Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn gave all the credit for his 700 wins to players and his assistant coaches over the years after hard-fought 10-9 win over Grand Canyon and previewed the SEC opener against Mississippi State.
Martin, Morris talking about Hogs’ high-scoring win over Grand Canyon
Arkansas shortstop Casey Martin (3-of-5, 4 RBI, HR) and pitcher Zack Morris (1 hit over 2.1 innings) with the media after getting a 10-9 win to sweep the midweek series with Grand Canyon.
Pallette after closing the door on Antelopes in Razorbacks’ win Wednesday
With two innings left, the Razorbacks had to walk a tightroom holding a one-run lead but reliever Peyton Pallette didn’t give up a hit, despite allowing a walk, in getting his first save in a 10-9 win.
Razorbacks pound out 12 hits in rolling past Grand Canyon on Tuesday night
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas opened its midweek series against Grand Canyon with a 6-1 victory on Tuesday night at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The Razorbacks and Antelopes wrap up the two-game set on Wednesday at 3 p.m., at Baum-Walker Stadium.
You can listen to Phil Elson and Bubba Carpenter with the pregame starting at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.
The game will also be available online at HitThatLine.com. CLICK HERE
The Razorbacks recorded 12 hits in the game, all singles, suppressing the Antelopes (9-8) to just one run on eight hits, with no walks allowed.
It was the second time this season Arkansas has not issued a walk to an opponent, also doing so against Oklahoma on Feb. 28 in Houston.
Freshman right-handed pitcher Will McEntire made his first start as a Razorback in Tuesday’s contest against Grand Canyon.
The Bryant native worked six innings, allowing one run on seven hits, with no walks and three strikeouts. He faced 22 batters, with only two hitter’s counts reaching three balls, earning his first win of the year.
Sophomore lefty Caden Monke tossed the final three innings, giving up just one hit, retiring the last eight batters he faced, with three strikeouts to earn his first save of the year.
Four Razorbacks recorded multi-hit games against Grand Canyon, with Heston Kjerstad and Robert Moore each getting three. Matt Goodheart and Braydon Webb both had two hits in the contest, as Arkansas had double-digit hits for the fourth time in five games.
For the first time in seven games, the Hogs drew first blood, scoring four in the second inning for a 4-0 lead.
Arkansas had five consecutive batters reach via four-straight singles and a fielder’s choice to quickly put up three runs. Webb and Casey Opitz got hits to opposite sides of the field, setting up Jacob Nesbit to drive in Webb with a single down the first base line to make it 1-0.
Shortly after, Moore shot one up the middle off a pair of Lopes’ gloves, sending Opitz home, then Nesbit scored on a fielder’s choice to make it 3-0. With two away, Goodheart posted the fifth single of the inning to drive in Cole Austin to complete the four-run frame.
GCU got a run back in the top of the third behind a solo home run from David Avitia to cut the lead to 4-1. It was the first run allowed by McEntire this year.
Arkansas erased it in the bottom of the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Opitz after singles from Kjerstad and Goodheart, getting Martin on first via a fielding error to push the lead to 5-1.
In the fifth, Kjerstad roped his third hit of the night through the right side of the infield to score Moore, who opened the inning with a single, to go up, 6-1.
The final four frames featured all goose eggs on both sides, as Arkansas improved to 3-0 all-time against Grand Canyon.
Information from Razorback Sports Communications is included in this story.
McEntire says he wasn’t nervous after start of picking up first win with Hogs
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.
