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Fassi named to coaches’ All-American women’s team

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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STILLWATER, Okla. — Arkansas junior Maria Fassi was selected as a Women’s Golf Coaches Association First-Team All-American the organization announced today.

The honor is Fassi’s second WGCA recognition following up on her honorable mention selection as a freshman in 2016. Fassi is one of six Razorbacks to earn All-America honors and her selection is the 15th in program history. It is the ninth first-team selection.

Fassi paced the Razorbacks to a record-setting season that included the program’s first Southeastern Conference and NCAA Regional titles.

The Pachuca, Mexico, native has won six individual titles and tied for the individual title at the SEC Championship falling in a two-hole playoff. She won the program’s first individual Regional title and is only the second player in program history to win four or more events in a single season joining former Razorback Stacy Lewis with that distinction.

Fassi leads the Razorbacks with a school record 70.5 stroke average and has carded a school record 25 rounds of par or better. She has scored 12 rounds in the 60s and counted a season/career-best 64 twice this year. That score is the second-best round in program history.

The criteria used to determine the WGCA All-American Teams include:
• Head-to-head competition
• Comparison with common opponents
• Scoring average
• Place finishes in regular season events and tournament wins
• Strength of schedule

The WGCA Second Team and Honorable Mention Teams will be announced later in the NCAA Championship.

Fassi’s accomplishments include:
• Women’s Golf Coaches Association First-Team All-American
• Southeastern Conference Women’s Golf Player of the Year
• First-Team All-Southeastern Conference selection
• Ranks No. 1 in Golfweek, No. 1 in Golfstat
• Selected to the inaugural Palmer Cup Team (International)
• No. 1 in the final ANNIKA Award Watch List standings
• Named to WGCA Player of the Year Watch List – 5.15.18
• Four-time selection to the Arkansas’ Athletics Department Academic Honor Roll
• 7 Wins (tied for medalist honors at the SEC Championship but lost on the second hole of the playoff) – 7 is a program record in a single season
• Second player in program history to win more than four events in a single season (Stacy Lewis, 6; 2007-08)
• 10 individual titles in her career
• First NCAA Regional medalist in program history
• First player in program history to finish the season with a negative score versus par
• 801-92 (.897) win-loss record this season
• Arkansas’ top finisher in 8 of 11 events
• Leads team with 137 birdies and 8 eagles
• Had a run of six consecutive birdies at the EDE
• School record round of 200 at Mason Rudolph
• Four tournament totals rank in the top-10 in program history
• Rounds of 200, 202 and 206 rank in the top-5 in program history

The Razorbacks
• School record 7 team titles
• Program’s first-ever SEC Championship
• Program’s first-ever NCAA Regional title
• NCAA record-tying 41-under par shooting 823 in win at the Mason Rudolph Championship
• Arkansas has played 11 tournaments a total of 48-under par
• Nine of Arkansas’ 34 rounds rank in the program’s top-10 lowest scores
• NCAA Regional second round score of 271 is second lowest round in program history
• Arkansas’ 17-under 271 in the second round of the NCAA Regional is the second-best round versus par in program history
• Arkansas’ 823 at the Mason Rudolph Championship is the lowest score in program history
• Ranked as high as No. 1 in the fall
• Paced team to a 10th place finish at the NCAA Championships and contributed to two final rounds of 289 which are a program best at the NCAA Championship

Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Tuesday

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Tuesday

Hogs’ season ends; fail to advance to NCAA match play

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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STILLWATER, Okla. — A valiant effort in the final two rounds of stroke play was not enough for Arkansas to advance to match play at the 2018 NCAA Championship in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Monday.

The second-ranked Razorbacks made the first cut to 15 teams and played to a 1-over 289 in Monday’s round. That was the second-best score of the day, but Arkansas fell one shot shy of moving on.

Arkansas came off the golf course one shot back of the No. 8 spot trailing Baylor who picked up some much-needed birdies in the final four holes.

The Razorbacks still had a chance to advance with several teams out on the course including Kent State who was two shots above the cut. Kent State hung on to the advantage eliminating Arkansas.

From Shauna Taylor

“It definitely stings. You hit 1,100-plus shots and it comes down to one. I talk a lot about the power of one in our sport and it all matters. Unfortunately, we fell on the wrong side of one this week. We dug ourselves a deep ditch on day one but played amazing golf the last two days.

“You have to remember the good stuff. We had a school record seven wins and fought hard all year. We talk about leaving a legacy and this group definitely left their mark on Arkansas golf. This team has left their mark on our program and on my life and I’m proud to have coached them.”

When the dust settled, the Razorbacks finished one shot back of Baylor and Arizona State who had to play extra golf to break the tie for the eighth spot. Arkansas shot 308–300–289–289—1186.

