Home sweet Hogs: 30-game start matches program best

Arkansas fans are shown as Texas A&M players huddle during a game Friday, April 28, 2023, in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE — With its 10-4 victory over Texas A&M on Friday, Arkansas matched its best 30-game start at the 27-year-old Baum-Walker Stadium. 

The Razorbacks are 27-3 at home, which is the same record the 2018 team had through 30 games. 

Arkansas' 2018 team won 29 of its first 32 home games as part of a 34-4 campaign. That team, which was national runner-up, set school records for single-season home wins and home win percentage (.895). 

Last year’s Razorbacks went 28-7 at home. That was one of two Arkansas teams — 2009 was the other — that played in the College World Series, but coach Dave Van Horn said didn’t play as well at home.

“This year they play well here,” Van Horn said. “They field and they hit.”  

Arkansas has a chance Saturday to sweep a third SEC team on its home field. The Razorbacks also swept Auburn on March 17-19 and Tennessee on April 14-16. 

“I think we just get the momentum at home,” Arkansas pitcher Brady Tygart said. “We hold the momentum. The crowd gets into it and we don’t really give [opponents] a chance to come back.”

The only teams to win at Arkansas this year are Eastern Illinois on Feb. 26, Alabama on March 31 and Arkansas-Little Rock on April 12 — all by large margins, an average of nine runs. 

Friday’s win was the Razorbacks’ sixth in a row at home. Arkansas entered the series having lost four consecutive road games. 

“I think we can really ride the emotions of the crowd and when they’re excited, it gives us an extra gear,” designated hitter Ben McLaughlin said. 

Arkansas has hosted 15 teams in Fayetteville and nine have winning records. Collectively, the Razorbacks’ opponents at Baum-Walker Stadium were 57 games over .500 as of Friday night. 

Arkansas’ final regular-season opponent is South Carolina (34-7), which is ranked third nationally this week. The Gamecocks are scheduled to visit for three games May 12-14.

The Razorbacks’ home success has them in good position to host more games during the NCAA postseason. Arkansas entered the week firmly projected to be a top-8 national seed by D1Baseball and Baseball America. 

Regionals are hosted by the 16 highest-seeded teams in the NCAA Tournament. Top-8 seeds are guaranteed home-field advantage before the College World Series.