GAME TIME Friday, 1 p.m.
WHERE Baum-Walker Stadium (10,737), Fayetteville
RECORDS Arkansas 41-17; Central Connecticut 30-21
STREAK Arkansas lost 2; Central Connecticut won 3
LAST 10 Arkansas 4-6; Central Connecticut 8-2
COACHES Arkansas: Dave Van Horn - 684-381 in 17th season at Arkansas and 1,004-540 in 25th season overall in Division I; Central Connecticut: Charlie Hickey - 548-483-5 in 20th season at Central Connecticut and 654-544-5 in 23rd season overall in Division I
SERIES First meeting
RADIO Razorback Sports Network can be accessed through local FM and AM affiliates, via the Arkansas Razorbacks Gameday app, via the TuneIn app or on ArkansasRazorbacks.com. Blackouts may apply.
TELEVISION The game can be accessed on the ESPN app and ESPN3.com. (Carrier login required).
ANNOUNCERS Jim Barbar (play-by-play) and Scott Pose (analyst)
LIKELY PITCHING MATCHUP Arkansas RHP Connor Noland (2-4, 3.86 ERA) vs. Central Connecticut RHP Brandon Fox (3-5, 3.84 ERA)
WEATHER According to the National Weather Service, it will be sunny with a high of 81 degrees Friday in Fayetteville.
NOTABLE Neither team can be eliminated with a loss Friday. The winner of the Arkansas-Central Connecticut game will play Saturday at 6 p.m. against the winner of Friday’s game between Cal and TCU. The losers of Friday’s games will be an elimination game Saturday at noon….Arkansas’ game Friday will be its 150th in the NCAA Tournament. The Razorbacks are 83-66 all-time in the tournament, including 52-35 under 17th-year head coach Dave Van Horn. Former Arkansas coach Norm DeBriyn was 31-31 in tournament games. This season is the Razorbacks’ 31st berth in the NCAA Tournament. Arkansas is 57-41 all-time in regional games, and 23-12 in postseason games played at Baum-Walker Stadium….Arkansas is hosting a regional for the third consecutive season, which is a program record. The Razorbacks are a top-eight national seed for the fourth time and second season in a row….The Fayetteville Regional will include no fewer than three expected first-round draft picks. Cal first baseman Andrew Vaughn is rated by Baseball America as the third-best prospect in this year’s draft and TCU starting pitcher Nick Lodolo is ranked eighth. Arkansas shortstop Casey Martin was projected as the No. 1 college prospect in the 2020 draft earlier this year by D1Baseball.com….Former Arkansas outfielder Scott Pose will serve as the ESPN color analyst for this weekend’s games. Pose was a member of Arkansas’ College World Series teams in 1987 and 1989, and played 202 games with three franchises in Major League Baseball. Pose does TV and radio work for the Durham (N.C.) Bulls.
TEAM COMPARISON
ERA: Arkansas 3.96; Central Connecticut 4.32
Earned Runs Per Game: Arkansas 7.21; Central Connecticut 4.86
Batting Average: Arkansas .299; Central Connecticut .260
Opponent Batting Average: Arkansas .227; Central Connecticut .286
Slugging Percentage: Arkansas .491; Central Connecticut .370
On-Base Percentage: Arkansas .398; Central Connecticut .354
Fielding Percentage: Arkansas .970; Central Connecticut .968
Strength of Schedule: Arkansas 12; Central Connecticut 264
RPI: Arkansas 6; Central Connecticut 183