Oliver Grigg
#9 Arkansas Hosts EIU for Opening Weekend at Baum-Walker Stadium
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Razorbacks’ 18-game homestand, their longest since 1982, rolls on this weekend.
No. 9 Arkansas (3-1) hosts Eastern Illinois (3-0) for Opening Weekend, taking on the Panthers in a three-game set at Baum-Walker Stadium. First pitch in the series opener is 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, on SEC Network+.
The 10-run rule will be implemented for all three games of the series. The policy stipulates that a contest shall be stopped after seven innings if one team is ahead by at least 10 runs, in accordance with NCAA playing rules.
With a win on Friday, head coach Dave Van Horn will record his 800th win as the Razorback skipper. Van Horn, who notched his 799th win at Arkansas in the home opener against Grambling, won his 700th game with a 10-9 victory over GCU on March 11, 2020, which turned out to be the final game of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Schedule
Friday, Feb. 24
EIU vs. #9 Arkansas – 2 p.m. – SEC Network+ – Listen – Live Stats
Saturday, Feb. 25
EIU vs. #9 Arkansas – Noon – SEC Network+ – Listen – Live Stats
Sunday, Feb. 26
EIU vs. #9 Arkansas – 1 p.m. – SEC Network+ – Listen – Live Stats
On the Mound
Friday, Feb. 24
EIU RHP Blake Malatestinic (0-0, 6.75 ERA) vs. Arkansas LHP Hagen Smith (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Saturday, Feb. 25
EIU RHP Tyler Conklin (1-0, 3.00 ERA) vs. Arkansas RHP Will McEntire (0-0, 22.50 ERA)
Sunday, Feb. 26
EIU RHP Ky Matthews-Hampton (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Arkansas LHP Hunter Hollan (1-0, 2.25 ERA)
Tune In
Brett Dolan (play-by-play) and Troy Eklund (analyst) will have the call of the entire weekend series on SEC Network+. Fans can catch all the action through the ESPN app on smartphones, computers and tablets or via Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
All three games 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 former Razorback Bubba Carpenter (analyst) on the call. Voice of the Omaha Storm Chasers Nick Badders (play-by-play) will take Elson's place in the booth for Sunday's game. A full list of radio affiliates is available here.
Series History
Arkansas is 32-2 all-time against Eastern Illinois, including a 19-1 mark in the Dave Van Horn era. Dating back to 2016, the Hogs are riding a seven-game winning streak in the series.
All 32 games between the Razorbacks and Panthers have taken place in Fayetteville, Ark. The most recent meeting came during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, when Arkansas swept the three-game series and outscored EIU, 27-5.
Mr. 800
Dave Van Horn is one win away from his 800th as the head coach at Arkansas. Legendary former Razorback head coach Norm DeBriyn is the all-time winningest coach in school history with 1,161 career victories at Arkansas.
As a head coach at four-year institutions, Van Horn has 1,170 career wins. With a sweep of Eastern Illinois this weekend, Van Horn would move past Gary Adams (1,172 wins), who won 188 games in five seasons at UC Irvine (1970-74) and 984 games in 30 seasons at UCLA (1975-2004), in the NCAA record book.
Slavens Strong
Razorback infielder Brady Slavens has done nothing but hit since his collegiate career began. Entering this weekend’s series, he ranks ninth among all SEC hitters in career hits (160) and is tied for third in home runs (31).
His 147 career RBI are the most among all SEC hitters. Nationally, Slavens’ 147 career RBI are tied for fourth most among all Division I hitters.
For complete coverage of Arkansas baseball, follow the Hogs on Twitter (@RazorbackBSB), Instagram (@RazorbackBSB) and Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Baseball).