Arkansas coach Chad Morris met with the media Thursday afternoon before the Hogs’ final practice before going down to Little Rock for Saturday’s Red-White game.
Looking at where Razorback minor leaguers open season
FAYETTEVILLE — With the 2018 Major League Baseball season already a week old, it’s now time for the minor league systems to get their seasons rolling as well.
Several former Razorbacks litter various farm clubs across the country and are coming off impressive years with their clubs.
Many of those players carried over that strong play into spring training this year and, as a result, we’ve seen several ProHogs receive promotions within their respective organizations.
Let’s take a look at the Hogs who made the jump this offseason.
D.J. Baxendale – Triple-A Rochester Red Wings (Twins) – D.J. Baxendale was promoted to Triple-A Rochester at the tail end of 2016 and was able to resume with the Redwings at the start of the 2017 season.
Last August, Baxendale was re-assigned to Double-A Chattanooga where he finished the final month of the season and compiled a 1.27 ERA over six appearances with just three earned runs allowed in 21.1 innings.
A big reason for Baxendale’s move down was to help Chattanooga’s chance at a Southern League championship, which it won.
Baxendale is back with Triple-A Rochester to start 2018, a club where he was used primarily out of the bullpen and struck out 40 batters in 40.1 innings.
Bobby Wernes – Double-A Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies) – After a red-hot start in Single-A (short) Boise, Bobby Wernes was quickly promoted to Single-A (full) Asheville four games into the 2017 season.
Over his next 66 games, Wernes slashed .294/.376/.448 with 30 extra base hits. In one year, he increased his average by .075, his on-base percentage by .081, and his slugging by .186.
That production earned him a spot with Double-A Hartford to start the 2018 campaign.
Zach Jackson – Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays) – In his first two professional seasons, Zach Jackson has quickly climbed the minor league ladder, advancing through four different clubs.
At each level, he’s lowered his ERA, his opponents’ batting average, and increased his strikeout total. In 27 games with Single-A (advanced) Dunedin, Jackson held a 2.03 ERA with 43 strikeouts and was 4-for-4 in save opportunities.
His consistent improvement against tougher competition earned him a spot with Double-A New Hampshire to start 2018.
Cannon Chadwick – Single-A (Full) Columbia Fireflies (Mets) – In his first year as a pro, Cannon Chadwick appeared in 18 games with the Brooklyn Cyclones.
His 1.33 ERA was the lowest on the team and his 40 strikeouts were second among all Cyclones pitcher and first among relievers.
His successful first year earned him a promotion to Single-A (full) Columbia where he will begin 2018.
Chad Spanberger – Single-A (Full) Asheville Tourists (Rockies) – Chad Spanberger showed up in Grand Junction and picked up right where he left off from his final season at Baum Stadium.
After hitting 20 home runs with the Hogs in the spring, Spanberger hit 19 more with Grand Junction over the summer.
He slashed .294/.368/.617 with over half of his hits going for extra bases. As the Rockies’ No. 25 prospect, Spanberger will begin 2018 with Single-A (full) Asheville.
James Teague – Single-A (Advanced) Frederick Keys (Orioles) – The 37th round draft pick out of Bartlesville, Oklahoma has come a long way in a short time since being drafted in 2016.
After finishing his first year as a pro in Single-A (short) Aberdeen, Teague’s numbers earned him a spot with Single-A (full) Delmarva at the beginning of 2017.
After a rocky start, Teague was sent back to Aberdeen where he was nearly untouchable. In his 16 appearances with Aberdeen, he compiled a 1.02 ERA, tallied 29 strikeouts, and earned eight saves.
Such production earned him an invitation to the Orioles main spring training where he struck out seven, walked one, allowed no earned runs, and earned three saves in eight appearances. Teague will start 2018 in Single-A (advanced) Frederick.
