirt freshman infielder Naulivou Lauaki Jr. (12) top the Oregon offense. Junior right-hander Will Sanford and sophomore right-hander Collin Clarke will do the same for the Ducks’ pitching staff, striking out a combined 91 batters.
Yale has made the cross-country trip to Eugene after winning 30 games in the regular season, 14 in the Ivy League regular season, the tournament against Brown. The Bulldogs don’t have much experience against the tournament field but will need to be ready to face Oregon on Friday. Overall, the Yale offense plays small ball with sophomore infielder and catcher Jack Dauer heads up the Bulldog offense with 17 doubles and 48 runs batted in. Tate Evans leads the Yale pitching staff with 78 strikeouts in 79.1 innings. They will have to play their A game if they want to defeat the Ducks.
Like mentioned above, No. 2 seed Oregon State defeated their instate rival at the beginning of March. Despite 43 wins on the season, they did not get a hosting spot, likely due to the fact that they are not in a conference. That will likely change next year if the Beavers want to win another Men’s College World Series, which would be their first since 2018.
Oregon State relies on a balanced offense with senior catcher Bryce Hubbard, who slashes .272/.402/.467 with 33 runs, 46 hits, six doubles, nine home runs, 33 runs batted in and 28 walks and senior infielder AJ Singer slashing .290/.394/.478 with 48 runs, 60 hits, 15 doubles, eight home runs, 54 runs batted in and 33 walks. While the Beaver offense does not have much power, their pitching staff should make the difference. Junior left-hander Ethan Kleinschmit (88 strikeouts in 71.1 innings pitched) and junior right-hander Eric Segura (72 strikeouts in 66.1 innings pitched) are the guys to look out for this weekend for Oregon State’s staff.
No. 3 seed Washington State will begin NCAA Tournament play against a team that is in their conference and serves as a big rival in every other sport, Oregon State. While the Beavers remain an Independent on the diamond, the Cougars are in the Mountain West, winning the conference tournament against San Diego Stateto clinch a bid in the NCAA Tournament.
Making their first regional since 2010, redshirt sophomore Nick Lewis has dominated the innings pitched for Washington State with 91.1 with 65 strikeouts. Senior right-hander Luke Meyers also is a big contributor to the Cougars pitching staff, with 58 strikeouts in 74.1 innings pitched. Senior corner infielder Ryan Skjonsby is a big part of their offense, slashing .333/.425/.518 with 43 runs, 65 hits, 10 doubles, one triples, eight home runs, 57 runs batted in and 23 walks.
In a regional with a lot of Pac-12 flavor, Oregon State will make the short trip and win the Eugene Regional in seven games, taking down Oregon, Washington State, and Yale on the way. The Beavers’ pitching staff will be the difference as they advance to the super regionals.
The winner of the Eugene Regional will play the winner of the Austin Regional in the best-of-three super regionals from June 5-7 or June 6-8.
Athens Regional (Athens, GA) No. 3 seed Georgia 46-12 (23-7) SEC (4) Long Island 30-20 (26-7) Northeast (2) Boston College 36-21 (17-13) ACC (3) Liberty 41-19 (21-9) Conference USA
Hot-hitting Georgia attempts to make it back to the College World Series in Omaha for the first time since 2008, when they were national runners-up. Head coach Wes Johnson has the Bulldogs as a consistent NCAA Tournament team but they have not made it to the Super Regionals since 2024. Johnson and the Bulldogs have the bats and the arms to do just that. SEC Player of the Year Daniel Jackson was incredible this season, slashing .391/.485/.813 with 77 runs, 88 hits, 12 doubles, one triple, 27 home runs, 79 runs batted in and 38 walks. Junior third baseman Tre Phelps slashes .376/.491/.679 with 74 runs, 82 hits, 10 doubles, 1 triple, 18 home runs, 55 runs batted in and 20 walks. While Jackson and Phelps power the Bulldogs’ offense, ace Joey Volchko leads the Georgia pitching staff with a 8-2 record, 71 hits, 37 runs, 35 earned runs, 39 walks, and he struck out 88 over 75.1 innings pitched.
Georgia dominated the SEC with 23 conference wins and four sweeps. The Bulldogs won both the regular season and tournament championships. They will be a tough out for the other three opponents Boston College, Liberty and Long Island to advance to the Super Regionals. The Bulldogs’ opponent is No. 4 seed Long Island. The Sharks won 26 of their 30 overall games in Northeast Conference and tournament play. They must play their A game if they even want to complain with the regional’s top seed.
Boston College is the No. 2 seed that will be in Athens this weekend. The Eagles own 17 ACC wins including a series win over the No. 2 seed headed to Hattiesburg, Virginia, but ended their season with four losses in a row. Graduate infielder Nick Wang leads the Boston College offense with 16 home runs and 61 runs batted in. Senior left-hander AJ Colarusso (76.0 innings pitched) and graduate left-hander Tyler Mudd (59.1) will be the differences on the mound for the Eagles if they want to advance through Athens to the super regional round.
No. 3 seed Liberty went through Conference USA play easily, winning 21 of their 41 games in conference play. The Flames won one out of three games against the No. 3 seed going to Lawrence Missouri State, lost to both the No. 2 seed heading to Morgantown, Wake Forest, and the No. 2 seed going to the Hattiesburg Regional, Virginia. So, much better play will be expected from Liberty this weekend if they want to win the Athens Regional this weekend.
Georgia should not have many problems advancing through the Athens Regional this weekend if they continue to play as well as they have been. The Bulldogs should easily dispatch Long Island before coasting to the Super Regionals, behind the bats of Jackson and Phelps.
The winner of the Athens Regional will play the winner of the Starkville Regional in the best-of-three super regionals from June 5-7 or June 6-8.
Starkville Regional (Starkville, MS) No. 14 seed Mississippi State 40-17 (16-14) SEC (4) Lipscomb 29-24 (19-11) Atlantic Sun (2) Cincinnati 37-20 (17-13) Big 12 (3) Louisiana 39-23 (16-14) Sun Belt
Mississippi State hosts their first regional in Starkville since they went all the way and won their first national championship in Omaha in 2021. The Bulldogs were on the hosting bubble entering Selection Monday and were selected to do so despite a 1-6 record against NCAA Tournament teams during the regular season. Their No. 13 RPI ranking and tough SEC schedule are two reasons why the committee chair said they selected Mississippi State to host this weekend.
A sold out Dudy Noble Stadium crowd will be ready to see junior infielder Ace Reese, who slashes .327/.424/.691 with 65 runs, 73 hits, 21 doubles, 20 home runs, 69 runs batted in and 38 walks in addition to freshman outfielder Jacob Parker, who slashes .315/.412/.651 with 36 runs, 47 hits, nine doubles, one triple, 13 home runs, 51 runs batted in and 23 walks. Sophomore left-hander Tomas Valincius leads the Bulldogs pitching staff with a 10-2 record and 120 strikeouts over 86.0 innings pitched.
Lipscomb will face Mississippi State on Friday. The Bisons have already been swept by the Bulldogs back from March 5-7, where they scored a combined seven runs across three games and were shut out 26-0 in game 3.
The Bisons do not have a powerful offense but junior outfielder Jordan Thomas has recorded 11 doubles, a triple, 10 home runs, and 40 runs batted in. Senior left-hander Alexander Llinas (75.0 innings pitched) and freshman left-hander Jackson Lee (54.0) will be trusted to pitch against top bats this weekend for the Cincinnati, Louisiana and the Bulldogs.
Cincinnati is the two seed in Starkville this weekend after a 17-win season in the Big 12. The Bearcats defeated No. 4 national seed Auburn and bowed out early in the Big 12 tournament but are ready for a run in the NCAA Tournament.
The Bearcats’ offensive power is in two of their guys. Sophomore infielder Quinton Coats (13 doubles, 28 home runs and 78 runs batted in) and junior catcher Jack Natili (14 doubles, 16 home runs and 59 runs batted) will have to produce like they have all season if they want to advance through this regional. Nate Taylor leads the Cincinnati pitching staff with a team-leading 112 strikeouts through 84.0 innings pitched.
The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns impressed in the Sun Belt this season with 16 conference wins and had a deep run in the conference tournament. Louisiana won one of three games against the No. 3 seed headed to the Lawrence Regional, Missouri State, but did not get many good series outside of the tough Sun Belt conference play.
The Rajin’ Cajuns’ offense is highlighted by junior outfielder Donovan LaSalle, who slashes .230/.342/.461 with 39 runs, 44 hits, 11 doubles, 11 home runs, 41 runs batted in and 19 walks. Graduate senior left-hander Andrew Herrmann (108 strikeouts in 103.2 innings pitched) and junior left-hander Ty Roman (84 strikeouts in 80.1 innings pitched) lead the Louisiana pitching staff.
Like I wrote about, Mississippi State was on the hosting bubble and most experts had the Bulldogs as the No. 16 overall seed. That being said, Mississippi State has the crowd behind them to elevate their performance as they look to advance deep into the NCAA Tournament in Brian O’Connor’s first season as head coach. If the Bulldogs offense shows up, they will advance but it will take them seven games against the group of Bisons, Bearcats and Rajin’ Cajuns.
The winner of the Starkville Regional will play the winner of the Athens Regional in the best-of-three super regionals from June 5-7 or June 6-8.
Carter’s Pick:No. 14 Mississippi State in seven games
Tuscaloosa Regional (Tuscaloosa, AL) No. 7 seed Alabama 37-19 (18-12) SEC (4) Alabama State 34-21 (20-10) SWAC (2) Oklahoma State 37-20 (18-12) Big 12 (3) South Carolina Upstate 33-28 (13-11) Big South
Rob Vaughn has put Alabama back on the map on the diamond. The Crimson Tide won 37 games overall and an impressive 18 in the always difficult SEC. They defeated Alabama State 2-1, the No. 4 seed in their regional back on Feb. 18 and swept No. 8 national seed Florida and instate rival No. 4 overall seed Auburn during conference play.
Alabama’s offense has been inconsistent much of the season outside of junior shortstop Justin LeBron, who is a likely top 10 pick in this summer’s MLB Draft. LeBron is s inconsistent in the field making throws to first but he is a fantastic hitter, slashing .266/.384/.522 with 52 runs, 55 hits, 11 doubles, 14 home runs, 40 runs batted in and 26 walks. The rest of the offense will have to step up around LeBron if the Crimson Tide want to get through to the super regionals. Senior right-hander Tyler Fay has been Alabama’s ace this season, recording a 9-4 record with a team-high 104 strikeouts in 90 innings pitched.
