On the final day of 2018, HawgBeat takes a look back at the biggest stories from the past year. There were moments of joy and - as Arkansas fans have become accustomed to - moments of heartbreak…

10. Schultz captures diving national title

This story didn’t get the recognition it probably deserved because it wasn’t in one of the Big 3 sports, but Brooke Schultz put together one of the best freshman seasons in Arkansas history this year.

The daughter of Arkansas diving coach Dale Schultz, she was a state champion in three different states during her high school career and carried that success into her first season with the Razorbacks. Schultz broke school diving records in the 1- and 3-meter, won the SEC title at both heights, was a seven-time SEC Diver of the Week, selected to the All-SEC first team and was named SEC Female Diver of the Year and SEC Freshman Diver of the Year.

Her crowning moment, though, came at the NCAA Championships when she won the 3-meter national title with a personal-best score of 399.45.

9. Softball hosts, wins first NCAA Regional

Just two years removed from consecutive last-place finishes in the SEC with 1-23 conference records, Arkansas’ softball program enjoyed a magical 2018 season.

The Razorbacks achieved their highest ranking in school history, reached the SEC Tournament semifinals and - for the first time ever - were selected to host an NCAA Regional. Led by star freshman pitcher Mary Haff (29-7, 1.51 ERA), they swept it to advance to their first ever Super Regional before falling to traditional powerhouse Oklahoma.

8. Offense provides optimism vs. Alabama

There were very few on-field reasons for optimism during the 2018 football season, but - as surprising as it sounds - a 65-31 loss to No. 1 Alabama provided a sliver of hope for the future.

Granted the Crimson Tide’s defense wasn’t as strong as it’s been in recent years, it was still a top-10 unit and didn’t allow more than 31 points to anyone until Oklahoma’s powerful offense and Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray managed 34.

The Razorbacks needed a touchdown with 13 seconds left to get to that total, but they also piled up 405 yards. Rakeem Boyd became the first Arkansas player since Darren McFadden in 2007 to rush for 100 yards against Alabama and Cheyenne O’Grady caught seven passes for 48 yards and two touchdowns. Both players are expected to have big roles on the Razorbacks’ offense in 2019.

(Of course, Arkansas also gave up 65 points on 639 yards, with Tua Tagovailoa - who will also be back for the Crimson Tide in 2019 - completing 10 of 13 passes for 334 yards and four touchdowns.)

7. Freshmen and seniors, power and pitching highlight Diamond Hogs

Arkansas had one of the most complete baseball teams in the country in 2018, with senior leaders Carson Shaddy and Luke Bonfield, freshman phenoms Casey Martin and Heston Kjerstad, starters Blaine Knight and Kacey Murphy, relievers Barrett Loseke and Jake Reindl, and closer Matt Cronin.

The result was a record-breaking season from a statistical standpoint.

Martin and Kjerstad broke pretty much every UA freshman record and led the team with .345 and .332 batting averages, respectively. The Razorbacks shattered their school record with 98 home runs. Knight broke the school single-season wins record with a 14-0 mark. Cronin broke the school single-season saves record with 14 despite missing time with mono. Arkansas pitchers matched the school record with 619 strikeouts.

6. Gafford skips NBA Draft, returns to school

One of the pleasant surprises of 2018 was the development of freshman big man Daniel Gafford. He averaged 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks last season, with his athleticism vaulting him up the NBA Draft boards.

There were concerns he’d be a one-and-done because he was widely projected as a lottery pick, but he opted to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, Bobby Portis, and return to school for his sophomore season.

It has been a good decision for him so far, as he’s averaged 17.5 points on 66.1 percent shooting, 9.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks, with six double-doubles in 12 games. That has further solidified his spot as a future lottery pick.

5. Diamond Hogs host regional, super regional for 1st time since 2004

With the balanced team mentioned in No. 7, Arkansas was a top-10 team throughout the season, spending a lot of time in the top five. Despite not winning a single a series on the road, the Razorbacks earned the No. 5 national seed.