Trevor Stephan – Single-A (Advanced) Tampa Tarpons (Yankees) – After signing with the New York Yankees last summer, Trevor Stephan began his pro career at the rookie level with the GCL Yankees.
After facing six batters over two perfect innings, Stephan was quickly on the move as he was promoted to Single-A (short) Staten Island.
In 10 games with Staten Island, Stephan generated 1.39 ERA and held opponents to just a .177 batting average.
Trevor is currently the No. 15 prospect for his respective club and will begin the 2018 season with A (advanced) Tampa as its Opening Day starter.
Other Hogs in the Minors
Triple-A — Barrett Astin (LOU), Jalen Beeks (PAW), Brett Eibner (RR), Matt Reynolds (SYR), Ryne Stanek (DUR)
Double-A — Dominic Ficociello (ERIE), Andy Wilkins (CHATT)
Single-A (Adv) — Trey Killian (LAN), Jacob Morris (WIN-SA)
Single-A — Michael Bernal (AUG), Clark Eagan (WV)
Rookie — Josh Alberius (GCL Marlins), Dominic Taccolini (AZL Padres), Doug Willey (OREM)
Hogs start road trip at No. 12 South Carolina on Friday
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas begins a five-game road trip with a weekend series at No. 12 South Carolina.
The three-game set begins Friday with the team’s first trip to Columbia since 2015.
All three top-25 matchups will be streamed on SEC Network+ and through the WatchESPN app. The Razorbacks’ road trip will also take the team to Saint Louis next Tuesday for a midweek doubleheader.
No. 20/21 Arkansas (28-6/5-4 SEC) at No. 12/11 South Carolina (31-6/6-3 SEC) | Game Notes
Carolina Softball Stadium (Columbia, S.C.)
Game 1: Friday, April 6 at 5 p.m. – SEC Network+ | Live Stats
Game 2: Saturday, April 7 at 1 p.m. – SEC Network+ | Live Stats
Game 3: Sunday, April 8 at 12 p.m. – SEC Network+ | Live Stats
All-Time Series vs South Carolina
Arkansas and South Carolina have played 52 times prior to Friday’s series opener.
Nine of the Razorbacks’ 19 wins in the series have come in Columbia.
This weekend marks the first series meeting with both ranked inside the top 25.
Last Time Out
Katie Warrick drove in four runs and Autumn Storms picked up her second win of the series in Arkansas’ 8-2 win over No. 20 Mississippi State at Bogle Park.
Warrick, A.J. Belans and Haydi Bugarin each had two hits in the triumph. The victory capped a 12-1 home stand that featured a pair of SEC series wins.
It’s a Sweep
The Razorbacks’ sweep of No. 20 Mississippi State was the program’s first in SEC play since the 2013 season and their first ever against a ranked opponent in a three-game series. It was also the first series win against the Bulldogs since 2010.
Storms Named Pitcher of the Week
After a 2-0 week with a 0.00 ERA against Mississippi State including a complete-game shutout in game two to clinch the series, sophomore Autumn Storms was named SEC Pitcher of the Week.
She is the sixth Pitcher of the Week in program history and first since the 2009 season.
13 Pitches Later …
On the 13th pitch of her at-bat against Mississippi State’s Cassady Knudsen, junior Katie Warrick hit her team-high seventh home run in the sixth inning of an 8-2 win (April 1) at Bogle Park.
Warrick fell behind 1-2 and then fouled off five-consecutive pitches before clearing sending the ball over the wall in center field.
Rankings Watch
Arkansas is up three spots to a program-high No. 20 in the USA Today/NFCA poll and a carries a No. 21 ranking in the ESPN/USA Softball Top 25.
In the most recent RPI release, the Razorbacks are No. 17, another program best.
A Look at the Stat Sheet
Arkansas’ offense enters the weekend with 41 home runs, a mark that ranks second in the SEC and 11th in the NCAA.
The team also carries top-50 national figures in slugging percentage (.499), ERA (1.85), scoring (5.75 runs/game) and batting average (.300).
