Razorbacks freshman pitcher Will McEntire got his first career start (and win) in going six innings, allowing just a single run throwing 68 pitches downing Grand Canyon, 6-1.
Van Horn recapping McEntire’s fast work in dispatching Grand Canyon
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn talked after the 6-1 win over Grand Canyon on Tuesday night about how freshman Will McEntire’s fast pace, throwing strikes plays big role.
Kjerstad, Franklin recapping Razorbacks’ win over Antelopes on Tuesday night
Hogs’ Christian Franklin (big throw from center to nail a runner at third) and Heston Kjerstad (3-for-3) talking about getting the 6-1 win in midweek matchup.
Hogs’ Opitz named to watch list for catcher of year award
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ Casey Opitz has been named to the 2020 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year watch list, released by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission.
The award is given annually to the top Division-I collegiate catcher, as 60 players were nominated for this year’s honor.
The semifinalists will be announced on May 19, with finalists slated to be released on June 2, followed by the award presentation on June 25 in Wichita, Kansas.
Opitz, a junior from Centennial, Colorado, is off to a strong start to the 2020 season, hitting .298 over 14 games, starting 12 behind the plate. He’s recorded 14 hits, eight for extra bases, with six doubles, a triple and a homer, as well as 10 RBIs, eight runs scored and four walks.
He has been exceptional behind the plate as well, recording 101 putouts and 18 assists, while catching four would-be base stealers.
Opitz has four multi-hit games this year, with a pair of three-hit performances, including his first that came a double shy of the cycle on Feb. 21.
Opitz was also named one of two captains by his teammates before spring practices began.
Information from Razorback Sports Communications is included in this story.
Razorbacks face Grand Canyon in midweek matchup in Baum-Walker Stadium
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas wraps up its six-game home stand with a double midweek set against Grand Canyon on Tuesday and Wednesday at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The game will be available with Phil Elson and Bubba Carpenter on the ESPN SEC Network+ online and can also be heard on ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.
You can also listen to the game online at HitThatLine.com by CLICKING HERE.
Game times:
Tuesday (March 10) – 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday (March 11) – 3 p.m.
The Razorbacks and Antelopes have only met twice, squaring off in a doubleheader on April 5, 2017, as the Hogs took both games by scores of 11-2 and 6-1.
Arkansas put together a 2-2 week at home, winning their weekend series against South Alabama on March 6-8. After dropping a tough 8-7 decision to Illinois State on Tuesday, the Hogs fell in the series opener to the Jaguars, 13-6.
Arkansas rebounded for a 15-2 victory in the Saturday contest, followed by a 5-3 win in Sunday’s finale to take the series.
With the series on the line in the bottom of the ninth, the Hogs got their first walk-off home run since 2013 thanks to a two-run shot from Heston Kjerstad. Exactly seven years to the day, Kjerstad uncorked a 2-2 pitch over the right field wall to clinch the series for the Razorbacks.
It was Kjerstad’s sixth home run of the year and the 19th of the year for the Razorbacks.
The last walk-off home run by a Razorback came from Joe Serrano against San Diego State on March 8, 2013.
Freshman RHP Will McEntire to start Tuesday’s game against the Antelopes. McEntire will be making his first start of the season and second appearance on the mound.
He tossed two innings against South Alabama on Saturday, throwing a pair of shutout innings, retiring all six batters he faced, striking out four. He will be the second freshman to start a game for the Hogs this season.
Pitching rotation
Tuesday – RHP Will McEntire vs. LHP Cal Lambert
Wednesday – TBA vs. TBA
Outfielder Christian Franklin has been one of the most consistent players in the lineup for the Razorbacks this season, entering the new with a team-best .426 batting average, totaling 23 hits this season.
Franklin led the team in hitting last week, recording 10 hits over four games with three RBIs and seven runs scored for a .588/.882/.650 line at the plate.
He recorded multi-hit performances in all four games, including three-hit games against Illinois State (3/3) and in the finale against the Jaguars (3/8). Franklin has a hit in all but one game and has scored a run in all but two.
Getting overshadowed a little bit was some strong pitching down the stretch against the Jaguars on Sunday to help put the Razorbacks in position to take the series.
Sophomore RHP Elijah Trest was first out of the bullpen and pitched three shutout frames from the fourth-through-sixth. He worked out of a pair of jams with two baserunners on in the fourth and sixth innings, with a quick six-pitch fifth sandwiched between the two.
Zebulon Vermillion, another right-hander, carried the momentum through the final three innings, allowing just one base hit to his first batter faced, retiring the next nine consecutive with six strikeouts and three groundouts.
The duo combined for 10 K’s to stifle the Jags in Sunday’s finale.
After four weeks of action, Arkansas sits in the top 15 in all but one poll. The Hogs are ranked as high as 14th this week by D1 Baseball and Baseball America.
2020 week 5 rankings
D1 Baseball – No. 14
Baseball America – No. 14
USA Today Coaches – No. 15
Perfect Game – No. 15
Collegiate Baseball – No. 15
NCBWA – No. 16
After the series against Grand Canyon, the Razorbacks will open conference play at No. 17 Mississippi State this weekend in Starkville.
Information from Razorback Sports Communications is included in this story.
