Arkansas Knows These NCAA Regional Opponents Pretty Well

Arkansas may have the second biggest gripe with the NCAA Baseball Tournament Selection committee behind Mercer, but the milk is already spilt and the tournament field is set.

So, the Razorbacks have to turn its attention to a road trip north to Lawrence, Kan. where Kansas is hosting a NCAA Regional for the first time in program history. Fortunately for the Razorbacks, its competition are familiar foes.

Home regional, road regional, don't matter.

We'll see y'all at Hoglund Ballpark. Go Hogs. pic.twitter.com/cb9dyxI9hG

— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) May 25, 2026

Arkansas has a recent history with Kansas, Missouri State and Northeastern, but a lot has changed since the Razorbacks last saw any of them on the diamond. Here’s a breakdown of Arkansas’ opponents in the Lawrence Regional.

No. 1 Seed: Kansas Jayhawks

Kansas looks a lot like the team Arkansas saw in last year’s Fayetteville Regional, but the Jayhawks are swinging their bats much better this time around. They’ve hit 102 home runs and carry a .289 team average into the postseason.

Shortstop Tyson LeBlanc sets the tone. He leads Kansas in average (.339), homers (21) and RBI (60), and he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Big 12 Tournament. The middle of the order has some punch too. Josh Dykhoff, Augusto Mungarrieta and Cade Baldridge have combined for 37 home runs.

Defense has been an issue. Kansas sits at .974 in the field, which mirrors some of Arkansas’ own inconsistency this season.

The pitching staff hasn’t been dominant either. The team ERA is 5.33, and Mason Cook is the only regular starter with an ERA under 4.50. Dominic Voegele has the best strikeout numbers with 108, but he’s also allowed 12 home runs and opponents are hitting .257 against him.

No. 3 Seed: Missouri State Bears

Arkansas fans have already seen plenty of Missouri State this season. The teams split a home‑and‑home, with the Bears winning a 15‑14 game in Springfield on March 31 and Arkansas answering with an eight‑run eighth inning to win 12‑4 in Fayetteville on April 21.

The Bears earned an at‑large bid out of Conference USA after finishing 20‑10 in league play and 21‑3 at home. They went 2‑0 in pool play at the CUSA Tournament before falling to Liberty in the semifinals.

Offensively, Missouri State can score. They’ve hit 104 home runs, and three players share the team lead with 16. Two‑way standout Curry Sutherland, catcher Carter Bergman and Taeg Gollert are the biggest threats.

Bryce Cermenelli has been a strong leadoff hitter at .348, and Logan Fyffe leads the team at .371. Caden Bogenpohl hasn’t had the year many expected, but he’s still dangerous from the left side.

Pitching has been the issue. The Bears allow six runs per game, and opponents are hitting .291. Friday’s likely starter is senior right‑hander Jason Schaaf, who has a 5.74 ERA in 13 starts. Former Razorback Ross Felder has been a key bullpen arm with a 5.30 ERA.

No. 4 Seed: Northeastern Huskies

The Huskies have become a regular postseason team, earning a No. 2 seed last year after a 48‑9 season and a 27‑game winning streak.

This season didn’t start the same way. Northeastern dropped seven of its first eight before picking up its first win on Feb. 27. That win happened to be a 13‑10 upset at LSU. From there, they steadied themselves, went 22‑8 in CAA play, and fought through the loser’s bracket last week by beating top‑seed Campbell twice to punch another regional ticket.

They run as well as anyone in the country.

The Huskies lead Division I with 210 stolen bases, far ahead of VMI’s 181. Carmelo Musacchia and Harrison Feinberg sit at 44 and 42, and five more players are in double digits.

Feinberg is also their biggest bat with 16 homers, 63 RBI and a .330 average. As a team, they’ve hit only 58 home runs, but their pitching has allowed just 39. The staff carries a 4.95 ERA and holds opponents to .234. Luc Rising and Robbie O’Connor anchor the rotation.

REGIONAL SEND-OFF 🐗

Join us tomorrow from 3-3:30 p.m. outside of Gate E/Hunt Center at Baum-Walker Stadium to help send the Hogs off to Lawrence!

Parking will be available for fans in the Cardinal lot of Baum-Walker Stadium. pic.twitter.com/Y0RLyX9cPw

— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) May 26, 2026