Playing in front of 29,143 fans at Baum Stadium, Arkansas beat Oral Roberts, Southern Miss and Dallas Baptist to sweep the regional. For the first time in 14 years, the Razorbacks were hosting both rounds of the NCAA Tournament in the same season, with South Carolina standing in their way of another trip to Omaha.

The Gamecocks managed to force a deciding Game 3, but Arkansas cruised to a 14-4 to clinch its spot in the College World Series for the fifth time under head coach Dave Van Horn. An incredible 34,420 fans packed Baum Stadium for the three games. That was nearly 13,000 more than the next closest super regional (Austin - 21,583).

4. Barford, Macon lead Hogs to another NCAA Tourney

As good as Gafford was last season, the Razorbacks were led by their senior duo of Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon. Both were prolific scorers who came to Arkansas from junior college and they both joined the 1,000-point club in the same game.

They actually finished third and fifth in the SEC in scoring, respectively, with 18.0 and 16.9 points per game and led the Razorbacks to their second straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, which was also their third in four seasons.

Unfortunately, they weren’t enough to end the Sweet 16 drought, as Arkansas suffered an ugly 17-point loss to Butler in the first round.

3. First 10-loss season in school history

Arkansas’ 2018 football season was historic for all of the wrong reasons. From an 18-point collapse at Colorado State, to a fake fair catch that led to an embarrassing loss to North Texas, to a blown lead against Ole Miss, to the lackluster finish against Mississippi State and Missouri, it was a year many Arkansas fans would like to forget.

Year 1 for Chad Morris was the Razorbacks’ first two-win season since 1952 and first 10-loss season ever, with the .167 winning percentage the worst in school history. Nationally, they were ranked 91st in ESPN’s FPI, 93rd in the S&P+, 98th in Sagarin ratings and tied for 120th by Pro Football Focus.

2. Morris puts together historic signing class

Despite those struggles, Morris still managed to bring in Arkansas’ best signing class of the Rivals era (since 2002). It is currently ranked 13th, which is three spots higher than the record-breaking 2009 class.

In the early signing period alone, the Razorbacks inked 10 four-star recruits and that doesn’t include in-state locks Hudson Henry and Treylon Burks. That 2009 class featured only nine four-star prospects, so Arkansas will blow past that, especially if it also secures Adonis Otey, Jalen Catalon and Lakia Henry.

Assuming they hold steady in the team rankings, the Razorbacks will have the highest ranked signing class of any team coming off a season with two or fewer wins. Those teams have averaged a class ranking of 57.5 and they’ll surpass Kentucky and Minnesota’s classes in 2014 and 2008, respectively, which ranked 17th.

1. Hogs come up one out shy of winning CWS

After winning its regional and super regional in front of its home crowd, Arkansas advanced to the College World Series for the first time since 2015. Unlike other trips, this one had a different feel because the Razorbacks had a legitimate shot to win it all.

Sure enough, they spent two weeks in Omaha, beating Texas, Texas Tech and Florida to reach the finals against Oregon State. Rain pushed the best-of-three final series back a day, which benefitted the Beavers because they came out of the loser’s bracket. Their pitching was taxed, especially compared to the Razorbacks’ that was lined up nicely.

It didn’t matter in Game 1, as Knight and Cronin picked up win and save No. 14, respectively, and things seemed to be going well in Game 2. Arkansas was clinging to a 3-2 lead going into the ninth inning and Cronin was on the mound again. With the tying run on third and two outs, Cadyn Grenier hit a pop up in foul territory, three players - Jared Gates, Carson Shaddy and Eric Cole - converged on the ball…and it fell to the ground.

Given new life, Grenier hit a game-tying RBI single and Trevor Larnach followed with a two-run home run that evened the series. The next day, freshman Kevin Abel quieted the Razorbacks’ powerful lineup by throwing a two-hit shutout. It equaled the 1979 team for Arkansas’ best finish at the College World Series.