Alabama State might have fallen to the Crimson Tide during the regular season but they dominated the Southwest Athletic Conference during both the regular season and the tournament, going 5-0 on their way to clinching a tournament bid. Sophomore catcher and first baseman Trey Callaway is the top bat in the Hornets’ lineup with 36 runs, 45 hits, two doubles, one triple, 16 home runs, 46 runs batted in and 23 walks. Senior left-hander Jorhan LaBoy powers the Alabama State pitching staff with 65 strikeouts in 85.2 innings pitched.
Josh Holliday and Oklahoma State are NCAA Tournament regulars but they have not made it back to the College World Series since 2016. The Cowboys have 37 overall wins and 18 in the Big 12 this season. Six Cowboys position players have 10 or more home runs this season with junior outfielder Kollin Ritchie (29), senior infielder Aiden Meola (17), senior first baseman Colin Brueggeman (16), Alex Conover (14), junior outfielder Garrett Shull (14) and sophomore midfielder Brock Thompson (10). Sophomore left-hander Ethan Lund (77.0 innings pitched) and senior right-hander Pesca Mario (65.2 innings pitched) lead the OSU pitching staff with a combined 202 strikeouts and 76 walks.
South Carolina Upstate’s 33-28 overall record and 13-11 record in the Big South. The Spartans have already lost opportunities against No. 3 national seed Georgia, were swept by No. 6 seed Texas, and took a single loss to the No. 2 seed going to Chapel Hill, Tennessee during the regular season. Senior utility player Wylie Waters (35 runs, 62 hits, nine doubles, one triple, 12 home runs and 50 runs batted in) and fifth year senior Johnny Sweeney (50 runs, 51 hits, 10 doubles, two triples, 12 home runs and 54 runs batted in) head up the USC Upstate batting order. Junior left-hander Chris Torres (69 strikeouts in 71.2 innings), Brent Stukes (50 strikeouts in 73.0 innings), and Max Kaplan (64 strikeouts in 71.2 innings).
Oklahoma State’s lineup’s offensive power will overtake Alabama, USC Upstate, and Alabama State and win the Tuscaloosa Regional in seven games. The Cowboys will do what they have not in the past and have a chance to advance to the Men’s College World Series by appearing in the super regionals next weekend.
The winner of the Tuscaloosa Regional will play the winner of the Tallahassee Regional in the best-of-three super regionals from June 5-7 or June 6-8.
Tallahassee Regional (Tallahassee, FL) No. 10 seed Florida State 38-17 (19-11) ACC (4) St. John’s 33-24 (15-6) Big East (2) Coastal Carolina 37-21 (21-9) Sun Belt (3) Northern Illinois 35-17 (21-12) Mid-American
Florida State will get to host another regional with Coastal Carolina, Northern Illinois, and St. John’s coming to Tallahassee this weekend. The Seminoles won an impressive 38 games overall and 19 in the ACC and are in line for 40+ wins with another run in the NCAA Tournament. They lost both games to instate rival No. 8 seed Florida but swept the No. 2 seed heading to the Morgantown Regional, Wake Forest, and a series win against the No. 2 seed going to the Gainesville Regional, Miami, before a short trip to Charlotte for the ACC Tournament.
Florida State has two true power bat in its lineup and has some strong arms that can help the Seminoles advance through this regional. Their top bats are sophomore first baseman Myles Bailey (13 home runs and 33 runs batted in) and Brayden Dowd (10 home runs and 34 runs batted in). Junior left-handers Wes Mendes (89.0 innings pitched and 117 strikeouts) and Trey Beard (64.0 innings pitched and 88 strikeouts), and junior right-hander Bryson Moore (62.2 innings pitched and 59 strikeouts) serve as FSU’s most trusted pitchers.
FSU’s opponent on Friday is St. John’s, the champion of the Big East Tournament. The Red Storm won 15 of 21 league games during the regular season and defeated Creighton in the tournament championship game. Sam Agresti powers the SJU offense with 14 doubles, 17 home runs, 48 runs batted in and 43 walks. Junior right-hander Liam O’Leary, has throw 68 strikeouts in 100 innings so far this season, redshirt junior left-hander Evan Chafee has thrown 74 strikeouts in 76.0 innings, and junior right-hander Ian Mowad has thrown 34 strikeouts in 5o.1 innings to lead the Johnnies pitching staff.
Coastal Carolina finished second in the Sun Belt standings during the regular season and a short trip to their conference tournament. They will look to return to Omaha for the Men’s College World Series after being swept by LSU in the championship series last June. They will begin their run against No. 3 seed Northern Illinois on Friday. Sophomore outfielder Rex Watson slashes .295/.378/.556 with 43 runs, 61 hits, 16 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, 64 runs batted in and 14 walks to headline the Chanticleers lineup. Right-handers Luke Jones, Ross Norman, and Cam Flukey anchor the weekend pitching rotation for CCU.
Northern Illinois played out their final season in the Mid-American Conference before they move to the Mountain West going forward. The Huskies won 35 games overall, 21 in conference, before winning their conference tournament. NIU will face Coastal Carolina on Friday. If they win that game, a run could begin for them. Graduate outfielder and first baseman Gavin Baldwin and senior outfielder Caden Robertson have combined for 29 home runs and 115 runs batted in, helping the Huskies win games with their offense. Senior pitcher Max Vaisvila leads their pitching staff with an 8-0 record and 85 strikeouts in 83.0 innings pitched.
On the backs of their pitching staff, Florida State will outlast Coastal Carolina, Northern Illinois, and St. John’s and get to the super regionals in seven games. The Chanticleers should be the Seminoles top competition and it will get to an extra game but they will still advance.
The winner of the Tallahassee Regional will play the winner of the Tuscaloosa Regional in the best-of-three super regionals from June 5-7 or June 6-8.
Lawrence Regional (Lawrence, KS) No. 15 seed Kansas 42-16 (23-7) Big 12 (4) Northeastern 38-20 (22-8) CAA (2) Arkansas 39-20 (17-13) SEC (3) Missouri State 34-19 (20-10) Conference USA
The Lawrence Regional gives memories of the 2022 Stillwater Regional with a Big 12 host, a No. 2 seed Arkansas, Missouri State, and it is paired with an ACC team in the Super Regional round. No. 15 overall seed Kansas won the Big 12 regular season and tournament title, earning Lawrence a host site for the first time in program history. A year ago, they went to the Fayetteville Regional and lost back-to-back games, ending their season. Head coach Dan Fitzgerald has this program even better than it was a year ago when they were the No. 2 seed in Arkansas’ regional so it should go better than last season. That being said, the Razorbacks, Bears, and the Northeastern Huskies are all almost regional locks annually, so it won’t be easy for the regional’s top seed.
The Jayhawks are paced by four position players with 14 or more home runs including senior first baseman and right-hand pitcher Josh Dykoff (15), junior infielder and outfielder Tyson LeBlanc (21), junior catcher Augusto Mungarrieta (15) and sophomore outfielder and catcher Tyson Owen (14). Junior right-hander Dominic Voegel, sophomore Mason Cook, and junior Kannon Carr will attempt to get Kansas started on the right foot from the mound against the Huskies, Razorbacks, or Bears.
The Jayhawks’ opponent on Friday is Northeastern. The Huskies are a consistent NCAA Tournament team under head coach Mike Glavine. Northeastern took chances against NCAA Tournament quality teams during the regular season but did not have much success. If they are going to upset Kansas, they will have to have everything working against the Big 12 regular season and tournament champions.
One hitter stand out for the Huskies and that is redshirt senior outfielder Harrison Feinberg. Feinberg slashes .330/.443/.599 with 63 runs, 75 hits, 13 doubles, 16 runs batted in, 63 runs batted in and 37 walks. Graduate right-hand pitcher Andrew Wertz leads Northeastern in earned run average at 2.84.
The two seed headed north to Lawrence is Arkansas, who many believed deserved to host a regional. Losses to Stetson, Arkansas State, and UT-Arlington mixed with a No. 21 RPI kept them out of contention, per the committee chair. The Razorbacks still won seven of 10 SEC series and made a run all the way to the SEC Tournament Championship game thanks to wins over the No. 2 seed headed to Chapel Hill Tennessee, No. 6 overall seed Texas and No. 4 overall seed Auburn.
Junior shortstop Camden Kozeal, who slashed .322/.409/.622 with 56 runs, 74 hits, 17 doubles, two triples, a team-leading 20 home runs and 34 walks, has powered the Arkansas offense, especially this last week at the SEC Tournament in Hoover, where he recorded three home runs and seven runs batted in. The Razorbacks can win the Lawrence Regional if junior catcher Ryder Helfrick, senior left fielder Damian Ruiz, senior right fielder Zack Stewart, and junior third baseman TJ Pompey step up offensively to help Kozeal after junior designated hitter Kuhio Aloy’s season-ending injury in Hoover last week.
The pitching is all on Friday night starter Hunter Dietz, who is the only Arkansas starter that has been consistent this season. The left-handed redshirt sophomore was the first to record 100 strikeouts this season in the SEC and he has an impressive 7-3 record. In last week’s SEC Tournament Quarterfinal win against Texas, Dietz took a 105-mile hit to his leg, prompting him to leave the game injured. Head coach Dave Van Horn said he is doing well in press conferences but it is reassuring that sophomore right-hander Steele Eaves and junior right-hander Gabe Gaeckle came in relief and threw a combined no-hitter to dispatch the Longhorns. The Razorback pitching depth will tested no matter if Dietz’s status is headed into the Lawrence regional.
Their opponent is the No. 3 seed Missouri State Bears. Arkansas and Missouri State split their regular season meetings in 2026 and will play again on Friday night to determine who will advance to the 1-0 game of the Lawrence Regional. Bears head coach Joey Hawkins always has good offenses and this team is just that. Senior utility player Taeg Gollert, who slashed .254/.368/.549 with 43 runs, 54 hits, 13 doubles, one triple, 16 home runs, 64 runs batted in and 30 walks and senior catcher Carter Bergman, who slashed .260/.381/.566 with 45 runs, 45 hits, five doubles, 16 home runs, 44 runs batted in, and 20 walks. The Bears pitching staff has struggled at times this season, with no pitcher throwing below a 4.69 earned run average.
There is no doubt that Kansas will not have an easy path to win this regional with Arkansas and Missouri State as two teams that finished in the top 25 of the RPI. One of those three teams should advance past Northeastern in seven games. With Dave Van Horn’s 24 years of experience as the head coach in Fayetteville, Arkansas should use the fact that they aren’t a regional host, play well in Lawrence, and advance to the super regionals.
The winner of the Lawrence Regional will play the winner of the Atlanta Regional in the best-of-three super regionals from June 5-7 or June 6-8.
