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Moore bounces back from injury for third at NCAA Championships

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Moore bounces back from injury for third at NCAA Championships

AUSTIN, Texas — Senior Gabe Moore battled back from an injury at the SEC Championships to earn an All-American finish in the decathlon to close out his career Thursday night at the NCAA Championships.

Moore capped a spectacular career with a third-place finish in the Decathlon scoring 7,780-points over 10 events to ear his First-Team All-American honors.

Following a runner-up finish at the Indoor Championships, Moore trekked through the regular season eying a chance to earn the SEC title.

An untimely injury during the pole vault at the SEC Decathlon caused Moore to score zero points in two events and left him with a fifth-place finish at the conference meet.

A month later, Moore returned to action at the NCAA Championships to close out his career on a very high note.

“I can’t tell you how thrilled I am for him for that kind of effort over the last two days,” said coach Chris Bucknam. “He was unable to complete the Decathlon at the SEC meet which was devastating enough for him as a senior, that was a tough pill to swallow. But our training staff jumped right in a went to work.

“I can’t say enough about our medical staff and the hard work and dedication they put in with Gabe to get him back to competition shape. Between Mario [Sategna] and our training staff, they did a fantastic job of getting him ready to go physically and mentally in a little over three and a half weeks.

“Not only did Gabe do everything he could do but he did it with a smile and a great attitude. He never doubted his coach or the rehab that he went through to get back.

“I know this was a meet he wanted to win, he was the runner-up at the indoor meet, but to go through what he did at the SEC meet and battle back to a third-place finish was one of the great efforts I’ve seen in my coaching career.

“I’m really proud of him, and can’t say enough about what he did for this program and his teammates.”

Moore posted marks of 15.02 (110mH), 46.21m/151-7 (discus), 4.41m/14-5.50 (pole vault), 59.53m/195-3 (javelin), and 4:44.34 in the 1,500-meters.

Arkansas will return to the track tomorrow where the 4×100-meter relay, Cameron Griffith in the 1,500-meters and the 4×400-meter relay will compete in the finals of the NCAA Championships.

It’s Ole Miss standing in Razorbacks’ path to another Omaha trip

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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It’s Ole Miss standing in Razorbacks’ path to another Omaha trip

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas is set for its eighth Super Regional appearance in program history this weekend, welcoming Ole Miss to town with a College World Series appearance on the line at Baum-Walker Stadium.

The Hogs and Rebels will face off in a best-of-three series starting on Saturday with first pitch set for 11 a.m. on ESPN. Game two will be at 2 p.m. on Sunday on ESPNU.

If necessary, game three will be on Monday at 3 p.m., on ESPN2.

You can listen to all of the games on ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.

Matchup: 5-seed Arkansas vs. 12-seed Ole Miss
TV: ESPN (Sat.), ESPNU (Sun.), ESPN2 (Mon.) >> WatchESPNApp
Talent: Clay Matvick (PXP), Todd Walker (Analyst)
Radio: Razorback Sports Network from Learfield/IMG College
Probable Starters for Game One: (ARK) RHP Isaiah Campbell (11-1) vs. (OM) RHP Will Etheridge (7-6)

Arkansas is fresh off a clean sweep of the Fayetteville Regional with wins over Central Connecticut (11-5) and two wins over TCU (3-1, 6-0).

The Razorback starting pitching was on point throughout the weekend as the trio of Isaiah Campbell, Connor Noland and Patrick Wicklander combined for a 0.99 ERA over 18.1 innings and struck out 17.

Campbell tied his career-best outing, going eight innings with eight strikeouts against the Horned Frogs.

The Razorbacks are making their eighth appearance in a super regional in school history and first time in back-to-back years.

This week will mark the fourth time Arkansas has ever hosted the super regional round (2004, 2015, 2018, 2019) and are 6-2 in those games.

On the flip side, Ole Miss comes in as the winner of the Oxford Regional, sweeping the field in their own right with wins over Jacksonville State (16-2, 19-4) and Clemson (6-1).

The Rebels are appearing in their sixth Super Regional and first since 2014.

This will be the sixth time Arkansas and Ole Miss have faced off this year, including a three-game series at Baum Stadium and two games in the SEC Tournament.

The Rebels are the only team to beat the Razorbacks in a series at home this year and have won each of their last two series in Baum-Walker Stadium (2017, 2019).

The two teams split a pair of games at the SEC Tournament before Ole Miss reached the SEC Tournament final for the second-straight year.

