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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

Uriell’s 69 paces Arkansas past first cut at NCAA Championship

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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STILLWATER, Okla. — Senior Alana Uriell fired a 3-under 69 helping second-ranked Arkansas survive the first cut at the 2018 NCAA Championship in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Sunday.

Uriell and the Razorbacks posted the third-best score of the day with a 1-over 289 and moved up to 11th in the field of 24 teams.

The top-15 teams move on to a final round of stroke play on Monday. The field cuts to the top-8 teams for three rounds of match play on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Lineup

PLACE PLAYER SCORE TO PAR
T24 Dylan Kim (2) 72–73–75 — 220 +4
T30 Alana Uriell (3) 78–74–69 — 221 +5
T50 Kaylee Benton (4) 77–76–72 — 225 +9
T93 Maria Fassi (1) 81–78–73 — 232 +16
T123 Cara Gorlei (5) 86–77–81 — 244 +28

Arkansas moved up five spots in the round, second only to Baylor who moved up six places and is 10th, just ahead of the Razorbacks.

Uriell began her day on the back nine blasting out of the gates with three consecutive birdies and had four birdies in her first five holes.

She and junior Maria Fassi both birdied the final hole of the day, a 490-yard par 5, and Fassi and Kaylee Benton picked up birdies on No. 8 (the 17th hole of the day) to finish strong.

Junior Dylan Kim remains in the low spot for the Razorbacks and is tied for 24th overall. Kim is 4-over with a 220 (72–73–75). Uriell moved up 32 spots on the leaderboard into a tie for 30th overall shooting 221 (78–74–69).

Junior Kaylee Benton carded her best round of the tournament with an even-par 72 and is tied for 50th shooting 225 (77–76–72). Fassi is tied for 93rd with a 232 (81–78–73) and Cara Gorlei is in the clubhouse with a 244 (86–77–81).

Arkansas will have to duplicate its incredible surge again on Monday to make the cut to the top-8. The Razorbacks have a three-day 897 (308–300–289) and are currently six shots back of the eighth-place team.

The Field

PLACE TEAM TO PAR SCORE
1 Alabama -2 292–286–284 — 862
2 UCLA +6 294–279–297 — 870
3 Arizona +16 301–291–288 — 880
4 Northwestern +18 299–293–290 — 882
5 Southern California +21 291–298–296 — 885
6 Duke +25 298–298–293 — 889
7 Stanford +26 308–291–291 — 890
8 Kent State +27 296–299–296 — 891
9 Florida State +30 301–294–299 — 894
10 Baylor +31 313–295–287 — 895
11 Arkansas +33 308–300–289 — 897
12 Furman +35 312–293–294 — 899
13 Texas +36 309–300–291 — 900
T14 Washington +38 303–300–299 — 902
T14 Louisville +39 301–300–302 — 903*
T16 Auburn +39 304–306–293 — 903
T16 Arizona State +40 314–297–292 — 903
T16 Wake Forest +39 306–301–296 — 903
19 Colorado +40 306–301–297 — 904
20 Oklahoma +41 307–303–295 — 905
21 Florida +45 303–303–303 — 909
22 Virginia +50 315–302–297 — 914
23 Ohio State +62 310–318–298 — 926
24 Ole Miss +64 320–303–305 — 928

Razorbacks top Wichita State to advance to Super Regional

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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VIDEO FROM ESPN SEC NETWORK
FAYETTEVILLE — Playing as the No. 13 national seed, Arkansas turned the program’s first-ever NCAA Regional host duties into the program’s first-ever trip to the NCAA Super Regionals.

Arkansas will play two-time defending national champion Oklahoma in the best-of-three NCAA super regional round beginning either Thursday or Friday in Norman, Okla. The winner will advance to the Women’s College World Series the following week in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma (53-3) is the No. 4 national seed and swept its home regional with wins of Missouri, Tulsa and Boston by a combined score of 24-0.

Oklahoma defeated Missouri 7-0 in the regional final Sunday to advance to the super regionals for the ninth consecutive season.

The Razorbacks rallied past Wichita State for a 6-4 win Sunday afternoon in front of 2,142 fans at Bogle Park to clinch the team’s spot into the next round of the NCAA Tournament.

Mary Haff picked up her third win of the weekend while fellow freshman Hannah McEwen and senior Autumn Buczek each had two hits.

The Razorbacks trailed twice in the game but McEwen’s two-run shot in the bottom of the fourth put the home team up for good. Buczek’s diving play on a pop up in foul territory closed the door on the Shockers.

Up Next

As winners of the NCAA Fayetteville Regional, the Razorbacks await the advancing team out of the Norman Regional.

SEC mate Missouri and familiar NCAA foe Oklahoma are currently playing in that region’s final.

Sunday’s crowd of 2,142 is the third-largest home crowd in program history and one of three top-six attendance figures set during the weekend.