Atlanta Regional (Atlanta, GA) No. 2 seed Georgia Tech 48-9 (25-5) ACC (4) Illinois-Chicago 27-27–1 (16-8) Missouri Valley (2) Oklahoma 32-21 (14-16) SEC (3) The Citadel 35-24 (11-10) Southern
Georgia Tech’s impressive 48-9 overall record and 25 wins in the ACC had them in contention for the No. 1 overall seed just days leading up to Selection Monday. But they ended up getting No. 2 overall and that is okay. The Yellow Jackets’ offense is one of if not the best in the country and they pitched well enough to win every conference series, win the regular season ACC Championship and defeated North Carolina in the ACC Tournament Championship game.
Georgia Tech has four players that have 10 or more home runs and two more with nine. The Yellow Jackets’ junior third baseman Ryan Zuckerman has slashed .350/.445/.757 and recorded 66 runs, 75 hits, 16 doubles, one triple, 23 home runs, 76 runs batted in and 35 walks. Junior center fielder Drew Burress slashed .366/.478/.660 and he has 78 runs, 87 hits, 22 doubles, three triples, 14 home runs, 56 runs batted in, and 45 walks. Junior right-handers Tate McKee, Jackson Blakely and sophomore left-hander Carson Ballard headline the Yellow Jackets’ weekend rotation and will be crucial in making sure they advance to the Super Regionals.
Georgia Tech’s first opponent is Illinois-Chicago, the winner of the Missouri Valley conference tournament. The Flames don’t have much experience against NCAA Tournament competition so they must get used to it when they begin play on Friday versus the Yellow Jackets.
Illinois-Chicago has one of the best offenses in the Missouri Valley conference with three position players with over 10 home runs and two of those players have north of 50 runs batted in. Junior infielder and right hand pitcher Jake Busson slashed .273/.366/573 with 36 runs, 60 hits, 10 doubles, one triple, 18 home runs, 52 runs batted in and 15 walks. Junior first baseman Ashton Kampa slashed .367/.426/.734 and recorded 44 runs, 65 hits, 17 doubles, 16 home runs, 47 runs batted in and 14 walks. Junior catcher and outfielder Thomas Curry slashed .317/.412/.594 with 49 runs, 64 hits, 13 doubles, two triples, 13 home runs, 53 runs batted in and 25 walks. The starting arms for the Flames are senior left-hander Brandon Bak, senior right-hander Kendall Lyons, and junior right-hander Mason Lei. .
The No. 2 seed headed to Atlanta is Oklahoma, who won only 14 SEC games but swept their opening-weekend of Big 12 teams at Globe Life Field in Arlington and have series wins against national No. 12 seed Texas A&M. The Sooners also had a quick trip to Hoover at the SEC Tournament, losing to LSU on May 19.
Oklahoma has an average SEC offense but junior catcher Deiten LaChance, who slashed .335/.417/.612 and recorded 37 runs, 63 hits, 12 doubles, two triples, 12 home runs, 51 runs batted in and 28 walks and junior infielder Camden Johnson, who slashed .323/.410/.533 with 47 runs, 63 hits, 11 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 43 runs batted in and 24 walks serving as important players in the Sooners’ lineup. Pitchers LJ Mercerious allowed only 61 hits, 43 runs, 38 earned runs, 21 walks, and struck out 82 batters over 60.2 innings and Cameron Johnson has given up 39 hits, 30 runs, 24 earned runs, 42 walks, and struck out 72 batters over 53.2 innings pitched.
The Sooners’ opponent is the Southern Conference champion The Citadel. The Bulldogs have four batters with 40 or more runs batted in, including junior first baseman Zach Hunt (47), senior utility players TJ Anderson (43) and Michael Gibson (40), and redshirt sophomore Christian Stratis (41). Left-hander Will Holmes and right-handers Andrew Bufkin and Trip Brown are the arms the Bulldogs rely on to start them out in weekend action on the mound.
The Bulldogs did not have much success against regional hosts No. 10 Florida State, No. 3 Georgia, or regional teams No. 3 seed in the Morgantown Regional Kentucky but at least they have the experience against those teams, especially going into a regional where they wouldn’t have to face No. 2 overall Georgia Tech until their second game, if both teams win and advance to the 1-0 game.
The Yellow Jackets should advance to the Super Regionals fairly easily on the back of their impressive offense that can out-swing anybody in the country. Oklahoma’s up and down pitching staff will not be able to control Georgia Tech’s bats, assuming both teams make it there for the 1-0 game and The Citadel and Illinois-Chicago just don’t have the depth to win three or four games against James Ramsey’s team.
The winner of the Atlanta Regional will play the winner of the Lawrence Regional in the best-of-three super regionals from June 5-7 or June 6-8.
Carter’s Pick:No. 2 Georgia Tech in six games
Check out the NCAA Baseball Tournament Regionals schedule here.
Kick-off times are set for Ryan Silverfield’s first three games at Arkansas.
The Razorbacks welcome North Alabama to Razorback Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 3:15 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. It is the first ever matchup between the Lions and Razorbacks and it will mark Ryan Silverfield’s first game as head coach.
In week 2, Arkansas travels to Salt Lake City, Utah to face Utah on the gridiron for the first time. The Razorbacks and Utes will square off on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 9:15 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Arkansas returns home to open Southeastern Conference play against back to back defending SEC champion Georgia on Saturday, Sept. 19. Kick-off will be at 11 a.m. on ABC. The Bulldogs and Razorbacks will face off in Fayetteville for the first time since Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020.
The newest Hall of Honor Class will be honored when Arkansas and Tulsa square off on Sept. 26 as part of Family Weekend for the University. The Razorbacks open October with a trip to College Station to face Texas A&M which will be their first game at Kyle Field since Oct. 31, 2020. Arkansas returns home to take on Tennessee on before a trip to Vanderbilt to face the Commodores for the first time since Oct. 29, 2011. Missouri will return to Fayetteville to face the Razorbacks to serve as Homecoming on Oct. 31, reigniting the Battle Line Rivalry.
Arkansas will attempt to continue their winning streak at Auburn when they begin the final month of the regular season on “The Plains” on Nov. 7. The Razorbacks will take on South Carolina on Military Appreciation Day, the first time the two schools have met in Fayetteville since Sept. 10, 2022. Arkansas ends the regular season against two of their biggest rivals, Texas and LSU. The Razorbacks will face the Longhorns in Austin for the second consecutive season on Nov. 21 and will return home to Fayetteville to face the Tigers on Nov. 28. Arkansas and LSU will meet the final weekend of the regular season for the first time since 2013, returning to its traditional spot on schedule since the Hogs joined the SEC in 1992.
Television windows for all remaining (not previously schedule) SEC-controlled games will be announced on SEC Now: Inside the 2026 Football Schedule. The broadcast will be on Wednesday, June 10, beginning at 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.
Arkansas baseball punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the 37th time in program history.
Arkansas (39-20), the No. 17 overall seed, and the No. 2 seed in the Lawrence Regional, is set to travel to face No. 15 national seed and top regional seed Kansas (42-16), No. 3 seed Missouri State (34-19), and No. 4 seed Northeastern (38-20) from May 29-June 1 inside Hoglund Ball Park in Lawrence, Kansas. Arkansas opens tournament play against MSU at Friday, May 29, at 5 p.m. on ESPN+.
The Razorbacks will get face the Bears for a third time this season after splitting the regular season matchups. On March 31 in Springfield, Arkansas lost to Missouri State 15-14 in 10 innings. The Razorbacks’ defeated the Bears 12-4 in Fayetteville on April 21. Arkansas will play in the same regional as Missouri State for the first time since 2022, when both teams were in the NCAA Stillwater Regional.
The Razorbacks head to Lawrence to play in Kansas’ regional a year after hosting them in their own NCAA Fayetteville Regional. On their run to Omaha in 2025, Arkansas did not face the Jayhawks after they lost back to back games to Creighton and North Dakota State in the NCAA Fayetteville Regional.
Arkansas will play in the same regional as Northeastern for the first time since the two teams played in 2021 NCAA Fayetteville Regional. Arkansas advanced to the super regionals while the Huskies lost back to back games to Nebraska and NJIT to end their season.
The winner of the Lawrence Regional will play the winner of the Atlanta Regional in the best-of-three-game super regional from June 5-7 or June 6-8. No. 2 national seed and top regional seed Georgia Tech (48-9) hosts No. 2 seed Oklahoma (32-21), No. 3 seed The Citadel (35-24) and No. 4 seed Illinois-Chicago (38-20) this weekend in Atlanta, Ga..
A History Lesson The Razorbacks will not host a regional and go on the road for the first time since the 2022 season, when they went to the Stillwater Regional and won the highest-scoring regional in seven games, highlighted by winning two out of three games versus Oklahoma State.
Arkansas advanced to face No. 10 national seed North Carolina in the Chapel Hill Super Regional, who they swept with strong pitching. Brady Slavens’ walk-off RBI-single in game 2 sent them back to Omaha for the College World Series for the seventh time in the Dave Van Horn era.
The Razorbacks’ run would end in the semifinals at the College World Series after losing two games to SEC rival Ole Miss. Now, Arkansas attempts to make a run to the College World Series as a two seed for the second time in four years.
NCAA Lawrence Regional Friday, May 29 Game 1 – No. 15 Kansas vs. Northeastern – 12 p.m. (ESPN+) Game 2 – Arkansas vs. Missouri State – 5 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday, May 30 Game 3 – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 – 12 p.m. (ESPN+) Game 4 – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 – 5 p.m. (ESPN+)
Sunday, May 31 Game 5 – Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3 – 12 p.m. (ESPN+) Game 6 – Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5 – 5 p.m. (ESPN+)
Monday, June 1 Game 7 – If the Game 5 Winner Wins Game 6 – TBD
Left-hand pitchers Hunter Dietz, Ethan McElvain, and catcher Ryder Helfrick all earned All-SEC honors on Monday. Dietz earned a first-team selection, McElvain was on the second team, and Helfrick was named to the all-defensive team.
After each of their all-conference honors, Arkansas now has 70 All-SEC selections in program history. The trio helped Dave Van Horn earn 60 SEC honorees for his tenure with the Razorbacks. Under Van Horn, at least one Hog has received an All-SEC nod in each of the last nine full seasons (2017-present), and in 21 of his 23 full seasons at the helm (excludes shortened 2020 season).
It is the fourth consecutive season that an Arkansas starting pitcher has been on the All-SEC first team. It is the longest such streak since LSU did so from 2012-2015. With Hagen Smith (2023-2024), Zach Root (2025), and Hunter Dietz (2026), the Razorbacks are the first team in league history with a first-team All-SEC left-handed starting pitcher in four straight years.
