Arkansas Razorbacks Use Early Burst, Strong Pitching in Arlington Final

Hogs' defense keeps salty Tarleton State team stuck at third.

Arkansas Razorbacks pitcher Peyton Lee on the mound against the Tarleton State Texans at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. | Arkansas Communications

Arkansas scored three quick runs, then apparently turned its attention to defense against Tarleton State Monday afternoon.

The defense was strong enough to hold up at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas where the No. 8 Razorbacks handled the Texans, 3-1, to close their annual North Texas trip with a 3-1 record.

The early offense proved to be enough, and from there the pitching staff kept the Texans from turning a few possibilities into rallies.

stay fair stay fair stay fair pic.twitter.com/O4QEEQdd2n

— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) February 16, 2026

Tarleton State reached scoring position in multiple innings, but struggled to bring runners home. Despite giving up the game's lone run, Maumelle's Peyton Lee responded with strikeouts at the right time through the fifth inning before giving way to Vanderbilt transfer Ethan McElvain.

Both pitchers benefited from strong play along the infield that allowed for key outs at first base to protect the slim lead.

The deciding stretch came in the first inning. Four straight Arkansas hitters reached to begin the game, immediately putting pressure on Texans starter Daniel Bass, a transfer from Texas Tech.

Damian Ruiz started the sequence with a single and crossed the plate when Maika Niu followed with an infield hit that stayed fair near the third-base line. Ryder Helfrick drew a walk, and Camden Kozeal added a base hit to load the bases with no outs.

Reese Robinett and Nolan Souza each produced RBI fielder’s choices, pushing the Razorbacks in front 3-0 before Tarleton State could settle in. That cushion never disappeared.

Save that ball! Career strikeout No. 1 for P pic.twitter.com/Aa3JlYzBqC

— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) February 16, 2026

Pitching Holds the Line in Key Moments

After the fast start, Arkansas' pitchers took control.

Lee made his collegiate debut and worked 4 1/3 innings. He allowed one run on four hits, issued one walk and hit two batters while striking out five. Lee consistently escaped traffic, stranding runners in scoring position in the first, second and third innings.

Tarleton State’s only run against Lee came in the fifth. Kendyl Johnson delivered a one-out triple and scored on Carson Lorch’s RBI double on the next pitch, trimming the deficit to 3-1.

With the Texans threatening to narrow the gap further, the Razorbacks turned to McElvain. The Vanderbilt transfer immediately limited the damage, inducing a groundout that moved the runner to third before recording a strikeout to end the inning.

McElvain added a clean sixth inning and navigated more pressure in the seventh. After a lead-off single and an errant pick-off attempt that allowed a runner to advance to third, he responded with back-to-back strikeouts to preserve the two-run lead.

Over 2 2/3 scoreless innings, McElvain allowed just one hit and struck out five, stabilizing the middle portion of the game and keeping Tarleton State from capitalizing on its opportunities.

Big E 🔥 pic.twitter.com/nPcd7FoVd1

— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) February 16, 2026

Defense and Relief Seal the Result

The Razorbacks’ defense also played a role in holding the early lead.

Freshman right-hander Mark Brissey made his debut in the eighth and encountered immediate traffic when a batter reached on a bunt single. Brissey erased that runner with a pick-off at first, cutting short any momentum.

Later in the inning, with a runner aboard and two outs, Kozeal tracked down a pop-up along the right-field line, making a running, over-the-shoulder catch to end the threat.

Brissey returned for the ninth and retired the side in order to secure the save. Over two innings, he allowed one hit and one walk while striking out three.

The Hogs finished with eight hits to the Texans’ six, but the bigger difference came with runners in scoring position. Tarleton State consistently reached third base with appearances in the second, third, fifth and seventh innings, yet couldn’t deliver the tying hit.

For Arkansas, the Hogs simply built an early lead and trusted the pitching staff to finish the job. The Razorbacks didn’t add to their total after the first inning, but they didn’t need to.

Niu and Robinette led the Hogs with two hits each on the day.