Week 6 Recap

Dogs show bite against Hogs

                In a week of ups and downs, the Diamond Hogs continued to display strong pitching and were stricken again by the lack of offensive production.  It is almost feeling like a broken record week in and week out, and Arkansas will need to muster up enough of something to get it going this week.  They will play 5 games in 5 days, all at home, against Nebraska and No. 2 South Carolina.  We are smack in the middle of a gauntlet of a stretch that will see the Razorbacks play 4 top 10 teams in consecutive weekends:  Mississippi State, South Carolina, LSU, and Vanderbilt. 

                Arkansas started last week with a lot of momentum coming off a series win against Alabama by sweeping Mississippi Valley State in a 3 game series and winning the first game of the weekend in Starkville before losing the series.  The Hogs’ pitching staff put together a most impressive run by allowing only 2 runs in 54.2 consecutive innings, including 4 shutouts in 5 games, dating back to the finale against Alabama. 

                The Hogs posted a 1.80 ERA over the 6 game set, giving up only 41 hits in 50 innings while walking 11 and striking out 39.  Jalen Beeks, Alex Phillips and Colin Poche all had scoreless outings in starting appearances to get the win.  Phillips was most effective, striking out 7 in 6 innings of work while Poche had 6 K in 5.1 innings.  Beeks pitched around jams, using his defense to help him often while allowing 9 hits in 8 innings and striking out 1.  James Teague also looked sharp in his first career start going 4 innings of 1 run ball and striking out 4 to get the win. 

                The bullpen was near faultless again with the exception of Zach Jackson who struggled for the second week in a row.  Dave Van Horn has been able to rely on Jackson as his go to reliever when times get tough but it looks as if another arm will be getting a shot in the future.  The rest of the bullpen threw 13.1 shutout innings, allowing only 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 15. 

                Offensively the Hogs hit .255 as a team and were led by Joe Serrano who finally looked back to form after a brief stint on the injury list.  Serrano hit .429 (9 for 21) with a double, 2 RBI and 2 stolen bases in as many attempts.  Bobby Wernes continues to hit and has solidified his spot at third with more dazzling plays.  He posted a .389 average with 7 hits and 2 RBI while leading the team with a .522 on base percentage.  Brian Anderson was the big run producer of the week hitting .320 with a double, inside the park home run, and 8 RBI to lead the team.  Andrew Benintendi has been an off and on hitter so far this year but continues to get on base regularly in the leadoff spot.  He had 6 hits in 6 games, including a double and 3 RBI and was also walked twice and hit 4 times.  Eric Fisher kept his bat going with 3 doubles in 6 hits and 4 RBI. 

                So far this season has been a predictable one.  The pitching is going to carry the team to victories as long as they can score 3-4 runs per game.  This seems to be the M.O. for the Razorbacks for several years now and it is not much different across the nation.  The good news is the SEC is very wide open right now with each team within 3 games of each other after 3 weeks of play.  It is still very much anybody’s championship to take and Arkansas has just as good a chance as any with their deep, skilled pitching staff.  Teams have been able to win before with streaky hitting and hopefully the Hogs can get that streak on the upward climb soon heading into the heart of conference play.

                  

Arkansas vs Mississippi State

Arkansas’ pitching carries team

                  The Razorbacks hit the road again in conference play to take on No 16 ranked Mississippi State (18-9, 4-2) in a three game series at the notoriously rowdy Dudy Noble Field.  Arkansas (16-8, 3-3) has won 8 out of their last 10 games including 5 in a row.  Their pitching has made up for the lack of hitting, throwing 3 shutouts in the last 5 games and 4 in the last 7.  While the Hogs have struggled to drive in runs hitting .265, they have been doing enough offensively to win in support of a pitching staff that boasts a 2.10 ERA. 

                  The Razorbacks have had some guys step up lately after an injury to Bret McAfee cause two bench players to see significantly more playing time.  Michael Bernal has moved over to shortstop to replace McAfee with his superior glove and Bobby Wernes has only come in to hit .313 while “filling in” at third.  These guys both have great defensive capabilities and are contributing offensively as well.  Bernal leads the SEC with 10 HBP to support his .397 on base percentage and he is 4^th on the team in runs scored (13) in only 53 at bats.  Coach Dave Van Horn has always been a good evaluator of junior college talent and he may have his best offensive transferring class this season with these two and Krisjon Wilkerson.

                 

                     The pitching rotation should look the same with the possibility that Trey Killian moves to Friday night to match up with the other teams’ best starters going forward.  Jalen Beeks struggled last week in a rain shortened outing and Killian is getting it done, throwing 2 straight complete games of 1 run ball.  Chris Oliver nailed down his weekend position with a solid outing Sunday to prove he belongs in a starting role.  Van Horn has not used Colin Poche on the weekend for two straight weeks and quite frankly hasn’t had to with the number of innings starters are pitching and the effectiveness of relievers Michael Gunn, Zach Jackson and Jacob Stone.