What’s at stake

The winner of the Fayetteville Super Regional will advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.

The team that advances will play the winner of the Baton Rouge Super Regional between LSU and Florida State in their first game of the College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park.

Saturday’s probable starter — RHP Isaiah Campbell

Redshirt junior right-hander Isaiah Campbell will get the ball for Arkansas’ opening game of the 2019 NCAA Super Regional, making his 17th start of the year.

Campbell has been the Hogs’ No. 1 starter from the season opener and has solidified himself as one of the best pitchers in the nation.

Last week, he had his best outing of the season, going eight innings against TCU and giving up just one run on four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts.

It was his 13th quality start of the year. Campbell was drafted in the Competitive Balance Round B earlier this week to the Seattle Mariners, No. 76 overall.

Player to watch — INF Jack Kenley

Junior infielder Jack Kenley has had a career year at the plate this season and its continued into the postseason.

In last week’s regional, Kenley had two hits in all three games, leading the team with a .600 average with two doubles and two RBIs. After hitting .133 his freshman year and .222 his sophomore year, Kenley has exploded to hit .324 this season with 12 home runs and 50 RBIs.

Kenley didn’t have a home run before this season, but is now third on the team in longballs and was drafted in the eighth round by the Detroit Tigers earlier this week.

Fayetteville Super Regional Schedule

Saturday, June 8
Game 1 – Ole Miss vs. Arkansas (ESPN) | LIVE STATS | WATCH

Sunday, June 9
Game 2 – Arkansas vs. Ole Miss – 2 p.m. CT (ESPNU)

Monday, June 10
Game 3 (if necessary) – Ole Miss vs. Arkansas – 3 p.m. CT (ESPN2)

RAZORBACK PRIME 9

• Arkansas is playing in its eighth NCAA Super Regional in school history and hosting for the fourth time. Fayetteville has hosted Super Regionals in 2018 (vs. South Carolina), 2015 (vs. Missouri St.) and 2004 (vs. Florida St.).

• The Razorbacks won a share of the SEC Western Division title for the second-straight year, finishing with a 20-10 conference record. It’s Arkansas’ sixth division title in school history and fifth under Dave Van Horn.

• The Razorbacks swept through the NCAA Fayetteville Regional last week and has won four of their last six games. Over that stretch, the Hogs have a 2.42 ERA and opponents are hitting just .157 against the Razorback pitching staff.

• Arkansas and Ole Miss have never faced off in the NCAA Tournament, but the Razorbacks have faced SEC opponents nine times in the tournament and are 4-5 in those games.

• A Super Regional win this weekend over Ole Miss will give Arkansas its 10th College World Series appearance in school history and sixth under head coach Dave Van Horn.

• Over the last three seasons, Arkansas has had the pleasure of playing 14 NCAA Tournament games at Baum-Walker Stadium. In those 14 games, the Razorbacks have hit .301 as a team and are averaging 6.9 runs per game.

• Combined last week, Arkansas starters (Campbell, Noland, Wicklander) had a combined 0.99 ERA over 18.1 innings and struck out 17, while walking only 2 for an 8.5 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

• Isaiah Campbell had his best outing of the year and tie for his best of his career last week, going eight innings against TCU and giving up just one run on four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. It was his 13th quality start this year.

• The Razorbacks weren’t expected to hit as many home runs as last year’s record-setting team (98), but have still set a good pace going into the NCAA Regionals. As a team, Arkansas has hit 81 home runs, which ranks second in the SEC and 11th in the nation.

Van Horn after Hogs’ final practice getting ready for super regional

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn talked with the media after the final practice session before squaring off with Ole Miss on Saturday morning.

???? Friday Halftime Pod — Featuring David Kellum (6-7-2019)

Tye Richardson
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???? Friday Halftime Pod — Featuring David Kellum (6-7-2019)

Phil Elson & Tye Richardson if the season is a failure is the Hogs don’t end up in Omaha, David Kellum, and more!

Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Friday

Tye Richardson
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Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Friday

Eddie in Clarksville rings the bell early, Nick Mason reacts to the rule changes, Scott Tabor joins and more!

Hoggard takes NCAA title in women’s pole vault Thursday

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Hoggard takes NCAA title in women’s pole vault Thursday

AUSTIN, Texas — A career’s worth of hard work and tireless dedication paid off for senior Tori Hoggard who is the newest National Champion in the pole vault following Thursday night’s action at the 2019 NCAA Championships.

