No. 2 Arkansas Ends No. 14 Vanderbilt's Home Win with a Shutout

The Commodores' offense failed to break through against the Razorbacks, suffering their first shutout loss at home since 2022.

Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick (27) celebrates his triple against Vanderbilt during the third inning at Hawkins Field in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 28, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A year ago, wearing the black and golf of Vanderbilt, Camden Kozeal hit just five home runs in his freshman season and decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal after the Commodores’ season ended in the Clemson Regional of the NCAA Tournament.

Kozeal joined Arkansas, another perennial SEC powerhouse team, and made his first trip back to Hawkins Field since leaving Vanderbilt. It was a fun homecoming for Kozeal, but so much for the Commodores.

In Friday night’s weekend series opener, Kozeal made Vanderbilt fans regret losing him. The Omaha, Neb.-native hit two home runs and drove in five runs as the No. 2-ranked Razorbacks ended No. 14 Vanderbilt’s home win streak 9-0.

It's nothing personal. It's just business. pic.twitter.com/BksKSDSZuH

— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) March 29, 2025

Kozeal homered in back-to-back plate appearances, hitting a two run homer in the fourth inning and a solo home run in the sixth inning that gave Arkansas a 5-0 lead. The Razorbacks had shortage of offense against the Commodores, and their starting pitcher put on a dominant performance.

👀 @RjAustin14 pic.twitter.com/YsanPE4AAM

— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) March 29, 2025

Zach Root shutout Vanderbilt in 7.2 innings of work and allowed just three hits, including just one extra-base hit late in the game, three walks and seven strikeouts. He wouldn’t be relieved from the game until after throwing 100 pitches and the bases loaded. But just like the first seven innings, Vanderbilt’s bats were held silent.

JD Thompson picked up the loss for Vanderbilt. He matched Root pitch-for-pitch in the first two innings, holding the Razorbacks hitless and recording four consecutive strikeouts, but wasn’t able to keep pace for much longer. Thompson gave up five runs on five hits and two walks with six strikeouts in six innings of work and outside the third and fourth innings, he looked great.

Vanderbilt and Arkansas will continue its weekend series at 2 p.m. Saturday on SECN+. Vanderbilt will start Cody Bowker (2-1, 2.64 ERA, 30.2 IP, 40 K, 10 BB, .171 b/avg.) on the mound against Arkansas’s Gabe Gaeckle (1-0, 6.57 ERA, 24.2 IP, 27 K, 15 BB, .223 b/avg.).