                  After two weeks of conference play it is a good sign that the ERA is still so low.  The offense still has some work to do in order to prove this team is a contender, however they are outscoring opponents 129 to 63.  You could say that is due mostly to the opponents only hitting .198 against the Hogs, but it takes scoring runs to win as well and they are finding ways to get on base.  The Razorback batters have been hit 50 times now this season after being hit only 36 times all last season.  They have drawn 92 walks as well to keep their on base percentage up at .375 which I believe is making a great increase in the offensive production.

                  Arkansas faces another great challenge this week.  Though Mississippi State has taken some losses to some not so stellar teams this season, they won a double header at Georgia to take the series and beat No 7 Vanderbilt 2/3 at home in the last two weekends.  The Hogs will be battling against more than just a talented team though as Dudy Noble can role in upwards of around 13,000 people any given night.  It will be fun to see how the weekend plays out and which stars will rise to the occasion for the Razorbacks.

     

Weekend Schedule

Friday, Mar 28  6:30 pm  Hi 70/Lo 57  few showers, 50% chance of rain

Saturday, Mar 29  2:00 pm  Hi 62/Lo 40  mostly sunny, 20% chance of rain

Sunday, Mar 30 1:30 pm  Hi 64/Lo 42 sunny 

  Weekend Probables

Arkansas                                                                      

Jr. LHP Jalen Beeks (3-2, 1.56)

So. RHP Trey Killian (1-3, 2.36)

Jr. RHP Chris Oliver (2-2, 1.74)

C    Sr. Jake Wise (.143, 1, 5)                                                         

1B  RJr. Eric Fisher (.250, 2, 13)                                                     

2B  Jr. Brian Anderson (.330, 2, 20)                                                

3B  So. Bobby Wernes (.313, 0,6)                                               

SS  So. Michael Bernal (.226, 0, 5)

LF  Jr. Joe Serrano (.288, 0, 15)                                                      

CF  RSo. Tyler Spoon (.289, 2, 20)                                               

RF  Fr. Andrew Benintendi (.260, 1, 13)

DH Jr. Krisjon Wilkerson (.295, 1, 7)

Mississippi State

So. RHP Preston Brown (3-0, 1.12)

Jr. LHP Ross Mitchell (4-1, 1.66)

Jr. RHP Trevor Fitts (2-1, 3.13

C    Zack Randolph (.250, 0, 7)

1B  Wes Rea (.277, 3, 23)

2B  Brett Pirtle (.311, 0, 13)

3B  Matthew Britton (.179, 0, 6)

SS  Seth Hicks (.279, 0, 12)

LF  Jake Vickerson (.258, 0, 10)

CF  Derrick Armstrong (.260, 0, 8)

RF  Demarcus Henderson (.352, 0, 5)

DH  Alex Detz (.230, 1, 15)

        Prediction

            The Bulldogs play well at home to a large, rowdy crowd.  It is what they are known for, being obnoxious.  Therefore, keeping this young Razorbacks team focused over 27 innings will be a tall order for Dave Van Horn and company.  If Arkansas can score 3 runs per game then I think they will win the series.  But that may require 10 hits per game.  I predict the pitching holds up and the bullpen again gets a breather but State will be bringing it from the mound as well and Arkansas has not proven it can hit good pitching yet.  This should be an exciting, low scoring, pitching dominant affair.  I believe the Bulldogs pull off 2/3 over the Hogs.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

‘Dogs’ style similar to Hogs’

                Riding a 5 game winning streak the Arkansas Razorbacks (16-8, 3-3) travel to Starkville, MS this weekend to take on the No. 16 ranked Bulldogs of Mississippi State (18-9, 4-2).  MSU started the season ranked among the top 5 in the nation after finishing a finalist in last year’s college world series.  They return much of that team including a very strong pitching staff that looks to repeat their success a season ago.  The Bulldogs began this season a little rough as they lost 4 of their first 8 games before winning 7 in a row.  They then dropped three straight but have since only lost two games in their past 9, including a series win over number 7 ranked Vanderbilt last weekend.  One of the hardest places to play in the nation is Dudy Noble Field when it is full, and they have been averaging the largest crowds so far this season. 

                Mississippi State is hitting .268 as a team with 5 home runs and a .382 on base percentage.  They have 31 doubles, 6 triples and 5 home runs in 227 hits for just a .336 slugging percentage.  With low strikeout numbers and high walk rates, Arkansas pitchers will need to have good stuff to keep this club from squaring up on many balls. 

                The ‘Dogs are led offensively by senior C.T. Bradford who is hitting .323 with 2 doubles, 4 triples and 12 RBI.  He leads the team in slugging percentage (.477) without the benefit of a home run and gets on base at a .352 average.  Senior Brett Pirtle (.311, 0 HR, 13 RBI) leads the team in hits with 32, only 4 of them for extra bases.  Wes Rea is the main production source for the Bulldogs with a .277 average he has 4 doubles and 3 home runs while driving in a team leading 23 runs.  The junior has been well respected this year and boasts a .439 on base percentage thanks in part to 23 walks. 