Since joining the staff ahead of the 2019 staff, Matt Hobbs has developed 12 All-SEC pitchers in his tenure on the Hill. Those names include Matt Cronin (2019), Connor Noland (2019, 2022), Patrick Wicklander (2019, 2021), Kevin Kopps (2021), Peyton Pallette (2021), Smith (2022-24), Brady Tygart (2022), Gage Wood (2023), Gabe Gaeckle (2024), Root (2025), Dietz (2026) and McElvain (2026).
After two seasons hampered by injury, Dietz appeared on the All-SEC first team after an impressive redshirt sophomore regular season. He has a 7-3 record with a 3.32 ERA. His 117 strikeouts lead the conference in 78.2 innings through 14 starts.
Dietz is holding opponents to a .221 batting average and has logged an SEC-leading nine quality starts, the most by a Razorback pitcher since Hagen Smith in 2024.
The left-hander has already been named a semifinalist for both the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy.
McElvain becomes the first Razorback relief pitcher to be named on an All-SEC team since Kopps in 2021. He recorded an impressive 5-0 record with a 1.24 ERA, 45 strikeouts, and a team-leading five saves. He recorded his numbers in 29.0 innings across 17 appearances. The Vanderbilt transfer is holding opposing batter to a small .165 batting average.
Helfrick is the first Arkansas catcher to be named an All-SEC player since Grant Koch in 2018. Helfrick, Koch, and Jack Wise (2014) are the only three catchers in Razorback history to be named to the all-defensive team.
The junior is also a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy as well as the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award. Helfrick has started all 54 games of the regular season, slashing .292/.437/.568 with .292/.437/.568 with 37 runs, 53 hits, six doubles, one triple, 15 home runs, 48 runs batted in, and led Arkansas in walks at 53.
2026 SEC Player of the Year Player of the Year: Daniel Jackson, Georgia Pitcher of the Year: Aidan King, Florida Freshman of the Year: Anthony Pack Jr., Texas Newcomer of the Year: Aiden Robbins, Texas Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Gavin Grahovac, Texas A&M Coach of the Year: Wes Johnson, Georgia
2026 All-SEC Teams
First Team C: Daniel Jackson, Georgia 1B: Gavin Grahovac, Texas A&M 2B: Chris Hacopian, Texas A&M 2B: Chris Rembert, Auburn 3B: Tre Phelps, Georgia 3B: Ace Reese, Mississippi State SS: Tyler Bell, Kentucky OF: Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M OF: Aiden Robbins, Texas OF: Rylan Lujo, Georgia DH/Util: Noah Sullivan, Mississippi State SP: Dylan Volantis, Texas SP: Aidan King, Florida SP: Tomas Valincius, Mississippi State SP: Hunter Dietz, Arkansas RP: Sam Cozart, Texas RP: Walker Hooks, Ole Miss RP: Clayton Freshcorn, Texas A&M
Second Team C: Carson Tinney, Texas 1B: Will Furniss, Ole Miss 1B: Ethin Bingaman, Auburn 2B: Mike Mancini, Vanderbilt 3B: Judd Utermark, Ole Miss SS: Kolby Branch, Georgia SS: Steven Milam, LSU OF: Anthony Pack Jr., Texas OF: Derek Curiel, LSU OF: Bryce Chance, Mississippi State DH/Util: Brady Neal, Alabama SP: Cade Townsend, Ole Miss SP: Tegan Kuhns, Tennessee SP: Jaxon Jelkin, Kentucky SP: Tyler Fay, Alabama RP: Jackson Sanders, Auburn RP: Ethan McElvain, Arkansas RP: Ben Davis, Mississippi State
2026 All-SEC Freshman Team Anthony Pack Jr., Texas Sam Cozart, Texas Jorian Wilson, Texas A&M Ethin Bingaman, Auburn Cam Appenzeller, Tennessee Omar Serna Jr., LSU Jacob Parker, Mississippi State Trent Grindlinger, Tennessee Myles Upchurch, Alabama Nico Partida, Texas A&M Mason Braun, LSU Jack Bauer, Mississippi State
2026 All-SEC Defensive Team C: Ryder Helfrick, Arkansas 1B: Gavin Grahovac, Texas A&M 2B: Mike Mancini, Vanderbilt 3B: Eric Guevara, Auburn* 3B: Tre Phelps, Georgia* SS: Steven Milam, LSU OF: Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M OF: Derek Curiel, LSU OF: Jason Walk, Oklahoma P: Hunter Elliott, Ole Miss
NCAA Tournaments officially expands to 76 teams The brackets of the Division I men’s and women’s basketball championships will increase from 68 to 76 teams starting in March of 2027.
According to the NCAA’s official announcement, adding eight teams to the tournament fields “[creates] additional championship participation opportunities for student-athletes and more exciting matchups for fans.”
The NCAA will also prove additional financial support for all 76 teams that appear in each tournament, increasing the dollars available to both basketball programs and through revenue-sharing.
The expansion and financial increase were approved by the Division I men’s and women’s Basketball Committees, the Division I men’s and women’s basketball oversight committees, and the Division I Finance Committee, the Division I Board of Directors and the NCAA Board of Governors.
“Providing additional access to the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships for Division I programs will be incredibly meaningful, especially to the student-athletes of the eight additional men’s and women’s programs that receive these coveted bids,” said NCAA Board of Governors Chair Jim Phillips, commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference. ‘The leadership by President Charlie Baker as well as Dan Gavitt, Lynn Holzman and JoAn Scott has been outstanding. We also appreciate the support of our broadcast partners and corporate champions and partners in making this a reality.”
The eight extra bids mean 21% of teams have a spot in the NCAA’s basketball postseason. Before expansion, championship access for basketball teams was at 18%, the lowest among major team sports.
More championship opportunities for student-athletes Expansion will create more opportunities for basketball student-athletes to compete in one of college sports’ premier postseason events, without affecting the regular season or conference championship schedules.
The growth in tournament participation reflects the steady rise in Division I programs. Since 1985, the number of Division I women’s basketball teams has increased from 277 to 359, while men’s programs have grown from 282 to 361.
The women’s championship began in 1982 with 32 teams. The field expanded by eight teams in both 1986 and 1989, then reached 64 teams in 1994. It remained at that size until 2022, when it grew to 68 teams. With the latest expansion, the women’s tournament has added 12 teams since 2022.
The men’s championship started in 1939 with just eight teams. The field doubled to 16 in 1951 and later expanded from 32 to 40 teams in 1979, from 40 to 48 in 1980, and from 53 to 64 in 1985. The tournament stayed at 64 teams until 2001, when it increased to 65, and then to 68 in 2011.
The NCAA will continue to cover transportation, lodging, meals, and other related expenses for teams competing under the expanded format.
As has been the case since 2011, the men’s championship will begin on the Tuesday following Selection Sunday, with the 2027 tournament tipping off on March 16. However, the Opening Round format will expand. Instead of two games on Tuesday and Wednesday in Dayton, there will now be three games each day in Dayton and three games on each of those days at a second site that has yet to be announced. In total, 12 games will make up what will now be known as the March Madness Opening Round.
The remainder of the men’s tournament schedule will stay the same, with the round of 64 played Thursday and Friday, the round of 32 on Saturday and Sunday, and no changes to regional rounds or the Men’s Final Four.
The women’s tournament calendar will also remain unchanged. Opening Round games in 2027 will take place Wednesday and Thursday, March 17–18, and will be conducted on the campuses of 12 of the top 16 seeds selected to host. The round of 64 will be played Friday and Saturday, while the round of 32 will take place Sunday and Monday. Regional competition will take place March 26 and 29 in Philadelphia and Las Vegas, while the Women’s Final Four will be played April 2 and 4 in Columbus, Ohio.
The 76-team brackets will include an automatic qualifier from each conference, along with the best at-large teams selected by the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Committees. The lowest-seeded 12 automatic qualifiers, as determined by the committees, will compete in half of the Opening Round games, while the other six games will feature the 12 lowest-seeded at-large teams.
Teams will continue to be matched based on their position on the committees’ overall seed lists, which rank all 76 teams. For example, seed 75 may play seed 76 in one Opening Round game, while the lowest-seeded at-large team selected to the field may face the second-lowest-seeded at-large team. Adjustments may be made to avoid regular-season rematches or for geographic considerations. The committee will continue to use existing principles and procedures to avoid matching teams from the same conference in the Opening Round and the round of 64 when possible.
“The expanded Opening Round for the NCAA tournaments will now feature 12 automatic qualifiers and 12 total at-large teams, resulting in highly competitive matchups and greater access to the opportunity to compete for the championship for the eight new at-large bids,” Division I Men’s Basketball Committee Chair Keith Gill said, commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference. “During the last two years of the tournaments, men’s and women’s teams seeded 15 or 16 are winless in 32 first-round games. Moving forward nearly half of the 28 men’s and women’s teams seeded on the 15 and 16 lines will win at least one tournament game. March Madness is the best postseason in all of sports, and this new format will continue that legacy by producing even more compelling games for fans and student-athletes.”
“The growth of women’s basketball has been phenomenal in recent years, and we are pleased to be able to offer additional opportunities to the student-athletes and teams that earn them,” said Division I Women’s Basketball Committee Chair Amanda Braun, athletics director at Milwaukee. “The committees took our charge seriously, and we believe this is responsible stewardship of the championship.”
Arkansas pitcher Carson Wiggins (44) throws a pitch against Little Rock during an NCAA baseball game on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
Dave Van Horn gives an update on Carson Wiggins FAYETTEVILLE – Sophomore right-hand pitcher Carson Wiggins is unlikely to pitch in a game this season, Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said Monday at the Swatter’s Club Luncheon.
Until recently, Van Horn thought Wiggins would be able to pitch in May or June. Wiggins underwent Tommy John surgery last May after suffering an injury against Florida on April 27.
“Carson has been to the doctor and he’s 100% healthy, but as of right now, they’re not going to let him pitch,” Van Horn said. “That’s all I’m going to say. I’m not real happy about it.”
The draft-eligible sophomore, who will turn 21 on June 1, could be selected in the early rounds of this year’s MLB Draft regardless of whether he pitches this season. MLB Pipeline ranks Wiggins the No. 83 draft prospect this year and Baseball America has him at No. 141.
Before suffering an injury last season, Wiggins made 14 appearances on the mound, posted a 1-1 record with a 3.21 earned run average and 20 strikeouts in 14.0 innings. He logged three saves and limited opposing hitters to a .152 average.
Because Wiggins could return for his junior season, Van Horn has said he is hopeful he will return to improve his draft stock in 2027.
Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn addressed the situation surrounding pitcher Carson Wiggins, making it clear that financial considerations and medical decisions are playing a major role in whether he returns this season.
“They’re going to have to pay him a lot of money,” Van Horn said. “I’m sure he’ll go to the [draft] combine. He wasn’t happy. He’s not happy about it, believe me. He wants to pitch. That’s probably about all I should say on it.”
