Razorbacks open run to Omaha in NCAA Regional at Baum-Walker
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas is set for its 31st NCAA Tournament appearance in program history this weekend, starting with Central Connecticut State at 1 p.m.
You can hear the game on ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home. It will be televised on ESPN3.
Matchup: No. 1 Arkansas vs. No. 4 Central Connecticut St.
TV: ESPN3 >> WatchESPNApp
Talent: Jim Barbar (PXP), Scott Pose (Analyst)
Radio: ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home
Probable Starters: (ARK) RHP Connor Noland (2-4) vs. (CCSU) RHP Brandon Fox (3-5)
Along with NEC champion Central Connecticut, two-seed and Pac-12 foe California, as well as three-seed TCU from the Big 12 make up the regional field with the Razorbacks.
This is the first time the Razorbacks have faced the Blue Devils in their histories and the first time Arkansas has faced a team from the NEC in the NCAA Tournament since facing Bryant in the 2013 Manhattan Regional.
Arkansas could potentially face California on the second or third day, which would mark the first time the Hogs have faced the Golden Bears since a midweek series in Berkeley, California, in 2014.
This is also not the first time Cal has played in Fayetteville as it played a three-game series in 2009, a series the Razorbacks won, 2-1.
As for TCU, the series history between the Hogs and Horned Frogs dates back to 1961 during its Southwest Conference day.
Arkansas leads the all-time series 45-19, but have only played once since 1995. Arkansas and TCU have never met in the NCAA Tournament, but this will be the first time the Horned Frogs have played in Fayetteville since 1995.
Super Regional matchup
The winner of the Fayetteville Regional will advance to the Super Regional against the winner of the Oxford Regional that features No. 1 Ole Miss, No. 2 Illinois, No. 3 Clemson and No. 4 Jacksonville State.
Friday’s probable starter Connor Noland
Freshman right-hander Connor Noland will get the ball for Arkansas’ opening game of the 2019 NCAA Fayetteville Regional.
Noland was chosen by coach Dave Van Horn to make the start against Central Connecticut State earlier this week and comes in with a 3.71 ERA in 16 starts and has struck out 51 over 68 innings with 13 walks.
Last week, he made the start against Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament and gave up just one earned run on two hits over five innings.
Since his start against Vanderbilt (April 14), Noland leads all Razorback pitchers with a 1.56 ERA and has two victories in seven starts. He’s also given up a team-low six earned runs and walked three.
Player to watch – centerfielder Dominic Fletcher
Fletcher has started all 58 games this year and is hitting .316 with 10 home runs and 22 doubles, which are all on pace to finish as career-bests for the California native.
Fletcher has hit 10 or more home runs in each of his three seasons as a Hog and currently leads all SEC players with his 22 doubles.
Fletcher only has three hits in his last six games, but prior to that had 29 hits in his previous 17 games and had his average as high as .333.
2019 NCAA Fayetteville Regional Schedule
Friday, May 31
Game 1 – No. 1 Arkansas vs. No. 4 Central Connecticut, 1 p.m. CT (ESPN3)
Game 2 – No. 2 California vs. No. 3 TCU, 6 p.m. CT (ESPN3)
Saturday, June 1
Game 3 – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 12 p.m.
Game 4 – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 6 p.m.
Sunday, June 2
Game 5 – Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 2 p.m.
Game 6 – Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 4, 8 p.m.
Monday, June 3
Game 7 – Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 (if necessary), 6 p.m.
RAZORBACK PRIME 9
• Arkansas is making its 31st appearance overall in the NCAA Tournament this weekend and 16th in the last 17 years. This is the eighth time Fayetteville has been selected to host a regional and first time it has been selected in three-straight years..
• 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.
• Nine different Razorbacks were named to the various All-SEC teams with six being named to the 12-man All-SEC Second Team. Overall, Arkansas had 11 selections among the All-SEC, All-Freshman and All-Defense Teams, a school record.
• Trevor Ezell, Casey Martin, Matt Cronin, Heston Kjerstad, Matt Goodheart and Dominic Fletcher were all named to the All-SEC Second Team. It’s the third-straight year with an All-SEC selection for Fletcher and second for Kjerstad and Martin.
