No. 3 Arkansas finished off a top-10 matchup series this weekend over No. 6 South Carolina, 2-1. With just a handful of games remaining on the schedule before conference tournaments commence, the Razorbacks picked up crucial victories over SEC-foe South Carolina.
Arkansas vs. South Carolina results, stats
- Game 1: Arkansas 4, South Carolina 1 | Final stats
- Game 2: South Carolina 3, Arkansas 1 | Final stats
- Game 3: Arkansas 5, South Carolina 1 | Final stats
Series preview
Recent performances could not be more different for these two ball clubs. Arkansas comes into the weekend on a six-game SEC winning streak with sweeps of Texas A&M and Mississippi State. The Hogs have scored at least six runs in each win, propelling them to first place in the SEC West, leading No. 2 LSU by one in the win column.
Meanwhile, South Carolina is looking to recover from its four-game skid of a sweep by Kentucky and a shocking midweek loss to North Florida. Injuries have taken their toll on the Gamecocks this season, but they could get a boost from the potential returns of Talmadge LeCroy and Will McGillis to the infield.
This clash is also a matchup of different offensive styles. The Gamecocks are one of the top slugging teams in the country with over 103 home runs (T-3rd in DI) while the Razorbacks have hit 76 as a team, yet both teams are similar in scoring average (8.6 to 8.1 runs per game). Their records are identical, but Arkansas is much more used to eking out close games (shown by its SEC-leading 16 saves) compared to South Carolina, who are more likely to invoke a mercy rule.
Each team's last 10 games
| team | last 10 | best win | worst loss | vs. top 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCAR (36-12, 14-9 SEC) | 4-6 | 5-2 vs. #3 Florida | 9-2 at Kentucky | 2-0 |
| ARK (36-12, 17-7 SEC) | 6-4 | 14-2 at Mississippi St. | 8-4 at Missouri St. | 0-0 |
Arkansas vs. South Carolina series history
These two programs met just once before both joined the SEC — at the 1985 MCWS, no less — and have played 79 times total. The Razorbacks hold a 44-35 advantage over the Gamecocks overall, with a 22-12 record in Fayetteville.
Though they did not meet last season, Arkansas has won each of the last three regular season series and eight of the last 10 games.