When pressed for clarification on who he meant by “they” in determining Wiggins’ availability, Van Horn pointed directly to the medical side of things.
“Who do you think?” Van Horn replied. “The doctor.”
Van Horn also expressed skepticism about any change in that decision as the season progresses, indicating it’s unlikely Wiggins will be cleared to return.
Asked if he thought the doctor, the surgeon who performed Wiggins’ surgery in Dallas, would change his mind before the season ended, Van Horn said, “I doubt it.”
Van Horn hires staffer DJ Baxendale as General Manager Van Horn said former Arkansas pitcher DJ Baxendale (2010-12) will become the Razorbacks’ general manager on July 1.
Baxendale has spent the last seven seasons in a support staff role with the Razorbacks as the director of analytics.
“He’s very smart and his part-time job, besides helping us, is working at a law firm with some agent-type people,” Van Horn said.
Van Horn said Baxendale will work as part of Remy Cofield’s office. Cofield was hired as a deputy athletic director and general manager to oversee the Razorbacks’ Name, Image and Likeness operations.
We need somebody to be able to handle a lot of things — talking with the guys that are on our team … toward the end of the season, talk to their advisors and then maybe even the kids that are coming in, the high school kids or the transfers. We have to talk to them and you just have to get some things straightened out. It’s the way it should be.”
Van Horn added that Baxendale is a good fit for the role because he is familiar with the program, professional baseball and many agents.
Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn explained that adding a general manager would ease the workload for both him and his staff, particularly with the growing demands off the field.
“Van Horn said a GM will take a lot of off his plate and that of his assistant coaches. During a SiriusXM interview last month, Van Horn said coaches are “fundraisers now, we’re GMs now. We’d really like to coach our teams. The teams that get the most help, they have a little bit of a head start on a lot of people.”
He also pointed out how significantly the administrative side of college baseball has evolved in recent years, emphasizing the increased responsibilities that now come with the job.
On Monday, Van Horn said the front office aspect of baseball has changed a lot in five years with “just the phone calls and all the things that are involved there. It’s so needed now.”
Even with those added resources, Van Horn noted that coaches will continue to play a role in fundraising efforts moving forward.
Van Horn said coaches will still be involved in the fundraising aspect.
Other Injury Updates Arkansas first baseman Reese Robinett might be able to play within the next two weeks.
Robinett injured his knee while sliding into home plate during a game against Northwestern State last Wednesday. He did not play in any three games the Razorbacks played against Ole Miss over the weekend.
“When it first happened we thought he might be done for the year,” Van Horn said. “I don’t know all the details. … It’s a little different injury, but I think they’re going to make a brace for him where he can play in it when the swelling goes down and knee gets better. It’s getting a lot better.”
Van Horn said Robinett is “iffy … at best” to play against Oklahoma this weekend but did not entirely rule him out.
“Maybe he could just come in and play defense; I don’t know,” Van Horn said. “We’re giving them today off, tomorrow off … and we’ll probably know more [Wednesday].”
Van Horn said freshman left-hander Joey Lorenzini is also injured after a fan asked him his status.
“He is hurt, but he wasn’t pitching very good when he wasn’t,” said Van Horn, who later added, “I like him, though.”
Lorenzini allowed 5 runs on 5 hits, including 2 home runs, over 1 inning against Oral Roberts and Northern Colorado in March. He did not record an out against Northern Colorado on March 18 and has not pitched in a game since.
Another week has gone by and that means John Calipari and the Arkansas basketball staff has been at work putting their roster for the 2026 season. As everyone awaits five-star center Obinna Ekezie’s decision for where he wants to play, Calipari secured a power forward, officially added his combo guard, and five of his players will play in Chicago in a week and a half.
Miikka Muurinen finally commits to Calipari, Arkansas
2026 four-star power forward Miikka Muurinen announced his commitment to play for Arkansas on Monday morning. Muurinen announced his plans on his Instagram. He is ranked as the No. 55 overall player in the 2026 class, per the 247 Sports Composite.
Muurinen began his high school career at Sunrise Christian Preparatory before transferring to Arizona Compass Preparatory. He chose to leave the United States to play for KK Patizan in Serbia, opting to not play his final season of high school basketball.
Muurinen played for Brad Beale Elite program the summer before his senior year. He played with his future teammate, fellow upcoming freshman JJ Andrews, in the summer of 2024. Two weeks ago, he played in the Nike Hoops Summit with another future teammate, fellow upcoming freshman Abdou Torre.
The Finnish forward completed his official visit in Fayetteville back on Sept. 20, 2024. BYU, Duke, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina and North Carolina State were also listed as potential options for him in his official announcement on his commitment before he decided on the Razorbacks.
Five-star guard Jordan Smith Jr. officially signs with Arkansas
2026 five-star combo guard Jordan Smith Jr. signed his letter of intent to play for John Calipari and Arkansas, becoming the final Razorback signee to do so before Muurinen’s commitment on Monday
Smith Jr. made his commitment official during a ceremony at Paul IV Catholic School. The No. 2 overall player in the class according to the 247 Sports Composite has been committed to Arkansas since February.
Smith Jr. is the top prospect in the state of Virginia and won many awards this year including being named the Naismith High School Player of the Year, Gatorade Player of Year both in the state of Virginia and nationally, the MaxPreps Player of the Year, ad many others.
As a senior, Smith Jr. led the Paul VI Panthers to a 33-2 record and their fourth state championship in five years. He averaged 26.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 3.2 steals per game. He shot 56 percent from the field, 36.9 percent from 3-point range and 72.4 percent from the free throw line according to MaxPreps.
Smith Jr. is joined by the aforementioned Finnish forward Muurinen, JJ Andrews, and Abdou Torre are apart of Arkansas’ No. 1 overall 2026 signing class. They join Georgia guard Jeremiah Wilkinson and Furman forward Cooper Bowser, who have signed with Arkansas as transfers this off-season.
Four Razorbacks invited to 2026 NBA Combine
Image – Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball on X Darius Acuff Jr., Meleek Thomas, Billy Richmond III, and Trevon Brazile have all been officially invited to the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago later this month. The news was announced via an official release from the NBA’s communications team on Friday.
The NBA Draft Combine is set to take place May 10-17 at Wintrust Arena and Marriott Marquis in Chicago. The annual pre-draft showcase includes events such as medical testing, interviews, shooting drills, agility testing and five-on-five competition. Portions of the week-long event will be broadcast on NBA.com, NBATV, the NBA App and ESPN’s family of networks.
Acuff Jr., Thomas, Richmond III, and Brazile are four of 73 total prospects who were invited to the NBA Draft Combine. Arkansas’ group of combine invites is tied with Arizona and Houston as the most invites of any programs this year. There were only 71 early entrants into the 2026 draft, which is a player who declares for the draft with remaining college eligibility. That is the lowest number of early entrants since the 2003 NBA Draft. Of Arkansas’ four combine invites, three are early-entrants. Brazile is the only one who has exhausted eligibility.
Thomas and Richmond III both have until May 27 to announce their return to play at Arkansas in the 2026-2027 season. Acuff Jr. did not keep his college eligibility as he is a presumed top ten pick.
Former Arkansas center Malique Ewin has been officially invited to the NBA G League Combine. Ewin is one of 44 players invited to compete in the combine as he awaits a potential waiver to play a fifth season of college basketball either in Fayetteville or elsewhere.
The G League Combine will take place May 8-10 at Wintrust Arena and Marriott Marquis in Chicago. Selected standout players from this event will be invited to stay in Chicago for the 2026 NBA Draft Combine.
The 2026 NFL Draft occurred over the weekend, starting with the first round on Thursday, April 23, continuing on Friday with the second and third rounds, and wrapping up Saturday, April 25, with rounds four through seven.
Four Arkansas Razorbacks that played on the 2-10 2025 team are headed to the league via the draft and several others are doing the same by signing undrafted free agent contracts with different teams.
Take a look at the 2026 Arkansas Razorback NFL Draft recap:
Julian Nealbecomes first Razorback selected in the third round The Seattle Seahawks selected Arkansas defensive back Julian Neal with the 199th overall pick. The reigning Super Bowl champions made Neal the first Razorback to hear his name called in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Neal started all 12 games for the Razorbacks in 2025, making 55 tackles and intercepting two passes. He made 11 tackles, one interception and a pair of pass breakups against Arkansas State, helping Arkansas win their second game of the season.
Neal is the first Arkansas defensive back selected since Montaric Brown in 2022 when he was selected in the seventh round. He became the first Razorback to be drafted by the Seahawks when they drafted the late Alex Collins in 2016. Neal’s selection in the third round makes it back to back years Arkansas players have been selected in the third round after Isaac TeSlaa (Detroit) and Landon Jackson (Buffalo) were selected in the same round last year.
Over 42 games throughout his collegiate career, Neal recorded 99 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and four interceptions.
Mike Washington Jr. becomes fifth tailback selected in NFL Draft The Las Vegas Raiders traded up to pick No. 122 and selected Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Washington Jr. will join former Boise State tailback Ashton Jeanty to form a duo next to No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza at quarterback starting in the 2026 season.
Washington Jr. broke out in the 2025 season for the Razorbacks, rushing for 1,070 yards and eight touchdowns, becoming the 16th player in program history to eclipse 1,000 yards on the ground.
The New York native earned Second Team All-SEC honors from the league’s coaches and the Associated Press after five 100-yard games and finishing fifth on the SEC rushing list.
Washington Jr. is the first Arkansas player to be drafted by the team since Tyler Wilson was selected by the team when he was a fourth round pick by the then Oakland Raiders. He is the Razorback running back selected in the draft since David Williams in 2018.
Fernando Carmona becomes the next Razorback offensive lineman drafted
The Tennessee Titans drafted Fernando Carmona Jr. in the fifth round with the 142nd overall pick. Carmona Jr. became the first Arkansas player selected by the Titans since they selected Treylon Burks in the first round in 2022.
Carmona Jr. collected All-SEC honors at two positions, earning third-team recognition at left tackle in 2024 and second-team honors at left guard in 2025.
The Las Vegas native starred at San Jose State before transferring to Arkansas. He started all 49 games of his college career.
Taylen Green joins the Cleveland Browns’ crowded quarterback room
The Cleveland Browns selected Taylen Green with the 182nd overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Green became the first Arkansas quarterback to be drafted since Brandon Allen, when the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him with the 152nd pick in the 2016 draft. Green became the first Razorback selected by the Browns since 1999, when they selected tailback Madre Hill.
Green started his college career at Boise State (2021-2023) before transferring to play two seasons for Arkansas. The Lewisville, Texas native started 46 of his 53 games on the gridiron, passing for 9,662 yards with 59 touchdowns and adding 2,405 yards and 35 touchdowns on the ground. In Fayetteville, the Lewisville, Texas native passed for 5,868 yards and ran 1,379. Combined, that is a total of 7,247 yards, good enough for sixth all-time for the Razorbacks.
