Helfrick’s Move to Fifth Sparks Razorbacks in Series-Saving Win at LSU
In a crucial SEC showdown, Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn elevated catcher Ryder Helfrick three spots in the batting order to fifth—and the adjustment paid immediate dividends. Helfrick played a central role in three scoring innings as the No. 2 Razorbacks staved off a sweep with a 7-4 road win over No. 4 LSU on Sunday in front of 11,079 fans at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge.
The victory lifted Arkansas (41-11, 18-9 SEC) one game ahead of LSU (40-12, 17-10) in the conference standings and pulled the Razorbacks within two games of No. 1 Texas with three games remaining. LSU, which finished 30-5 at home, missed a chance to record the first sweep of Arkansas since April 2023 at Georgia.
“It was a really good win for our team,” Van Horn said. “Trying to catch Texas, trying to finish top four, just trying to win SEC games on the road against a top-10 team helps your RPI. I’m sure our strength of schedule improved a lot this week.”
Helfrick, typically batting eighth, reached base four times in his new spot and went 2-for-3, sparking a key four-run third inning and scoring again in the fifth.
“I was thinking about it just watching his at-bats this weekend,” Van Horn said of the lineup change. “He was laying off borderline pitches, hitting balls hard. He had a couple of big hits, a couple of doubles and walks. He was swinging it well.”
Junior left-hander Parker Coil made his first appearance since March 23 and slammed the door in the ninth, earning his first career save. With two runners aboard and one out, Coil needed just six pitches—all strikes—to secure the win, striking out Cade Arrambide and inducing a soft liner from Luis Hernandez.
“Typical Coil,” Van Horn said. “Six pitches, six strikes.”
Coil preserved the lead after Aiden Jimenez, who had surrendered his first blown save on Friday, allowed a single and walk in the ninth. Jimenez had kept LSU to one run in the eighth before giving way to Coil.
Arkansas extended a 5-4 lead with two insurance runs in the top of the ninth against four LSU pitchers. Walks to Logan Maxwell, Kuhio Aloy, and Helfrick loaded the bases. Brent Iredale worked a nine-pitch walk to force in a run, and Reese Robinett added an RBI single.
The Tigers had struck first with solo home runs by Hernandez and Steven Milam off Arkansas starter Landon Beidelschies in the second. Arkansas responded in the third with a two-out rally: Justin Thomas doubled, advanced on a sacrifice, and scored on Wehiwa Aloy’s sac fly. After a walk and a single, Helfrick doubled off the top of the wall to drive in another, and Cam Kozeal followed with a two-run single up the middle for a 4-2 lead.
Dylan Carter (6-0) relieved Beidelschies in the third and escaped a bases-loaded jam with a double-play ball. Carter, Christian Foutch, and Cole Gibler combined for four scoreless innings.
Helfrick also led off the fifth with a walk, later scoring on a grounder from Robinett to push the lead to 5-3. LSU cut it to one in the eighth after singles by Pearson and Milam, with Chris Stanfield driving in a run on a grounder. But Jimenez ended the inning with a groundout.
LSU coach Jay Johnson, who was ejected in the eighth after arguing a walk, credited Arkansas’ deep pitching.
“We’re talking about one of the only teams in the country that can run out that caliber of arms on a Sunday,” Johnson said. “They made it tough on us. Credit to Arkansas.”
Arkansas will close the regular season at home this week with a three-game set against No. 12 Tennessee, which dropped its series to No. 10 Vanderbilt over the weekend.
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