State Sports Briefs

BASEBALL

New UA pitching coach to earn $220,000

New University of Arkansas pitching coach Matt Hobbs will earn $220,000 in his first season, with rolling raises built into his three-year employment agreement that was signed Tuesday.

Hobbs' salary will increase by $10,000 each year to $240,000 by the 2021 season, according to terms of his agreement that were released through an open records request Thursday. Hobbs has yet to sign a formal contract.

Hobbs' deal includes a bonus worth one month's salary for winning an SEC championship, and stepping-stone bonuses for participation in the NCAA Tournament and up to a three months' bonus for winning a national championship.

Hobbs' initial salary is slightly less than the $230,400 his predecessor, Wes Johnson, was set to earn next year. Johnson received a $30,000 pay raise following the Razorbacks' national runner-up finish this season, but left Arkansas earlier this month to become the pitching coach for the Minnesota Twins.

-- Matt Jones

SWIMMING AND DIVING

UA's Hopkin, Melton reach milestones

University of Arkansas junior Anna Hopkin set an Arkansas long-course record, and freshman Kobie Melton became the first Razorback this season to qualify for the Olympic Trials in June after the second day of the USA Swimming Winter Nationals in Greensboro, N.C.

Hopkin and Melton set personal bests on their way to the finals in the 50-meter freestyle, with Melton finishing in 11th place (26.03) and Hopkin setting a long-course record with her third-place finish (25.05).

Melton's B Final time of 25.78 earned her a second-place finish and a spot at the Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb., in June while Hopkin's third-place finish (24.93) in the A Finals broke the school record in the long-course 50 freestyle she set earlier in the day.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Harding rallies past UAM

Harding University weathered a late University of Arkansas at Monticello rally to win 68-60 in the Great American Conference opener for both teams Thursday in Searcy.

Harding (5-1, 1-0), which won its fourth consecutive game, led by as many as 28 points with 5:22 left in the third quarter, but UAM outscored Harding 21-8 in the fourth. The Blossoms cut Harding's lead to six on a Mackenzie Johnson layup with 2:26 left, but the Bisons got layups down the stretch from Kellie Lampo and Kennedy Cooper to seal the victory.

Harding had four players score in double figures, led by junior Cheyenne Brown with 15 points. Carissa Caples scored 14, Lampo had 13 and Cooper added 10.

In other Great American Conference games Thursday, Lyrik Williams had a team-high 20 points to go with 7 rebounds, and Hannah Villines scored 11 points and 8 rebounds as Arkansas Tech University defeated Ouachita Baptist University 71-61 in Arkadelphia. ... Henderson State University used a 17-0 first quarter en route to a 63-42 victory over Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia. Karrington Whaley led the Reddies with 16 points and 8 rebounds.

Riley leads Lyon College past Park

Madison Riley had 15 points and 11 rebounds for Lyon College in a 65-49 victory over Park on Thursday in Parkville, Mo. Oumy Ndoye and Samantha French each had 13 points for the Scots (5-1).

VOLLEYBALL

UALR, UCA lose NIVC matches

Maritza Mesa had a team-high 13 kills, and Taylor Lindberg logged a team-high 28 assists as the University of Arkansas at Little Rock lost 17-25, 25-12, 25-17, 20-25, 15-11 to California Baptist on Thursday in the opening round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship in New Orleans.

Wichita State defeated the University of Central Arkansas 20-25, 25-18, 25-13, 23-25, 15-11 at the University of North Texas in Denton in another NIVC match.

-- Democrat-Gazette Press Services

Sports on 11/30/2018

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