Arkansas hosts red-hot Texas A&M for three-game series Thursday and Friday

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

FAYETTEVILLE – Not only is Razorback pitcher Gage Wood back on the active roster, he is jumping right back into the starting rotation against one of the SEC’s hottest teams.

Wood, who suffered an impingement in his shoulder in his second start on Feb. 23, is slated to pitch Friday’s opener of a 2 p.m. doubleheader for No. 2 Arkansas (33-5, 12-3) against visiting Texas A&M (21-15, 6-9).

Zach Root (5-1, 3.62) will be the Razorback starting pitcher for Thursday’s series opener at 7 p.m. with Wood (0-0, 2.57) and Landon Beidelschies (4-0, 4.24) set to pitch the pair of Friday nine-inning contests at Baum-Walker Stadium.

The latter game was bumped up from Saturday due to expected inclement weather.

Texas A&M was the consensus preseason No. 1 pick, but stumbled out the gate in non-conference action and then went 1-8 to open its SEC slate.

But the Aggies will come to Fayetteville riding a 7-game winning streak, something that doesn’t surprise Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn.

“To me, it wouldn’t have mattered if they were playing great or struggling, I know how talented they are,” Van Horn said. “They have most of their (position) players from last year back. They have their pitching depth back. They did lose their third baseman to an injury earlier in the season. Brought in a couple of good players from other schools.”

The victory spree includes two wins over Tennessee, a three-game sweep of South Carolina and a pair off Tuesday night wins over Sam Houston State and Tarleton State.

“I read a comment right before the season started when they were number one in every poll that they had the most talented roster in Division 1 baseball,” Van Horn said.”So they’re good and even if they were struggling coming in here, we weren’t going to be overlooking them. I guarantee you that.

“They are going to be a big-time challenge. They are really good…They are swinging the bats and scoring a lot of runs.”

Root will face Texas A&M’s Ryan Prager (2-2, 3.42) in Thursday night’s game.

Prager threw seven scoreless innings in a titanic clash with Arkansas ace Hagen Smith last season in College Station.

The Aggies won the game 1-0 in 11 inning after both Prager and Smith, who fanned 14 in six innings, had left the game.

Prager was a third-round choice by the Los Angeles Angels in the 2025 Major League Draft, but chose to come back and has struggled wit h over a 6.00 ERA in league outings.

“It hasn’t been quite the same as last year for him, but I know that we’re in for a challenge,” Van Horn said. “We’ve got to definitely be ready for him and have a great approach against him.” 

Texas A&M head coach Michael Early, an assistant who took over when Jim Schlossnagle left for Texas, believes winning the final two games at Tennessee jump-started his squad.

”I think the experience we had at Tennessee has kind of helped us look in the direction that it looks like we’re heading, so that was obviously massive get those wins on the road,” Early said. “And we’re going into a tougher environment, I believe, at Arkansas, a really good baseball team.”

He is impressed with the Arkansas offense, which will be without second baseman Nolan Souza, who is out of the season after suffering a shoulder injury last weekend at Georgia.

“I know they can really hit and they’re a really good baseball team,” Earley said. “They’re going to be one of the best, if not the best team we’ll play this year. Going into that environment, we’re going to have to bring some energy and play. 

“I love where we’re at going into it, but it ain’t going to make it easier, so we’re going to find out what we’re made of….Tennessee is elite. Arkansas is elite. I don’t know who’s better, I just know they’re both really, really good.” 

Wood takes over for struggling Razorback starter Gabe Gaeckle, who has not lived up to this billing as the SEC preseason pitcher of the year.

Gaeckle has allowed 14 runs in the first inning off his last seven starts.

Van Horn was asked if Gaeckle might just be better of the bullpen, where he was a Freshman All-American last season.

“There’s been a lot of thought about that,” Van Horn said “He gets all these preseason accolades…and it was all about his relief pitching.” 

On the Mound
Thursday, April 17
Texas A&M – LHP Ryan Prager (2-2, 3.93 ERA)
Arkansas – LHP Zach Root (5-1, 3.62 ERA)
 
Friday, April 18
Texas A&M – LHP Justin Lamkin (3-3, 3.25 ERA)
Arkansas – RHP Gage Wood (0-0, 2.57 ERA)
 
Saturday, April 19
Texas A&M – LHP Myles Patton (3-3, 4.91 ERA)
Arkansas – LHP Landon Beidelschies (4-0, 4.24 ERA)

Photo by John D. James