Jones names SEC’s co-player of year with Mississippi State’s Perry
FAYETTEVILLE — Mason Jones was voted SEC co-Player of the Year by the league’s media and selected first team All-SEC by the league’s media and coaches, it was announced Tuesday morning.
Jones shared the media’s Player of the Year award with Mississippi State’s Reggie Perry. Jones and Perry were the only unanimous selections to the AP All-SEC team.
This is the fourth time (third player) a Razorback has been named SEC Player of the Year, joining Bobby Portis (consensus in 2015) and Corliss Williamson (consensus 1994 and 1995).
This is the 10th time (eighth player) an Arkansas player has been consensus first team All-SEC.
The others are Daniel Gafford (2019), Bobby Portis (2015), Ronnie Brewer (2006), Scotty Thurman (1994-95), Corliss Williamson (1994-95), Todd Day (1992) and Lee Mayberry (1992).
The following are highlights of Jones’ season:
• 1 of 5 finalists for the Jerry West Award given to the nation’s top shooting guard
• Was SEC Player of the Week four times, tying a league record (1 of 3 and first since 2009)
• SEC Scoring Leader – 22.0; 8th in the NCAA and looking to be the 1st Razorback to lead the SEC at season’s end
• Leads the NCAA in both free throws made (223) and attempted (271)
• Scored at least 30 points nine times – most by an SEC player over the last 20 years; 4th most in the NCAA this season
• SEC Scoring Leader (SEC Games) – 23.6 ppg; Arkansas season record for SEC games
• Set Arkansas record for Points Scored (SEC Season) – 424
• Set Arkansas record for FT made in a season – 223, 7th on SEC single season list and most since 1980 (233 by Jon Stroud – Ole Miss)
• Set Arkansas record for FT made (SEC Season) – 146
• The only player in the SEC to lead his team in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals
• The only player in the SEC to rank among the league’s top 24 in scoring (1st), rebounding (21st), assists (10th) and steals (7th)
• Was 1 of 2 players in the SEC to lead his team in scoring and rebounding
• 1 of 3 players in the SEC over the last 30 years to have multiple 40-point games in a season
SEC Media All-SEC selections
AP first team All-SEC
Kira Lewis Jr., Alabama, 6-3, 165, So., Meridianville, Alabama
u-Mason Jones, Arkansas, 6-5, 200, Jr., DeSoto, Texas
u-Reggie Perry, Mississippi State, 6-10, 250, So., Thomasville, Georgia
Nick Richards, Kentucky, 6-11, 247, Jr., Jamaica
Immanuel Quickley, Kentucky, 6-3, 188, So., Harve de Grace, Maryland
AP Second team All-SEC
Samir Doughty, Auburn, 6-4, 195, Sr., Philadelphia
Anthony Edwards, Georgia, 6-5, 225, Fr., Atlanta
Keyontae Johnson, Florida, 6-5, 231, So., Norfolk, Virginia
Skylar Mays, LSU, 6-4, 205, Sr., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Breein Tyree, Mississippi, 6-2, 195, Sr., Somerset, New Jersey
AP SEC individual awards
Coach of the year — Buzz Williams, Texas A&M
Player of the year — Mason Jones, Arkansas, and Reggie Perry, Mississippi State
Newcomer of the year — Anthony Edwards, Georgia
SEC Coaches All-SEC selections
Coaches First Team All-SEC
Kira Lewis Jr., Alabama
Mason Jones, Arkansas
Samir Doughty, Auburn
Keyontae Johnson, Florida
Immanuel Quickley, Kentucky
Nick Richards, Kentucky
Skylar Mays, LSU
Breein Tyree, Ole Miss
Reggie Perry, Mississippi State
Coaches Second Team All-SEC
John Petty Jr., Alabama
Isaac Okoro, Auburn
Kerry Blackshear Jr., Florida
Anthony Edwards, Georgia
Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky
Maik Kotsar, South Carolina
John Fulkerson, Tennessee
Saben Lee, Vanderbilt
Coaches All-Freshman Team
Jaden Shackelford, Alabama
Isaac Okoro, Auburn
Scottie Lewis, Florida
Anthony Edwards, Georgia
Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky
Trendon Watford, LSU
Jermaine Couisnard, South Carolina
Scotty Pippen Jr., Vanderbilt
Coaches All-Defensive Team
Herbert Jones, Alabama
Isaac Okoro, Auburn
Ashton Hagans, Kentucky
Nick Richards, Kentucky
Yves Pons, Tennessee
SEC Coaches Induvial Honors
Coach of the Year: John Calipari, Kentucky
Player of the Year: Immanuel Quickley, Kentucky
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Skylar Mays, LSU
Freshman of the Year: Anthony Edwards, Georgia
Sixth-Man of the Year: Tyson Carter, Mississippi State
Defensive Player of the Year: Yves Pons, Tennessee
Information from Razorback Sports Communications is included in this story.
Musselman not interested in SEC Tournament past opening game
Arkansas coach Eric Musselman said Monday afternoon he didn’t know who they would play after Vanderbilt at the SEC Tournament on Wednesday … but he does know now.
Bud Light Seltzer Morning Rush Podcast — Mase or IJ coming back, baseball recap and more!
Tye & Tommy on who is more likely to return to Arkansas, Clay recaps the baseball series, plus Pittman heads to the Hogpen!