                On the mound, Mississippi State sports a 2.85 ERA while striking out 230 and walking 97 in 240 innings.  Opposing teams are having some success against them, hitting .246, and if the Hogs can keep from striking out so much they could score some runs on them.  This Bulldog defense has committed only 17 errors for a .984 fielding percentage.  However, they have been costly errors, resulting in 15 unearned runs. 

               

                MSU will throw a sophomore on Friday in right hander Preston Brown (3-0, 1.12).  Brown leads the team in ERA and has given up 24 hits and 12 walks while striking out 25 over 4 starts.  Junior Ross Mitchell (4-1, 1.66) will get the ball Saturday for just his 3^rd start in 10 appearances.  The lefty has thrown a team leading 43.1 innings, giving up 31 hits, 13 walks, and hitting 4 batters while striking out 25.  Sunday we will see junior Trevor Fitts (2-1, 3.13) toe the bump.  He has started 6 games this year, allowing 33 hits, 11 earned runs and 6 walks in 31.2 innings.  Batters are hitting .262 against him but he has struck out 37 to help get out of jams. 

                The Bulldog bullpen features senior righty Ben Bracewell (2-2, 2.35) who was a starter earlier this season and leads the pen in innings (23).  Junior LHP Jacob Lindgren (2-0, 1.17) has been the most efficient out of the pen, allowing just 2 earned runs on 9 hits and 6 walks while striking out 29 over 15.1 innings and 9 appearances.  Batters are only hitting .167 against him.  Jonathan Holder (2-1, 2.87) is a junior RHP who also has a high strikeout total, fanning 20 batters in just 15.2 innings and walking only 6. 

                Mississippi State has been a fickle team to start the season, losing seemingly easy non conference games, but have since turned in on in league play.  Knocking off Vanderbilt is no easy task in any ball park, and they also swept a double header in Athens after losing the first game of the series to Georgia.  The offensive and defensive numbers don’t wow you on paper but this is a scrappy team who knows how to put a streak of wins together.  That is what got them into the final two teams last year and they have returned a lot of experience from that team.  Pitching and defense have become the name of this college game and the Bulldogs are doing both of those pretty well right now.  They are a very similar team to Arkansas in that they don’t hit a ton but have the ability to pitch lights out on any given night.  The Hogs will need to bring bats they have not had all season in order to beat this team as nothing will be handed to them.     

Stars of the Week (Week 6)

Pitcher of the Week

Trey Killian:  How did the sophomore from Mountain Home follow up a complete game against Florida last week?  By throwing another complete game this week against Alabama.  In collecting his first win of the season Killian tossed 9 solid innings for the Hogs, scattering four hits while giving up one earned run and striking out seven.  His command was solid all day as he walked just 2 batters and always seemed to be in control.  Killian again proved most effective by changing speeds in order to keep Tide hitters off balance.  It would not be out of the realm of possibility to see Killian move into the Friday night starter role at some point later this season.

Hitter of the Week

Bobby Wernes:  Following in the footsteps of some pretty solid Razorback third basemen before him Wernes has cemented himself as one of the tougher outs in the Arkansas lineup.  The sophomore JUCO transfer managed a hit in each of the five games this week, collecting multiple hits on Tuesday and Friday.  He also drove in four runs, including what proved to be the game-winner on Sunday.  For the week Wernes had 8 hits, including a double on Friday night, while tallying a .421 average.  His efforts for the week helped raise his season average to .293.  If he continues to hit this well Coach Dave Van Horn may have to consider moving Wernes up in the order.

Tip of the Cap

Chris Oliver:  On Sunday evening when the Razorbacks needed him most Oliver had his best outing of the season.  The junior righty was overpowering at times, striking out six batters in seven innings while scattering four hits and walking just one.  Coach Van Horn made the difficult decision to pull Oliver after the seventh due to an elevated pitch count of 117.  Having a pitcher of Oliver’s caliber to shut the door on a series could prove priceless this year.

Eric Fisher:  Though he did not start every game Fisher did manage to find ways to make an impact in every game this week.  He collected seven hits over five games, including a career high 4 hits on Wednesday against Grambling State.  His biggest contribution of the week came on Saturday evening when he drove in the game-winning run with a pinch-hit single.  All told Fisher hit .467 with 3 doubles and 4 RBI for the week.  He also only struck out twice which is a great sign considering he is second on the team with 12 strike outs this season. 

