FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) – For the first time since 2010, Arkansas (42-17) was selected as one of 16 schools to host an NCAA Regional. The Razorbacks are joined by Missouri State, Oklahoma State and Oral Roberts in the Fayetteville regional.
The Diamond Hogs ended the year with momentum after a run to the SEC Tournament finals. Chad Spanberger was named tournament MVP in Hoover after mashing five home runs and three doubles.
Games start Friday at Baum Stadium. Here’s some more on Arkansas’s potential opponents:
No. 2 Missouri State (40-17)
Missouri State will be back inside Baum Stadium, a place the Bears saw their season come to an end in the Super Regional round in 2015. Missouri State was the national seed that season but a stadium conflict pushed the series to Fayetteville, where the Razorbacks won 2-1 to advance to the College World Series.
This season the Bears rolled through the Missouri Valley Conference with a 19-1 record but lost their conference tournament opener to Illinois State. Missouri State then reeled off three straight wins before falling again to Illinois State in the finals.
The Bears hosted the Razorbacks in a midweek clash earlier this season as Arkansas posted a 12-4 win in Springfield on April 11.
No. 3 Oklahoma State (30-25)
The Cowboys played their way into the field of 64 after capturing the Big 12 tournament championship. Oklahoma State swept two games from rival Oklahoma to end the regular season before posting four straight wins en route to a conference title. The six game win streak comes on the heels of a season long six game losing streak.
The Cowboys advanced to the College World Series for the 20th time in program history last season, the fifth most appearances all time. Oklahoma State won two games in Omaha before falling to eventual runner-up Arizona.
Oklahoma State defeated Arkansas 8-3 in the Frisco Classic finale on March 5.
No. 4 Oral Roberts (42-14)
The Summit League champions ride a nine game win streak into the Fayetteville regional. Oral Roberts advances to an NCAA regional for the third straight year, but has not won a tournament game since 2012.
The Golden Eagles last faced the Razorbacks in the Stillwater regional in 2015, as the Hogs won 8-6. Oral Roberts went unbeaten against the SEC this season, a three game sweep of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.