Top-Ranked Hogs Visit Town as Alabama Hosts No. 1 Arkansas at The Joe

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball continues its current nine-game homestand this weekend when the 16^th-ranked Crimson Tide welcomes top-ranked Arkansas to town from Friday through Sunday. The series opener is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT followed by a 5 p.m. start on Saturday and a 1 p.m. open in the finale. All three games of the series between the Tide and Hogs will air on SEC Network+.

The upcoming series will feature numerous promotions at The Joe. The theme for the ranked three-game set will be 'A-Day Weekend'. To start off the football-centric weekend in Tuscaloosa, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe will throw out Friday's ceremonial first pitch. On Friday, fans can also get their third 'Gameday at The Joe' button. This weekend's button features the vintage 'A' Alabama logo. The buttons are part of a season-long promotion on the weekends and will be handed out at select series openers. Friday's series opener will also include a white Alabama rally towel giveaway, available while supplies last.

Saturday's matchup will be the first 'Alabama Hat Series' giveaway. Fans can get a cap at the gate that is unique to the series with the Hogs, with the first hat design featuring the vintage 'A' logo. The series finale with Arkansas will continue 'Kids' Day at The Joe'. All kids 12-and-under will have the chance to run the bases postgame. Additionally, Sunday will be the Tide's third baseball card giveaway of the season. The giveaway part is part of a season-long promotion highlighting the 2024 roster. Kids can get their pack of cards and stay after the game to get autographs from the group of players featured on this Sunday's set of cards.

Follow the Tide

Fans can follow the series via the below outlets:
Watch: SEC Network+
Listen: 100.9 FM / CTSN / The Varsity App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: RollTide.com

Probable Starting Pitching Matchups

FRIDAY: UA – Ben Hess (Jr., RHP) vs. ARK – Hagen Smith (Jr., LHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Greg Farone (Sr., LHP) vs. ARK – Mason Molina (Jr., LHP)
SUNDAY: UA – TBA vs. ARK – Brady Tygart (Jr., RHP)

Leading Off

Alabama and Arkansas will meet for the 102nd time in history when the two teams open the series on Friday evening at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Tide holds the all-time advantage, 53-48, including a 27-17 mark at home.
The two teams last met from March 31-April 2, 2023, in Fayetteville, where the Hogs went 2-1 to take the series. Alabama's offense exploded for a 12-1 win on Friday night at Baum-Walker Stadium. Games two and three went to the Hogs, with Arkansas earning a 9-6 win on Saturday followed by a 5-4 victory in the finale to clinch the series.
Alabama and Arkansas last met in Tuscaloosa from May 19-21, 2022, to close out the regular season. The Hogs took game one, 7-3, before the Tide rallied for an 8-6 win on Friday followed by an 18-5 blowout on Saturday.

About Alabama

Alabama enters the series with top-ranked Arkansas having lost four in a row. The Crimson Tide fell in three straight games last weekend at 12th-ranked Kentucky before a midweek loss to South Alabama on Tuesday.
The Tide suffered a 5-4 loss to South Alabama on Tuesday evening at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
Alabama posted four runs with two outs in the third to build an early advantage. The Jaguars answered with single tallies in the fourth and fifth to cut the deficit in half and make it a 4-2 affair after five.
In the eighth, USA rallied with two outs, using a two-run double and an RBI-single to take a 5-4 lead. Alabama had runners in scoring position in the eighth and reached a man in the ninth but could not rally for the comeback.
The Crimson Tide received a solid start from Kade Snell on Tuesday, with the left-hander allowing two runs on five hits and a pair of walks while striking out a season-high six.
Alabama suffered a 6-2 loss to 12th-ranked Kentucky last Friday evening at Kentucky Proud Park.
A low-scoring affair early, Kentucky struck first with a single tally in the second. Alabama then got on the board to start the fifth with a run of its own, sending the game to the home half knotted up at one apiece.
The tie would not last long as the Wildcats posted three runs in the fifth and two in the sixth to put the game out of reach. The Tide continued to battle, reaching the leadoff man in each of the final five innings but crossed just one run in the seventh for the 6-2 final.
Alabama was blanked by the Wildcats, 7-0, on Saturday afternoon.
Kentucky built a 3-0 lead after three frames, plating one in the first and two in the second. The Wildcats added four in the sixth to make it a 7-0 affair, the eventual final. The shutout loss was the Tide's first this season.
Alabama suffered a 10-1 loss to Kentucky in last Sunday's series finale.
The Wildcats got on the board with three in the second with Alabama getting a run of its own in the top of the third. UK then added two in the home half of the third before putting the game out of reach with a five-run seventh.

About Arkansas

Dave Van Horn is in his 22nd season with the Razorbacks and 30th season overall as a Division I head coach. The veteran skipper entered the 2024 campaign with a career 1,159-598 record at the Division I level, including an 839-441 mark in Fayetteville. A 1988 graduate of Arkansas, Van Horn is assisted by Matt Hobbs, Nate Thompson and Bobby Wernes.
Arkansas finished the 2023 season at 43-18 overall, including a 20-10 mark in Southeastern Conference play. The Razorbacks split the SEC regular season title with Florida and saw their season come to an end in the NCAA Fayetteville Regional where the Hogs fell to TCU in the Regional title game.
Arkansas was selected to win both the Western Division and the SEC regular season title in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches.

On Deck

Alabama continues its stay at home as the Tide hosts UAB on Tuesday, April 16. The two in-state foes are scheduled for a 6 p.m. first pitch at The Joe with the game airing on SEC Network+.

University of Alabama Athletics