No. 7 Arkansas Falls to No. 10 TCU Despite McGuire's Perfect Relief Outing

Tate McGuire delivers five perfect innings, but Razorbacks come up short in 5-4 loss

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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No. 7 Arkansas fell to No. 10 TCU 5-4 on Saturday night at Globe Life Field in the Shriners Children's College Showdown, despite a perfect relief outing from Tate McGuire. TCU jumped out to an early 4-1 lead, but Arkansas chipped away at the deficit before falling just short.

Why it matters

This was an important early-season matchup between two top-10 college baseball teams. The loss drops Arkansas to 1-1 on the season, while TCU improves to 2-0. The game also set a single-day attendance record for college baseball at Globe Life Field.

The details

TCU scored four runs in the first two innings against Arkansas starter Hunter Dietz, who was making his first collegiate start. Arkansas responded with runs in the third, fifth, and seventh innings, including a 448-foot solo home run by Kuhio Aloy. However, TCU reliever Noah Franco shut the door, tossing three scoreless innings to secure the victory for the Horned Frogs.

  • The game was played on Saturday, February 15, 2026.
  • The announced crowd of 22,384 set a single-day attendance record for college baseball at Globe Life Field.

The players

Tate McGuire

The Arkansas relief pitcher delivered five perfect innings, retiring all 15 batters he faced while striking out four.

Hunter Dietz

The Arkansas starting pitcher worked two innings, allowing four runs on three hits and three walks while striking out five.

Kuhio Aloy

The Arkansas hitter hit a towering 448-foot solo home run in the seventh inning, pulling the Razorbacks within one run.

Noah Franco

The TCU relief pitcher shut the door, tossing three scoreless innings with four strikeouts to secure the victory for the Horned Frogs.

Damian Ruiz

The Arkansas hitter led the team at the plate with two hits, a walk, and a stolen base.

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What’s next

Arkansas concludes play in the Shriners Children's College Showdown on Sunday against Texas Tech. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on FloCollege.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the competitiveness of both teams, as well as the importance of strong relief pitching. Despite the loss, Arkansas showed resilience in chipping away at TCU's early lead, demonstrating the team's potential for the rest of the season.