Hogs Down Musketeers in Home Opener

Series Continues Saturday as Arkansas Seeks Series Win

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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In front of the largest home-opening crowd (10,388) in program history, eighth-ranked Arkansas (4-1) defeated Xavier (2-3) by a score of 5-2 on Friday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium. Led by Camden Kozeal's three-run home run in the first inning, the Razorbacks jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.

Why it matters

This win extends Arkansas' impressive home non-conference regular season series winning streak to 32 games, showcasing the Razorbacks' dominance at Baum-Walker Stadium. The series continues on Saturday, with Arkansas looking to clinch the series victory.

The details

Gabe Gaeckle earned the win for Arkansas, firing five innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts. Nolan Souza added a two-RBI double in the fifth inning to extend the Razorbacks' lead. Cole Gibler tossed four frames of one-run relief to earn the save for Arkansas.

  • The game was played on Friday, February 21, 2026.
  • The series continues on Saturday, February 22, 2026 with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.

The players

Camden Kozeal

Hit a three-run home run in the first inning to give Arkansas an early lead.

Gabe Gaeckle

Earned the win for Arkansas, pitching five innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts.

Nolan Souza

Went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, including a double in the fifth inning to extend Arkansas' lead.

Cole Gibler

Tossed four frames of one-run relief to earn the save for the Razorbacks.

Xavier

The Musketeers fell to 2-3 on the season with the loss to Arkansas.

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What they’re saying

“This was a great team win in front of an incredible home crowd. We jumped on them early and our pitching staff did a fantastic job shutting them down.”

— Dave Van Horn, Arkansas Head Coach (Arkansas Athletic Department)

What’s next

Arkansas will look to clinch the series victory over Xavier on Saturday, February 22nd at 1 p.m. on SEC Network+.

The takeaway

Arkansas continues to dominate at home, extending its impressive non-conference regular season series winning streak to 32 games at Baum-Walker Stadium. The Razorbacks' strong start to the season has them positioned well as they look to make a deep postseason run.