Arkansas Earns 36th NCAA Tournament Berth, Set to Host Fayetteville Regional
The Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team has officially secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the 36th time in the program’s storied history. With a 43-13 overall record this season, Arkansas enters the tournament as the No. 3 national seed and the top seed in the Fayetteville Regional, continuing a trend of excellence under head coach Dave Van Horn.
This year’s regional will take place from May 30 to June 2 at Baum-Walker Stadium, the Razorbacks’ home field. As hosts, Arkansas will welcome three other teams to Fayetteville: second-seeded Kansas (43-15), third-seeded Creighton (41-14), and fourth-seeded North Dakota State (20-31). The Hogs will begin their postseason journey with a matchup against North Dakota State at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 30, a game that will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Hosting a regional is a significant achievement, and it’s not unfamiliar territory for Arkansas. This year marks the 12th time in program history that the Razorbacks will host an NCAA Regional. It’s also the seventh time they’ve done so in the last eight full seasons, demonstrating the consistent success of the program. Should Arkansas advance beyond the regional round, they are also in position to host a Super Regional at Baum-Walker Stadium. This would be their sixth time hosting a Super Regional and the fourth time since 2018.
One of the Razorbacks’ biggest advantages heading into the postseason is their dominance at home. Arkansas has compiled a remarkable 32-4 record (.889 winning percentage) at Baum-Walker Stadium during the 2024 season. They are just two wins away from matching their all-time record for home victories in a single season, a mark of 34 wins previously set in 2018 and again in 2024. With passionate fan support and familiarity with their home field, Arkansas will look to capitalize on every opportunity.
The road to Omaha and the College World Series will require Arkansas to win the Fayetteville Regional first. The format for the regional follows a double-elimination structure. The opening games will take place on Friday, May 30, beginning with Arkansas facing off against North Dakota State at 2 p.m. Kansas and Creighton will play the second game of the day at 7 p.m., also on ESPN+.
On Saturday, May 31, the losers of Friday’s games will meet in an elimination contest at 2 p.m. The winners from Friday will play at 8 p.m., with the victor moving one step closer to the regional championship. Sunday’s schedule includes another elimination game at 2 p.m., followed by the regional final at 8 p.m. If necessary, a deciding game will be held on Monday, June 2. The time for that game is to be determined.
The team that emerges victorious from the Fayetteville Regional will move on to the Super Regional round, where they will face the winner of the Knoxville Regional in a best-of-three series scheduled for June 6-8 or June 7-9. The Knoxville Regional is hosted by the University of Tennessee, the No. 14 national seed. Tennessee (43-16) will compete against second-seeded Wake Forest (36-20), third-seeded Cincinnati (32-24), and fourth-seeded Miami (Ohio) (35-21).
The inclusion of Arkansas in the tournament continues a historic trend for the Southeastern Conference (SEC), which is sending a record-breaking 13 teams to this year’s NCAA Tournament. This figure sets a new benchmark, as it is the first time in NCAA history that a single conference has placed that many teams into the tournament field. The previous high was 11 teams, a record that the SEC also held as of last season.
In addition to Arkansas, the SEC teams earning spots in this year’s tournament are Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas, and Vanderbilt. Notably, this year also features a record-tying eight SEC programs serving as regional hosts, highlighting the strength and depth of the conference in 2024.
For Arkansas fans, this year’s regional promises an exciting slate of games in a familiar setting. Baum-Walker Stadium has long been known for its electric postseason atmosphere, and with the Razorbacks among the favorites to make a deep tournament run, the energy surrounding this weekend’s games will be at an all-time high.
Here is a detailed look at the game schedule for the NCAA Fayetteville Regional:
Friday, May 30
Game 1: Arkansas vs. North Dakota State – 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
Game 2: Kansas vs. Creighton – 7 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday, May 31
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 – 2 p.m. (Elimination Game)
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 – 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 1
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 – 2 p.m.
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 – 8 p.m.
Monday, June 2 (If Necessary)
Game 7: If the Game 5 Winner wins Game 6 – Time TBD
With talent, momentum, and home-field advantage on their side, the Razorbacks are poised to make another strong postseason run. Fans will be watching closely as Arkansas looks to add another chapter to its impressive legacy in college baseball.
