No. 3 Bulldogs Walked Off In SEC Opener

Friday, March 13

Fayetteville, Ark.

6 p.m.

Mississippi State

15-3, 0-1

Arkansas

13-5, 1-0

Mississippi State

Arkansas

Photo by: Mike Mattina/MSU Athletics

No. 3 Bulldogs Walked Off In SEC Opener

March 13, 2026 | Baseball

Box Score

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - No. 3 Mississippi State rallied late but couldn't quite complete the comeback as fifth-ranked Arkansas walked it off in the bottom of the ninth for a 5-4 win Friday night at Baum–Walker Stadium in the SEC opener for both teams.

The Diamond Dawgs outhit Arkansas 11-7 and erased a late deficit in dramatic fashion, but the Razorbacks answered immediately in the bottom of the ninth to claim the victory.

Arkansas struck first in the opening inning. Damian Ruiz singled and later scored when Camden Kozeal grounded out, giving the Razorbacks a 1-0 lead.

Arkansas doubled its advantage in the third when Nolan Souza led off with a double and eventually came home on another RBI groundout by Kozeal to make it 2-0.

State finally broke through in the fifth. Jacob Parker and Bryce Chance opened the inning with back-to-back singles before Ace Reese drove in Parker with a base hit to center. After Noah Sullivan worked a walk to load the bases, Reed Stallman lifted a sacrifice fly to center to score Chance and tie the game at 2-2.

Arkansas regained control quickly. The Razorbacks pushed across an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth after Kuhio Aloy reached on a Mississippi State error, and Souza later produced an RBI fielder's choice to make it 3-2.

In the sixth, Zack Stewart added breathing room for Arkansas with a solo home run to right field, stretching the lead to 4-2.

Mississippi State delivered its biggest swing in the ninth inning. Drew Wyers pinch hit with two outs and was hit by a pitch to keep the game alive before Ryder Woodson launched a two-run homer to left-center field, knotting the game at 4-4 and silencing the Fayetteville crowd.

But Arkansas answered immediately.

In the bottom of the ninth, TJ Pompey stepped to the plate and crushed a solo homer to right-center on the first batter faced by reliever Maddox Miller, ending the game and giving the Razorbacks the walk-off victory.

MSU finished with 11 hits and drew five walks but stranded 12 runners on the night. Chance went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored, while Aidan Teel also collected three hits. Parker added two hits and scored once, and Woodson's ninth-inning homer accounted for two of MSU's four runs.

On the mound, Ryan McPherson gave the Diamond Dawgs a solid start, striking out eight over six innings while allowing four runs (three earned).

Due to thunderstorms forecasted for Sunday, the Bulldogs and Razorbacks will wrap up the series with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. The series finale will begin one hour following the final out of the first game of the day.

Dueling southpaws are slated to take the bump in Saturday's opener between the Bulldogs' Tomas Valincius (3-0, 1.74 ERA, 26 K, 6 BB) and Arkansas redshirt sophomore Hunter Dietz (2-1, 2.84 ERA, 34 K, 5 BB). Right-hander Duke Stone (3-0, 3.06 ERA, 24 K, 2 BB) is scheduled to start the finale for State while the Hogs counter with junior lefty Colin Fisher (2-1, 1.17 ERA, 30 K, 3 BB).

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