Arkansas vs Mississippi Valley State

Hogs trying to make up ground with MVSU

Arkansas (13-8, 3-3) will play 3 mid week games this week against Mississippi Valley State (1-20, 1-9).  The Hogs will play the Delta Devils twice on Tuesday starting at 3:05 in Baum Stadium before driving down to play in North Little Rock Wednesday at 6:35.  MVSU has been shutout 6 times this season including 3 times to the hand of Alabama.  

MVSU brings a team .220 average to Fayetteville with 0 home runs and 47 RBI.  They have struck out 198 times to only 48 walks and have a .288 on base percentage while slugging .260.  Freshman catcher Arrington Smith is the lone standout on the team with a .297 average including 6 doubles and 4 RBI.  He has also walked 11 times on the way to a .409 on base percentage.  

The Devils' pitching staff is very similar on paper to that of Grambling State.  They carry a 8.08 ERA and have given up 229 hits, 195 runs (153 earned), and 101 walks with 81 strikeouts over 170.1 innings.  Teams are hitting .326 against them with 56 doubles, 9 triples and 15 home runs.  The MVSU defense is fielding at a .942 clip after making 44 errors in the early season.  Their staff ace, senior Jonathan Parker is 0-3 in 6 starts with a 3.82 ERA and has 21 strikeouts to 19 walks over 37.2 innings. Hitters have batted .255 against him and he has hit 8 batters.  

Arkansas added a game to this original 2 game series to make up for the lost opportunity to win another mid week game against IPFW earlier this year when the game was canceled due to weather.  The Hogs should more than make up for the win as they will look to find their bats this week leading up to a SEC road series with Mississippi State.  Colin Poche (1-1, 0.77) will get the start in the first game Tuesday with freshman James Teague (0-0, 0.00) starting the night cap.  Alex Phillips (1-0, 2.25) will get the start in the finale on Wednesday.  

Week 5 Recap

Diamond Hogs get back on winning track

                Arkansas (13-8, 3-3) went 4-1 this last week, taking 2 from Grambling State and 2 out of 3 from Alabama (15-8, 3-3).  They sandwiched a very bad game on Friday with enough hitting and great pitching to get three 1 run wins and two shutouts.  They won a close game over Grambling State on Tuesday 4-3 before sweeping the series 8-0 on Wednesday.  It was quite a different story on Friday night after a rain delay opened up the offensive flood gates on the way to a 17-9 loss to Alabama.  The rest of the weekend went completely the Hogs’ way as they held the Crimson Tide to 1 run on 8 hits over the next 18 innings while striking out 16, using only 3 pitchers.

                The Hogs hit for a .279 average, led by third baseman Bobby Wernes who had 8 hits including 1 in each game, and first baseman Eric Fisher who had 7 hits of his own including 3 doubles in a 4 for 4 day against Grambling on Wednesday.  Each of them had 4 RBI and they both contributed great defensive plays while not committing an error.  Freshman Clark Eagan hit .357 in 4 games and scored 4 runs while getting on base in half his plate appearances.  Eagan may have earned more playing time in left field with Joe Serrano struggling to get only 1 hit in his 10 at bats.  Brian Anderson and Tyler Spoon both had 5 hits with Spoon driving in 6 runs, 4 of which came on 1 swing for his second home run of the year.  Andrew Benintendi fought for his leadoff role, registering 4 hits and 2 RBI while posting a .375 on base percentage. 

                The Razorback pitching had a very Jekyll and Hide look this week.  They were touched for 17 runs on 15 hits and walked 6 in the Friday night loss.  Jalen Beeks gave up 2 earned runs in 3.1 innings before the 53 minute delay rained him out of the ball game and forced him to give way to the previously unblemished Zach Jackson.  Jackson gave up his first 4 earned runs of the season in 1 inning of work and it was all downhill from there.  Arkansas showed grit, scoring 3 runs in the 9^th down by 11 but it was much too little too late.  Trey Killian made Friday night look like a complete fluke as he shut down the Tide, giving up 1 earned run in a his first win of the season and second complete game in as many starts.  The SEC Pitcher of the Week allowed only 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7 and also fielded his position in gold glove fashion. 

                The finale on Sunday was very similar to Saturday’s game as Chris Oliver pitched 7 shutout innings, giving up 4 hits and striking out 6.  Oliver was very dominant in an effort to prove he belongs in the weekend rotation.  Michael Gunn earned his third save of the season throwing 2 perfect innings and striking out 3.  Colin Poche and Alex Phillips got the starts again Grambling State with Poche throwing 4 scoreless innings giving up a hit and striking out 3.  Phillips turned in 3 scoreless innings, allowing only 2 hits.  James Teague also threw two perfect innings with 2 strikeouts.

                Arkansas did not show the hitting that I thought it would take to win the series but the back end of the rotation really stepped up and took control of their games.  To be able to shut down this Alabama offense with the hot streak they brought to Fayetteville was a big accomplishment.  Despite winning 5 of their last 6, I still contend that this team is going to have to show more offense before I am confident going into weekend series.  However, pitching is the name of the game these days and as long as they continue to find ways to win games, a baseball team can get by with little offensive output if their pitching staff is good enough.

