State sports briefs

COLLEGE FOOTBALL Hogs spring dates announced

Arkansas will open spring football practice March 16, the athletic department announced Wednesday.

The Razorbacks will conclude their 15 spring practice days with a Red-White game scheduled for a 1 p.m. kickoff April 26 on Cox Sports Television.

Arkansas, which is coming off a 3-9 season and school-record nine-game losing streak, opens its season on the new SEC Network on Aug. 30 at defending SEC champion Auburn.

The Razorbacks also announced their annual pro day for professional scouts will take place March 5 at Walker Pavilion.

• Tom Murphy

BOWLING Cabot’s boys, Bentonville’s girls win titles

It took a record effort Wednesday to keep Bentonville’s bowling teams from sweeping the Class 6A/7A State Tournament titles at Allfam Bowling Center in Cabot.

Bentonville captured the girls title with a 3,647 score, while host Cabot finished a close second with a 3,566. Cabot’s boys team set a state record with its score of 4,880, while Bentonville finished second with 4,263.

Cayden Cook of Cabot set a state record with an 842 series to win the boys individual title as the Panthers won their third consecutive team state title.

Springdale High’s Olivia Madrid won the girls individual title, edging Bentonville’s Sammy Limbach by a 612-600 margin. Limbach was among four Lady Tigers who finished among the top 11 and earned all-state honors, joining Kassidy Stanton (sixth, 561), Emily Koontz (eighth, 555) and Megan Beeler (11th, 519).

• NWA Media

BASEBALL UAPB shut out at Oklahoma

Sheldon Neuse went 2 for 3 with 1 home run and 3 RBI to lead Oklahoma (4-1) to an 11-0 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-6) on Wednesday afternoon at Dale Mitchell Park in Norman, Okla.

The Sooners scored three runs in the first inning, two in the second, one in the third and five in the fifth.

Mike Weiland went 2 for 4 to lead the Golden Lions. Jim Ploeger took the loss for UAPB, allowing 5 runs (6 runs) on 6 hits in 4 innings.

Corey Copping allowed 4 hits and struck out 2 in 4 innings to earn the victory for Oklahoma.

SOFTBALL UCA falls at Mississippi State

Central Arkansas (3-8) lost to undefeated Mississippi State (11-0) 6-0 in Starkville, Miss.

The Bears had two hits, one each from Taylor Dear and Briana Whisenhunt.

UCA trailed 3-0 in the fifth inning when the Bulldogs extended their lead to 6-0 on a three-run home run by Sam Lenahan.

UAPB loses at Ouachita Baptist

Arkansas-Pine Bluff was held to two hits by Ouachita Baptist in a 7-0 loss in Arkadelphia.

Jones led the Lady Tigers with two hits, including a home run. OBU scored a run in the first and second innings, three in the third and one in the fifth and sixth.

Delya Jackson and Kendra Linn each had a hit for the Lady Lions.

ATHLETICS Arkansas State’s Chavez honored

Arkansas State senior Richard Chavez was named the Sun Belt Conference’s indoor track and field men’s athlete of the week, the conference announced Wednesday in a release.

Chavez finished fourth among 27 competitors in the shot put final at the University of New Mexico’s Don Kirby Elite Invitational last Saturday in Albuquerque, N.M., with a throw of 61 feet, 11.31 inches.