Arkansas coach Mike Anderson talked with the media Thursday about the Hogs getting close to a win against the Wildcats on Tuesday night and upcoming game with Rebels.
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Thursday
John & Tommy talk SEC basketball, Mike Anderson’s exchange, plus Richard Davenport!
Big two-out fifth inning lifts Hogs to runaway win over Memphis
FAYETTEVILLE — A seven-run fifth inning with the help of three Memphis errors gave Arkansas the opening it needed to run away with a 10-3 victory Wednesday night in Baum-Walker Stadium.
Arkansas (5-1) was actually trailing Memphis (2-5), 2-1, going into the fifth inning, but was able to put seven-consecutive batters on base, three by walks and four by singles to help put up a crooked number.
Freshman Trey Harris, making his first collegiate start, got the rally going with a two-out walk, followed by a pinch-hit walk by Casey Opitz. Then, Jack Kenley drove in two with a base hit up the middle, followed by a walk by Jacob Nesbit. Christian Franklin and Heston Kjerstad each drove in two more runs of their own to finish off the seven-run frame.
It’s the second-most runs scored in an inning by Arkansas year and the fourth time its has plated four or more runs in one frame.
With the win, Arkansas extends its winning streak over Memphis to six games dating back to 2015. Over the six-game stretch, the Razorbacks have beaten the Tigers by a combined score of 55-24, scoring 10 or more runs in three of those games.
Graduate transfer Trevor Ezell led all Razorback hitters, going 3-for-5 at the plate with one RBI and one run scored. It’s his third multi-hit game of the year and second of three hits or more. Kenley also came away with his third multi-RBI game of the year as his rally-starting single in the fifth kickstarted the Hogs’ offense.
On the mound, freshman Patrick Wicklander made his first collegiate start and worked three innings, giving up two earned runs on three hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Wicklander gave up a two-run home run in the second inning, but settled down to allow only one baserunner for the remainder of his outing.
Giving the freshmen some work
After Wicklander exited the game and sophomore Zebulon Vermillion pitched two scoreless innings, coach Dave Van Horn called on the freshmen pitchers to finish off the game.
Over the next four innings, Van Horn called on Caden Monke, Jacob Burton, Evan Taylor and Liam Henry with each throwing one inning. Only two hits were allowed over that four-inning stretch and a pinch-hit home run in the ninth was the only blemish.
Monke and Taylor both struck out the side in their outings, making them the second and third freshman Razorback pitchers to do that in their collegiate debut this year.
Two-out rally
Over the last four games, Arkansas’ hitting has been lethal with two outs. Going back to the series-opener against USC, Razorback hitters are batting .308 (16-for-52) and have driven in 20 of their last 28 runs with two away.
Kenley and Franklin lead the team with five two-out RBIs over that same stretch. For the season, Arkansas is batting .313 with two outs.
Speed kills
For the second time in three games, Arkansas used its speed to its advantage stealing five bases with four different players.
Trevor Ezell stole two bases in a game for the second time this year and now has a team-leading six swipes. Casey Martin and Christian Franklin each stole their fourth, while Nesbit stole his first of the season.
Razorback quotables
“I thought we did a really did a nice job of battling a lot of at-bats and really got their pitch counts up. We put together a lot of long at-bats, a lot of full counts, a lot of foul balls. We ended up walking I think nine times, struck out six. Took advantage of a couple of errors and got a few big hits.” — Coach Dave Van Horn on the win over Memphis
“It was a little frustrating in the first inning tonight. We didn’t come through with the big hit. We had a run in with one out and we end up loading the bases. We have an infield fly and I don’t remember the third out. One out, runner on third, you’ve got to get a runner in. That was really frustrating. Because I feel like we had their lefty on the ropes. He might not have made it out of the inning if we had got a hit and broke that thing open. We’ve done a pretty good job this year to find a way to make contact and drive in runs with two outs.” — Van Horn on Arkansas’ two-out hitting
“I think it bothered them. They were real concerned about us running. They threw the lefties at us so you’re gambling a little bit every now and then with the balk-type moves that are usually out there. It’s just harder to run on them. We did a pretty good job of picking and choosing. We took advantage of some guys that weren’t real quick to the plate. We kept getting runners in scoring position and I think the speed definitely bothered them and probably led to an error or two.” — Van Horn on his team’s uptick in steal attempts and good base running
Up Next
Arkansas will be back at Baum-Walker Stadium on Friday to start a three-game series with Stony Brook at 3 p.m.
Saturday’s game two will follow also at 3 p.m., while Sunday’s finale will be at 1 p.m. All games will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
Van Horn said after the Memphis game that was tentative due to the possibility of bad weather this weekend.
Van Horn on Hogs’ explosive fifth inning in 10-3 win over Memphis
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn talked with the media after the seven-run explosion in the fifth inning as the Hogs used six pitchers total in the game.
Vermillion, Ezell, Kenley on Razorbacks getting win over Tigers
Razorbacks Zebulon Vermillion, Trevor Ezell and Jack Kenley talked with the media after the 10-3 win over Memphis about the big plays they made in the big fifth inning Wednesday.
Neighbors previews Thursday night’s home finale against Mizzou
Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors talked with the media Wednesday in advance of the second matchup of the year with the Tigers, who will be the final opponent at Bud Walton Arena this year.