Arkansas has had at least one player selected in the NFL Draft in each of the last 31 drafts.
Seven Razorbacks sign UDFA deals After four Arkansas players were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, six joined them as undrafted free agents who signed deals with different teams after the draft finished up on Saturday, April 25. Players who signed undrafted free agent deals include Cameron Ball, Rohan Jones, Xavian Sorey, Corey Robinson II, Raylen Sharpe and Kani Walker.
Arkansas defensive tackle Cameron Ball signed with the Indianapolis Colts. Ball played all five seasons of his collegiate career in Fayetteville. The Atlanta, Georgia native started all 24 games he played his last two seasons, totaling 74 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, six quarterback hurries and 1.5 sacks.
Razorback tight end Rohan Jones signed with the Los Angeles Rams. Jones played in all 12 games in his only season and made four starts in his lone season in Fayetteville. Jones caught 19 passes for 519 yards and four touchdowns while rushing twice for 10 yards and a
Arkansas linebacker Xavian Sorey became the second Razorback defensive player to sign an undrafted free agent deal with the Las Vegas Raiders, joining teammate Mike Washington Jr. in the “Sin City”. In his two seasons at Arkansas, Sorey totaled 180 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, four and a half sacks, two interceptions, four pass breakups, and six quarterback hurries. The Campbellton, Florida native began his career at the University of Georgia.
Razorback offensive tackle Corey Robinson II signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. In Robinson II’s one season at Arkansas, he started all 12 games for the Razorbacks and paved the way for six games of 500+ yards of total offense. Robinson II redshirted his first collegiate season at Kansas before starting 24 of 36 games in three seasons at Georgia Tech, where he was a staple at left tackle at Brent Key before transferring to play his redshirt senior season in Fayetteville.
Arkansas slot receiver Raylen Sharpe signed with the Indianapolis Colts. Sharpe made three starts and saw action in all 12 games in his one season as a Razorback. He caught 41 passes for 592 yards and three touchdowns while rushing six times for 54 yards.
The Allen, Texas native started his career at Houston where he redshirted his freshman season before joining Bobby Petrino at Missouri State, where he played his redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons. He left Springdale and played his redshirt junior season at Fresno State before wrapping up his final season of college football for the Razorbacks.
Arkansas cornerback Kani Walker joined his six other teammates who signed as undrafted free agents signed with the Buffalo Bills. In his one season as a Razorback, Walker started 11 of 12 games during the 2025 season. He tallied 52 tackles, three for loss, one sack, one interception and 11 pass breakups. The Atlanta, Georgia native spent a redshirt year at Louisville before playing a meaningful role for Oklahoma the next three seasons, where he recorded two interceptions and 10 pass breakups during his time in Norman.
Billy Richmond III declares for 2026 NBA Draft Arkansas wing Billy Richmond III declared for the NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility, he announced. Richmond III announced the news on his Instagram Friday night ahead of the draft entry deadline.
The sophomore wing averaged 11.2 points, added 4.3 rebounds, and two assists per game over the 2025-2026 season.
Richmond III joins freshman guards Meleek Thomas, who also kept his college eligibility, and Darius Acuff Jr. as Razorbacks that have entered the NBA Draft. Forward Trevon Brazile and center Nick Pringle have exhausted their eligibility.
Wing Isaiah Sealy and center Paulo Semedo have announced that they will return for their second seasons in Fayetteville, joining incoming freshmen Jordan Smith Jr., JJ Andrews, and Abdou Torre and transfers Cooper Bowser and Jeremiah Wilkinson.
Now that John Calipari has Richmond III’s news, he can put his full focus on building a front court with Bowser and Semedo the only two options on the roster currently.
Darius Acuff Jr. declares for the 2026 NBA Draft Arkansas freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. announced his intentions to declare for the 2026 NBA Draft today on ESPN’s NBA Today.
Acuff Jr. scored 23.5 points, added 6.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and shot an impressive 48.4% per contest. In the SEC Tournament Championship game, he helped the Razorbacks to an 86-75 win against Vanderbilt with a double-double by scoring 30 points and adding 11 assists.
The unanimous All-American helped Arkansas reach their fifth Sweet 16 appearance in six seasons with 36 points and six assists to help the Razorbacks overcome High Point.
Acuff Jr. swept the honors as SEC Player of the Year, SEC Freshman of the Year, SEC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, a member of the All-SEC First Team, and was the Bob Cousy Award winner as the nation’s top point guard.
The Detroit native joins fellow freshman guard Meleek Thomas in the NBA Draft, however he kept his collegiate eligibility unlike Acuff Jr., who did not. John Calipari and the Razorback staff await Billy Richmond III’s decision on his future, whether he will join Thomas and Acuff Jr. or return for his junior season.
High-end five-star guard Jordan Smith Jr. is expected to replace Acuff Jr. as the top player for Arkansas as Calipari fills the roster following the transfer portal closing last night. Fellow freshmen JJ Andrews and Abdou Torre and incoming transfers Cooper Bowser, Jeremiah Wilkinson join Smith Jr. on the current Arkansas roster.
Wing Karter Knox, guard DJ Wagner, forward Karim Rtail, center Elmir Dzafic, guard Jaden Karuletwa, and center Malique Ewin have exited the program via the transfer portal. Forward Trevon Brazile and center Nick Pringle have exhausted their collegiate eligibility after completing the 2025-2026 season with the Razorbacks.
The transfer portal has finally closed for men’s college basketball after two, crazy weeks on Tuesday night. That does not mean that the news stops, though.
Two of Arkansas’ players entered the transfer portal this week before it closed Tuesday night. Plus, thousands of transfers have not announced their plans on who they will play for next, so John Calipari and his staff will still be at work putting together their roster.
Trevon Brazile and Nick Pringle are out of eligibility, Meleek Thomas has entered the NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility, and six Razorbacks have entered the transfer portal but Billy Richmond III and Darius Acuff Jr. have yet to make decisions on their futures.
Here is what happened over the last couple of days in the world of Razorback basketball, beginning with two last-minute transfer entries:
Jaden Karuletwa enters transfer portal Sophomore guard Jaden Karuletwa is entering the transfer portal, per a report from Verbal Commits on Monday, April 20. The Sun Valley, California native appeared in 13 games across two seasons for the Razorbacks. He scored 5 points, all coming in a 108-80 win against Queens back on Dec. 16, over his two years in Fayetteville.
Karuletwa has two years of eligibility remaining at his next stop.
Malique Ewin joins five other Razorbacks in the portal Senior center Malique Ewin entered the transfer portal hours before it closed on Tuesday evening, April 21. Ewin will need a waiver to receive an extra year of eligibility.
The former Ole Miss Rebel and Florida State Seminole averaged 9.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, one block and one steal a game while shooting 59% from the field and 73.9% from three-point range.
Ewin played his best game of the season against Hawaii in the Round of 64. He recorded a double-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block to help Arkansas defeat the Rainbow Warriors 97-78.
He joins Karter Knox, DJ Wagner, Karim Rtail, Elmir Dzafic and Karuletwa as Razorbacks in the portal.
Transfer signee Jeremiah Wilkinson to visit Fayetteville Wednesday Incoming transfer guard Jeremiah Wilkinson is expected to be in Fayetteville on Wednesday for his campus visit according to a report from Whole Hog Sports.
The former Georgia guard averaged 17.4 points, two rebounds, 1.7 assists, and shot 41% from the field for the Bulldogs last season. He scored 30 points in their 102-77 loss to Saint Louis in Round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 19.
After Cooper Bowser pledged to Arkansas on the morning of April 14, John Calipari followed it up with another commitment that night from the portal.
Plus, two former Razorbacks announced their new homes, a five-star center came on campus, and two freshmen announced their plans to return to campus.
The transfer portal closes on Tuesday, so John Calipari and his staff will be focused on finishing strong and putting the roster together over the next couple of weeks.
Arkansas lands second transfer commitment, Jeremiah Wilkinson
Georgia guard Jeremiah Wilkinson committed to transfer to Arkansas on Tuesday, April 14, hours after Furman forward Cooper Bowser announced his pledge to the Razorbacks.
Wilkinson scored over 17 points, two rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game during his lone season in Athens. The sophomore guard scored 20 points, shot seven for 16 from the field, and four for ten from three point range in the Bulldogs’ 90-76 win against the Razorbacks on Jan. 17.
He began his career at Cal, where he scored 15 points a contest and won the ACC Sixth Man of the Year as a freshman. He will have two years of eligibility left with the Razorbacks.
His commitment was first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Borzello on X. Bowser and Wilkinson signed with the Razorbacks last week.
Karter Knox and DJ Wagner announce their new schools
Former Arkansas wing Karter Knox committed to Louisville on Wednesday, April 15. Knox announced the news in an Instagram post.
In the Razorbacks’ 89-80 win against the Cardinals in the 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge back on Dec. 3, the sophomore scored five points, rebounded five misses, had one steal, and one block.
Knox will have two years of eligibility left to play for Louisville where he will play for Pat Kelce, who enters his third season as head coach of the Cardinals.
News of DJ Wagner’s commitment to Maryland surfaced on Saturday, April 18. Wagner confirmed the news on his Instagram story on the same day.
Wagner heads to College Park, where he will play for former Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams. The junior guard faced Williams’ Aggie teams twice over two seasons, one time as a freshman at Kentucky and one time as a sophomore at Arkansas.
Wagner will likely be featured as a ball hander in Williams’ offense next to incoming five-star wing Baba Oladatun, as the Terrapins look to improve after a 12-21 season that was Williams’ first as the head coach of Maryland.
Wagner has one season of collegiate eligibility left as he transitions to play for Maryland.
2027 Five-Star Center makes his visit to Fayetteville
The nation’s No. 2 ranked recruit and the top center in the 2027 class Obinna Ekezie Jr. arrived for his visit to Arkansas on Friday. Ekezie Jr.’s visit comes at a crucial time with the Razorbacks needing a center with 7-foot plus size.
The Southeastern Prep product fits that perfectly, standing at 7’0 and weighing 220 pounds. If John Calipari can convince Ekezier Jr. to reclassify, he can be the guy Arkansas needs to play in the paint. As the Razorbacks await Malique Ewin’s potential waiver to return to campus and they continue to pursue Cincinnati transfer Moustapha Thiam. All three bigs are options for Calipari and his staff, but time is of the essence as the transfer portal closes on Tuesday.
Arkansas must add a Trevon Brazile replacement at power forward, a backup for him, and the returns of Billy Richmond and potentially Meleek Thomas if the Razorbacks want the best shot of winning their first national championship since 1994.
