Sports

LISTEN: Pittman, McGuire React To Bowl Bids

Published

6 months ago

December 8, 2024

Grant Merrill

SouthArkansasNow.Com · Liberty Bowl Press Conference

MEMPHIS – Having grown up a Razorback fan, Texas Tech Joey McGuire says that he couldn’t be happier about drawing the Hogs as an opponent in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on December 27th. McGuire, along with Arkansas Head Coach Sam Pittman and Texas Tech Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt spoke to members of the media in a press conference on Sunday night.

McGuire, 53, was born in Texarkana, where growing up he says his family held season tickets and regularly attended games at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. The tradition held until he would go on to move to Fort Worth at the age of 12.

“Man, it’s hard not to grow up a Razorback fan whenever you go to those games and see the plastic Razorback hats. I might have one of those in my closet,” McGuire said with a chuckle. “You know, I tell everybody, that was like my dream school where I wanted to go play football and wasn’t fortunate enough or good enough to play there, but it’s really a cool thing.”

Having put his Razorback dreams in the rear view mirror, McGuire ended up going to the University of Texas-Arlington instead, later becoming one of the most successful high school coaches in the Lone Star State.

But the experiences of his upbringing stayed with him, and he said that even today his family was acknowledging the circumstances of the game, but in 2024, he believes they will be chanting “Raider Power” instead of “Woo Pig”.

Pittman: High Hopes For Great Following

The Hogs have made five appearances in the Liberty Bowl, having last played there in 2016, having pulled out a 45-23 win over the Kansas State Wildcats during Pittman’s last game as the Hogs’ Defensive Coordinator. Now, as the head Hogs, Pittman says he goes into the venue with nothing but good memories of his experience there.

“There are gonna be two really good teams there. We had such a great experience the last time we were there. That was certainly a first-class run, and we wanted to go back. And it’s close, and we can get some people there, and it’s close for our kids. We can bus up there, which we will, and have a good time, and have a lot of familiar faces in the crowd,” Pittman noted. “And college athletics is still about moms and dads being able to get to the games, being able to see their sons play, and we think that’ll allow that to happen.”

The Razorbacks are 2-3 in trips to the Liberty Bowl, having played in 1971, 1984, 1987, 2010, and lastly in 2016.

Arkansas’ last bowl appearance was in the 2022 Outback Bowl, where they beat Penn State 24-10.

Sports

Hogs Punch Ticket To Super Regionals

Published

6 days ago

June 2, 2025

Staff Reports

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas (46-13) secured its spot in the NCAA Super Regionals with a dominant 8-3 win over Creighton (43-16) Sunday night at Baum-Walker Stadium. With the victory, the Hogs set a program record with their 35th home win of the season and will host next weekend’s super regional against either Tennessee or Wake Forest.

The appearance marks Arkansas’ 11th super regional in program history and sixth time hosting, including four since 2018. With top seeds Vanderbilt and Texas eliminated, No. 3 Arkansas is now the highest remaining seed in the tournament.

Pitching stole the spotlight as Gage Wood and Gabe Gaeckle combined for 20 strikeouts. Wood struck out a career-high 13 over six innings, while Gaeckle fanned seven in three scoreless innings to close it out.

The Razorback bats backed up the pitching with four home runs. Logan Maxwell launched two—including a two-run homer in the first and a solo shot in the fifth—while Justin Thomas Jr. hit a three-run blast and Ryder Helfrick added a solo homer. Charles Davalan capped the scoring with an RBI triple in the sixth.

Creighton’s only offense came via a three-run homer in the fourth, but Arkansas never relinquished its lead.

Maxwell led the offense with a three-RBI night and raised his season average to .346. Helfrick, who hit his third homer in two days, was named MVP of the Fayetteville Regional.

Sports

Hogs set to host Fayetteville regional

Published

2 weeks ago

May 27, 2025

Staff Reports

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas has earned its 36th NCAA Tournament berth and will host the Fayetteville Regional as the No. 3 national seed.

The Razorbacks (43-13) will play No. 4 seed North Dakota State (20-31) in the opening game at 2 p.m. Friday, May 30, at Baum-Walker Stadium, airing on ESPN+. The regional also features No. 2 seed Kansas (43-15) and No. 3 seed Creighton (41-14), who will face off at 7 p.m.

Arkansas is hosting a regional for the 12th time in program history and the seventh time in the last eight full seasons. Should they advance, the Hogs would maintain home-field advantage through the super regional round, which they would host for the sixth time overall.

The Razorbacks boast a 32-4 record at Baum-Walker this season, just two wins shy of tying the single-season home record of 34.

The winner of the Fayetteville Regional will meet the winner of the Knoxville Regional, where No. 14 seed Tennessee hosts Wake Forest, Cincinnati, and Miami (OH), in the super regionals from June 6-9.

A record 13 SEC teams qualified for this year’s tournament: Arkansas, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas, and Vanderbilt. That breaks the previous record of 11 SEC teams, set last year. Eight SEC schools, including Arkansas, are hosting regionals.

