Brooks takes second conference honor in two weeks

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Arkansas senior Taliyah Brooks was named the SEC Field Athlete of the Week following her heptathlon title at the Texas Relays last weekend.

The honor is the second in as many weeks for Brooks, as she took the honor following her school record 22-3 long jump at the Arkansas Spring Invitational.

Brooks, who won the event in 2016 and was runner-up in 2017, began her run to the title last Wednesday with a first place finish in the 100 meter hurdles.

She followed that up with a fourth place finish in the high jump and a ninth place finish in the shot put.

Brooks trailed just once during the heptathlon following the shot put, by 17 points, but ended the day with a strong showing and another first place finish in the 200 meters with a time of 23.99 to pull her back ahead.

“I was happy with the results,” said Brooks. “I think overall I had a good two days. We will use the rest of the season for training, sharpening up on my individual events, and preparing for the next heptathlon during championship season”

She was just one of two athletes to break the 20′ mark in the heptathlon long jump, posting a mark of 6.30 (20-8), placing first by more than four inches.

Her day ended with a sixth place finish in the javelin throw and an eighth place finish in the 800 meters.

Brooks’ title marks the 24th at the Texas Relays for Arkansas and fourth in the heptathlon.

Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays Heptathlon
1. Taliyah Brooks – 5,946 pts
(1) 100-Meter Hurdles – 13.28, 1,083 pts.
(4) High Jump – 1.72m, 879 pts.
(9) Shot Put – 11.72m, 643 pts.
(1) 200 Meters- 23.99, 982 pts.
(1) Long Jump – 6.30m, 943 pts.
(6) Javelin- 36.91m, 608 pts.
(8) 800 Meters – 2:21.17, 808 pts.

Brooks’ Career Heptathlon Results 
2018 Texas Relays – 5,946 pts (1st)
2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships – 5,795 pts (3rd)
2017 SEC Outdoor Championships – 6,099 pts (1st) – School Record
2017 Texas Relays – 6,075 pts (2nd)
2016 SEC Outdoor Championships – 5,855 (4th)
2016 Texas Relays – 5,991 pts (1st)
2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships – 5,717 pts (16th)
2015 SEC Outdoor Championships – 5,681 pts (7th)
2015 Texas Relays – 5,482 pts (4th)

Storms named SEC’s top pitcher for week after MSU outings

FAYETTEVILLE — On the strength of two strong outings, sophomore Autumn Storms was named the SEC Pitcher of the Week with Tuesday’s release by the league office.

Storms is the sixth pitcher in program history to earn the award and the first since the 2009 season.

The Razorbacks (28-6, 5-4 SEC) are ranked No. 20 in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 and check in at 21st in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll.

Storms was 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and no walks in 11.1 innings of work against then-No. 20/18 Mississippi State.

She recorded a complete-game shutout in game two of the weekend to secure the Razorbacks’ series win and allowed just three hits with fourth strikeouts in the 76-pitch outing.

Storms’ performance marked just the second time Mississippi State had been shut out all season.

In the series finale, Storms tallied 4.1 innings of relief work to pick up her second win in as many days and locked down the Razorbacks’ first SEC series sweep since 2013 and the program’s first-ever three-game sweep of a ranked opponent.

Her standout efforts came against a Mississippi State team that was hitting .324 and averaging over six runs per game entering the weekend.

“I thought she was outstanding the last two days,” coach Courtney Deifel said of Storms following Sunday’s win. “She just had that look in her eye and had such good command of her pitches. This weekend showed exactly what we know she can do. Her presence, her confidence and her command set such a great tone for us.”

With the two wins, the Temecula, California, native moved into eighth place on the program’s career wins list (27).

Storms moved to 11-4 in the circle with a 2.02 ERA, 80 strikeouts and just 18 walks allowed this season.

Storms joins the list of Arkansas’ past Pitcher of the Week selections Miranda Dixon, Katy Henry, Tammy Kincaid, Heather Schlichtman and Rachel Talley.

Overall, the program has collected 13 SEC Pitcher of the Week accolades among the six pitchers. Kincaid (1997-00) was a five-time winner during her career.

Tuesday’s release also marks the first time in program history for Arkansas to win all three weekly awards in a single season.

Hannah McEwen earned SEC Player of the Week Honors back in March while Mary Haff has twice been named the league’s Freshman of the Week.

Razorbacks kick off long homestand against ULM

FAYETTEVILLE — After one of its longest roadtrips in recent seasons, No. 5 Arkansas returns home for 15 of their next 18 games, starting with a two-game midweek series with Louisiana-Monroe beginning on Tuesday.

First pitch with the Warhawks is set for 6:30 p.m. at Baum Stadium and the series will continue on Wednesday at 3 p.m.