Two freshmen announce they will return for their sophomore seasons
Freshman center Paulo Semedo announced he is returning for his sophomore season on his Instagram and X accounts on Friday, April 17.
Semedo redshirted during his first season in Fayetteville but expectations are looking up that he will be the third option in the paint for Calipari and front court coach Kenny Payne, given his size.
The African born big man will have four years of eligibility left beginning with the 2026-2027 season.
Minutes after his teammate Semedo announced his plans to come back, freshman wing Isaiah Sealy did the same. On Friday afternoon, Sealy announced his plans to return to play for Calipari for his sophomore season.
The local product from Springdale will have the important to be an important bench piece on the perimeter after Knox entered the transfer portal. If he can up his averages of 2.9 points, 1.3 rebounds, and under one assist a game coming off of the bench behind Billy Richmond, Calipari can become comfortable playing him.
It will be difficult, however, playing alongside two incoming freshmen wings, including five-star JJ Andrews and five-star Abdou Torre, which are both athletically gifted.
Sealy will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.
In five months, the sport of college football will return to our televisions every Saturday from September to the first week of December and games will continue in the College Football Playoff until a champion is decided at the end of January.
Along with that, ESPN’s College GameDay will head to a different campus site each week. The GameDay crew has been going to different sites since the 1993 season and 2026 will not be any different. So, where will Rece Davis, Pat McAfee, Desmond Howard, and Kirk Herbstreit head each Saturday for their famous pregame show? Read to find out below.
Aug. 29 North Carolina vs TCU (Dublin; Aer Lingus College Football Classic) College GameDay did not go to a campus site for Week 0’s games a year ago, instead deciding to put on a studio show. Two years ago, the crew went to Dublin for Georgia Tech’s win against Florida State. So, could GameDay return to Dublin again for North Carolina-TCU overseas?
It definitely is possible. On Sept. 1, 2025, TCU destroyed North Carolina 48-14 in Bill Belichick’s debut as the Tar Heels’ head coach. Under a year later, Sonny Dykes’ Horned Frogs will face North Carolina again to open the regular season.
Quarterback Josh Hoover is no longer in Fort Worth as he decided to transfer to Indiana to off-season so it will be a new look offense for the North Carolina defense to deal with in this game. On the other side, Belichick hired former Arkansas interim head coach Bobby Petrino to be his next offensive coordinator. So, the TCU defense should have a bigger challenge than they did a season ago.
If the College GameDay were to go anywhere else in Week 0, it would be to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for an ACC showdown between North Carolina State and Virginia.
Sept. 5 Ole Miss vs Louisville (Nashville) College GameDay does not always open with back to back games at neutral sites but they have to make an excuse for Ole Miss and Louisville, who will face off in Nashville to highlight week 1 of the 2026 college football slate. The Rebels and the Cardinals are two rising programs that could both appear in the College Football Playoff.
Amidst all of the craziness of Lane Kiffin’s departure to LSU, Pete Golding led Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff semifinals and they were just four points short of making the national championship game, losing to Miami 31-27. Golding should be confident that his team can return to that stage returning his backfield of quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy and a defense that should be better than it was a year ago.
Jeff Brohm has nearly brought his alma mater back to the top of the sport. Louisville went 9-4 in 2025 and they won four games in the ACC. They finished the season with a 27-22 victory against Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl. Now, they must rebuild an offense losing quarterback Miller Moss, especially if they want to keep up with the Rebels’ high-scoring offense.
The Clemson-LSU is the game College GameDay could opt for in week 1 if they don’t go to Nashville for Ole Miss-Louisville.
Sept. 12 Ohio State at Texas The College GameDay set will be in Austin on Sept. 12 for a huge battle between two of college football’s best. The GameDay crew was in Columbus for the game a season ago, a 14-7 Ohio State win, but this season the game is Austin, so Texas must take advantage and avenge their loss to the Buckeyes from a year ago.
Ohio State boasts an offense with some of the best playmakers in the country. That group includes quarterback Julian Sayin, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, and a running back room that expects Bo Jackson to step in and be the next great player standing next to the quarterback for the Buckeyes after a year buried on the depth chart. Ohio State’s defense lost top safety Caleb Downs and pass-rushers Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese to the NFL Draft but their defense always raises to the occasion.
Matt Patricia’s defense will be trusted to stop Arch Manning and the Texas offense, that improved drastically after a 45-38 win against Mississippi State on Oct. 25. In his second season as the starter behind center, Manning has no excuses not to perform being able to throw to Auburn transfer Cam Coleman down the field. The Longhorns’ defense will have a new leader as Will Muschamp takes over his old job, replaces Pete Kwiatowski, and will attempt to build on what he had started.
If Ohio State-Texas is not the choice for College GameDay, another Big Ten-SEC battle between Oklahoma and Michigan may be the choice, as they would head to Ann Arbor for the game.
Sept. 19 LSU at Ole Miss Lane Kiffin’s return to Ole Miss as LSU’s head coach is the slam dunk pick for College GameDay during week 3. The Rebels’ athletic department did not allow Kiffin to coach his team during their College Football Playoff run. Instead, Pete Golding led Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff semifinals. Both teams open their SEC slates with a familiar foe that they don’t like.
LSU went 7-6 last season, prompting them to fire head coach Brian Kelly and hiring Kiffin away from Ole Miss. After helping the Rebels on their playoff run, new Tigers offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. will hope quarterback Sam Leavitt is fully healthy for the season as he continues to deal with an injury after transferring from Arizona State. He will need to be out on the field for Kiffin’s offense if they want to outscore his old quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and the Rebels’ offense.
Ole Miss quarterback Chambliss and Kyren Lacy will be tough to deal with and Kiffin knows it. That is why he retained Blake Baker as his defensive coordinator. They were able to retain linebackers Whit and West Weeks in addition to adding Ole Miss’ Princewill Umanmielen to their defensive line. The x-factor in this game will be Baker against Ole Miss’ new offensive coordinator John David Baker, who returned to the Rebels’ staff after a few seasons at East Carolina.
While it is likely ESPN will send College GameDay to Oxford for the battle between LSU and Ole Miss, if they do not go there, they may go to Lubbock for Houston-Texas Tech.
Sept. 26 Oregon at USC College GameDay has not been to Memorial Coliseum for a USC game in a long time. That may change when ESPN potentially sends the College GameDay crew to Los Angeles as Oregon heads to face their old Pac-12 rival, the Trojans. USC head coach Lincoln Riley must have a team that can compete for a College Football Playoff berth or his job might be in question. Dan Lanning’s Ducks are capable of another playoff run, despite the devastating loss to Big Ten foe Indiana in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals a year ago.
Lanning’s team returns Dante Moore behind center and gets wide receiver Evan Stewart comes back after a torn ACL to lead the Oregon offense. The Ducks’ defense is headed by linebackers Matayo Uiagalalelei and Teitum Tuitoi and they will be forces all season and vital against Riley’s offense that wants to go up and down the field.
Riley will expect his quarterback Jayden Maiava to ascend to a new level in 2026 and he will have to reach that level if they want to score on the tough Duck defense. Questions will have to be answered on defense after former TCU head coach Gary Patterson takes over the unit.
If they don’t go to Los Angeles for Oregon-USC, I anticipate College GameDay may go to the Oklahoma-Georgia game in Athens.
Oct. 3 Miami at Clemson This projection might be entirely wrong as Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers have fallen from the top of college football. Miami has replaced them as the ACC’s top team despite not winning the conference’s championship game last season.
The Hurricanes made the College Football Playoff as an at-large and defeated Texas A&M, Ohio State and Ole Miss on their way to the national championship game in January. They fell to Indiana in the game however they reinstated them as one of college football’s top programs. Duke transfer quarterback Darian Mensah can be a star for his team, especially with upcoming sophomore receiver Malachi Toney’s skills down the field. Defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman will have to replace likely first round NFL Draft pick Rueben Bain at the defensive end position but the Hurricanes should be the favorites to win the ACC and make another playoff appearance in 2026.
Clemson will have a new look in 2026 after many players exited to the NFL and the transfer portal. Christopher Vizzina takes over at quarterback and three defensive back transfers look to lead the Tigers back in the right direction.
College GameDay may head to Iowa City for Ohio State-Iowa if they do not head to Clemson for the battle between the Hurricanes and Tigers.
Oct. 10 Georgia at Alabama The last two seasons, the battles between Alabama and Georgia have been highlighted by ESPN and College GameDay and for good reason. In 2024, the Crimson Tide defeated the Bulldogs 41-34 and 24-21 in 2025 in their last two regular season meetings. Despite those results, Georgia has won the last two SEC Championship games. So, it is not likely GameDay will miss this game.
The Bulldogs fell short of winning a third national championship in five seasons after falling to Ole Miss in a 39-34 shootout in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. Quarterback Gunnar Stockton and running back Nate Frazier have returned but wide receivers Zachariah Brach, Dillon Bell, Colbie Young. tight end Oscar Delp are headed to the NFL. On defense, defensive tackle Christen Miller, linebacker CJ Allen, and cornerback Daylen Everette are also headed to the pros.
Alabama has a quarterback battle between redshirt junior Austin Mack and redshirt freshman Keelon Russell going on this spring. The winner of that battle will be a vital part of the Crimson Tide’s third win over the Bulldogs in as many regular seasons. The winner will get to Ryan Coleman-Williams, who must bounce back this fall after an up and down sophomore season.
The Cotton Bowl should be the destination for ESPN to send the College GameDay crew for the Oklahoma-Texas matchup if they do not go to the Alabama-Georgia game for the third consecutive season.
Oct. 17 Ohio State at Indiana ESPN will not missing out on sending the College GameDay crew to the Big Ten Championship game rematch between Ohio State and Indiana in Bloomington, over ten months after the 14-10 Hoosiers’ win back on Dec. 4. Ryan Day’s Buckeyes will attempt to avenge their loss to Indiana as they look to get back to the national championship game. Curt Cignetti will have his team focused and ready as they attempt to win a second consecutive national championship.
Two seasons ago, Ohio State finished the season with the national championship trophy. Last season, the Buckeyes came up short in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals against Miami, losing to the Hurricanes in the Cotton Bowl. Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith, and their entire roster will not be satisfied with anything less than a second national championship in three seasons but they will have to go through Cignetti and Indiana to get it.
Cignetti must hope new quarterback Josh Hoover fits in his offense and shows out on the field, especially against a team like the Buckeyes. Hoover will have the luxury of throwing to returning receiver Charlie Becker and Michigan State transfer Nick Marsh. The Hoosier defense should also be ready to face the Buckeyes’ offense but it will be a challenge just as it was a year ago.