Bolden’s pitching, Kjerstad’s bomb propels Hogs past ULM
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas cruised past Louisiana-Monroe, 4-0, Wednesday afternoon at Baum Stadium, behind a strong start from freshman Caleb Bolden and another blast from fellow freshman Heston Kjerstad.
Bolden, making his second start of the season, didn’t disappoint, scattering seven hits over a career-high seven scoreless innings with no walks allowed and five strikeouts.
He also got a clean game from the defense behind him as it turned key double plays in the sixth and seventh innings to keep the shutout intact.
As for Kjerstad, the freshman continued on his tear, extending his hit streak to 14 games with his second inning home run to right-centerfield.
The homer was estimated at 430 feet as it cleared Arkansas’ 25-foot tall scoreboard in right field and was dispatched into the pond beyond the outfield wall.
The Amarillo, Texas, native finished the game 2-for-4, his team-leading 12th multi-hit game of the year.
Since the streak started on March 14 against Texas, Kjerstad has hit .439 with 25 hits, 15 RBIs, five doubles, six home runs, and only 11 strikeouts.
His homer Wednesday against ULM also gives him sole possession of the team lead for home runs and puts him third in the league.
Arkansas’ (21-9, 5-4 SEC) 4-0 win on Wednesday was its fourth shutout of the season and first since blanking USC, 4-0, on March 2.
The Hitting
Joining Kjerstad with two hits in the game were outfielder Eric Cole and designated hitter Evan Lee. Cole delivered a single in the fifth and a double in the seventh, while Lee singled in the second and the sixth.
Lee finished with a strong series, going 4-for-10 (.400) with four RBIs, including a home run on Tuesday.
He was also tabbed as the winning pitcher in game one, pitching a near spotless two-thirds of an inning after the game went to extras.
The Pitching
With Wednesday’s performance, Bolden may have locked up a spot as Arkansas’ midweek starter for the remainder of the season.
In both of his starts this year, the other coming against Dayton on Feb. 28, Bolden has pitched six or more innings without giving up a run or a walk, and has struck out five or more batters.
Redshirt sophomore Cody Scroggins finished up the eighth and ninth innings out of the bullpen, going a career-long two innings with no hits allowed and two strikeouts against seven batters faced.
Razorback Quotables
“Really good job by Caleb Bolden today. We were hoping to get four or five innings out of him, but he got rolling. He got a couple big double play balls and kept his pitch count down. He won’t be on the roster this weekend. He’ll just get ready for next Tuesday. We’ve been wanting a guy to do that. He can gain some experience that way for us.” — Coach Dave Van Horn on Caleb Bolden’s performance against ULM
“As soon as he hit it I said ‘that one’s gone’. It was one of the best I’ve ever seen. It was just so obvious being on the field with the sound it made and he got extension. He’s a good hitter. If you leave it in the zone, he usually hits it. There’s a lot of skill involved.” — Van Horn on Heston Kjerstad’s second-inning home run
“I knew I squared it up and hit it pretty good. I surprised myself when I saw it going over the scoreboard. I think it was the farthest I’ve ever hit one.” — Heston Kjerstad on his home run
“My fastball and curveball were really working for me today. It felt good getting out there after Florida. It’s a big confidence boost for me.” — Caleb Bolden on his seven-inning outing Tuesday against ULM
Up Next
Arkansas will take on another highly ranked opponent in 11th-ranked Auburn, starting Friday at Baum Stadium.
First pitch for game one with the Tigers and Razorbacks will be at 6:30 p.m. on SECN+.
Game two on Saturday will be at 6 p.m., also on SECN+. Sunday’s series finale will be broadcast on the SEC Network with first pitch slated for 4 p.m.
Van Horn on Bolden’s strong outing, Kjerstad’s hitting
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn met with the media after Arkansas’ shutout win over Louisiana-Monroe on Wednesday to sweep the midweek series.
