Arkansas center fielder Christian Franklin 1-4, homer), right fielder Heston Kjerstad (3-4, 2 homers) and pitcher Connor Noland (6.2 innings, 11 strikeouts) on getting 5-1 win over Eastern Illinois.
Van Horn didn’t have lot to criticize after Hogs open season with 5-1 win
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn pointed out a few mistakes to “clean up,” but mostly liked the way his team played in the season opener against a good Eastern Illinois pitcher in Will Klein and got win.
It’s gameday for Hogs to kick off 2020 season against Eastern Illinois
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas kicks off the 2020 season with a three-game series against Eastern Illinois starting Friday at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Friday and Saturday’s games start at 2 p.m. and Sunday’s finale will have a 1 p.m. first pitch.
You can listen to the game 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 carried live on HitThatLine.com by CLICKING HERE.
Pregame starts at 1:30 p.m.
It is the second-straight year the Razorbacks and Panthers have opened the season against each other, making it the first time Arkansas has played the same opponent in back-to-back openers since the 2001-02 seasons.
Last year, the Razorbacks swept Eastern Illinois, outscoring the Panthers by a total of 30-12. Arkansas is 29-2 all-time against Eastern Illinois, with all 31 games coming in Fayetteville.
The Razorbacks have won their last 18 opening weekend series dating back to 2002, including all 17 seasons under Dave Van Horn.
Arkansas has never lost opening day under Van Horn, outscoring opponents 143-41.
Connor Noland, lefty Patrick Wicklander and Blake Adams will start on the mound this weekend against the Panthers.
Noland made the most starts last season for the Razorbacks with 19, working 78.1 innings with a 4.02 ERA and 55 strikeouts.
Wicklander rung up 90 batters, the second-most on the squad last year, putting together a 6-2 record and a 4.32 ERA in 15 starts.
Adams is a freshman from Springdale, who played his prep ball at Har-Ber High School and had a high school ERA of 1.64.
Pitching rotations
• Friday: RHP Connor Noland vs. RHP Will Klein
• Saturday: LHP Patrick Wicklander vs. LHP Trevor Nicholson
• Sunday: RHP Blake Adams vs. LHP Foster Anshutz
Three Razorback juniors have been blessed with the honor of 2020 Preseason All-America status from the various outlets that cover college baseball.
Outfielder Heston Kjerstad and infielder Casey Martin have garnered praise from five outlets, twice both landing on the first team, with Kjerstad earning first team accolades from all five.
The duo has also been joined by catcher Casey Opitz, who earned third team honors from Baseball America.
Arkansas begins the year ranked in the top 11 of all six polls, sitting as high as No. 4 from Perfect Game.
It is the second time in three years the Razorbacks have found themselves inside the top five to start the year. Last season, Arkansas began the year in the mid-teens in most of the polls.
2020 preseason rankings
Perfect Game – No. 4
USA Today Coaches – No. 5
NCBWA – No. 6
D1 Baseball – No. 7
Collegiate Baseball – No. 9
Baseball America – No. 11
Arkansas hass players from nine different states. Ten players on the 35-man roster hail from inside the state, the second-most state representation on this year’s team behind 11 from Texas.
Six position player starters and two rotation pieces return from last year’s College World Series team, as a total of 16 newcomers join the fray to make up the 2020 unit.
Information from Razorback Sports Communications is included in this story.
Musselman on getting past bad game with Vols, facing Bulldogs
Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman talked Thursday about getting back to practices after loss to Tennessee and facing Mississippi State with Reggie Perry on Saturday .
Neighbors hoping Hogs hit stride again after early February point
After February 9, Arkansas has usually picked up momentum heading to the postseason and coach Mike Neighbors talked about that Thursday afternoon ahead of Sunday’s game with Ole Miss.
Martin, Kjerstad, named to ‘USA Baseball’ preseason watch list for top player
FAYETTEVILLE — Heston Kjerstad and Casey Martin have been named to the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List, given to the top amateur baseball player in the country.
Arkansas has had 10 players land on the preseason watch list in the award’s history, as the duo was also named to last year’s opening watch list.
One Razorback has won the accolade, as Andrew Benintendi took home the 2015 edition.
A junior from Amarillo, Texas, Kjerstad put together a .327 batting average last year over 65 starts, leading the team in hits (87) and home runs (17).
It was the second consecutive season he’s tallied 87 knocks, as he drove in 51 RBIs and scored 53 runs in 2019.
