FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 2 Arkansas (30-5) begins its second five-game week in as many weeks inside the friendly confines of Baum-Walker Stadium, playing host to longtime foe Texas Tech (26-11) in a double midweek series. First pitch in game one between the Razorbacks and Red Raiders is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, on ESPN2.
The midweek series finale between the former Southwest Conference rivals gets underway at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 17, on SEC Network. National baseball announcers Karl Ravech (play-by-play) and Kyle Peterson (analyst) have the call.
Entering Tuesday night’s midweek series opener against Texas Tech, Arkansas is 25-1 overall at home this season and has won a program-record 23 consecutive games at Baum-Walker Stadium, which is tied for the second-longest home winning streak in program history. The Razorbacks won 27 in a row at George Cole Field during the 1984-85 seasons.
Schedule
Tuesday, April 16
Texas Tech vs. #2 Arkansas – 7 p.m. – ESPN2 – Listen – Live Stats
Wednesday, April 17
Texas Tech vs. #2 Arkansas – 4 p.m. – SEC Network – Listen – Live Stats
On the Mound
Tuesday, April 16
Texas Tech – LHP Zach Erdman (0-0, 7.24 ERA)
Arkansas – RHP Ben Bybee (2-0, 1.00 ERA)
Wednesday, April 17
Texas Tech – TBA
Arkansas – TBA
Tune In
Karl Ravech (play-by-play) and Kyle Peterson (analyst) will have the call for both games of the midweek series between No. 2 Arkansas and Texas Tech on ESPN2 and SEC Network. The two-game series between the Hogs and Red Raiders 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 Razorback great and former big leaguer Bubba Carpenter (analyst).
A full list of radio affiliates is available here.
History Lesson
Arkansas maintains a 47-15 overall series record against Texas Tech, including a commanding 22-6 advantage in games played in Fayetteville. Under head coach Dave Van Horn, the Hogs are 5-1 overall and 1-0 at home in the series.
Five of the six meetings between the Razorbacks and Red Raiders in the Van Horn era have been played at neutral sites. The last regular-season midweek contest between the two programs was in 2018, resulting in a 5-1 Arkansas home win.
Home Sweet Baum-Walker
Arkansas is 25-1 (.962 winning percentage) inside the friendly confines of Baum-Walker Stadium this season and rides a program-record 23-game home winning streak into the double midweek series against Texas Tech. The Razorbacks’ record for consecutive home wins is 27 at George Cole Field, their ballpark from 1975-95, during the 1984-85 seasons.
Excluding the shortened 2020 campaign, the Hogs have won 28 or more games at home in six consecutive seasons, including a program-record 34 wins in 2018. Last season, Arkansas went 32-6 (.842 winning percentage) at Baum-Walker Stadium, marking the Razorbacks’ fourth 30-win season at home since the stadium opened in 1996.
Midweek Mojo
The Razorbacks are a perfect 7-0 in midweek games this season, including wins against Grambling, UCA, Oral Roberts, Little Rock and Arkansas State, as well as a midweek series sweep over San Jose State one week ago.
Following this week’s two-game showdown against Texas Tech, three midweek games remain on Arkansas’ 2024 regular schedule, including an in-state showdown against UAPB (April 23) in North Little Rock at Dickey-Stephens Park, home of the Seattle Mariners’ Double-A affiliate Arkansas Travelers, and a pair of games against Missouri State (April 30-May 1).
The Razorbacks last went unbeaten in midweek contests during the 2005 season, posting a 9-0 midweek record.
Hogs’ Hot Start
Arkansas is 30-5 overall through its first 35 games of the 2024 campaign. The Razorbacks’ 30-5 record is tied for their best 35-game start of the Dave Van Horn era and their most wins through 35 games since the 2021 season.
In 2021, the Hogs began 30-5 before finishing with 50 wins for only the fourth time in program history and claiming their first SEC overall title since 2004, as well as their first outright SEC crown since 1999. That year, Arkansas capped its regular-season SEC championship with its first SEC Tournament championship, becoming only the third SEC team since league play expanded in 2012 to win both the regular season and tournament championship in the same season.