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Razorbacks' Offense Explodes for Six Homers in Rout of Gamecocks

Niu leads long-ball barrage while four other Hogs also go deep in series opener
Bob Stephens|
Arkansas Razorbacks Maika Niu against Stetson.
Arkansas Razorbacks Maika Niu against Stetson. | Arkansas Communications

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Arkansas Razorbacks

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Arkansas looked like the best-hitting team in college baseball Friday night while slugging six home runs and embarrassing the South Carolina Gamecocks on their home field with a 22-6 victory Friday night.

The No. 4-ranked Razorbacks scored early and often to frustrate the home crowd at Founders Park in the opener of a three-game SEC set.

Maika Niu led the Hogs' hit parade with a pair of homers, a double and six RBIs. In his last six games, Niu is 7-for-11 with three doubles and three home runs.

Niu is a senior transfer from Marshall, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound outfielder who had 15 homers and 52 RBIs last season.

It was quite a night for Niu, the Hogs' center fielder, who made a spectacular diving catch in left-center in the bottom of the second with the score 7-0.

Damian Ruiz and Camden Kozeal both went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. TJ Pompey and Kuhio Aloy both homered and plated a pair.

"We know we have guys who can hit the ball out of the park," Van Horn said. "We can score quick."

So quickly that the game was essentially decided before much of the crowd has finished a ballpark dinner of a dog and drink.

Early onslaught ended mystery almost before crowd arrived

Arkansas scored four runs in the first, three in the second and two in the third for a 9-0 lead. Just in case that wasn't enough, eight more Razorbacks touched home plate in the fourth.

For good measure, the impolite visitors tacked on three in the fifth and two in the sixth, making it 22-4. The Gamecocks scored two in the seventh before the game ended via the mercy rule.

The Hammerin' Hogs ripped South Carolina's ace, Josh Gunther, who twirled a no-hitter for 6.1 innings last Friday in a 1-0 road loss to the Florida Gators.

Arkansas roughed up the junior right-hander to the tune of nine earned runs in just 2.1 innings, thanks to three walks and six hits.

Gunther, a transfer from Wake Forest, was SEC Pitcher of the Week after his Feb. 27 gem against No. 15 Clemson. He went seven innings in the 7-0 victory, allowing three hits and a walk while whiffing 10.

Hogs starter impressive early but lost edge during rout

Arkansas starter Gabe Gaeckle (3-1) went five innings and held the home team scoreless for the first three while earning the victory.

"The first three innings, he was really good," Van Horn said. "Velocity-wise, he kind of had it going. And then in the top of the fourth, we score eight runs. They make a couple of pitching changes. I don't know how long it was, maybe a 40-minute inning. It seemed like it."

As often happens, the pitcher sitting in the dugout enjoys watching his hitters build a big lead but also loses effectiveness the longer it is between pitches.

"When he went back out, he wasn't quite as sharp," Van Horn said. "Velocity was still pretty good, but the command wasn't quite as good, at least with the breaking ball.

"They got him for a two-run homer, and then a couple unearned runs on another two-run homer. But for the most part, it was really good. Just a lot of delays between innings, which is a good thing because we're scoring runs."

Van Horn sensed Hogs' offense might come to life

Arkansas' veteran coach, who took over the program in the fall of 2002 from his former coach, Norm DeBriyn, had an inkling the Hogs might break loose after watching pregame batting practice."

"I liked the way we swung the bat in BP today," he said. "We were hitting the ball everywhere, line to line. And, you know, when they let it fly a little bit, they were leaving the yard, and some of the best pregame BP we've had this year, if not the best, and they took it to the game."

It doesn't always work that way but Van Horn has seen signs of improvement from his team overall since shaking up the lineup prior to last weekend's SEC-opening series against then-No. 3 Mississippi State.

Hogs hope to clinch series with another win Saturday

The Razorbacks won the first and third games of the Mississippi State series and now look to clinch a second series win with Saturday's middle game against South Carolina.

The pitching matchup will feature the Hogs' Hunter Dietz (2-2) against the Gamecocks' righty Amp Phillips (3-1).

South Carolina coach Paul Mainieri was hired in June of 2024 to try to restore luster to the Gamecocks' once-proud program that won back-to-back national championships under coach Ray Tanner.

Mainieri won a national championship he coached LSU in 2009. Now he's just hoping Phillips can calm the Hogs' bats and his team can win an SEC game.

First pitch today between Arkansas (17-6, 3-1 SEC) and South Carolina (12-9, 0-4) is at 3 p.m. Action will be streamed on SECN+.

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Bob Stephens
BOB STEPHENS

Bob Stephens won more than a dozen awards as a sportswriter and columnist in Northwest Arkansas from 1980 to 2003. He started as a senior for the 1975 Fayetteville Bulldogs’ state championship basketball team, and was drafted that summer in the 19th round by the St. Louis Cardinals but signed instead with Norm DeBriyn's Razorbacks, playing shortstop and third base. Bob has written for the Washington Post, Chicago Sun-Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, New Jersey Star-Ledger, and many more. He covered the Razorbacks in three Final Fours, three College World Series, six New Year’s Day bowl games, and witnessed many track national championships. He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Pati. Follow on X: @BobHogs56

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