• Over the last two seasons, Arkansas has had the pleasure of playing 11 NCAA Tournament games at Baum-Walker Stadium. In those 11 games, the Razorbacks have hit .298 as a team and are averaging 6.9 runs per game.
• Isaiah Campbell was left off the All-SEC lists, but had numbers that would rank among the best in the SEC and in Arkansas history. At 10-1, Campbell’s win total, innings pitched (95.0), ERA (2.37) and strikeouts (100) are all top-10 totals in the SEC.
• Campbell topped the 100-strikeout total for the year last week in the SEC Tournament. It’s the third-straight year Arkansas has had a pitcher total 100 or more strikeouts in a season (T. Stephan, B. Knight) and Campbell needs five more to crack into the top-10 all-time totals in school history.
• 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 78 home runs, which ranks second in the SEC and 12th in the nation.
• Freshman Connor Noland will get the call to start the regional-opener for Arkansas against Central Connecitcut State. Noland has the most starts on the pitching staff and has worked five or more innings in four of his last six starts.
???? Thursday Halftime Pod — Featuring Bob Holt
Phil & Tye discuss the Razorback foundation donations being down, interview Bob Holt, plus Halftime Homework!
Noland on when he was told about starting NCAA Regional
Razorbacks pitcher Connor Noland talked after Thursday’s practice about when he was told he was starting against Central Connecticut, but it’s no difference in preparing.
Morris adds former coach, Nebraska star Gill to Hogs’ staff
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas coach Chad Morris has added a former head coach in Turner Gill to his staff as the executive director of student-athlete and staff development.
Gill will provide direct oversight for football student-athlete programming designed to foster leadership, personal accountability, social development, academic direction, self-identity and awareness along with emotional intelligence.
He will also provide guidance and development to the coaching and support staffs while engaging the Arkansas community and Razorbacks football alumni.
“Adding someone with Turner’s experience and knowledge to our staff is going to provide a tremendous boost for our student-athletes and our staff,” Morris said. “From his time as a player at Nebraska to working in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers to serving as a head coach, he has so much to offer our athletes, coaches and staff.
“We’re excited for him to be a Razorback and have him help build our culture.”
The former Nebraska star quarterback made three stops as a head coach beginning at Buffalo in 2006. He led the Bulls to the school’s first Mid-American Conference championship and bowl game while also recruiting Khalil Mack to campus.
Gill coached at Kansas for two seasons before taking over a Liberty program transitioning from FCS to FBS.
The Flames won four conference championships and earned the program’s first-ever FCS playoff berth before moving into the FBS level, where the team became just the ninth team in NCAA history to win six-plus games in its first FBS season.
Gill’s coaching career began with the Cornhuskers, serving first as a graduate assistant in 1990 then as a full-time assistant from 1992-2004. He tutored 2001 Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch and 1995 Heisman Trophy runner-up Tommie Frazier while helping Nebraska to three national championships (1994, 1995, 1997).
Gill also spent time in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers serving as the team’s director of player development in 2005 when the team selected Aaron Rodgers.
“I am thrilled to become a part of the Razorback family,” Gill said. “When I retired from head coaching, I knew that I still wanted to be involved in athletics in some way. This job could not have been more perfect for what I believe I was called to do.
“It is a blessing to be able to work with student-athletes to prepare them for success both on and off the field, for the rest of their lives.”
As a player, Gill was an All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist for the Cornhuskers in the early 1980s. He also played shortstop for a single season at Nebraska before playing three years professionally in the Cleveland Indians’ organization.
The Razorbacks kick off the second year under Morris with the first of six games in Fayetteville on August 31 against Portland State.
Hogs’ opener set for afternoon start; two more times set
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ game times and television networks for the first three weeks of the 2019 season have been set and it will likely be hot for the season opener.
The Razorbacks kick off the 2019 season on August 31 against Portland State at 3 p.m. on the SEC Network.
Following the first-ever match up with the Vikings, Arkansas travels to Ole Miss for an early season Southeastern Conference test on September 7. The Hogs and Rebels will play on the SEC Network in prime time at 6:30 p.m.
The Hogs return home the following week to host Colorado State at 3 p.m. on the SEC Network.
The Rams make the return trip to Arkansas as part of a home-and-home series after the Razorbacks travelled to Fort Collins last season.