                The Hogs remain at home this week and play host to Mississippi Valley State for a double header on Tuesday before playing them in North Little Rock on Wednesday.  Then Arkansas travels to Starkville, MS to take on No. 16 Mississippi State who is coming off a series win against No. 7 Vanderbilt.       

Arkansas vs Alabama

Arkansas braces itself for Tide

             The Diamond Hogs (11-7, 1-2) continue conference play this weekend when they host Alabama (14-6, 1-2) for a three game series.  Spring has finally hit and the weather looks to cooperate with the game times so far.  Arkansas brings a 3 game winning streak on the line as well as winners in 7 out of the last 8 meetings with the Tide.  Their nationally 5^th ranked ERA (1.82) will be going against a red hot offense that has found ways to win close games when they have had to.  The story was the same last weekend for Arkansas as they still could not seem to get the timely hits and dropped two 1 run games to Florida.  After a tune up with Grambling State the Hogs will try to get something going to increase their .261 batting average. 

           

            Although the Hogs are not hitting at a high rate right now, they are finding ways to get on base.  Their .368 on base percentage has been benefitted by a large number of walks (66) and hit batsmen (38).  Arkansas was hit 36 times all last season but with a new philosophy and approach, they have been less apprehensive to wear one.  Arkansas has also struggled with some injuries offensively of late.  Joe Serrano should be back this weekend after being scratched from the starting lineup last weekend with a leg injury.  Serrano was able to get two pinch hit at bats since then.  Short stop Brett McAfee injured his back in Friday’s game and has not been back in the lineup since. 

            You will take the health of your players every day, but coach Dave Van Horn has been able to place some guys into the lineup that have not disappointed.  Although Mcafee’s .302 average has been missed, Van Horn cannot complain about the defensive effort of his replacement Michael Bernal, who has made highlight reel plays since taking over last Friday.  Bernal moved over from his third base spot which was then taken over by Bobby Wernes who has come on and gotten some clutch hits while flashing some leather his self.  Serrano’s absence has allowed Clark Eagan to come in and prove his worthiness of at bats after getting a hit in each game at Florida.  The good news with these injuries is that DVH will have options when the starters return and he has also caught a glimpse of who to go to in a pinch situation. 

            As mentioned earlier, this staff has been shutting down the opposition day in and day out and they do not look to change things this weekend.  The rotation is not completely set for the weekend as Van Horn may try to get Colin Poche a start depending on how the first two games go.  Poche or Chris Oliver could be used in the bullpen in one of the first two, which would require the other pitcher to get the start on Sunday.  Either way the Hogs go, this staff will continue to keep themselves in games.  It will be up to the offense to get more runs pushed across the plate.

Weekend Schedule

Friday, Mar 21  6:35 pm  Hi 72/Lo 42  mostly cloudy

Saturday, Mar 22  2:05 pm  Hi 56/Lo 34  cloudy, 50% chance of pm showers

Sunday, Mar 23 1:05 pm  Hi 52/Lo 33 mostly cloudy 

  Weekend Probables

Arkansas                                                                      

Jr. LHP Jalen Beeks (3-2, 1.15)

So. RHP Trey Killian (0-3, 3.06)

TBD

C    Sr. Jake Wise (.195, 1, 4)                                                         

1B  RJr. Eric Fisher (.242, 2, 8)                                                     

2B  Jr. Brian Anderson (.333, 1, 15)                                                

3B  So. Bobby Wernes (.233, 0, 3)                                               

SS  So. Michael Bernal (.263, 0, 4)

LF  Jr. Joe Serrano (.283, 0, 13)                                                      

CF  Fr. Andrew Benintendi (.214, 1, 8)                                   

RF  RSo. Tyler Spoon (.290, 1, 14)                                               

DH Jr. Krisjon Wilkerson (.304, 1, 6)

Alabama

Jr. RHP Spencer Turnbull (2-1, 0.31)

Jr. RHP Justin Kamplain (2-2, 3.67)

Jr. RHP Jon Keller (4-0, 1.63)

C    Jr. Wade Wass (.247, 0, 10)

1B  Sr. Austen Smith (.381, 2, 17)

2B  So. Kyle Overstreet (.297, 2, 7)

3B  So. Chance Vincent (.196, 0, 6)

SS  So. Mikey White (.270, 1, 13)

LF  Fr. Casey Hughston (.271, 2, 8)

CF  So. Georgie Salem (.326, 1, 5)                                  

RF  Jr. Ben Moore (.272, 2, 13)

DH  Fr. Will Haynie (.298, 2, 8)

        Prediction

            Arkansas has its hands full this weekend with an Alabama team riding high over the last 2 weeks.  Although the Tide have been hitting at a high rate this month, the thing that scares me most is their pitching.  The Hogs have yet to hit even decent pitching and this staff has put up much greater than decent numbers so far this season.  If Arkansas can find their bats this weekend I like their chances to win the series if not sweep.  However, until I am proven otherwise I can only assume it will be the same story, different series.  Bama rolls over Arkansas 2-1.    

