LAWRENCE, Kan. – No. 14 Arkansas (39-20), the No. 2 seed in the Lawrence Regional, begins its NCAA Tournament run against Missouri State (34-19) Friday, May 29, at Hoglund Ballpark. First pitch between the Razorbacks and third-seeded Bears is scheduled for 5 p.m. on ESPNU with Victor Rojas (play-by-play) and Connor Wanhanen (analyst) on the call.
The winner of Friday’s contest between Arkansas and Missouri State will advance to play at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 30, against the winner of Friday’s game between Kansas (42-16), the No. 15 national seed and Lawrence Regional host, and fourth-seeded Northeastern (38-20). Friday’s losers, meanwhile, will meet in an elimination game at noon Saturday.
The Lawrence Regional winner plays the Atlanta Regional winner in the best-of-three super regionals from June 5-7 or June 6-8. No. 2 national seed Georgia Tech (48-18) hosts second-seeded Oklahoma (32-21), third-seeded The Citadel (35-24) and fourth-seeded UIC (27-27-1) this weekend at Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium in Atlanta.
NCAA Lawrence Regional
Friday, May 29
Game 1: Northeastern vs. Kansas – 12 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
Game 2: Missouri State vs. Arkansas – 5 p.m. CT (ESPNU)
Saturday, May 30
Game 3: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser – 12 p.m. CT
Game 4: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner – 5 p.m. CT
Sunday, May 31
Game 5: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser – 12 p.m. CT
Game 6: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner – 5 p.m. CT
Monday, June 1 (if necessary)
Game 7: TBD
On the Mound
Friday, May 29
Northeastern – RHP Luc Rising (5-4, 3.24 ERA)
Kansas – RHP Dominic Voegele (5-3, 6.01 ERA)
Friday, May 29
Missouri State – LHP Max Knight (6-3, 4.69 ERA)
Arkansas – RHP Gabe Gaeckle (6-3, 3.99 ERA)
Tune In
Victor Rojas (play-by-play) and Connor Wanhanen (analyst) have the call of the entire NCAA Lawrence Regional on the ESPN family of networks. Arkansas’ opening game of the regional against Missouri State will air nationally on ESPNU.
All of Arkansas’ games in the Lawrence Regional can also be heard on the Razorback Sports Network from Learfield, including locally in Fayetteville on 92.1 FM or through the Razorback app, with Phil Elson (play-by-play) and Bubba Carpenter (analyst) on the call from inside Hoglund Ballpark. A full list of radio affiliates is available here.
Tournament Time
Arkansas, participating in the NCAA Tournament for the 37th time in program history, boasts a 110-81 (.576) overall tournament record, including a commanding 72-47 (.605) mark in the tournament’s regional round. Under head coach Dave Van Horn, the Razorbacks are 79-50 (.612) overall in the NCAA Tournament and 49-26 (.653) in the regional round.
The Razorbacks are on the road to begin the postseason for the first time since 2022. That season, Arkansas went 3-1 in the NCAA Stillwater Regional and advanced to the NCAA Chapel Hill Super Regional, sweeping host UNC in two games to punch its ticket to the College World Series for the 11th time in program history and seventh time in the DVH era.
History Lesson
Arkansas boasts a 60-32 overall record against Missouri State, including a 22-13 overall mark under head coach Dave Van Horn (2003-pres.). The Razorbacks and Bears are set to square off in the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in history, with Missouri State owning a 4-3 edge in the postseason. The two programs also clashed in the 1999 Fayetteville Regional (0-1 record), 2015 Fayetteville Super Regional (2-1 record) and 2017 Fayetteville Regional (1-2 record).
Get the Gack
Gabe Gaeckle will get the start on the mound for Arkansas against Missouri State in its NCAA Lawrence Regional opener at Hoglund Ballpark. The right-hander, who has worked as both a starter and reliever this season, owns a 6-3 record with a 3.99 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 67.2 innings of work over 18 appearances, including his 11 starts on the mound.
The Aptos, Calif., native, who entered the campaign as a consensus preseason All-American, struck out a season-high nine batters over 4.1 innings in his Opening Day start vs. Oklahoma State on Feb. 13 at Globe Life Field. In his most recent start on the mound, the right-hander fanned seven over 5.1 innings of two-run ball at Kentucky on May 15.
Last time out, Gaeckle struck out a season high-tying nine over a career long-tying six innings in relief against Texas on May 22 in the SEC Tournament. Entering Friday, he is tied for ninth in the program’s top 10 for career strikeouts:
1. 360 – Hagen Smith (2022-24)
2. 345 – Nick Schmidt (2005-07)
3. 301 – Matt Carnes (1995-97)
4. 283 – David Walling (1998-99)
5. 261 – Scott Tabor (1979-82)
6. 244 – Blaine Knight (2016-18)
7. 233 – Will McEntire (2020-25)
8. 232 – Kevin Kopps (2017-21)
T9. 229 – Gabe Gaeckle (2023-pres.)
T9. 229 – Charley Boyce (2003-06)
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