Razorbacks surge into SEC semifinals with dominant win over Texas
No. 7 Arkansas (38-19, 17-13 SEC) mashed its way into the SEC semifinals with an 8-1 win over No. 2 Texas (40-13, 19-10 SEC).
Camden Kozeal drove in 5 runs and hit his 19th and 20th home runs of the season, including a 449-foot shot to center field to give Arkansas a 6-0 lead after 2 innings. Kozeal became the eighth player in school history to hit at least 20 home runs in a season, joining Ryan Lundquist, Brett Eibner, Danny Hamblin, Wehiwa Aloy, Andrew Benintendi, Chad Spanberger and Rodney Nye.
Kozeal and Aloy became the first pair of players to hit 20 home runs in back-to-back seasons after Aloy hit 21 in 2025.
Perhaps the best news that Arkansas received came on the injury front. Casey Borba lined a single off the right foot of Dietz in the bottom of the first inning, immediately knocking him out of the game.
After already losing Kuhio Aloy likely for the season to a hamate injury, Arkansas avoided catastrophic news after Dietz’s x-rays came back negative and did not show a fracture.
Steele Eaves calmed the waters with 2 ⅓ innings of scoreless relief before turning things over to Gabe Gaeckle. Gaeckle turned in his best outing since pitching 6 innings of 1-run ball against LSU in the 2025 College World Series.
Gaeckle needed just 76 pitches to pitch 6 innings of shutout baseball to close the door against Texas, striking out 9 and facing just four over the minimum. In Gaeckle’s last 5 appearances across 22 ⅔ innings, Gaeckle’s ERA sits at just 3.17.
Arkansas now awaits the winner of No. 6 Auburn and No.3 Texas A&M in the semifinals. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday and will be broadcast on SEC Network.
Live Updates:
No. 7 Arkansas (37-19, 17-13 SEC) faces No. 2 Texas (40-12, 19-10 SEC) in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.
The Razorbacks advanced after the home run ball carried them to an 8-4 win over Tennessee in the second round. Texas received the double bye after winning its final four conference games.
While Arkansas starts its ace Hunter Dietz (7-3, 3.32 ERA), Texas holds back its ace Dylan Volantis, instead starting righty Cody Howard (0-0, 7.45 ERA) for the first time this season.
Subscribe to HawgBeat now for just $1 and then get 50% off your first year for new members, visit our homepage to sign up today! This includes complete access to all On3 and Rivals national content, plus The Trough premium message board.
Starting Lineups:
Arkansas:
LF Damian Ruiz
SS Camden Kozeal
C Ryder Helfrick
RF Zack Stewart
3B TJ Pompey
2B Nolan Souza
CF Maika Niu
DH Carter Rutenbar
1B Reese Robinett
LHP Hunter Dietz
Texas:
RF Aiden Robbins
C Carson Tinney
LF Anthony Pack
2B Temo Becerra
3B Casey Borba
SS Adrian Rodriguez
DH Ethan Mendoza
1B Ashton Larson
CF Dariyan Pendergrass
RHP Cody Howard
Bottom 9th:
- Rodriguez flied out to left, 1 out
- Mendoza singled to center
- Josh Livingston replaced Larson
- Callum Early replaced Mendoza at first
- Jayden Duplantier grounded out to short, 3 outs
Top 9th:
- Cal Higgins replaced Winter
- Pompey struck out swinging, 1 out
- Souza walked
- Niu doubled to left, Souza to third
- Rutenbar struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Robinett popped up to short, 3 outs
Bottom 8th:
- Pack fouled out to left, 1 out
- Becerra grounded out to second, 2 outs
- Borba struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 8th:
- Michael Winter replaced Volantis
- Ruiz flied out to right, 1 out
- Kozeal walked
- Kozeal advanced to second on a wild pitch
- Helfrick flied out to left, Kozeal to third, 2 outs
- Stewart struck out looking, 3 outs
Bottom 7th:
- Larson doubled to left
- Pendergrass struck out swinging, 1 out
- Robbins struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Tinney struck out looking, 3 outs
Top 7th:
- Souza struck out swinging, 1 out
- Niu struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Rutenbar hit by a pitch
- Robinett grounded into a fielder’s choice, Rutenbar out at second, short to second, 3 outs
Bottom 6th:
- Becerra struck out swinging, 1 out
- Borba singled to center
- Rodriguez grounded into a fielder’s choice, Borba out at second, pitcher to short, 2 outs
- Mendoza grounded out to short, 3 outs
Top 6th:
- Dylan Volantis replaced Crossland
- Helfrick grounded out to third, 1 out
- Stewart struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Pompey struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 5th:
- Robbins struck out swinging, 1 out
- Tinney fouled out to first, 2 outs
- Pack grounded out to second, 3 outs
Top 5th:
- Kaleb Rogers replaced Harrison
- Stewart struck out swinging, 1 out
- Pompey singled to left
- Souza singled to left, Pompey to third
- Niu walked, Souza to second
- Ethan Walker replaced Rogers
- Rutenbar singled to left, Pompey scored, Souza to third, Niu to second, Arkansas 7, Texas 1
- Robinett grounded out to short, Souza scored, Niu to third, Rutenbar to second, 2 outs, Arkansas 8, Texas 1
- Brett Crossland replaced Walker
- Ruiz walked
- Kozeal struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 4th:
- Gabe Gaeckle replaced Eaves
- Rodriguez flied out to right, 1 out
- Mendoza walked
- Larson struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Pendergrass struck out looking, 3 outs
Top 4th:
- Robinett hit by a pitch
- Ruiz grounded into a double play, second to short to first, Robinett out at second, 2 outs
- Kozeal singled to center
- Helfrick struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 3rd:
- Tinney struck out looking, 1 out
- Pack struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Becerra reached on an error by the third baseman, Becerra advanced to second
- Borba struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 3rd:
- Luke Harrison replaced Howard
- Pompey struck out swinging, 1 out
- Souza grounded out to the pitcher, 2 outs
- Niu singled to center
- Rutenbar popped up to second, 3 outs
Bottom 2nd:
- Larson struck out looking, 1 out
- Pendergrass grounded out to the pitcher, 2 outs
- Robbins struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 2nd:
- Rutenbar struck out swinging, 1 out
- Robinett walked
- Ruiz singled to right, Robinett to second
- Kozeal homered to center, Ruiz scored, Robinett scored, Arkansas 6, Texas 1
- Helfrick popped up to third, 2 outs
- Stewart struck out swinging, 3 outs
Kozeal becomes the 8th player in school history to hit 20 home runs in a season.
Bottom 1st:
- Robbins grounded out to second, 1 out
- Tinney walked
- Pack grounded into a fielder’s choice, Tinney out at second, second to short, 2 outs
- Becerra walked, Pack to second
- Borba singled to pitcher, Becerra to second, Pack to third
- Steele Eaves replaced Dietz
- Rodriguez walked, Pack scored, Becerra to third, Borba to second, Arkansas 3, Texas 1
- Mendoza popped up to short, 3 outs
Casey Borba hit a comebacker off Dietz’s ankle/foot. The SEC Tournament has not been kind to Arkansas regardless of result.
Top 1st:
- Ruiz hit by a pitch
- Kozeal homered to left, Ruiz scored, Arkansas 2, Texas 0
- Helfrick struck out swinging, 1 out
- Stewart struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Pompey doubled to left
- Souza singled to center, Pompey scored, Arkansas 3, Texas 0
- Niu struck out looking, 3 outs