FOLLOW LIVE

Both games will be streamed via SEC Network+, the online-only arm of the SEC Network on WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app. Brett Dolan (play-by-play) and Troy Eklund (Analyst) will have the call for both games.

Phil Elson will call all three games on the radio for the Razorback Sports Network from IMG and he’ll be joined by former Razorback Bubba Carpenter.

The radio broadcasts are also available on the Razorback Gameday app.

IMPORTANT LINKS (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)
Tue, April 3 – Arkansas vs. ULM – 6:30 p.m. – LIVE STATS | WATCH
Wed, April 4 – Arkansas vs. ULM – 3 p.m. – LIVE STATS | WATCH

PROBABLE STARTERS
TUE: ARK RHP Jackson Rutledge (0.00 ERA, 2-0, 8 K, 6 BB) vs. ULM RHP Stephen Morrison (3.77 ERA, 2-0, 7 K, 6 BB)

WED: ARK TBA vs. ULM TBA

For the last eight games and roughly two weeks, Arkansas had to play away from Baum Stadium, including weekend series at No. 2 Florida and, most recently, No. 4 Ole Miss.

Now, the Hogs get to return to the friendly confines of their home field, a place where they’ve thrived.

Arkansas has built up a 14-2 record in series wins over Bucknell, Dayton, USC, Kent State, Texas, and, most recently, No. 4 Kentucky at Baum Stadium this year.

As a team, the Razorbacks are hitting .358, while the pitching staff has garnered a 2.71 ERA. The starting pitchers have picked up seven of the 14 victories, while the staff as a whole is holding batters to a .233 average.

At the plate, the Hogs have smashed 36 of its season’s 53 homers at Baum Stadium and are slugging a combined .629.

One player that has been red hot at home and on the road is freshman outfielder Heston Kjerstad.

The Amarillo, Texas native was the best hitter on the team during the eight-game road stretch hitting .455 and leading the team in all the slash categories (.970 slugging percentage, .514 on-base percentage), and he’s totaled 15 hits with nine going for extra bases.

He also clubbed four home runs after hitting just three in the first 20 games of the season. Over his last 10 games, the Amarillo, Texas native has hit .450 (18-for-40) with five home runs and 12 RBIs.

He’s currently on a 12-game hitting streak, which is the longest active streak on the team.

As a team, Arkansas has the best offense in the SEC leading in batting average (.337), runs scored (71), slugging percentage (.607), on-base percentage (.408), hits (114), RBIs (70), home runs (24), and total bases (205) heading into the fourth week of SEC play.

RAZORBACK PRIME 9

• Arkansas now sits at 19-9 on the year and 5-4 in the SEC, which still puts it in a tie for second in the SEC Western Division, one game behind Ole Miss.

• In its nine conference games, the Hogs have continued to show a strong offense, hitting a combined .337 with 71 runs scored and 24 home runs.

• The Razorbacks lead all SEC teams in batting average (.337), runs scored (71), slugging percentage (.607), on-base percentage (.408), hits (114), RBIs (70), home runs (24), and total bases (205) after the first three weeks of conference play.

• Infielder Carson Shaddy led all Hog hitters over last week’s four-game stretch, hitting an even .400 with six hits in 15 at-bats.

Shaddy also drove in six RBIs over that stretch with one home run and one stolen base.

• Shaddy has at least one hit in 11 of his last 13 games and now has eight multi-hit games.

• It’s been a strong roadtrip for Kjerstad as he’s hit .455 over the eight-game stretch, leading the team in all the slash categories (.970 slugging percentage, .514 on-base percentage), and he’s totaled 15 hits with nine going for extra bases.

He also clubbed four home runs after hitting just three in the first 20 games of the season.

• Kjerstad currently has the third-best batting average in the SEC .390 and is on a 12-game hitting streak, the longest active streak on the team.

• After falling by one run in both games two and three at Ole Miss over the weekend, Arkansas has now played eight one-run games this season, winning three against Arizona, USC and Memphis.

• The Razorbacks still rank first in the SEC and second in the nation in home runs (53) after hitting six against Ole Miss over the weekend.

Before Saturday’s game two with the Rebels, the Hogs had hit at least one homer in 12-straight games.

Razorbacks sweep tripleheader over Alabama, Nebraska-Omaha

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas swept its tripleheader Sunday, defeating SEC foe Alabama 4-3, before shutting out Nebraska-Omaha 5-0 and 4-0.

With three regular-season matches left, the Razorbacks are now 12-11 overall and 3-6 in SEC play.

Arkansas played from behind against the Crimson Tide in the first match, as Alabama took the doubles point with a win on courts one and two. Juniors Oscar Mesquida and Adam Sanjurjo went behind early against Bama’s Edson Ortiz and Mazen Osama, falling 6-1. The Crimson Tide’s 71st-ranked duo of Thibault Cancel and Alexey Nesteroy would defeat senior Jose Salazar and freshman Josh Howard-Tripp 6-4 to clinch the doubles point for the Tide. Brothers Jose and Pedro Alonso led Patrick Kaukovalta and Riccardo Roberto 5-4 at the clinch.