Starting with the women’s pole vault. Arkansas added another National Champion to the history books as Tori Hoggard forever etched her name in stone as the 2019 NCAA pole vault champion.

Hoggard entered the meet having cleared a season-best 4.50m (14-9) in a runner-up finish at the Texas Relays. Hoggard left with a new outdoor PR of 4.56m (14-11.50) and an NCAA title.

The title for Hoggard is the first of her career and the fifth for Arkansas over the last four years adding to the four individual titles by Lexi Jacobus.

Jacobus, who competed in this competition, finished T-9th clearing 4.20m (13-9.25) alongside teammate Desiree Freier who cleared an identical height to tie for ninth as well.

“I just came into today wanting to have fun,” said Hoggard. “It’s my last NCAA Championship and I’m a senior. I told myself just go have fun and whatever happens, happens and I think that played to my advantage. I went in with calm nerves, and when I found out I won it was a flow of emotions. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. Obviously, I’ve seen Lexi do it four times, am I was just really excited to have my chance,” Hoggard continued.

Taylor Werner earned First-Team All-American honors in the 10K as she stormed down the homestretch to take fourth-place.

Werner was amongst the lead pack for the entire duration of the race and with 800-meters to go looked as if she could challenge for the title.

New Mexico’s finished as the NCAA Champion running 33:10.84 while Werner crossed the line just a short while later in 33:20.68

Devin Clark advanced to the final of the 3,000-meter steeplechase running a time of 9:54.93Q to automatically advance grabbing a top-five finish in her heat.

This is the second straight NCAA Steeplechase final, third-overall, for Clark who earned Second-Team All-American honors last season.

The Razorback 4×100-meter relay of Tamara Kuykendall, Payton Chadwick, Janeek Brown and Kiara Parker combined to run 42.65Q, a new school record.

The semifinal featured a new combination for Arkansas as Kuykendall replaced Parker on the leadoff leg while Parker moved to anchor to replace Kethlin Campbell who usually totes the baton across the line.

Janeek Brown put together a phenomenal day Thursday afternoon at Mike. A. Myers Stadium. She got the day started with the aforementioned 4×100-meter relay, running a burner of a third leg to propel the Razorbacks to the final.

She continued her day with a new NCAA-Leading time of 12.53 in the 100-meter hurdles. Her time finished as a facility record, school record and lifetime-best for the sophomore.

With her final run, Brown narrowly missed the best single-day 100H/200 double in world history. The Kingston, Jamaica native needed to run 22.47 to topple Jackie Joyner-Kersee, ended up clocking a 22.51Q to advance in the event.

She will compete in three events on Saturday afternoon.

Payton Chadwick, who handed the baton to Brown on the 4×100-meter relay found herself advancing in the 100-meter hurdles as well.

The 2018 60-meter hurdles National Champion ran a time of 12.84 to advance on time posting the seventh-best performance in the semifinal.

A USATF finalist in the 100-meters last year, Kiara Parker can add ‘NCAA Finalist’ to her resume as the senior grabbed a spot in the final of the 100-meters that has eluded her over her career.

Parker exploded out of the blocks running with the lead through the first 20-meters before settling in the pack and crossing the line in 11.14, missing her lifetime-best by one one-thousandth of a second (0.01).

The SEC Champion at 400-meters, Kethlin Campbell will compete for an opportunity at an NCAA title in the quarter-mile after finishing her semifinal in 51.95 seconds to advance to the final. Campbell’s time was the seventh-fastest in the semifinal.

Paris Peoples, Parker, Chadwick, and Campbell automatically advanced to the final of the 4×400-meters running 3:31.18 for a second-place finish in the opening heat of the semifinals. Arkansas finished with the fourth-fastest time on the night.

G’Auna Edwards took 15th-place earning Second-Team All-American honors in the long jump with a best leap of 6.18m (20-3.50).

Through five events scored, Arkansas leads the way with 15-points.

PLACE WOMEN [5 out of 21 scored] SCORE
1 Arkansas 15
2 Arizona State 12
2 Washington 12
4 Ohio State 11
5 California 10
5 New Mexico 10
5 Oregon 10
5 Florida 10

Arkansas returns to action on Saturday as the Razorbacks compete on Championship Saturday looking to add another championship to the program.

