FOOTBALL
Report: Rudolph picked to coach ASU OL
Allen Rudolph will leave the Canadian Football League’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats to coach Arkansas State’s offensive line, according to multiple reports Thursday.
Rudolph spent the past three seasons coaching Hamilton linemen.
He becomes the second offensive line coach ASU Coach Blake Anderson has hired in the past month, SI.com and footballscoop.com reported Thursday. Rudolph will take over for Darren Hiller, who was announced as ASU’s new offensive line coach Jan. 14 before resigning a week later. Hiller took over for Glen Elarbee, who left to coach Missouri’s offensive line.
Rudolph played at Nicholls State in 1989-1993 and has coached at Nicholls State, Louisiana-Monroe, Samford, Southeastern Louisiana, Northwestern (La.) State and three junior colleges.
ASU still needs a running backs coach after DeAndre Smith left for Purdue earlier this week.
— Troy Schulte
BASEBALL
No. 22 Hogs’ schedule stacked
Arkansas is ranked in the top 25 of the preseason baseball coaches’ poll, and so are several of the team’s 2016 opponents.
The Razorbacks are ranked No. 22 in the preseason poll released Thursday. Arkansas is one of seven SEC teams in the poll, which includes No. 1 Florida, No. 3 Vanderbilt, No. 4 Texas A&M and No. 5 LSU.
Mississippi State (No. 17) and South Carolina (No. 23) also are ranked.
Arkansas’ schedule includes 21 games against teams ranked in the preseason top 25. The Razorbacks are scheduled to host weekend series against Florida and Texas A&M, and travel to LSU, Mississippi State and South Carolina in conference play.
The Razorbacks’ nonconference schedule includes games against No. 18 Houston and No. 24 Rice during the Shriners Hospital for Children College Classic at Minute Maid Park in Houston from Feb. 26-28. That event will also include No. 11 TCU and No. 13 Louisiana-Lafayette, but Arkansas is not scheduled to play either team there.
In midweek games, the Razorbacks have home-and-home dates scheduled against No. 10 Oklahoma State and No. 25 Missouri State.
The Razorbacks are scheduled to begin the preseason with a 2 p.m. open practice today at Baum Stadium. Arkansas is scheduled to open the season Feb. 19 with a home series against Central Michigan.
— Matt Jones
SOFTBALL
Bears picked third in preseason poll
Defending Southland Conference tournament champion Central Arkansas was picked to finish third in the league by both the coaches and sports information directors.
In the coaches’ poll, defending regular-season champion Northwestern (La.) State earned 11 first-place votes for a total of 121 possible points, while McNeese State was picked second with 109 points. Central Arkansas — which went 35-21 last season, including a 16-8 mark in SLC play — earned 95 points, including one first-place vote, to finish third.
In the SID poll, Northwestern State (120 points) and McNeese State (111 points) were again tabbed to finish first and second, and the Bears were picked third, collecting 92 points.
BASKETBALL
Arkansas Baptist wins
Latron Thomas scored 24 points as Arkansas Baptist College (19-3) beat Crowley’s Ridge JV 134-61 on Thursday night in Little Rock. Arkansas Baptist, No. 24 in this week’s NJCAA Top 25 poll, had five other players score at least 10 points. Anthony Black finished with 16 points for the Buffaloes. Four players scored 13 points for Arkansas Baptist — Harold Cardwell, Ruston Hayward, Kaanan Jackson and Chris Journett.