The day three and four rounds of 289 are a program record at the NCAA Championship for the Razorbacks and, despite the slow start, Arkansas’ 1,186 total is the team’s second–best score at the event.

Arkansas had three players shoot under par in the final round paced by junior Kaylee Benton who counted the low round of the day with a 2–under 70 on Monday.

Benton had four birdies and two bogeys in her round and finished tied for 36th overall with a 295 (77–76–72–70).

Junior Dylan Kim was solid all week and was the Razorbacks’ best finisher with a tie for 21st overall. Kim counted all four rounds toward the team total scoring a 292 (72–73–75–72) in four days.

Senior Alana Uriell is one of two players to graduate for the Razorbacks this season. Uriell finished tied for 33rd and helped Arkansas reach the NCAA Championship in three of her four seasons. She ended her career shooting 294 (78–74–69–73) in her final event.

Junior Maria Fassi wrapped up the tournament 66th overall with a 307 (81–78–73–75) and Cara Gorlei was 81st shooting 318 (86–77–81–74).

The Lineup

PLACE PLAYER SCORE TO PAR
T21 Dylan Kim (2) 72–73–75–72—292 +4
T33 Alana Uriell (3) 78–74–69–73—294 +6
T36 Kaylee Benton (4) 77–76–72–70—295 +7
66 Maria Fassi (1) 81–78–73–75—307 +19
81 Cara Gorlei (5) 86–77–81–74—318 +30

 

Season Notes

• School record 7 team titles

• Program’s first-ever SEC Championship

• Program’s first-ever NCAA Regional title

• NCAA record-tying 41-under par shooting 823 in win at the Mason Rudolph Championship

• Arkansas played the four fall tournaments 92-under par

• Nine of Arkansas’ 34 rounds rank in the program’s top-10 lowest scores

• NCAA Regional second round score of 271 is second lowest round in program history

• Arkansas’ 17-under 271 in the second round of the NCAA Regional is the second-best round versus par in program history

• Six of Arkansas’ team tournament totals rank in the top-10 in program history

• Arkansas’ 823 at the Mason Rudolph Championship is the lowest score in program history

• Ranked as high as No. 1 in the fall. Entered the NCAA Championship as the No. 2 team

Did Asa throw Hogs’ LR ball out of bounds to stop clock?

Andy Hodges
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When politicians stray outside their lane, the best way to sort it out is to look at the election cycle.

If business nearly always follows the money trail, politics usually follows the election cycle.

In the recent issue with Razorback football games in a stadium that should never be hosting any SEC team, Asa Hutchinson handled it about the way you’d expect from a politician running for re-election for his last term as governor.

He basically threw it out of bounds to stop the clock.

No, we’re not going to stray into the murky waters of politics. And, no, this isn’t an agenda against a sitting governor. I like Asa and generally agree with him, but on this one it smacks of a political decision for convenience.

Hey, I’m old enough to have seen George Wallace get elected governor of Alabama running on both sides of the race issue in the 1960’s and 1970’s. I can believe just about anything when it comes to politics.

On this one, though, it’s hard to reconcile the economics of the issue with the main goal of Arkansas football, which should be about competing for championships.

Sorry, but it’s not about the tailgates on a golf course outside the stadium. To be honest, they could probably invest a lot less money in some giant-screen TV’s and let people tailgate outside War Memorial Stadium on gameday and many would have a better experience than they do now.

No, there’s not a single logical reason for the University of Arkansas to be playing an SEC football game in Little Rock other than a tradition that is backed up with footnotes to dead people or a time that no longer exists in the world of college athletics.

The rules aren’t the same anymore and if you think giving up a prime weekend of recruiting on the final week of the regular season (which happens to be on a holiday weekend) isn’t a big deal, well, most experts disagree.

Let’s face it, if the NCAA were to allow the Hogs to have official visits at Little Rock games, I might have a different point of view. They used to allow it, but the kangaroo court that governs college athletics doesn’t often collide with logic in the same sentence.

For Chad Morris, who is trying to build something special with the Razorbacks, it’s basically taking an extra round of important ammunition out of his arsenal every year. Recruiting and official visit weekends at home football games is that important.

Morris won’t complain, though. As he has said on a couple of occasions, he was a high school football coach and he’s going to win with whatever hand he’s dealt. Complaining takes away the focus of figuring out a way to win.

There are some that believe certain boosters won’t continue to support the UA’s athletic department if games aren’t played in Little Rock.

That threat has been made before. Somehow, though, the ego boost connected to an SEC team is big enough I don’t see it being a realistic threat, mainly because there’s not one or two boosters that give enough to control the UA’s decisions.