With his 58 RBIs in 2018, the feat made him the first Razorback to have 50 or more in his first two seasons since Rodney Nye in 1988 and 1999.
He finished the year with 24 multi-hit performances, good for third on the team, with half of his multi-hit games consisting of three or more. Kjerstad finished the 2019 season as a Second Team All-SEC honoree.
Martin, a junior from Lonoke, Arkansas, finished his sophomore season with a .286-.548-.364 line at the plate, starting all 66 games.
He tallied 81 hits, 40 for extra bases with 21 doubles, four triples and 15 homers. Martin also recorded 57 RBIs and scored 67 runs, both figures ranking second on the squad last season.
He earned All-SEC Second Team honors as a sophomore after hitting .295 in conference play with 38 hits, 28 runs and a team-high nine homers and 22 RBIs.
Martin tied for the team lead in multi-hit performances with 26 and was second in multi-RBI games with 16. Overall, his 155 total bases were good enough for 15th in the NCAA last season.
Both Kjerstad and Martin were picked to the SEC Coaches Preseason All-SEC First Team and were slotted as Preseason All-Americans by all five outlets.
The 2020 schedule starts with Eastern Illinois for the second-straight season, beginning on Friday, Feb. 14, at 2 p.m. at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Information from Razorback Sports Communications is included in this story.
Jones named to final 30 for men’s player of year award from Atlanta Tipoff Club
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas junior Mason Jones is one of 30 players named to the midseason list for the 2020 Citizen Naismith Trophy, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Thursday.
Ten semifinalists for the 2020 Citizen Naismith Trophy for Men’s Player of the Year will be announced on March 5 and the finalists will be revealed on March 17.
The winner will be announced on April 5 at the Naismith Awards Brunch in Atlanta.
Jones, who ranks second in the NCAA in free throws made (154), currently leads the SEC in scoring (20.0 ppg) and is the only player in the league to lead his team in scoring, rebounding (6.0 avg.), assists (77) and steals (39).
He also the only player in the SEC to rank among the league’s top 20 in both scoring (1st) and rebounding (20th) while also ranking among the league’s top 11 in steals (6th; 1.7 avg.) and assists (11th; 3.3 avg.).
The Desoto, Texas, native additionally ranks among the SEC leaders in free throw percentage (6th; 82.4 percent), defensive rebounds (6th; 1.54 avg.), 3-point field goals made per game (8th, 2.0 avg.), field goals made (8th; 130) and field goal percentage (11th; 42.5 percent).
Jones, a three-time SEC Player of the Week in 2019-20, has scored at least 30 points five times this season, including 41 points versus Tulsa and 40 versus Alabama.
He is just the third SEC player over the last 30 years to have multiple 40-point games. Others include Kentucky Jodie Meeks (3) and LSU’s Shaquille O’Neal (2).
Naismith Trophy 2020 Midseason Team
• Precious Achiuwa (Memphis)
• Udoka Azubuike (Kansas)
• Kamar Baldwin (Butler)
• Saddiq Bey (Villanova)
• Jared Butler (Baylor)
• Vernon Carey (Duke)
• Ayo Dosunmu (Illinois)
• Devon Dotson (Kansas)
• Anthony Edwards (Georgia)
• Malachi Flynn (San Diego State)
• Jordan Ford (St. Mary’s)
• Luka Garza (Iowa)
• Markus Howard (Marquette)
• Mason Jones (Arkansas)
• Tre Jones (Duke)
• Nathan Knight (William & Mary)
• John Mooney (Notre Dame)
• Jordan Nwora (Louisville)
• Daniel Oturu (Minnesota)
• Filip Petrusev (Gonzaga)
• Myles Powell (Seton Hall)
• Payton Pritchard (Oregon)
• Nick Richards (Kentucky)
• Fatts Russell (Rhode Island)
• Jalen Smith (Maryland)
• Lamar Stevens (Penn State)
• Isaiah Stewart (Washington)
• Obi Toppin (Dayton)
• Kaleb Wesson (Ohio State)
• Cassius Winston (Michigan State)
Information from Razorback Sports Communications is included in this story.
Bud Light Seltzer Morning Rush Podcast — Barry Odom’s presence, Richard Davenport, plus V-Day advice
Tye & Clay on what Barry Odom brings to the table, Richard Davenport talks recruiting, plus V-Day advice from Clay!
