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Zach Root (Photo by Eddie Kelly / ProLook Photos)
No. 10 Arkansas handed No. 1 Texas a rare series loss in Fayetteville on Friday night, sealing the victory with a 6-1 win to claim the first two games of the heavyweight showdown and improve to 39-9 overall and 16-7 in the SEC. Texas dropped to 38-7 and 19-4 in the SEC.
The result will trigger a shift atop the Baseball America College Baseball Top 25 for the fourth time this season—and reaffirms the Razorbacks as one of the most complete teams in the country after they lost their last three series, including two to unranked teams.
In front of a raucous home crowd, Arkansas delivered a pair of dominant performances against a Longhorns club that had been nearly untouchable in SEC play.
On Friday, designated hitter Kuhio Aloy cleared the bases with a double, driving in three, and third baseman Brent Iredale launched his 12th home run of the season to pace a surging offense. On the mound, righthander Gage Wood struck out nine in just four innings before handing the ball to Gabe Gaeckle, who offered another extended dose of high-leverage relief.
That came one night after Zach Root delivered a career performance. The lefthanded ace mowed through the Texas lineup across eight scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out 11 in a 9-0 rout that set the tone for the weekend.
“(Assistant coach Matt) Hobbs came up to me and said, ‘The fans don’t buy tickets to come watch me go four innings,’” Root said after the game. “I took that to heart and went out there and doubled that.”
Texas entered the weekend with a 19-2 SEC record and riding a wave of historic dominance, but it looked mortal in Fayetteville.
Without ace Jared Spencer, who’s out for the season with a shoulder injury, and slugging outfielder Max Belyeu, who’s sidelined with a surgically repaired thumb, the Longhorns’ pitching faltered and their offense disappeared almost entirely.
Still, a weekend stumble in the SEC is survivable. Texas became just the fourth team since the league expanded its schedule to 30 games in 1996 to win at least 19 of its first 21 conference games. It remains firmly in the mix for a top national seed.
Other Top-10 Upsets
No. 6 Clemson drops opener at No. 19 Florida State
No. 6 Clemson dropped a dramatic series opener at No. 19 Florida State on Friday night, falling 6-5 in 11 innings in a game that carried the intensity and stakes of a Super Regional. The Tigers led entering the bottom of the 10th, but Seminoles outfielder Max Williams stole the show late—first with a game-tying solo homer, then with a walk-off single an inning later to seal the comeback.
Williams also delivered one of the game’s defensive highlights, cutting down a Clemson runner at third base in the sixth inning with a pinpoint throw from center that snuffed out a potential rally. The loss marked Clemson’s fifth straight in ACC play, a sharp turn for a team that had been surging just two weeks ago.
No. 9 UC Irvine dismantled by UC San Diego
The most stunning result of Friday night came out west, where No. 9 UC Irvine was stunned in a 19-4 dismantling by UC San Diego—a team that entered the game ranked No. 189 in the RPI. Anteaters ace Riley Kelly was shelled for six runs in just 1.1 innings, setting the tone for a nightmarish outing that saw UCSD pile up 20 hits and nine extra-base knocks. Irvine’s bullpen offered little resistance.
In a league like the Big West, results like this are especially damaging. UC Irvine’s postseason resume took a hit—and Friday’s collapse could be enough to eliminate any realistic shot at a top-eight national seed. Even the prospect of hosting a regional, once well within reach, is now somewhat less certain. It’s imperative that UC Irvine win its next two contests to calm concerns and regain its footing.
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