Besides, there are now enough excuses for the Hogs not to play in Little Rock to go all the way around. This agreement smacks of a negotiated settlement, but we’ll get back to that.

In this case, Asa is in the midst of a campaign for his second — and final — term as governor of Arkansas. If he’s re-elected, he will be leaving office about the same time the latest negotiated cease fire between the state capital and Northwest Arkansas expires.

For Asa, it’s a win-win situation and right now he’s not really concerned with the Hogs’ football recruiting.

When former athletics director Jeff Long was pointing out at a meeting last year why it was economically dumb for the Hogs to keep playing at War Memorial, the governor cut him off. He didn’t want to hear it. It’s likely he doesn’t want to hear it now.

In this latest negotiation, the best the governor could do was put the responsibility on the folks at War Memorial to make it work. That’s why the benchmarks are in the contract for stadium improvements, ticket sales and revenue.

While failing any of them doesn’t automatically cancel the contract, it does invoke mandatory conversations for 60 days.

At that time, Asa may get involved. Or he may not.

Of course, that’s assuming he wins in November.

If he doesn’t win, well, your guess is as good as mine how it would work out then.

Kjerstad named SEC’s top freshman; 7 named All-SEC

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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HOOVER, Ala. — Arkansas outfielder Heston Kjerstad was named the SEC’s Freshman of the Year, the league office announced Monday, as he leads six other Razorbacks that were named to the All-SEC, All-Freshman, and All-Defense teams.

Kjerstad was awarded the conference’s highest honor for a freshman by the league’s head coaches at the conclusion of the regular season and is the first player in program history to earn SEC Freshman of the Year honors.

He’s also the third Razorback to win a major conference award in school history joining Andrew Benintendi (Player of the Year, 2015) and Nick Schmidt (Pitcher of the Year, 2006)

In addition to being named the league’s top freshman, Kjerstad was also named to the All-SEC Second Team and SEC All-Freshman team for the outfield.

He’s joined by third baseman Casey Martin, who completed an equally stellar freshman campaign with the Hogs, making the All-SEC Second Team and All-Freshman Team also.

As for the veterans, second baseman and redshirt senior Carson Shaddy earned All-SEC First Team honors, right-handed pitcher Blaine Knight and junior outfielder Eric Cole both were named All-SEC second teamers.

Junior catcher Grant Koch and sophomore centerfielder Dominic Fletcher were named to the SEC All-Defense team.

OF Heston Kjerstad | SEC Freshman of the Year, All-SEC Second Team, SEC All-Freshman Team

• Is the program’s first SEC Freshman of the Year.

• Is the third Razorback to win a major SEC award (Andrew Benintendi – 2015; Nick Schmidt – 2006)

• Hitting .348 for the season, leading all SEC freshmen and 12th-highest average among freshmen nationwide.

• His 11 home runs is two away from tying the Arkansas all-time freshman single-season record (13 by Zack Cox – 2009)

• Needs three hits to set the Arkansas single-season freshman record (75 by Dominic Ficociello – 2011; Jeff King – 1984)

• Hit .322 in conference play with 21 of his 46 RBIs coming against SEC opponents.

• .360 in the month of March with six home runs and 22 RBIs.

• Reached base safely in 49 of 54 games, tallying a team-leading 21 multi-hit games along with 11 multi-RBI games.

• Currently ranks top-12 among nation’s freshmen in average (.348 – 11th), runs scored (49 – 4th), total bases (119 – 3rd), slugging (.575 – 9th), hits (72 – 4th), RBIs (46 – 7th), and home runs (11 – 7th).

• Ranks best among SEC freshmen in average, runs scored, total bases, hits, and home runs, while ranking second in slugging, and third in RBIs.

• Is one of five freshmen in the nation and the only player in the SEC with a batting average of .345 or higher and a slugging percentage of .575 or higher.

INF Carson Shaddy | All-SEC First Team

• Led the team with a .354 batting average overall with a career-best 10 home runs, along with 37 RBIs.

• Also led the team with a .395 average in conference play with a .716 slugging percentage and a .474 on-base percentage in 24 conference games.

• Ranks second in the SEC in conference batting average, slugging, and on-base percentage.

• Ranks fourth in the league in batting, slugging, and on-base percentage through all games.

• On pace for career-bests in batting average, doubles, RBIs, home runs, slugging, and on-base percentage.

• Is currently on an eight-game hitting streak, the longest active streak on the team.

• Has a hit in seven-straight games since returning from a hand injury on May 6. Since then, is hitting .346 with eight RBIs, three doubles, nine hits, and five runs scored.

OF Eric Cole | All-SEC Second Team

• Hit .333 for the year, while starting all 54 games in the outfield.

• Led the team with a career-high 12 home runs, good for ninth in the SEC.