Alabama Crimson Tide

Crimson Tide firing on all cylinders 

                After winning two mid week games against Grambling State, Arkansas (11-7, 1-2) brings a 3 game winning streak into this weekend’s series against SEC opponent Alabama (14-6, 2-1).  The Crimson Tide took 2 of 3 from Kentucky to open conference last weekend in Tuscaloosa.  Their schedule has been a favorable one so far this season as they have only been tested once against No. 5 Louisiana Lafayette.  Though it was a big test, Alabama lost the series 2-1 with two shut outs. 

                Alabama is hitting a modest (.274) on the season but has been hot at the dish lately while winning 10 of their last 11 games since playing ULL.  During that time against lesser opponents they are hitting .315, averaging over 11 hits per game, with 20 doubles and 9 of their season’s 13 total home runs.  Arkansas’ staff will have their hands full against a confident lineup coming into this series. 

                The Tide are led offensively by senior first baseman Austen Smith who is hitting .381 with 2 home runs, 4 doubles, 17 RBI, and 14 runs scored.  He has a balanced 10 to 7 strikeout to walk ratio and has an on base percentage of .449 while slugging .540.  Second on the team in average is sophomore center fielder Georgie Smith (.326).  Smith leads the team with 28 hits including 4 doubles, 1 home run, 5 RBI and has stolen 4 bases in 5 attempts.  Freshman designated hitter Will Haynie is making an impact in his first season hitting .298 on the season with 2 doubles, 2 home runs and 8 RBI while slugging .468. 

                The pitching staff on this Alabama squad will bring in a 1.77 ERA against Arkansas’ 1.82.  Opponents are hitting only .182 against them with 166 strikeouts in 183 innings.  The Tide will start three juniors but have three freshmen relievers that have been stellar on the young season.  RHP Spencer Turnbull (2-1, 0.31) will start Friday.  He has given up only 1 earned run in 29 innings, striking out 26 batters and issuing 15 walks.  Opponents are hitting only .141 against him in 5 starts.  Justin Kamplain will get the ball for Saturday’s day game.  The righty is 2-2 on the season in 5 starts with 30 strikeouts to only 9 walks in 27 innings.  Jon Keller (4-0, 1.63) will make his third start of the season in the finale.  In 5 appearances this season, Keller has pitched 27.2 innings, allowing 5 earned runs on 18 hits, 3 walks and 19 strikeouts. 

                Alabama has several options out of the bullpen, but few have been as efficient as freshman RHP Nick Eicholtz (1-0, 1.12).  Eicholtz has pitched 24 innings, given up 3 earned runs, and struck out 24 batters.  LHP Thomas Burrows (3-0) leads the team in appearances (7) and has yet to give up an earned run over 11 innings.   The reigning SEC freshman of the week has struck out 12 and walked 3 while allowing only 1 hit.  RHP Geoffrey Bramblett has given up only 1 earned run over 11.1 innings with 12 strikeouts, and junior RHP Tucker Hawley has chewed up 14.2 innings with 2 earned runs allowed, 13 strikeouts and 4 walks.  Not one pitcher mentioned above has an opponent average above .196.    

                It is hard to predict which Alabama team will show up.  Will it be the one that is tearing up the ball and keeping it off opponents’ sweet spots?  Or will it be the team that went on the road to a quality opponent and got shut down for two games?  Either way Arkansas has a large order in lowering the Tide’s momentum.

Arkansas vs Grambling State

Arkansas plays host to mid week series

The Diamond Hogs (9-7) will play their first mid week games of the season on Tuesday (5:05) and Wednesday (3:05) against Grambling State (3-15) at Baum Stadium.  Arkansas will start Colin Poche (0-0, 1.17) in the opener and Alex Phillips (0-0, 3.60) in the second game.  The Tigers have not announced starters for either game.   

Grambling State is hitting .271 on the season with 6 home runs and 73 driven in.  They get on base at a .334 average and slug .371.  They have stolen 20 bases on 33 attempts and have 127 strikeouts to only 46 walks.  

The Tiger pitching staff is struggling this season with a 7.14 team ERA in 140 innings.  They have given up 111 earned runs on 193 hits and have walked 66 with only 73 strikeouts.  Teams are hitting .340 against them with 50 extra base hits this year including 13 home runs.

This could be a good tune up for the Razorbacks' bats after going stagnant over the last few weeks.  We should see a lot of runs scored by the home team, and hopefully they will gain enough  momentum going into the weekend against Alabama.  