Fans cautiously optimistic as Hogs face roadblock to Omaha

Andy Hodges
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Fans cautiously optimistic as Hogs face roadblock to Omaha

When the NCAA baseball brackets came out before last week’s regionals, Arkansas fans could only sigh when they saw that if everything played out like it has, Ole Miss would be coming to town.

Dave Van Horn knew getting this team back to Omaha for another College World Series was not going to be easy.

He probably would have preferred someone from a different conference, but has refused to complain about being the only team in the SEC to draw a conference opponent in a Super Regional.

Many fans just shrug and consider it the Hogs’ luck.

Oh, the fans are optimistic. Eddie in Clarksville has probably already predicted victory, but most are, for lack of a better term, cautiously optimistic.

It’s those pesky Rebels that keep this from being an overwhelming crisis of over-confidence. They were the only league team to come into Baum-Walker and win a series, taking the last two games of the series back at the end of March.

Arkansas has ace Isaiah Campbell starting Saturday morning’s opening game. Van Horn likes to start fast in these short series and that’s the best way to go against the Rebels. He did slow down the Rebels back in March.

But if Ole Miss’ bats get hot as they have done at the end of the season, well, things may get really interesting quick.

The key to this all-important series that sends one team to Omaha is going to be whether the Razorbacks can get their bats going. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Rebels are going to be able to get runs on the board.

The Hogs had some mysterious lack of production at times at the end of the season while Ole Miss has appeared to be on a hot streak at the plate.

The Rebels pushed 23 runs across in the five games with the Hogs this season, including the SEC Tournament. Arkansas scored 20 runs in the five matchups with the Rebels this year.

The numbers say we may be looking at some close games.

Two well-matched teams that are very familiar with each other means there are few surprises between the two teams. Both coaches know what the other wants to do and tends to do.

How is it going to play out?

You’ll get no prediction from this corner. We’re talking baseball here. There is some strategy and decision-making to do and Van Horn is about as good as it gets in that area.

As he says frequently, though, baseball is a funny game. It’s a game of inches at times … literally.

Which is why this series on the road to yet another trip to Omaha should be a good one

 

???? Thursday Halftime Pod — Featuring Bob Holt

Tye Richardson
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???? Thursday Halftime Pod — Featuring Bob Holt

Phil & Tye hit on Jack Kenley’s “primetime” comments, interview Bob Holt, plus Halftime Homework!

Fassi captures Honda Sport award for golf; finalist for top woman athlete

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Fassi captures Honda Sport award for golf; finalist for top woman athlete

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ Maria Fassi won the Honda Sport Award for Golf, announced Thursday by Chris Voelz, executive director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Award.

With her win, Fassi is now a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the 2019 Honda Cup, which will be presented live in Los Angeles on June 24.

The show will air on CBS Sports Network at 8 p.m.

Fassi is just the second Razorback ever to win a Honda Sport Award, and the first to do so in nearly 20 years.

She joins Amy Yoder-Begley, who won Cross Country’s Sport Award back in 2000. Arkansas Women’s Golf Head Coach Shauna Taylor has produced several finalists for the award, including Gabriela Lopez (2015), Emily Tubert (2012), Kelli Shean (2011) and Stacey Lewis (2007 & 2008), but Fassi becomes the first winner in Arkansas Women’s Golf history.

“For Maria to win this award, it says a lot about her impact on the college game and on our program here at Arkansas,” Taylor said. “From the day I met Maria, I knew she was going to change the game and accomplish so many amazing things.

“She has been a model student-athlete on and off the golf course; winning the Honda Award is just further proof of that.  I am so proud of the way she has led our team, but I am even more proud of the woman she has become.”

The Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico, native was spectacular in her final collegiate season, winning both the SEC and NCAA Individual Titles in her last two events played.

Fassi was also the runner-up at the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April.

Due to her masterful performance in her final season in Fayetteville, Fassi won Ping WGCA Player of the Year honors, while also becoming the first golfer ever to win back-to-back ANNIKA awards.

The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 43 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports.

All nominees were chosen through a combination of their NCAA Championship finishes and national golf rankings.

Cronin not focused on draft selection, but advancing in NCAA

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Razorbacks’ reliever Matt Cronin was taken in the fourth round of the MLB draft Tuesday, but is focused more on finishing this season with the championship as the goal.

Kostyshock on being selected by Colorado on second day of draft

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Kostyshock on being selected by Colorado on second day of draft

Razorbacks pitcher Jacob Kostyshock on Wednesday after being selected in the eighth round of the MLB draft by the Rockies, previewing Super Regional.

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