Hogs add graduate transfer receiver from Kansas
Arkansas is adding some immediate help at wide receiver with redshirt sophomore Chase Harrell announcing he’s coming to the Hogs.
Coming for Everything This Year! Thank you @coachchadmorris @coachcraddock @coachjstepp @_kbolden for the opportunity… Y’all getting a Man on a Mission #HammerDown #WPS #TunnelVision pic.twitter.com/gRoLuGAxp0
— dec. 17 (@1ChaseHarrell) June 12, 2018
Harrell, 6-4, 230,
caught 25 passes for 221 yards and three touchdowns last season, announced Tuesday that he will play his final two season as a Razorback and will be immediately eligible.
He took an official visit to Fayetteville on June 3-5.
Harrell, a former Huffman, Texas, three-star prospect who caught five passes for 81 yards as a redshirt freshman after choosing Kansas over Houston, has had a rough few months.
Harrell was at party in December in Houston where his older brother, Cole, was shot and killed. He was arrested on suspension of driving under the influence in month.
He announced on April 13 that he had decided to use his remaining two years of eligibility elsewhere.
“So blessed to say I will be the first person to GRADUATE from college this summer,” Harrell tweeted. “With that being said, with everything I have been through this past 6 months, I’m looking for a FRESH start and have decided to transfer from KU and play my FINAL TWO years at another D1 University.
“To Jayhawk nation, my KU teammates, and coaching staff I want to say thank you for everything and I love y’all. This has nothing to do with the KU program, this is just something I need to do for myself to truly start FRESH and REFOCUS.
“I just want to honor my brother Cole on the football field every time I step on it and I feel the best way to do that is with a FRESH start and a New Beginning.”
Kansas coach David Beaty noted he was fond of Harrell at the time of his transfer announcement.
“He’s done a terrific job of doing everything that we’ve asked him to do and things that we’ve encouraged him to do,” Beaty told the Kansas City Star. “He’s a kid that we all love. He’s adored in our program. The No. 1 goal for us is to help Chase.”
Baum Stadium leads nation in attendance for NCAA’s
FAYETTEVILLE — Baum Stadium hosted nine games during the NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals over the past two weeks, welcoming more fans than any other ballpark in the nation with 89,852 packing the stadium during the two rounds that saw Arkansas advance to the program’s ninth College World Series.
Baum Stadium was one of only five ballparks to host both Regionals and Super Regionals and the only one to surpass 80,000 in total attendance.
In the games featuring the Razorbacks, the average attendance was 10,594 — including 11,473 during Super Regionals.
All three Super Regional crowds exceeded 11,000 and are three of the largest postseason attendances in stadium history.
Including the postseason, attendance at Baum Stadium this season climbed to 311,828.
Arkansas wrapped up the 2018 season with the most home wins in program history, going 34-4 at Baum Stadium.
The Razorbacks open play in Omaha, Nebraska at the College World Series against Texas on Sunday at 1 p.m. at TD Ameritrade Park on ESPN.
Razorbacks blast South Carolina to advance to Omaha
FAYETTEVILLE — For the ninth time in program history and fifth time under coach Dave Van Horn, Arkansas is headed to the College World Series after Monday night’s 14-4 win over South Carolina in Game 3 of the NCAA Fayetteville Super Regional.
Carson Shaddy homered early and Luke Bonfield led a quartet of Razorbacks with at least two hits as the No. 5 national seed secured its ticket to Omaha.
Arkansas is paired up with Texas for the first game of the College World Series. Game information including date and time will be announced later.
The Big Inning
It started early for the Razorbacks’ offense, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first inning including three on one big swing by Shaddy.
With two runs already across the plate and two on base, the Fayetteville native hammered a 2-0 pitch from SC starter Carmen Mlodzinski into the Hog Pen to give Arkansas a 5-0 lead.
The big fly was Shaddy’s 13th of the season — and third during the NCAA Tournament — and pushed the Razorbacks’ season total to a program-record 93 home runs.
The Hitting
Bonfield drove in four runs with three hits, picking up an RBI in each of his first four plate appearances. He had RBI singles in the first, second and fifth innings, adding a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to center field in the fourth.