Stars of the Week (Week 5)

Freshman of the Week

Clark Eagan:  Yes, Zach Jackson had another superb outing but after holding down FOW honors three weeks straight we have decided to let Jackson share the love.  Eagan, a true-freshman from Appleton, WI, had a solid weekend filling in for the injured Joe Serrano.  He recorded three hits leading to a .250 average over the three game set with Florida.  He also drove in Arkansas’ only run in the Friday night opener.  Eagan squared up a number of pitches this weekend—even when the at-bat produced an out rather than a hit—and really looked like he belongs in the SEC.

Pitcher of the Week

Trey Killian:  For the second straight week the POW honors will go to a Razorback pitcher who was saddled with a loss.  Killian pitched a complete game on Saturday for the Hogs, throwing 77 of his 104 pitches for strikes.  The sophomore from Mountain Home made just one costly mistake on the evening, giving up a solo homerun in the first inning to the Gators three-hole hitter.  Killian scattered 7 hits over the 8 innings he pitched striking out six while walking just one batter.  It was a great outing from a pitcher making just his third appearance of the season.

Hitter of the Week

Jake Wise:  It would not be surprising if Razorback head coach Dave Van Horn had a difficult time getting his senior captain to leave Florida on Sunday.  Wise broke out of a brutal early season slump this weekend against the Gators.  Over the three game series Wise hit .500, recording five hits including a double and a homerun while driving in a run and scoring another.  He also threw out two runners from behind the plate and did not give up a stolen base.  It was great to see Wise have a productive weekend.  Hopefully it is a sign of good things to come.

Tip of the Cap

Michael Gunn:  The tough-as-nails lefty had another solid outing on Sunday afternoon.  Gunn came on in the seventh inning to help Arkansas hang on to a lead and close out a win.  He threw 3 innings, giving up just one hit and striking out one while not walking any.  Gunn proved once again that he can be counted on in late innings to keep opposing hitters at bay.

Zach Jackson:  Though he may not have received FOW honors this week we still have to acknowledge the job well done by Jackson on Friday.  The freshman righty threw 2.1 innings of scoreless relief in the opener, scattering 3 hits and striking out 3.  Jackson has yet to allow an earned run in 14.2 innings of work.

Week 4 Recap

Diamond Hogs’ bats heat up too late

                It was the same story, different weekend for the Arkansas baseball squad this weekend as they took on the Florida Gators in Gainesville.  The defense was solid behind stellar pitching but the offense could not muster enough runs until the final game on Sunday.  Florida (13-7, 2-1) won a pair of one run games on Friday (2-1) and Saturday (1-0) before Arkansas (9-7, 1-2) opened up the flood gates on Sunday with a 9-3 victory, their first in 5 games. 

                The Hogs were outhit on the weekend in every category but runs scored (10-6), while outpitching the Gators in every category except wins and strikeouts (18-28).  They hit .200 for the weekend with 19 hits, 9 of which came in the final game.  6 of their 7 RBI were also in Sunday’s finale.  Arkansas’ pitching staff once again saw brilliant performances wasted on a lack of ability to produce just a few runs.  It was frustrating as a team, it was frustrating as a fan base, but the Hogs showed some spark on Sunday that they will be able to move on past their early season struggles. 

                Jalen Beeks threw the first game, going 4.2 innings and allowing 2 earned runs on 6 hits and 3 strikeouts in a losing effort.  Coming down from his non conference dominance a little, he also walked 3 and balked.  Trey Killian pitched a complete game Saturday giving up only 7 hits and 1 walk in 8 innings with 6 strikeouts.  He was the losing pitcher, however, as the Hogs failed to score a run, and Killian made a mistake for a home run.  Chris Oliver lasted 2 innings in his start on Sunday giving up 1 unearned run on 3 hits.  He struggled a little while also committing an error and may be placed in the bullpen come next weekend to allow Colin Poche into the rotation.  Oliver would be a great asset at the back end of the bullpen with his mid to upper 90s fast ball. 

                The Razorback bullpen allowed its first earned runs on Sunday since February 22.  They lasted 35 innings before Dominic Taccolini gave up 2 runs on 3 hits in the inning he pitched.  Taccolini did get a fly out and a double play after inheriting a runner on first base and no outs in the third inning Sunday.  But he may have proved that he is most useful as a situational reliever as he struggled after coming back out in the fourth.  Michael Gunn and Jacob Stone pitched 4 and 3 scoreless innings respectively, each giving up 1 hit and striking out 3.  Zach Jackson threw 2.1 innings with 3 hits and 1 walk surrendered, striking out 3.  Jackson has still not allowed an earned run in 14.2 innings pitched this season. 

