Surging Aggies win another at Razorbacks' expense

Arkansas SEC slide hits three, lose to Aggies in series opener

Arkansas Razorbacks outfielder Charles Davalan in the on-deck circle against the Texas A&M Aggies at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said it best. It's about when you catch a team.

Despite Texas A&M coming into the game at just 21-15 overall, the Aggies won their sixth straight SEC game at the Razorbacks expense, 7-4.

"We didn’t get the hit when we needed it," Van Horn said. "They did." 

The Aggies scored just 2.5 runs per game in their first six conference games, but have been on a tear late, scoring 91 runs in its three most recent SEC series for an average of over 10 runs a game.

Arkansas Razorbacks shortstop Wehiwa Aloy rounds third against the Texas A&M Aggies at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

It was the more potent version of the Aggies that showed up to Fayetteville as they knocked starter Zach Root around for seven hits and six runs in just four innings of work.

Root walked three and struck out six in his shortest start since the SEC opener against Ole Miss over a month ago.

Texas A&M had far more balance in the lineup as all nine starters reached base, while the Arkansas 5-9 hitters combined to go 4-for-20 at the plate with just four singles.

The Aggies scored four times in the first two innings, including a two-run double off the bat of third baseman Wyatt Henseler that split the outfielders in left-center to give the Aggies a 4-2 lead.

.@wyatthenseler puts us back in front with a two-run double!#GigEm pic.twitter.com/ZPUR9Vlo2c

— Texas A&M Baseball (@AggieBaseball) April 18, 2025

Arkansas hung with the Aggies in the early going.

After lefty Ryan Prager pitched seven shutout innings against the Razorbacks last year, the Hogs touched him up for four runs, including a game tying two-run homer to straightaway center from shortstop Wehiwa Aloy in the third. Prager lasted just four innings plus one batter.

"He left some balls up that you can’t leave up against big strong hitters," Texas A&M coach Michael Earley said. "There’s big leaguers in that lineup, so you got to be able to locate pitches down."

It was his 14th of the year and is now two ahead of Charles Davalan for the team lead.

It's Wehiwa's world. We're just living in it. pic.twitter.com/UeRb9mw5GU

— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) April 18, 2025

Texas A&M wasted no time taking the lead back. Two walks and two wild pitches put runners at the corners for the Aggies with no outs without having to take the bat off the shoulder.

"He didn’t put them away a couple of times and they got to a full count," Van Horn said. "Think the ball hit the middle of the wall out there with two outs. That was a tough one, just about to get out of that and then couldn’t finish him off. "

It also ended Root's night at 95 pitches.

Aggies shortstop Kaeden Kent took full advantage, driving home the go-ahead run on an excuse me swing that resulted in an infield hit.

Ags back in front courtesy of @Kaeden_Kent!#GigEm pic.twitter.com/oIYVVwdDhQ

— Texas A&M Baseball (@AggieBaseball) April 18, 2025

After Prager was pulled before facing the lineup for a third time, Arkansas found little success against A&M's top relief arm, Weston Moss, Moss retired the top six hitters in the Arkansas order on just 16 pitches.

Across five innings of work, he allowed just four baserunners.

Texas A&M slugger Jace LaViolette added a solo homer in the ninth to extend the lead to three.

The Razorbacks got the tying run to the plate in both the seventh and the ninth but could not find the key hit.

Arkansas will now look to win the series by sweeping the doubleheader that starts 2 p.m. Friday. Game two will take place one hour after the conclusion of the first game. With the Razorbacks losing, Texas also expanded its lead in the SEC to two games after beating No. 8 Auburn 3-2. Both games will be streamed on SEC+.

Texas A&M Aggies Jace LaViolette against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

News and Notes:

LaViolette: Hogs Crusher
With the ninth inning homer, LaViolette has got a hit in all seven games in the regular season against Arkansas across his three years at Texas A&M. He's a lifetime .322 hitter against the Hogs (10-for-31).

"It came up big," Earley said about LaViolette's homer. The tying run ended up coming to the plate. That doesn’t feel good, but it definitely good, but it is better than the winning run. You knew with a team like this, it ain’t going to be easy in ninth."

Iredale's slide continues:
Iredale is now 0 for his last 18 and also doubled his error count by committing two errors, one which cost Arkansas a run.