From his leadoff spot in the lineup, junior Eric Cole was 3-for-3 with two walks and five runs scored.
Freshman Casey Martin tallied his team-leading 26th multi-hit performance with two hits against South Carolina including a two-run double in the Razorbacks’ five-run fifth.
Martin and fellow freshman Heston Kjerstad each scored two runs Monday. Arkansas’ 14 runs scored are the program’s second-most in a Super Regional game since an 18-4 win over Missouri State in 2015.
The Pitching
Staked to an early lead after Arkansas’ outburst in the first, redshirt sophomore Isaiah Campbell was solid through four-plus innings of work Monday.
He struck out five while allowing two runs on four hits. After a lead-off walk to start the fifth, Arkansas turned to Barrett Loseke out of the bullpen who, after a walk to the first hitter he faced, retired the next three hitters in order to preserve the Razorbacks’ 8-2 advantage.
Win or Go Home
The Razorbacks are now 3-1 in Super Regional Game 3 scenarios…
2002 — L, 7-4 at No. 2 Clemson (Clemson, S.C.)
2012 — W, 1-0 (10) at No. 4 Baylor (Waco, Texas)
2015 — W, 3-2 vs Wichita State (Fayetteville)
2018 — W, 14-4 vs South Carolina (Fayetteville)
Game Note
Monday’s game marked the seventh meeting against South Carolina this season, the most times Arkansas has played one opponent in a single season.
The Razorbacks played Auburn six times in 1999, Texas six times in 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985 and 1987, and South Carolina six times in 2012.
NCAA Fayetteville Super Regional | Tournament Central
Arkansas wins series, 2-1
Game 1: Arkansas 9, South Carolina 3
Game 2: South Carolina 8, Arkansas 4
Game 3: Arkansas 14, South Carolina 4
Van Horn, players talk about winning Super Regional
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn along with payers Luke Bonfield, Eric Cole and Carson Shaddy talked about the big win over the Gamecocks on Monday night to advance to Omaha.
South Carolina coach, players talk about big loss to Hogs
Gamecocks coach Mark Kingston along with players Ridge Chapman and Jacob Olson after a disappointing loss to Arkansas in the Super Regional on Monday evening.
Oklahoma DE Ford impressed with Hogs on visit
FAYETTEVILLE — Defensive end Trace Ford was one of 73 players at Saturday’s Razorback Night Camp 2 and he liked what he saw.
“It’s definitely in my top five, that’s why I got out here,” Ford said to multiple sites. He has been busy playing baseball as well as looking at schools.
“I just wanted to see it more,” he said. “The baseball and all takes up time, so I wanted to get out and see more. That’s why I wanted to come here and see what it’s about.
“I like them a lot. I like Coach (Steve) Caldwell. He’s kind of quirky. He tries to show you how to do things and interacts with you, so I like that a lot. I know the schools I like and the schools I don’t like. Arkansas is definitely up there.”
Ford, 6-3, 220 pounds, came during the bitter cold and freezing weather in February. He didn’t get to see much.
He wanted to see it in warmer weather and got a good look Saturday.
“I got here at around 2 or 3 and we toured around to get a better feel for the school,” Ford said. “That’s why I came. It was like a freeze-out when I came the first time, so I wanted to get around to the facility and the business center and all. It was amazing, I liked it a lot.”
Ford has owned an Arkansas offer for several months and also holds scholarship opportunities with Oklahoma State, Florida State, Oregon, Missouri, Cal and others.
The Razorbacks are still firmly in his top group as he begins to take more visits following the end of his baseball season.
“It’s definitely in my top five, that’s why I got out here,” Ford said. “I just wanted to see it more. The baseball and all takes up time, so I wanted to get out and see more. That’s why I wanted to come here and see what it’s about.
“I like them a lot. I like Coach (Steve) Caldwell. He’s kind of quirky. He tries to show you how to do things and interacts with you, so I like that a lot. I know the schools I like and the schools I don’t like. Arkansas is definitely up there.”
