June has been a bustling month for high school recruiting at Arkansas under Coach Sam Pittman. While much attention typically focuses on rising seniors, the Razorbacks are also eyeing the promising 2026 class. Recently, Texarkana (Texas) Liberty-Eylau wide receiver Dequane Prevo added his name to the list of notable visitors set to visit The Hill.
Arkansas, ranked fifth, clinched a tense series opener against Mississippi State, winning 7-5 at Baum-Walker Stadium. The victory maintains their lead in the SEC Western Division and marks their 18th conference win this season. Despite some command issues with his fastball, Hagen Smith delivered a solid performance in his 13th start of the year, pitching five innings with 11 strikeouts but allowing three runs, four hits, and four walks on 94 pitches. The Bullard (Texas) native now sits just 10 strikeouts away from tying the program’s all-time strikeout record held by Nick Schmidt.
Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn commented on Hagen Smith’s performance, acknowledging it wasn’t one of his best. Despite early struggles with command, Smith’s resilience and skill allowed him to navigate through tough situations. Van Horn noted Smith’s ability to settle down after a challenging start and expressed hope for a longer outing, though Smith ultimately pitched five innings.
Smith was in a jam early in the top of the first inning after he allowed back-to-back walks to begin the game. He settled back in and struck out the side to get the Hogs out of the inning. Mississippi State threatened again in the top of the third with runners on first and second with two outs but Smith forced Hunter Hines to line out to first base.
Arkansas broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth with a three-run rally. With runners on the corners, Jared Sprague-Lott scored from third base on a wild pitch thrown by Mississippi State pitcher Kahl Stephen while Wehiwa Aloy advanced to second. Hudson White followed up by smashing a two-run home run to left field for his third dinger of the season to give the Razorbacks a 3-0 lead.
We talked about it in Lexington that his Thursday batting practice was the best I’d seen him hit the ball in a long time and his bat speed was up a little bit,” Arkansas head coach Van Horn said. “I said something about, ‘You’re getting it going, you’re getting hot.’ And he said that’s kind of what it’s all about. Getting it going at the end of the year is better than at the beginning. Hey, whatever it takes. Whatever mindset you’ve got to have. But he’s been swinging the bat really, really good.”
Mississippi State struck back in the top of the fifth with two outs after Hunter Hines cleared the bases with a three-run double down the right field line to score Dakota Jordan, Bryce Chance and Logan Kohler to tie the game. Sprague-Lott gave Arkansas the lead back in the bottom of the sixth with one out on a solo shot to left field for his seventh home run of the season, 4-3.
The Bulldogs put up two runs in the top of the eighth without the benefit of a hit after Aaron Downs reached on a fielding error with one out. Mississippi State went on to load the bases and Johnny Long drew a walk to drive in Downs to tie the game. Chance plated Nate Chester on a sacrifice fly to center field for the Bulldogs to take the lead, 5-4.
The Razorbacks tied the game back up after Wehiwa Aloy hit an RBI single up the middle off of Tyson Hardin to score Peyton Holt while Sprague-Lott advanced to second with one out in the bottom of the eighth. After Ben McLaughlin loaded the bases with a walk, White laced a two-run single to left field to cash in Aloy and Sprague-Lott to give the Hogs the lead, 7-5.
THE RUNDOWN
1-0 Arkansas – With runners on the corners and two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning, Jared Sprague-Lott scored from third on a wild pitch to put up the first run of the game while Wehiwa Aloy advanced to second.
3-0 Arkansas – Hudson White followed up by hitting a two-run home run to left field to cap off a three-run rally. The ball traveled 408 feet at 101 miles per hour.
3-3 – Mississippi State struck back in the top of the fifth with two outs after Hunter Hines tied the game with a bases-clearing double down the right field line to score Dakota Jordan, Bryce Chance and Logan Kohler.
Pitching Change – Hagen Smith was relieved by Christian Foutch to begin the top of the sixth. Smith hurled five frames while allowing three runs, four hits and four walks with 11 punch outs on 94 pitches (58 strikes).
4-3 Arkansas – Sprague-Lott gave the Razorbacks the lead back in the bottom of the sixth with one out on a solo shot to left field for his seventh home run of the season. The ball traveled 421 feet at 103 miles per hour.
Pitching Change – Foutch was relieved by Gabe Gaeckle in the top of the seventh with one out and runners on first and second. Foutch tossed 1.1 innings of relief while allowing a hit and a walk with a strikeout on 22 pitches (10 strikes).
4-4 – Johnny Long tied the game back up with a bases-loaded walk in the top of the eighth to drive in Aaron Downs from third with one out.
5-4 Mississippi State – Chance drove in Nate Chester on a sacrifice fly to center field while Kohler advanced to third.
Pitching Change – Gackle was relieved by Will McEntire in the top of the eighth with two outs and the bases loaded. Gaeckle went 1.1 innings while allowing two runs (both unearned) and three walks with two strikeouts on 41 pitches (21 strikes).
Pitching Change – Tyson Hardin relieved Khal Stephen to begin the bottom of the eighth. Stephen threw seven innings while allowing four runs and six hits with six strikeouts on 103 pitches (72 strikes).
5-5 – Wehiwa Aloy tied the game with an RBI single up the middle to score Peyton Holt while Sprague-Lott advanced to second with one out in the bottom of the eighth.
7-5 Arkansas – After Ben McLaughlin loaded the bases with a walk, White laced a two-run single to left field to cash in Aloy and Sprague-Lott to give the Hogs the lead.
Pitching Change – McEntire was relieved by Gage Wood in the top of the ninth with the bases loaded and nobody out. McEntire recorded one out while allowing two hits and a walk with a strikeout on 22 pitches (12 strikes).