Knight, Kjerstad, Bolden after Hogs shut out Warhawks
Pitcher Blaine Knight talked about the upcoming Auburn series while Heston Kjerstad recounted his mammoth homer and Caleb Bolden his long outing Wednesday.
Van Horn after Hogs pull out 10-9 win over ULM
Arkansas pulled out a 10-9 win over Louisiana-Monroe in 10 innings Tuesday night in a cold Baum Stadium.
Hogs go to overtime to down Warhawks, 10-9, in 10 innings
FAYETTEVILLE — It took some extra swings Tuesday night, but fifth-ranked Arkansas pulled out a 10-9 win over Lousiana-Monroe in 10 innings at Baum Stadium.
It was the its 20th win of the season for the Razorbacks.
The Hogs got some help in the 10th as Casey Martin scored the winning run on a bases-loaded error by ULM shortstop Joey Jordan.
Arkansas only needed two hits in the 10th, but one was a key RBI single from freshman Heston Kjerstad to tie the game. Kjerstad finished the game 3-for-6 with one RBI to extend his hitting streak to a team-best 13 games.
After the Warhawks (15-13, 4-5 Sun Belt) tied the game with a four-run ninth inning, making it 8-8, they took the lead in the top of the 10th by taking advantage of a leadoff walk followed by a sacrifice bunt, an infield single, and then a squeeze bunt by pinch hitter Brendan Jordan.
The bunt was placed perfectly in between the pitcher and the third base line to allow the run to score from third.
Arkansas (20-9, 5-4 SEC) roared right back with a two-run bottom of the 10th.
Eric Cole led off the frame with an infield single deep in the hole at short, his first hit of the night. The next batter, Casey Martin, grounded a ball back to ULM pitcher Keegan Curtis. As Curtis threw to second for the potential double play, his second baseman, Brian Barefoot, caught the ball with his foot off the bag. The umpire called Cole safe and Martin was safe at first as well.
The close play shifted the momentum in favor of the Razorbacks as they went on to get an RBI single from Heston Kjerstad, tying it at 9-9.
Two batters later, after Dominic Fletcher was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Jordan McFarland grounded to short, but the shortstop threw the ball over the catcher’s head as he tried to get the force out at home, allowing Martin to score the winning run.
Arkansas is now 4-5 this season in one-run games with all four victories coming against non-conference opponents.
The win is also coach Dave Van Horn’s 1,200th victory as a head coach across all divisions.
This season is Van Horn’s 24th season as a Division I head coach. He spent six seasons prior as the head coach at Texarkana Community College and Division II’s Central Missouri State.
The Hitting
Along with Kjerstad, Evan Lee and Carson Shaddy both turned in multi-hit games.
Lee, who was the leadoff batter as the designated hitter on Tuesday, hit his second homer of the season in the bottom of the sixth inning, to give Arkansas its first lead of the game at 6-4.
Lee finished with a team-high three RBIs in the game, which was also a season high and tied his career high.
Shaddy came away with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, his third multi-hit game in his last five appearances.
The redshirt senior has been a tough out over the last three weeks, hitting .450 (18-for-40) over an 11-game stretch with 13 RBIs and just nine strikeouts.
The Pitching
Freshman Jackson Rutledge earned his first start of his young collegiate career Tuesday night and gave up three earned runs over three innings.
Juniors Jake Reindl and Barrett Loseke shut down the ULM offense from the fourth through the eighth innings, allowing no runs on just three hits, combined, and eight strikeouts.
Reindl was in line for the victory before ULM scored four in the top of the ninth to send it to extras.
Lee, in true two-way player fashion, came in to get the final two outs in the top of the 10th to keep it tied, allowing him to earn his second victory of the year.
Up Next
The Razorbacks and Warhawks are back on the field on Wednesday to close out their two-game series starting at 3 p.m. at Baum Stadium. The game will be televised online on SEC Network+.