Hogs fall to Gamecocks; decisive game Monday night
FAYETTEVILLE — Carson Shaddy and Casey Martin each had two hits Sunday afternoon, but South Carolina topped Arkansas with an 8-5 victory in game two of the NCAA Fayetteville Super Regional at Baum Stadium.
The Gamecocks win evens up the best-of-three series at 1-1 with a winner-take-all game three set for Monday at 6 p.m. on ESPN.
Shaddy and freshman Heston Kjerstad both homered for the Razorbacks in the setback.
For Shaddy it was his 12th of the year and for Kjerstad, his team-leading 14th of the year. However, the Hogs could never put together the big inning like they had on Saturday as South Carolina built up a six-run lead by the sixth inning.
Tomorrow’s game will mark the fourth time Arkansas will play a deciding third game in a Super Regional in its history and the seventh time the Razorbacks and Gamecocks have faced off this year.
The Hitting
With two big flies Sunday from Shaddy and Kjerstad, the Razorbacks tied the program’s single-season record of 92 home runs set by the 2010 squad.
Individually, Kjerstad snapped a three-way tie for Arkansas’ freshman home run mark that he previously shared with Zack Cox (2009) and teammate Casey Martin. With his solo shot in the seventh inning, the Amarillo, Texas, native now leads the club with 14 home runs.
Martin’s multi-hit effort was his team-leading 25th of the season while Shaddy had his 15th multi-hit game of the season and 14th outing with at least two RBIs.
Shaddy continued his torrid pace in the postseason with two more hits Sunday. The redshirt senior is hitting .467 (7-for-15) with 11 RBI through Arkansas’ first five games of the NCAA Tournament.
As for Kjerstad, he’s also been one of the Razorbacks’ top hitters this postseason. Including today’s homer, Kjerstad is batting .421 over the five-game span with a team-leading eight hits and three home runs.
The home run on Sunday extended his hitting streak to five games, which is the longest current streak on the team.
The Pitching
Junior starter Kacey Murphy battled through 4.1 innings Sunday, allowing six hits and four runs in what tied for his second-shortest outing of the year.
Redshirt sophomore Cody Scroggins was the fourth relief pitcher out of the bullpen for the Razorbacks, and the most effective, as he struck out two over a career-long 2.1 innings. He allowed only one hit and walked two in 10 batters faced.
What the Hogs said after the game
“It says they’re good. That’s why they’re here in a Super Regional. They battled through another Regional and got through a season. They beat a lot of good teams to have a chance to play in a regional and then win it and then come here. We’ve played a lot of games here and won a lot of games here. We’ve beaten people by 10 runs, we’ve lost by a couple of runs here and there and we’ve played a lot of tight games. We’ve been very fortunate. It just comes down to one game. It doesn’t really matter what we did in the past.” — Head coach Dave Van Horn on South Carolina beating Arkansas twice at Baum Stadium this year
“I feel fine with Isaiah. He has great stuff. If he goes out and does what he can do, he’ll be out there for a while. If he doesn’t, we’ll go to the next guy. You get down to this point – and I’m sure [South Carolina] is the same way – you just have to go with what you see and what you feel. There’s no tomorrow, basically. We’ll give him the ball and let him have it as long as he earns it. Hopefully he’ll give us some innings.” — Van Horn on Isaiah Campbell starting game three
“We’re very confident. We’re going to wake it up. We’re going to get to the yard and get ready to work. They’re not going to give us anything, but we wouldn’t want to have it any other way. We want to be tested. We don’t want to be handed anything; that’s not how we’re raised or how we are. We’re going to come here tomorrow and play our best game of the year and see what happens.” — Carson Shaddy on the team’s mindset going into game three of a Super Regional
NCAA Fayetteville Super Regional | Tournament Central
Series tied 1-1
Game 1: Arkansas 9, South Carolina 3 | Box Score
Game 2: South Carolina 8, Arkansas 4 | Box Score
Game 3: Arkansas (H) vs South Carolina – 6 p.m.
Van Horn, players recap loss to South Carolina
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn, joined by second baseman Carson Shaddy and third baseman Casey Martin were ready to put Sunday’s 8-5 loss to the Gamecocks behind them.
