Storylines for Hogs in Fayetteville Regional Getting Started Friday

Storylines from opposing dugouts for three Razorbacks' opponents coming to town as Road to Omaha cranks up

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn probably sharing fans' concerns over problems with pitching staff in recent games. | Craven Whitlow-allHOGS Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The time has finally come and the Road to Omaha goes through Fayetteville as Arkansas garnered the No.5 national seed. First, though, it must get through Louisiana Tech, Kansas Tech and Southeast Missouri State. Here are some storylines to keep an eye on as the opening weekend of postseason play edges closer.

Runnin' Wildcats:
Arkansas has already had trouble taming one Wildcat team that loves to cause chaos on the basepaths, going 1-3 against Kentucky, including an elimination game in the SEC Tournament. The two Wildcat teams profile quite similarly in one category, stolen bases. The Wildcats in purple, Kansas State, rank in the top 10 nationally and first in the Big 12 with 127 stolen bases. Centerfielder Brendan Jones already has a single-season record 37 stolen bases. Four others are in double digits. Kansas State has only been caught 23 times for a success rate of 84.7%.

Pair of Top MLB Talents Take the Field in Fayetteville:

The Fayetteville Regional is the only regional where more than one team boasts a top 25 MLB Draft prospect for 2024. according to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel. Along with No. 4 Hagen Smith, who is two strikeouts away from the Arkansas single-season strikeout record, Kansas State boasts fellow potential first-rounder Kaelen Culpepper (No. 29 in McDaniel's latest mock draft). Culpepper comes into the postseason with a .316/.410/.533 slash line and 16 stolen bases.

The @NCAABaseball Tournament field is absolutely loaded with top-end prospects.

Here are top-25 prospects, according to @kileymcd, in the tourney. pic.twitter.com/dEnhPE8MTR

— Mike Monaco (@MikeMonaco_) May 29, 2024

Second Trip to Baum-Walker:

Not only does former Razorback Ethan Bates return to his old stomping grounds, this time as a two-way player in a Louisiana Tech Bulldog uniform, but the other two teams in this regional are no strangers to Baum-Walker. Louisiana Tech and SEMO played at Baum-Walker in 2023. The Hogs swept the Bulldogs on March 10-12 and beat the RedHawks' in a midweek game March 21. Louisiana Tech returns four starters that made an appearance in the box score in the 2023 series: Bates (1-for-11 in last year's series), Dalton Davis (2-for-11), Jorge Corona (0-for-7) and Adarius Myers (2-for-12). All four are hitting above .300 on the season this year.

Meanwhile Nolan Ackerman, Peyton Leeper, Ben Palmer and Josh Cameron from the 2023 starting lineup for SEMO in Fayetteville. The four went a combined 2-for-9 at the plate in a 12-2 Razorbacks win.

The regional kicks off for the Hogs against SEMO 2 p.m. Kansas State vs. Louisiana Tech will follow at 7 p.m. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.

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