HOOVER, Ala. – A historic swing highlighted the afternoon, but the Arkansas Razorbacks were unable to extend their stay in Hoover.
Cam Kozeal’s inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the second inning not only energized the crowd at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, but also made history, pushing No. 5 Arkansas (43-13) past its single-season program home run record. The moment, however, wasn’t enough to spark a comeback, as the Razorbacks fell to No. 17 Ole Miss (39-18) in a 5-2 loss during the SEC Tournament quarterfinals on Friday afternoon.
Kozeal’s remarkable solo homer — his 13th of the season — gave Arkansas its 110th home run in just 56 games, surpassing the previous mark of 109 set in 2021 over a 63-game campaign. The record-setting blast underscored the power and depth of the Razorbacks’ offense, which has been one of the most potent in college baseball this season.
Despite the milestone, Arkansas found itself playing catch-up from the start. Ole Miss jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning, capitalizing on early Razorback defensive struggles. A costly fielding error helped the Rebels extend the inning, and starter Zach Root was unable to escape the jam unscathed. Ole Miss plated five runs in the frame — only one of which was earned — highlighted by a two-out, three-run home run that delivered an early gut punch to the Hogs.
Arkansas responded with a run in the bottom half of the first. Kuhio Aloy, the team’s RBI leader, drove in his 69th run of the year on a groundout to score Kendall Diggs and cut the deficit to four. Kozeal’s historic homer one inning later trimmed the Ole Miss lead to 5-2, giving the Razorbacks hope of a rally.
However, the Arkansas offense was stifled from that point forward. Ole Miss pitching held the Hogs scoreless over the final seven innings, and Arkansas was unable to take advantage of several opportunities with runners on base. The Razorbacks were limited to just five hits in the game, with Kozeal’s inside-the-park shot serving as the lone extra-base hit.
On the mound, Root settled in after the rocky first inning, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome. Arkansas’ bullpen held Ole Miss in check the rest of the way, but the damage had already been done.
While the loss brings the Razorbacks’ SEC Tournament run to an early end, the team remains firmly in the national spotlight with NCAA Regionals on the horizon. The single-season home run record is a testament to the offensive firepower Arkansas brings to the postseason.
With their sights now set on the NCAA Tournament, the Razorbacks will look to regroup and make a deeper run with Omaha in their crosshairs — and their bats still rewriting history.