Fayetteville Regional Schedule:

Friday, May 30
Game 1 – Arkansas vs. NDSU – 2 p.m.
Game 2 – Kansas vs. Creighton – 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 31
Game 3 – Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser – 2 p.m.
Game 4 – Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner – 8 p.m.

Sunday, June 1
Game 5 – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser – 2 p.m.
Game 6 – Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner – 8 p.m.

Monday, June 2 (If Necessary)
Game 7 – Time TBD

Sports

SouthArk Announces New Men’s Basketball Coach

Published

2 weeks ago

May 22, 2025

Staff Reports

EL DORADO — South Arkansas College has named Eric Collins of Augusta, Maine, as the next head coach of its men’s basketball team. Collins, a U.S. Army veteran and experienced coach, will become the third head coach in the program’s history, succeeding Cam Robinson, who held the position for three seasons.

Collins currently serves as the associate head coach at the University of Maine-Augusta, a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA). He brings more than five years of coaching experience at both the high school and collegiate levels in the Northeast.

A Maine native, Collins describes his coaching philosophy as rooted in four pillars: passion, leadership, culture, and accountability.

“I coach to build men—not just players,” Collins said. “My mission is to lead through relationships, set a shared standard of excellence, and create a culture where young men grow—as athletes, students, and people. My family and I are pumped to become part of the SouthArk and El Dorado communities.”

SouthArk Athletic Director Jenny Sanders expressed excitement over Collins’ hiring, noting his energy and commitment to student development.

“Coach Eric Collins brings immense passion and excitement to the campus and to the basketball court,” Sanders said. “I am excited to see the lasting impact he will have on the young men he coaches, on our campus, and within our community.”

Collins, along with his wife Brandi and their children, will officially relocate to El Dorado ahead of his full-time start date on July 1. In the meantime, he is actively recruiting to fill out the Star Force roster for the upcoming season.

Sports

Legendary Arkansas Coach Passes Away Saturday

Published

1 month ago

May 4, 2025

Staff Reports

Harold Horton

FAYETTEVILLE – Harold Horton, a revered figure in Arkansas football history, passed away on Saturday at the age of 86. His family confirmed his passing through social media.

Born in DeWitt, Arkansas, Horton played as a defensive back for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks from 1959 to 1961 under legendary coach Frank Broyles. During his playing career, the Razorbacks secured or shared the Southwest Conference (SWC) championship each season and won the 1960 Gator Bowl.

After a brief stint coaching high school football, Horton returned to the University of Arkansas in 1968 as an assistant coach. Over the next 13 years, he served under Broyles and later Lou Holtz, helping to shape some of the Razorbacks’ most formidable defensive units.

In 1982, Horton became head coach at the University of Central Arkansas, where he compiled a remarkable 74–12–5 record over eight seasons. Under his leadership, UCA won back-to-back NAIA Division I national championships in 1984 and 1985 and captured seven consecutive Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference titles from 1983 to 1989.

University of Central Arkansas (UCA) Head Coach Nathan Brown paid tribute to Horton, stating, “Prayers for the Coach Harold Horton family today. Coach Horton was one of the great coaches in UCA Football history. Him and his staffs brought championships and pride to the Bear program. Thanks for always supporting and rooting for me and the Bears over the years.”

Following his coaching career, Horton returned to the University of Arkansas in 1990 to work in football operations. He later served as president of the Razorback Foundation from 2001 to 2012, playing a key role in fundraising and athletic development initiatives. His devotion to the Razorbacks spanned nearly four decades.

Horton’s legacy lives on through his family, including his son, Tim Horton, a former Razorbacks wide receiver who went on to a successful college coaching career of his own.

Sports

Hogs Shut Out Texas In Series Opener

Published

1 month ago

May 2, 2025

Staff Reports

FAYETTEVILLE – Behind a dominant outing from Zach Root, No. 11 Arkansas (38-9, 15-7 SEC) rolled to a 9-0 shutout win over No. 1 Texas (38-6, 19-3 SEC) in Thursday night’s series opener at Baum-Walker Stadium.

Root struck out a career-high 11 batters and allowed just two hits and two walks over a career-long eight innings. Veteran reliever Will McEntire closed out the combined two-hit shutout with a scoreless ninth, adding three strikeouts.

With the win, Arkansas improved to 28-3 at home this season and secured its eighth straight year with at least 28 home victories. The Razorbacks have now reached that milestone every full season since 2017.

The offense gave Root plenty of support early. Carson Boles launched a two-run homer in the second inning to put the Hogs on top, 2-0. Cam Kozeal extended the lead to 5-0 in the third with a two-out, three-run shot to right center.

Arkansas broke the game open in the fourth with four more runs. Justin Thomas Jr. drove in one with a single, followed by a two-run double from Wehiwa Aloy and an RBI single from Kuhio Aloy, giving the Razorbacks a 9-0 cushion.

Kozeal finished with three RBIs and is now slashing .362/.409/.656 with 11 home runs and 52 RBIs this season. Wehiwa Aloy raised his team-best slash line to .369/.454/.723.

The Razorbacks will look to clinch the series Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. on the SEC Network with Karl Ravech and Kyle Peterson on the call.