                Offensively, the Razorbacks received contributions from some hitters that have not been producing lately or at all this season.  Catcher Jake Wise led the team this weekend, hitting .500 (5 for 10) with a double, a home run, 1 RBI and 1 run scored.  He showed what he can do at the plate while also displaying great defense.  Wise threw out a would be base stealer while also picking off a runner at first, bringing his season total to a SEC leading 3 pick offs.  Andrew Benintendi had three hits, joining Wise as the only two players to have a hit in each game of the weekend.  Benintendi also walked twice and scored 3 runs.  Clark Eagan got the start in left field all weekend with Joe Serrano out, and immediately made an impact with a RBI double in his first at bat Friday.  He went on to record 3 hits for the weekend.  Brian Anderson, Eric Fisher and Bobby Wernes all had 2 hits on the weekend with Fisher and Anderson driving in 1 and 3 runs respectively. 

                Brett McAfee joins Serrano on the injured shelf this week after hurting his back early in game one.  Michael Bernal moved over to fill in at short stop and Bobby Wernes came in to play third.  Serrano was a scratch from game one after injuring his ankle in practice Wednesday and did not make an appearance in a game this weekend.  There has not been an update on their availability for next week.  

                Arkansas is very close to having a much better record so far this year.  Their 7 losses have come by a total of 8 runs, 6 of those games being decided by 1 run.  With an extra hit here or there, this team could easily have several more wins.  Sunday was a promising day offensively and hopefully the hits will continue to come and runners will continue to cross the plate.  Much of the season is still in front of the Hogs, and if their pitching can hold on to what it is doing, the offensive tide is bound to turn in their favor.     .               

                The Diamond Hogs host their first mid week games this Tuesday (5:05) and Wednesday (3:05) against Grambling State before hosting Alabama this weekend.

 

Ark vs Fla Preview

Hogs open conference in Gainesville

         Arkansas comes off a 1-3 west coast finish in the Cal Baseball Classic with a bad taste in its mouth and much to prove.  They continue their road test to start the conference schedule at SEC east opponent Florida.  They have had much success against the Gators in Gainesville of late, winning 5 of their last 6 in The Swamp, but they will not be relying on past records to win this series.  Instead the Hogs will be trying to revitalize their bats, especially with runners on base, while changing their weekend rotation a little.  Jalen Beeks will continue to pitch the opener but coach Dave Van Horn has decided to move Trey Killian into the Saturday slot after an impressive 7 inning performance against Cal.  Chris Oliver will move to Sunday in an attempt to salvage his starting spot but could also be used in relief in one of the first two games which would allow Colin Poche to start Sunday.  Van Horn has mentioned he would like to see Poche be able to get into a starting role going forward to sandwich his and Beeks’ left arms around righty Killian.  Arkansas has been getting plenty of hits to win games but they are not coming with runners in scoring position.  They will have to get runners on base with less than two outs to have success against this pitching staff.

Weekend Schedule

Friday, Mar 14  6:00 pm  Hi 71/Lo 50  mostly sunny

Saturday, Mar 15  6:00 pm  Hi 76/Lo 56  mostly sunny

Sunday, Mar 16  12:00 pm  Hi 75/Lo 63  cloudy, 10% chance of rain 

  Weekend Probables

Arkansas                                                                      

Jr. LHP Jalen Beeks (3-1, 0.68)

So. RHP Trey Killian (0-2, 4.66)

Jr. RHP Chris Oliver (1-2, 2.45)                                 

C    Sr. Jake Wise (.107, 0, 1)                                                         

1B  RJr. Eric Fisher (.174, 2, 5)                                                     

2B  Jr. Brian Anderson (.353, 1, 10)                                                

3B  So. Michael Bernal (.360, 0, 3)                                               

SS  Jr. Brett McAfee (.302, 0, 9)                                                   

LF  Jr. Joe Serrano (.288, 0, 13)                                                      

CF  Fr. Andrew Benintendi (.214, 1, 8)                                   

RF  RSo. Tyler Spoon (.308, 1, 12)                                               

DH Jr. Krisjon Wilkerson (.424, 1, 5)

Florida

Fr. RHP Logan Shore (0-1, 0.45)

So. RHP Eric Hanhold (2-1, 2.63)

Fr. RHP A.J. Puk (1-1, 3.75)

C    Jr. Taylor Gushue (.306, 2, 15)

1B  Fr. Peter Alonso (.281, 0, 4)

2B  Jr. Casey Turgeon (.297, 1, 12)

3B  Jr. Josh Tobias (.256, 0, 1)

SS  So. Richie Martin (.347, 0, 7)

LF  Jr. Justin Shafer (.178, 0, 3)

CF  Fr. Buddy Reed (.176, 0, 2)                                         

RF  Jr. Braden Mattson (.296, 1, 11)

DH  Fr. A.J. Puk (.211, 0, 2)

        Prediction

            The Diamond Hogs need a series win in a bad way.  I look for them to come out this weekend with evident determination to leave it all out in The Swamp and get after this young pitching staff.  They are too experienced and talented not to have success against these young, average arms.  I also expect another dominant performance from the starting pitching, and the bullpen could throw up another goose egg in the late innings.  Arkansas wins the series 2-1 by a combined margin of 6 runs.