• Finished the regular season with 74 hits, tying for sixth most in the league and most for a season in his career.

• Had the second-highest batting average on the team in conference play (.346), while eight of his 12 home runs came against SEC opponents.

• Drove in a team-leading 28 runs in conference play, 17 over the last month.

RHP Blaine Knight | All-SEC Second Team

• Finished the regular season with a perfect 9-0 record and a 2.88 ERA over 81.1 innings pitched and 14 starts.

• Was the only pitcher in the SEC with an undefeated record and an ERA under 3.00.

• Arkansas went 11-3 this year in games that Knight started.

• Went 6-0 in conference starts, allowing just 24 earned runs in 58.1 innings (3.70 ERA) and a team-leading 61 strikeouts.

• Finished the year with the fifth-lowest ERA in the SEC in all games and struck out 31 batters looking, the second most among all conference pitchers.

• His nine wins were second most among SEC pitchers and ties for 16th-most in the nation.

• Needs one more win to crack into the top nine of the Arkansas all-time chart for wins in a season.

• Currently has 224 career strikeouts ranking seventh all time in school history.

INF Casey Martin | All-SEC Second Team, SEC All-Freshman Team

• Hit .344 during the regular season over 52 games, third-highest average on the team and second highest among all SEC freshmen.

• Notched 64 hits with 10 home runs and 38 RBIs. Was one of four Razorbacks with 10 or more home runs this season.

• His .333 average in conference play was third-highest on the team and best among SEC freshmen.

• Went 4-for-6 in his second collegiate game, driving in five runs off a double and a home run against Bucknell (Feb. 17).

• Earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors twice (March 5 & March 19).

• One of three Razorbacks with 20 or more multi-hit games this year and one of two players with multiple games of four hits or more.

• Went on a 13-game hitting streak in the month of March, second-longest streak on the team. Ended up with seven multi-hit games during that streak.

C Grant Koch | SEC All-Defense

• Made only one error in 51 games caught (.998 fielding percentage)

• Caught six of 16 base stealers, four in conference play. Tied for the lowest steal attempts against in the SEC.

• His .998 fielding percentage ties for his highest in a single-season as a Razorback.

• Is only catcher in school history to be named All-SEC and SEC All-Defense in a career.

• Is first Razorback catcher since Jake Wise (2014) to be named SEC All-Defense.

OF Dominic Fletcher | SEC All-Defense

• Made 118 putouts in 125 chances (.968 fld%), leading the team.

• Completed three outfield assists and one double play while starting 52 of 54 games in centerfield.

• Only made one error in 30 conference games.

• Is the first Razorback outfielder named SEC All-Defense in school history.

Anderson on Hogs’ summer plans at charity tournament

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Arkansas coach Mike Anderson met with the media at his annual charity golf tournament Monday in Rogers and talked about the summer plans and scheduling.

Hannahs on battling to find a way to NBA team

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Former Razorbacks guard Dusty Hannahs talked Monday about his struggles to catch on with an NBA team and how long he and Bobby Portis have known each other.

Portis on getting new house for his mother, the NBA

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Former Razorback Bobby Ports talked with the media Monday about his recent purchase of a new home for his mother, playing with the Chicago Bulls and outlook for Hogs this year.

Former Hog Todd Day on state of Hogs, scoring record

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Ex-Razorback Todd Day, now coaching Philander Smith in Little Rock, was at Mike Anderson’s golf tournament in Rogers on Monday and talked about the team, his scoring record.

Schedule set for Arkansas-Oklahoma Super Regional

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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FAYETTEVILLE — The Super Regional between Arkansas and Oklahoma will begin Friday afternoon at Marita Hynes Field in Norman.

All-session general admission tickets go on sale Monday at 10 a.m. through the OU Athletics Ticket Office by calling 405-325-2424 or 800-456-4668 or by clicking HERE to order online.

2018 NCAA Norman Super Regional | Tournament Central
Game 1: Friday, May 25 – 4 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, May 26 – 12 p.m.
Game 3: Sunday, May 27 – 12 p.m. (if necessary)

Hosting the program’s first-ever NCAA Regional, the Razorbacks posted a 3-0 run through the weekend including a 6-4 win over Wichita State in the regional championship.

Freshman Mary Haff continued her standout performance in the circle with three wins and 20 strikeouts in 18.2 innings.

Seniors A.J. Belans and Autumn Buczek each had four hits during the weekend.

Arkansas tallied a 27-2 record at Bogle Park this season, establishing a program record for most home wins in one season.

With Sunday’s crowd of 2,142 fans — the No. 3 home mark in program history — more than 6,100 fans were in attendance for the Razorbacks’ three games during the Fayetteville Regional.

Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Monday

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Monday

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