Baseball
Maxwell’s grand slam sends Hogs to College World Series again
Strong pitching keeps Tennessee’s bats cooled off enough while Razorbacks go on another offensive explosion to win Super Regional
The moment hung in the air like a promise. Logan Maxwell stood at home plate, his eyes tracking the ball’s arc toward right field. The Arkansas outfielder initially thought he’d popped out. Tennessee pitcher AJ Russell shared that belief. But sometimes baseball has other plans.
Maxwell’s fourth-inning grand slam broke open a tense Super Regional contest, powering Arkansas to an 11-4 victory over defending national champion Tennessee and punching the Razorbacks’ ticket to Omaha.
The win completed a two-game sweep of the Volunteers at Baum-Walker Stadium, sending Arkansas to its eighth College World Series appearance under head coach Dave Van Horn.
“There wasn’t really a change in our approach,” Maxwell said after the game. “We just played our game and stayed aggressive.” “When you get chances like that, you have to capitalize.”
Maxwell, who transferred to Arkansas after a successful stint at TCU, has become a cornerstone of the Razorbacks’ offense. His .352 batting average and clutch hitting have transformed the senior into a fan favorite in Fayetteville. The grand slam was his 12th home run of the season, adding to an impressive stat line that includes 31 RBIs and 44 runs scored.
The victory carries special significance for Van Horn, who continues to build on his legacy as one of college baseball’s most successful coaches. Now the second-winningest coach in Razorback history with 929 wins, Van Horn has guided Arkansas to seven College World Series appearances, establishing a standard of excellence that few programs can match.
“This team just keeps finding ways to win,” Van Horn said. “Logan’s hit was huge, but it was the culmination of a complete team effort. Our pitching staff held their ground against a powerful Tennessee lineup, and we got contributions up and down the order.”
The game started as a pitchers’ duel before Maxwell’s blast changed everything. Tennessee, which entered the Super Regional with high hopes of defending their national title, couldn’t recover from the momentum shift.
The Volunteers’ season ended with a 46-19 record, while Arkansas improved to 48-13 heading into the College World Series.
For Maxwell, the moment represented a perfect confluence of preparation and opportunity. “I was just trying to put a good swing on it,” he said. “In those situations, you can’t try to do too much. The bases were loaded, and I knew if I just stayed within myself, good things could happen.”
The win continues Arkansas’s remarkable consistency under Van Horn’s leadership. The program has become a fixture in Omaha, earning three SEC regular season titles and eight SEC West championships during his tenure.
Arkansas will now head to Omaha’s Charles Schwab Field, where they’ll try for the program’s first national championship.
The Razorbacks’ previous closest brush with the title came in 2018 when they reached the College World Series finals.
Hog fans like to forget that one where they were one out away.