If College GameDay does not go to Bloomington for week seven, they may go to Provo for the battle between Catholics and Mormons, Notre Dame at BYU on Oct. 17.
Image – Auburn Tigers
Oct. 24 LSU at Auburn It was hard to pick for this week, so an old SEC West rivalry returning to the calendar makes for a perfect selection for College GameDay this week. While, the crew may not choose to go with all of the LSU games they could go to, but this seems like an easy pick if Alex Golesh has Auburn improving in his first season as head coach.
The Tigers will play through their quarterback Byrum Brown, who was Golesh’s quarterback at South Florida as well. Golesh also retained defensive coordinator DJ Durkin on his staff so even though they lost a few pieces in the transfer portal, the Tigers’ defense should still be one of the SEC’s best.
Sam Leavitt should be healthy for LSU eight weeks into the season but if he is not, Jordan-Hare Stadium is one of the toughest places to play in the SEC, so Lane Kiffin’s team could definitely lose to Auburn if they are not focused.
Alabama-Texas A&M, Indiana-Michigan and Ole Miss-Texas make sense as games that College GameDay could go to if they do not head to ‘The Plains’ on Oct. 24.
Oct. 31 Arizona at Texas Tech ESPN should send the College GameDay crew to Lubbock, where they will see Arizona face Texas Tech on their home field. The Red Raiders won the Big 12 Championship and appeared in the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history in 2025 so the crew should definitely make plans to get out to west Texas if they continue their success.
Brett Brennan led the Wildcats to a 9-4 record with a 6-3 standing against Big 12 competition last fall. Things are looking up for Arizona with veteran quarterback Noah Fifita starting behind center. Memphis transfer Everett Roussaw Jr. heads over to help the Wildcats’ pass-rush against what should be another solid Texas Tech offense.
Cincinnati transfer Brendan Sorsby will replace Behren Morton behind center for the Red Raiders. Sorsby will have the benefit of throwing to Micah Hudson, Coy Eakin and Kenny Johnson. Joey McGuire picked up four front seven transfers to fill the spots NFL-bound Jacob Roudriguez and David Bailey leave behind in Lubbock.
If the College GameDay set is not at Texas Tech for Oct. 31 games, it could also be in Atlanta for the Florida-Georgia game or Los Angeles for Ohio State-USC.
Nov. 7 Miami at Notre Dame College GameDay should definitely pick South Bend as the destination for their week 10 show, as Miami and Notre Dame renew their rivalry to begin the month of November in college football.
The Hurricanes’ 27-24 win over Notre Dame on Aug. 31 started both teams’ seasons a year ago. A week later, the Fighting Irish fell 41-40 to Texas A&M. Those two losses kept them out of the College Football Playoff. Miami made their first appearance in the College Football Playoff and advanced to the national championship game, where they fell to Indiana 27-21 at their home stadium.
The Hurricanes are reenergized for another season after their quarterback Mensah will look to pick up where outgoing signal-caller Carson Beck left it at the end of last season. The defense will have to pick it up after losing many pieces to the NFL, as mentioned above.
Notre Dame will come in to 2026 angry after missing the College Football Playoff in 2025. CJ Carr returns at quarterback but tailback Jeremiyah Love is off to the NFL Draft. The Fighting Irish should also have the defense to beat Miami and make another postseason run.
If College GameDay does not go to South Bend for the Miami-Notre Dame showdown, they may make it to Oxford for Georgia-Ole Miss or Baton Rouge for Alabama-LSU.
Nov. 14 Texas at LSU Seven years ago, LSU went to Austin and defeated Texas 45-38 in an absolute thriller. In 2026, the Longhorns makes a return trip to Baton Rouge. Both teams should be able to make the SEC Championship game if College GameDay heads to Louisiana for their classic pregame show.
Arch Manning returns to his home state and home area when he leads Texas to face LSU. The New Orleans native will be the x-factor against the Tigers’ defense. The Longhorn defense will have to shut down Sam Leavitt and a group of transfer receivers including Jayce Brown, Eugene Wilson III and Winston Watkins.
The 2026 version of Texas-LSU may not combine for 83 points but it will definitely be the quality of game that ESPN will not want the College GameDay cast to miss out on. Tennessee-Texas A&M and Ole Miss-Oklahoma are other games the crew may consider going to on Nov. 14.
Nov. 21 Texas A&M at Oklahoma The SEC is known for the second to last week of the regular season being their “cupcake” week because of the amount of the Group of 6 or FCS opponents their members play that week. However, Texas A&M-Oklahoma is a game that College GameDay will not want to miss. The two old Big 12 rivals square off on the gridiron for the first time as SEC foes in a game that could have SEC and College Football Playoff implications.
After their first College Football Playoff appearance, the Aggies promoted Holoman Wiggins to be their new offensive coordinator after Collin Klein returned to Kansas State to become the new head coach. Marcel Reed will still be throwing passes to Mario Craver and Ashton Bethel-Roman but Mike Elko has had to retool a defense that lost a bunch of production to the NFL.
The Sooners also made their first College Football Playoff appearance in 2025 and it ended in the first round just like the Aggies. John Mateer is back at quarterback, top receiver Isaiah Sategna was retained but the offensive line will need to be improved to improve the ground game and to protect Mateer a bit better. Under head coach Brent Venables, the Oklahoma defense will always be great but they have lost pieces just like Texas A&M. By the end of the season, Venables should have his defense clicking.
Virginia Tech-Miami or LSU-Tennessee are the two options College GameDay might consider if they do not go to Norman for Oklahoma’s week 12 matchup against Texas A&M.
Nov. 28 Ohio State at Michigan Most years, Ohio State-Michigan is the pick for College GameDay during rivalry week and for good reason. ‘The Game’ is the most heated rivalry in the sport and because it is a Big Ten game, ESPN does not get to actually broadcast the game. So there is no reason why they will not be there.
The Buckeyes fell short of a national championship a year ago but there is no reason why they cannot be that good this season. Jeremiah Smith is one of the best receiver prospects in the country, Julian Sayin is throwing him the ball and they always have a quality defense.
After years of building up and turning Utah football into a quality program, Kyle Whittingham has taken over Michigan and will look to get the Wolverines back to defeating Ohio State. It will be no easy task against Ryan Day’s squad but he has the talent that is capable to do so. Dual-threat quarterback Bryce Underwood should develop under the new offensive staff and Whittingham always had talented defenses in his time in Salt Lake City.
If College GameDay does not make their Thanksgiving weekend stop in Ann Arbor, they might do it in Tuscaloosa for the ‘Iron Bowl’ between Auburn and Alabama.
Dec. 5 SEC Championship Game (Atlanta) The last couple of years, the College GameDay set is in Atlanta for the SEC Championship game. A big part of why they go to it every season is Disney’s deal with the SEC. No matter what the matchup is, the crew should definitely be there to cover the weekend of games and preview that matchup because it is normally appointment television.
Georgia has won the last two SEC title games but Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas and Texas A&M are all capable of reaching the game and potentially defeating the Bulldogs.
The SEC has not won a national championship game in three years, so the conference must find out a way to get back on the Big Ten’s level, the conference that has won the last three championships.
If GameDay does not go to the SEC Championship game, they will likely be in Indianapolis at the Big Ten Championship game, although it is unlikely with the media deals in place right now between the two conferences.
Dec. 12 Army vs Navy (East Rutherford) College GameDay will definitely be in East Rutherford at MetLife Stadium for the annual Army-Navy game. Last season, the Midshipmen got a 17-16 victory over the Black Knights.
Army went 7-6 and 4-4 in the American Conference. They will attempt to avenge their loss to Navy, who had a strong 11-2 record with seven wins in conference.
There are bowl games on that day but ESPN will not send College GameDay anywhere else.
The transfer portal has been open for a full week and Arkansas finally received a commitment from a prospective player. There has been some movement for the Razorbacks with an NBA Draft decision, getting their first transfer on campus for a visit, an assistant coach is on his way out, and two Arkansas bigs are ‘portaling’ after limited roles during their freshmen seasons.
With one week left for players to enter the transfer portal, there should be much more action this week in Fayetteville with transfer visits and NBA Draft decisions. Enjoy the recap of this last week below:
Razorbacks get first transfer on campusfor visitand a commitment
Arkansas is hosting 6’11 Furman forward Cooper Bowser for an official visit. Bowser began his visit yesterday and will exit campus today after meeting with the coaches and touring the campus and facility.
Bowser scored 13.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and shot an incredible 76.6% from the field during his junior season in Greenville, South Carolina. His height would fill the Razorbacks’ need but he would need to get in the gym and get bigger if he wants to join John Calipari’s squad and play meaningful minutes as a senior in Fayetteville.
His visit ended with a commitment on Tuesday morning. Bowser pledged to Arkansas in an Instagram post.
Meleek Thomas declares for NBA Draft but keeps options open
Arkansas guard Meleek Thomas announced his plans to declare for the 2026 NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility on Monday, April 13 in an Instagram post.
Thomas averaged 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game and shot 43.5% from the field this season. The freshman has until May 27, the NBA Draft deadline, to decide if he wants to fully to become a professional or return for his sophomore season in Fayetteville.
One of Calipari’s assistants joining Malone in Chapel Hill
On Tuesday, April 7, North Carolina named former Denver Nuggets’ head coach Michael Malone as their new head man. A day later, reports surfaced that Arkansas assistant Chuck Martin would join Malone with the Tar Heels.
Martin previously worked with Malone from 1999-2000 at the University of Manhattan and will rejoin him as his associate head coach in Chapel Hill.
Martin leaves Calipari’s staff after three seasons working under him. He spent one season with him in Lexington at Kentucky and the next two in Fayetteville at Arkansas.
Calipari will have to find a new recruiting director after Martin got the Wildcats the No. 2 ranked recruiting class in 2024, and back to back top ten ranked classes for the Razorbacks in 2025 and 2026.
On the same day Malone was hired in Chapel Hill, Razorback forward Karim Rtail entered the transfer portal. Rtail did not play this season for Arkansas and decided to redshirt after season-ending back surgery.
The freshman from Lebanon previously played in the National Basketball League in Lithuania before enrolling in Fayetteville. He played in 35 games in 2024-2025, averaging 8.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
He will have four years of eligibility remaining after redshirting the 2025-2026 season.
That same night, Razorback center Elmir Dzafic became the fourth Arkansas player to enter the transfer portal. Dzafic saw limited action in his first season of collegiate action behind Nick Pringle and Malique Ewin.
The Bosnian scored under a point and a rebound per contest in his one season on “The Hill”. Before his time in Fayetteville, he spent two seasons with KK Bosna Sarajeva (2023-2024 and 2024-2025), the top-tier professional league in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He becomes the fourth Arkansas player to enter the portal. He will have three seasons of collegiate eligibility remaining.