???? Wednesday Halftime Pod — featuring Southeast Hoops Blake Lovell
Phil Elson & Tye Richardson hit on the Kentucky meltdown, interview Blake Lovell of Southeast Hoops, plus Change My Mind!
Four Razorbacks will be putting talents on display at NFL Combine
FAYETTEVILLE — Four Razorbacks will take their talents to the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine this weekend and Monday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Offensive lineman Hjalte Froholdt, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, cornerback Ryan Pulley and defensive lineman Armon Watts were all invited to this year’s combine as they prepare for their next phase of football. It is the most Arkansas players selected to the event since 2017.
Froholdt anchored the offensive line for the last three years, participating in 2,446 snaps and did not allow a sack in 1,291 pass blocking plays since 2016.
Greenlaw, a Fayetteville native, started in 38 games over his four-year career for the Razorbacks, the most of any student-athlete on last year’s roster, finishing with 320 total tackles, which led all active defenders in the SEC last season.
Pulley was a lockdown defender in space against opposing offenses, racking up 95 total tackles while recording six interceptions in 1,543 total snaps played on defense for the Razorbacks.
Watts burst onto the scene for Arkansas last season, having one of the most memorable senior years by a Razorback, pacing the team with 7.0 sacks, good for 10th-most in a single season on the Hill and most by an Arkansas defender since 2015.
He finished the year with 49 tackles, 8.5 for loss, while also forcing a team-high three fumbles.
The first two days of the combine includes orientations, interviews, measurements and medical exams for the participants, before moving into physical workouts and on-field activities on Feb. 28.
Froholdt will work out on the field on Friday, March 1, Greenlaw and Watts on March 3 and Pulley on March 4.
NFL Network will carry coverage of the events beginning at 8 a.m. each morning.
Hogs set to begin long homestand Wednesday afternoon against Tigers
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas returns home this week after its first road trip of 2019 and will start a 14-game homestand with a single midweek contest against Memphis on Wednesday at Baum-Walker Stadium.
First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. and will be broadcast on SEC Network+ and can be heard on ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.
The Razorbacks (5-1) are coming home after taking two games of a three-game series with the USC Trojans last week, their first road series win since 2017.
All three games last week at Dedeaux Field were decided by three runs or less and the Hogs nearly swept the Trojans before succumbing to a 10th-inning walk-off home run in the final game, suffering their first loss of the year.
Memphis (2-4) comes into the game after splitting a doubleheader with Southern Illinois on Sunday. This will be the fifth-straight year that Arkansas and Memphis will meet on the diamond going back to 2015.
Arkansas won last year’s contest at AutoZone Park, 8-7, and have won 11 of the last 12 games in the series.
Follow Live
Wednesday’s game will be available on SEC Network+ via the Watch ESPN app and WatchESPN.com. Brett Dolan and Troy Eklund will call the action.
Phil Elson and Bubba Carpenter will have the radio call on the Razorback Sports Network. Fans can listen to the radio call via the Razorback Gameday app.
Pregame coverage begins 30 minutes prior to first pitch.
Probable Starters
Wed. | 9 p.m. | (ARK) LHP Patrick Wicklander (0-0, 6.23 ERA, 6 K, 2 BB) vs. (MEM) LHP Danny Denz (0-0, 6.75 ERA, 2 K, 1 BB)
Razorbacks head west, down Trojans
Arkansas went west last week to face USC in a three-game series and came away with its first road series win since 2017. The Hogs won games one and two 6-3 and 8-6, respectively, and nearly swept the Trojans before a 10th-inning walk-off homer thwarted that plan.
It was the first road series win for the Hogs since they took 2-of-3 from Alabama in Tuscaloosa in April of 2017.
Scroggins the starter?
After week one’s weather forced a throwing schedule change for Arkansas’ usual rotation, Cody Scroggins was penciled in to start game one against USC last week.
Scroggins stuck out the side in the first inning and totaled two more strikeouts in each of the second and third innings. Only two batters reached base before the fourth inning and before Arkansas went to the bullpen.
Both Scroggins’ innings pitched and strikeouts were career highs.
Against Memphis
Wednesday will mark the 30th all-time meeting between Arkansas and Memphis dating back to 1964.
Last year, the Hogs and Tigers played one game at AutoZone Park in Memphis with Arkansas winning 8-7.
Arkansas has won 11 of the last 12 meetings against Memphis and has scored 10 or more runs three times during that streak.
February success
Since Dave Van Horn took over for the Razorbacks in 2003, Arkansas have played through the month of February with one loss or better 12 times, including six undefeated years.
The Hogs are 117-18 in the first month of the year under Van Horn. Last year, the team went 6-2 in February and hit .310 as a team.
Fire on the basepaths
Last week against USC, Arkansas took advantage of its speed by stealing 11 bases, five coming in the game two victory. The five steals were the most by an Arkansas team in one game since stealing six against New Orleans on Feb. 19, 2013.
Last year, Arkansas stole 39 bases, its second-lowest total since 1972, but is well on pace to surpass that this year.
Trevor Ezell leads all Arkansas players with four stolen bases, ranking fourth in the SEC and the 15 team steals are second-most in the league.
Up Next
Arkansas continues its homestand this weekend with a three-game series against Stony Brook at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Friday and Saturday’s first pitches are scheduled for 3 p.m., while Sunday’s first pitch will be at 1 p.m.
All games will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Wednesday
John & Tommy discuss the Kentucky loss, takes calls, plus What’s Your Beer Wednesday!
