HOOVER, Ala. — The top-seeded Georgia Bulldogs secured the Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament Championship with an emphatic 11-1 run-rule victory in seven innings over the Arkansas Razorbacks on Sunday afternoon.
Played at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in 72-degree, overcast, and humid conditions, the championship clash began at 3:48 p.m. and lasted two hours and 33 minutes before an announced attendance of 9,320.
Georgia’s offense erupted early, plating five runs in the bottom of the first inning. Rylan Lujo ignited the scoring with an RBI double down the left-field line, bringing home 2026 Tournament MVP Daniel Jackson to provide the decisive game-winning hit. Brennan Hudson immediately followed with an RBI double, and Kenny Ishikawa added an RBI single. Jack Arcamone capped the first-inning barrage with a two-run home run to right field.
The Bulldogs extended the lead in the second inning on an RBI single by Jackson. In the third, Tre Phelps lined an RBI single to right-center, and Ryan Black subsequently scored on a throwing error by the catcher to make it 8-0.
Arkansas avoided the shutout in the top of the sixth inning when Maika Niu launched a solo home run to center field. However, Georgia answered in the bottom half to invoke the mercy rule. Ryan Wynn drew a bases-loaded walk to score Phelps, and Arcamone laced a two-run single through the right side, scoring Ishikawa and Lujo to seal the 11-1 margin.
Arcamone paced the Bulldogs’ offense, going 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs. Phelps and Lujo each collected two hits and an RBI. Damian Ruiz led Arkansas with a pair of hits, while Niu provided the lone Razorback run.
Georgia starting pitcher Paul Farley (8-1) earned the victory, scattering six hits over four scoreless innings while striking out six and walking none. Arkansas starter Tate McGuire (1-1) took the loss, surrendering five earned runs on four hits in just one inning of work. No save was recorded in the contest.
“I thought Paul Farley did a phenomenal job,” Georgia head coach Wes Johnson said. “That just speaks to how he was able to maneuver and guide through traffic, make pitches when he needed to”.
Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn tipped his cap to the Bulldogs. “Congratulations to Georgia. They played great,” Van Horn noted. “It was tough that we spotted them a couple of runs there in the first… All of a sudden we’re down five”.
With the championship victory, Georgia improves to 46-12 overall. Arkansas falls to 39-20. As the SEC Tournament has concluded, both programs will now await their placements in the NCAA Regionals.
Following the tournament, the 2026 SEC All-Tournament Team was announced, headlined by Tournament MVP Daniel Jackson (C, Georgia). The team included pitchers Gabe Gaeckle (Arkansas) and Andreas Alvarez (Auburn); infielders Brennan Hudson (1B, Georgia), Chris Rembert (2B, Auburn), Ethan Surowiec (3B, Florida), and Camden Kozeal (SS, Arkansas); outfielders Blake Cyr (Florida), Kenny Ishikawa (Georgia), and Rylan Lujo (Georgia); and designated hitter Noah Sullivan (Mississippi State).
This was created with AI assistance using content provided by the SEC, and edited for content and accuracy by the webmaster.