Arkansas was able to take four straight two-set wins to run out to a 4-1 lead, clinching the win for the Razorbacks. Mesquida started things off with a quick 6-2, 6-2 victory over Cancel on court two, before Howard-Tripp defeated Kaukovalta 6-2, 6-4. Both Razorbacks went 2-0 on the day, as each picked up a win over Nebraska-Omaha following Arkansas’ victory over the Crimson Tide.

Jose Alonso would give Arkansas the 3-1 lead with a 6-4, 4-1 win over Riccardo Roberto, who retired. Arkansas would clinch the win with a victory on court four, as Alex Reco defeated Ortiz 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).

Following the clinch, Pedro Alonso fell to Nesterov 7-6 (8-6), 6-1, while No. 65 Salazar fell to No. 95 Osama 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 10-5.

Arkansas would go on to defeat Nebraska-Omaha 5-0 and 4-0 in a doubleheader to pick up the Sunday sweep

Arkansas will go back on the road next week, as the Razorbacks travel to Starkville, Mississippi, on Friday to take on Mississippi State at 3 p.m., before traveling further east to take on the Auburn Tigers at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Arkansas 4, Alabama 3

Singles Results – Order of finish (2,3,6,4,5,1)
1. #95 Mazen Osama (BAMA) def. #65 Jose Salazar (AR) 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 10-5
2. Oscar Mesquida (AR) def. Thibault Cancel (BAMA) 6-2, 6-2
3. Josh Howard-Tripp (AR) def. Patrick Kaukovalta (BAMA) 6-2, 6-4
4. Alex Reco (AR) def. Edson Ortiz (BAMA) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)
5. Alexey Nesterov (BAMA) def. Pedro Alonso (AR) 7-6 (8-6), 6-1
6. Jose Alonso (AR) def. Riccardo Roberto (BAMA) 6-4, 4-1, retired

Doubles Results – Order of finish (1,2)
1. Edson Ortiz/Mazen Osama (BAMA) def. Oscar Mesquida/Adam Sanjurjo (AR) 6-1
2. #71 Thibault Cancel/Alexey Nesterov (BAMA) def. Jose Salazar/Josh Howard-Tripp (AR) 6-4
3. Jose Alonso/Pedro Alonso (AR) vs. Patrick Kaukovalta/Riccardo Roberto (BAMA) 5-4, unfinished

Arkansas 5, Nebraska-Omaha 0

Singles Results – Order of finish (1,4,5,6)
1. Oscar Mesquida (AR) def. Razvan Grigorescu (OMAHA) 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-4)
2. Abdoul Ouattara (OMAHA) vs. Adam Sanjurjo (AR) no result
3. Nathan Reekie (OMAHA) vs. Josh Howard-Tripp (AR) no result
4. Pedro Alonso (AR) def. Matt Dunn (OMAHA) 4-1, retired
5. Jose Alonso (AR) def. Marko Minic (OMAHA) 6-3, 6-2
6. Branch Terrell (AR) def. Luke Moorhead (OMAHA) 6-1, 7-6 (7-3)

Doubles Results – Order of finish (3,1,2)
1. Oscar Mesquida/Adam Sanjurjo (AR) def. Nathan Reekie/Razvan Grigorescu (OMAHA) 6-1
2. Jose Alonso/Pedro Alonso (AR) def. Abdoul Ouattara/Alex Woodward (OMAHA) 7-6
3. Josh Howard-Tripp/Alex Reco (AR) def. Matt Dunn/Luke Moorhead (OMAHA) 6-0

Arkansas 4, Nebraska-Omaha 0

Singles Results – Order of finish (2,3,4)
1. Razvan Grigorescu (OMAHA) vs. Oscar Mesquida (AR) no result
2. Adam Sanjurjo (AR) def. Abdoul Ouattara (OMAHA) 6-3, 6-4
3. Josh Howard-Tripp (AR) def. Nathan Reekie (OMAHA) 6-0, 4-6, 6-1
4. Alex Reco (AR) def. Alex Woodward (OMAHA) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
5. Marko Minic (OMAHA) vs. Jose Alonso (AR) no result
6. Luke Moorhead (OMAHA) vs. Branch Terrell (AR) no result

Doubles Results – Order of finish (2,3)
1. Nathan Reekie/Razvan Grigorescu (OMAHA) vs. Oscar Mesquida/Adam Sanjurjo (AR) no result
2. Josh Howard-Tripp/Alex Reco (AR) def. Abdoul Ouattara/Alex Woodward (OMAHA) 6-4
3. Jose Salazar/Josh Bortnick (AR) def. Matt Dunn/Luke Moorhead (OMAHA) 6-2