Fayetteville, AR โ June 8, 2025
Zach Root was electric on the mound today, delivering a masterclass performance as the Arkansas Razorbacks took Game 1 of the Super Regionals against the Tennessee Volunteers. Root, who has steadily grown into a reliable arm for the Hogs, picked the perfect time to show his dominance, tossing seven innings of near-flawless baseball that had Baum-Walker Stadium roaring.
Rootโs final line was nothing short of impressive: 7 innings pitched, 92 total pitches, 6 strikeouts, 2 walks, only 1 hit, and 1 earned run. For most of the afternoon, Root kept Tennessee hitters guessing with a steady mix of fastballs, sliders, and pinpoint location. His ability to work ahead in the count and induce weak contact was textbook, and the Vols simply had no answer.
From the first pitch, it was clear Root was locked in. He retired the side in order in the opening frame, mixing in a couple of swinging strikeouts. After allowing a walk in the second, he promptly induced a double play to get out of the inning unscathed. The only blemish came in the sixth when Tennessee scratched across a run, but Root responded with a shutdown seventh to preserve the lead and leave the field to a standing ovation.
At the plate, Arkansas did just enough to support their ace. A couple of timely hits and smart baserunning gave the Razorbacks a 4โ2 lead heading into the top of the eighth. The offense was highlighted by a clutch RBI double in the fifth and a sacrifice fly in the sixth that added insurance for the Hogs.
As the top of the eighth began, Head Coach Dave Van Horn turned to freshman phenom Gabe Gaeckle out of the bullpen to protect the two-run lead. Gaeckle, who has proven himself in high-leverage situations throughout the season, was immediately greeted by a tense but supportive crowd, ready to see the Hogs close out Game 1.
With the 4โ2 lead intact and the energy in Fayetteville surging, Arkansas now sits just one win away from another trip to Omahaโfittingly embraced by their fan-given nickname, the OmaHogs.
One thingโs for sure: if Zach Root continues to pitch like this, Arkansas has a real shot at making a deep run in the College World Series. His Game 1 gem set the tone, and Razorback Nation is fired up.