• Week 1 – August 31 – Portland State – 3 p.m. – SEC Network
• Week 2 – September 7 – at Ole Miss – 6:30 p.m. – SEC Network
• Week 3 – September 14 – Colorado State – 3 p.m. – SEC Network
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Thursday
John & Tommy discuss the SEC conference basketball schedule, Officer Breeden gives a weather update, plus DVH joins the show!
Hogs’ Storms named second-team All-American by coaches
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas junior right-handed pitcher Autumn Storms was named to the All-America second team by the National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association on Wednesday afternoon.
Storms was selected at the at-large pitcher position and becomes the first All-American under fourth-year coach Courtney Deifel and only the second in program history.
Storms had a team-best 1.54 regular-season overall ERA and a 1.60 ERA against SEC opponents. She dominated the circle in conference play, ranking first among SEC pitchers for walks allowed per seven innings and strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Storms recorded 15 complete games over the course of her junior campaign, including four shutouts en route to her 20-9 record.
“Autumn had an exceptional year,” said Deifel. ” I am so incredibly proud of her, not just for her performance this year but of the work she put in and the commitment she made to make this award possible.”
Storms signed off on the 2019 season after having the most successful year of her career, with season-bests in ERA (1.63), victories (20), complete games (15), shutouts (4), walks (29), strikeouts (172), and opponent batting average (.228).
She has already written her name in the record books as well after recording only 1.01 walks allowed per seven innings this season, Storms slides into second all-time at Arkansas for walks per seven innings pitched (1.29).
“Not only is this an exciting recognition for Autumn, but it is also a really big day for this program and her teammates,” added Deifel.
Storms joins Miranda Dixon as the only Razorbacks to earn All-America honors. Dixon garnered the award in 2010 as a third-team selection.
The recognition is the third postseason award for Storms as she earned a spot on the NFCA All- South Region first team and was an All-SEC second team selection as well.
Storms highlighted her junior year with a career-high 13 strikeouts against Southeast Missouri early in the season (Feb. 21) and crucial wins against SEC opponents: Ole Miss, South Carolina, Kentucky, LSU and Auburn.
The Temecula, California, native also earned mid-season recognition as a two-time SEC Pitcher of the Week.
Storms recorded a 3-0 week against UTA and No. 18 Kentucky in addition to posting a 2-0 showing against No. 23 Auburn in the final SEC series of the season to earn the awards.
Noland’s start Friday as much about his improvement as anything
There were some eyebrows raised Wednesday afternoon when the news broke that freshman Connor Noland would be starting the NCAA Regional opener Friday.
It all starts on the hill. ????
Connor Noland gets the ball in game one followed by Isaiah Campbell in game two. #OmaHogsSZN pic.twitter.com/DajLVrzDKZ
— Razorback Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) May 29, 2019
Dave Van Horn usually starts his ace, which would be Isaiah Campbell in this case.
Instead, he’s going with Noland against noted powerhouse Central Connecticut State. Some have taken that to mean Van Horn feels he didn’t need to start Campbell in this one and can save him for the second day of the tournament.
Kole Ramage can be excused for getting his hopes up. He seemed to be the beneficiary during a stretch where Noland would go 4.2 innings in a game, then Ramage would come in and pick up a win.
By the time Noland finally got his first win on April 16 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff when he worked just two innings and got the win, thanks in large part to a five-run start in the first inning by the offense.
He joked after the game to the scorer he didn’t want that to be his first win and was told it was pity win. It was done in a lighthearted manner.
The reality is, though, Noland has gotten better through the season. His ERA of 3.71 is second best on the team behind Campbell. More importantly, he’s given up less than a hit per inning pitched over the course of the year.
Then there’s Van Horn, who is at the stage of the season where he makes more good decisions than bad ones. Don’t take that as a negative. Every coach has a few along the way he wouldn’t do again with 20-20 hindsight.
Either way it goes Friday, Van Horn will have Campbell on Friday. The odds are it will be to put the Razorbacks in a position where they only have to win one game over possibly two days to advance to a Super Regional.
Van Horn is breaking a trend where he’s started his ace on the opening day of the regional the last few years.
Based on the track record, following Van Horn’s hunches usually works out pretty good.