Overall, the Razorbacks played in front of 6,138 fans during its regional run at Bogle Park.

NCAA Fayetteville Regional Attendance (Arkansas games)

Friday vs DePaul – 1,985
Saturday vs Wichita State – 2,011
Sunday vs Wichita State – 2,142

NCAA Fayetteville Regional | Tournament Central

Arkansas: 3-0
Wichita State: 2-2
Oklahoma State: 1-2
DePaul: 0-2

Friday, May 18
Game 1: Wichita State 8, Oklahoma State 2
Game 2: Arkansas 2, DePaul 0

Saturday, May 19
Game 3: Arkansas 5, Wichita State 0
Game 4: Oklahoma State 6, DePaul 0
Game 5: Wichita State 5, Oklahoma State 4

Sunday, May 20
Game 6: Arkansas 6, Wichita State 4

Hogs get No. 4 seeding in this week’s SEC Tournament

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Arkansas earned the No. 4 seed for the 2018 SEC Tournament Saturday afternoon giving it a bye through Tuesday’s first-round games, which are single elimination.

The Razorbacks will play the winner of fifth-seeded South Carolina and 12th-seeded Missouri on Wednesday, May 23 at approximately 8 p.m. at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.

The Razorbacks ended the regular season with a 37-17 record and an 18-12 mark in SEC play to finish as co-champions of the SEC Western Division with Ole Miss.

It’s the first division title for the Razorbacks since 2011 and fifth in school history. Four of Arkansas’ division titles have come under current coach Dave Van Horn.

Arkansas won five of its 10 conference series this year, including sweeps of Kentucky, Auburn, Alabama, and Texas A&M. The four sweeps all occurred at Baum Stadium and it marked the most conference series sweeps in the same season since 1999.

Combined in those sweeps, Arkansas hit .342 with 100 runs scored and hit 22 home runs.

Redshirt senior Carson Shaddy leads the Razorbacks into the tournament, offensively, as he’s hitting .354 with 10 home runs and 37 RBIs this season. His average, slugging percentage (.646), and on-base percentage (.451) are all top-four totals in the SEC.

The Razorbacks also bring in one of the best freshmen hitting duos in the nation in left fielder Heston Kjerstad and third baseman Casey Martin.

Kjerstad and Martin are hitting .348 and .344, respectively, which are the highest averages among all freshmen in the SEC and top-11 averages among all freshmen nationwide.

Arkansas is in search of its first SEC Tournament championship in program history. It will be making its ninth appearance in the tournament in the last 10 years and 23rd overall.

The Razorbacks have made four SEC Tournament championship game appearances in their history, finishing runner-up in 1998 to Auburn, in 1999 to Alabama, in 2007 to Vanderbilt, and most recently, in 2017 to LSU.

Last year, the Hogs battled back from a first-game loss to reach the tournament final from the loser’s bracket with a victory over Mississippi State and mercy-rule wins over Auburn and top-seeded Florida.

First baseman Chad Spanberger was awarded as the tournament MVP and finished as the week’s leader in RBIs (10), doubles (3), home runs (5), and total bases (26).

The most tournament wins for Arkansas came in 1999 when it won four games before falling to the Crimson Tide in the championship game. As head coach, Dave Van Horn is 19-24 in 13 SEC Tournament appearances.

2018 SEC Baseball Tournament Schedule
Tuesday-Sunday, May 22-27
Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, Hoover, Ala.
(All games on the SEC Network except final, which will be on ESPN2)

Tuesday, May 22

Game 1 — 9:30 a.m., Vanderbilt vs. Texas A&M
Game 2 — TBD, Auburn vs. Kentucky
Game 3 — 4:30 p.m., LSU vs. Mississippi State
Game 4 — TBD, South Carolina vs. Missouri

Wednesday, May 23

Game 5 — 9:30 a.m., Georgia vs. Winner Game 1
Game 6 — TBD, Ole Miss vs. Winner Game 2
Game 7 — 4:30 p.m., Florida vs. Winner Game 3
Game 8 — TBD, Arkansas vs. Winner Game 4

Thursday, May 24

Game 9 — 9:30 a.m., Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6
Game 10 — TBD, Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8
Game 11 — 4:30 p.m., Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6
Game 12 — TBD, Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8

Friday, May 25

Game 13 — 3:00 p.m., Winner Game 9 vs. Loser Game 11
Game 14 — TBD, Winner Game 10 vs. Loser 12

Saturday, May 26

Game 15 — Noon, Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 11
Game 16 — TBD, Winner Game 14 vs. Winner Game 12

Sunday, May 27

Game 17 — 2 p.m., Winner Game 15 vs. Winner Game 16

The second game of each session will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.

Photos from Arkansas high school baseball championships

Andy Hodges
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[rev_slider alias=”hsbb-1″][/rev_slider]

Photos by Andy Hodges on some of the games in the Arkansas High School Baseball Championships played at Baum Stadium.

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