:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/13251593/20120616_jla_br1_442.0.jpg)
Baseball America: Still on the good side of the bubble to host a regional, but you wonder what they're saying after Arkansas' opening loss to Auburn. Here's what they said earlier this week:
Arkansas remains a host because we are assuming it will win its road series this weekend at Auburn. A sweep would boost Arkansas (No. 44 in the RPI) into the top 32, and we think that possible. But even taking two out of three could be enough, because we expect the Hogs to boost their RPI further in the SEC tournament. We expect them to climb into the 20s in the RPI by the time selection day arrives, and that should be good enough to host when combined with 19 or 20 SEC regular-season victories and a 5-1 record against potential hosting competitors South Carolina and Mississippi State.
We'll see.
Perfect Game USA: Arkansas still hosting a regional with Memphis, Oklahoma State, and Louisiana-Lafayette. Here's what they say about the Hogs:
The Razorbacks have one of the more intriguing situations we've seen in a few seasons. The Hogs, on the surface, don't seem like a host-worthy team with an RPI of 44. However, the rest of their resume is host-worthy. For instance, the Hogs are clearly third in the SEC with an impressive 17-9 league mark. Additionally, they're 7-7 vs. RPI Top 25, 13-10 vs. RPI Top 50 and 16-15 vs. RPI Top 100. As of now, the NCAA committee would have to determine what's more important: Being third in the SEC, or having an RPI of 44?
Southeastern Baseball: Razorbacks still a #2 seed, but now in the Manhattan (Kansas St.) regional with Creighton and Southern Miss.
Chasing Omaha: They also have Arkansas as the #2 seed in the Manhattan regional but with Sam Houston State and Wichita State.
College Baseball Daily: Hosting a regional with Mercer, Rice, and South Dakota State.
After beating Tennessee last week, it appears Arkansas was still firmly on the fence. In the event they don't pull out a series victory at Auburn, they'll have to have a good run in the SEC Tournament. But hopefully they can still scrape out a 2-1 victory against the Tigers.