FOOTBALL Hogs on SEC Network
Arkansas will be featured on an early broadcast of the new show SEC Nation, which will be the game-day football preview program for the SEC Network, which is scheduled to debut Aug. 21.
SEC Nation will make its first appearance Thursday, Aug. 28 in Columbia, S.C., for the season-opening game between Texas A&M and South Carolina. Two days later, the show will originate from Auburn, Ala., where the Razorbacks will take on SEC champion Auburn.
Joe Tessitore, who worked ESPN telecasts this fall with Matt Millen, will serve as the first host of SEC Nation.
BASEBALL
UA captains named
Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn announced Monday the Razorbacks’ 2014 team captains will be senior catcher Jake Wise, sophomore outfielder Tyler Spoon and junior pitcher Jalen Beeks.
Wise, a captain for the second consecutive season, hit .212 with 3 home runs and 23 RBI last season while throwing out 38.5 percent of potential base stealers. The Houston native had a .991 fielding percentage in 2013.
Spoon earned freshman All-America honors last year while batting .288 with 4 home runs and a team-high 49 RBI. The Van Buren native, the only Razorback to start all 61 games last season, made 1 error, had 6 assists and had 17 multi-hit games.
Beeks, of Prairie Grove, led Arkansas’ NCAA-best pitching staff with 29 appearances. He had a 6-2 record, a 2.20 ERA and 2 saves. Beeks had a 3-1 record, 1.83 ERA and held opponents to a .156 batting average in SEC games.
Arkansas, coming off a 39-22 season, opens preseason practice Jan. 24. Its first game will be Feb. 14 against Appalachian State.
Sports, Pages 19 on 12/17/2013