Arkansas coach Mike Anderson met with the media Thursday about going on the road against Missouri and finishing season strong.
Rippee, Pamphile head to USA Volleyball tryouts
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas will be represented by sophomore Rachel Rippee and freshman Elizabeth Pamphile at this weekend’s U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryout in Colorado Springs.
Assistant coach Jon Newman-Gonchar will also be in attendance continuing his role as a member of the USA Volleyball National Team coaching staff.
Overall, a total of 229 athletes from 90 colleges and universities around the country will be vying for selection to the National Team and Collegiate National Team programs.
The tryout process begins Friday at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and will be streamed and available for free. Click HERE to watch. Rippee and Pamphile are part of the Red training wave that begins Friday at 4 p.m.
Rippee is one of 43 setters attending the tryout while Pamphile will be one of 49 middle blockers.
Rippee was an AVCA All-South Region Honorable Mention performer and was twice named SEC Setter of the Week during the 2017 season.
She was second in the SEC and 21st in the NCAA with 11.23 assists per set. The Springfield, Missouri, native dished out 1,303 assists to become just the fourth setter in program history to reach 1,300 assists in a single season and the first to do so since 2003. Rippee also averaged 2.16 digs per set and finished the season with 12 double-doubles.
In her first season in Cardinal and White, Pamphile started in all 30 matches and posted at least seven kills in 22 matches including eight outings with 10 or more kills.
In six of those eight performances, she coupled the double-digit production with a .400 or higher hitting percentage. Defensively, Pamphile amassed 95.0 total blocks and had at least four total blocks in 10 matches.
USA Volleyball will use #USAtryout as the hashtag for photos, notes, quotes and stories posted to its social media platforms under its @usavolleyball handle.
Thompson earns SEC Community Service honors
FAYETTEVILLE — Senior forward Trey Thompson has been named to the SEC Community Service Team for the first time in his career the league office, announced Thursday morning.
In a continuing effort to recognize the accomplishments of student-athletes off the court, this marks the 20th year for the SEC Community Service Team for men’s basketball.
Thompson has helped spearhead all community service efforts for the Arkansas basketball team during his four-year career in Fayetteville.
The two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member participated in fundraising events for the Boys & Girls Club and also helped in relief efforts for flood victims in Houston and Florida.
He has participated in the Book Hogs program to provide children’s books to elementary schools and partnered with Samaritan’s Feet to provide shoes to underprivileged children.
He completed his undergraduate degree in just three years in December and has worn the coveted “SEC Graduate” patch during his senior season.
The Madison, Arkansas, native has played in the second-most games as a Razorback among current players with 109.
He is averaging 2.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in his career. Thompson is having his most productive season yet as a Razorback this year, averaging 3.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
Hogs return from break, open conference action
FAYETTEVILLE — After a nearly three-week break from competition, Arkansas returns to the court for four matches this weekend, opening SEC action Friday, hosting LSU at 6 p.m.
Arkansas will also take the court against No. 7 Texas A&M on Sunday at 1 p.m., followed by a double-header with the UMKC Kangaroos.
Senior Jose Salazar currently ranks 78th in the Oracle/ITA Division I Men’s National Singles Rankings, leading Arkansas with a team-best 13-6 overall record this season, including a 7-2 mark in dual matches. Salazar is 2-1 against ranked opponents this season.
Salazar also has the best doubles record on the team when paired with freshman Josh Howard-Tripp. The duo holds a 4-2 mark this season, with wins in three of the last four results, while two other matches they were leading or tied when the doubles point was clinched.
LSU enters the weekend with a 7-3 overall record, after winning each of its last two matches against North Florida and Nicholls.
Texas A&M is also 7-3, as the Aggies have defeated three top-25 teams this season in No. 24 Texas Tech, No. 11 Florida and No. 3 North Carolina. The Aggies have also knocked off LSU 4-0 earlier this season in the ITA Kick-off Weekend.
Arkansas’ double-header opponent, UMKC, comes to town with a 3-5 record this season with wins over William Jewell, Creighton and Oral Roberts.
Razorbacks tee it up in ‘Darius Rucker’ in South Carolina
FAYETTEVILLE — Third-ranked Arkansas tees it up at the 2018 Darius Rucker Intercollegiate in Hilton Head, South Carolina, this weekend as spring action continues for the Razorbacks.
Arkansas is making its seventh appearance at the event and is looking for their first win on the par-71, 6,160-yard Long Cove Club Course.
The field is one of the best the Razorbacks have faced all season with six top-10 programs as well as nine Southeastern Conference members in attendance.
BY THE NUMBERS
6 » Programs that have won a tournament this season
6 » Teams ranked in Golfstat’s Top 10
8 » Schools that advanced to the 2017 NCAA Championship
22 » Players listed in Golfweek’s Top 50 Rankings
ANNIKA Award Watch List and Arnold Palmer Cup hopeful Maria Fassi headlines Arkansas’ lineup having earned three medalist honors this season.
She ranks No. 5 in the country in stroke average and has wins at the Mason Rudolph Invitational, the ANNIKA Intercollegiate and the Lady Puerto Rico Classic this season.
She is just the third Razorback to win three or more events in a single season.
Fassi leads Arkansas with a 69.60 stroke average this season and is one of four top-10 players in the field this week.
Arnold Palmer Cup hopefuls Dylan Kim and Alana Uriell are second and third, respectively, on the team in stroke average and have nine top-5 finishes between them.
Junior Kaylee Benton checks in with a 74.27 average and senior Jordy LaBarbera is making her second start of the year.
Live scoring is available at Golfstat.com or via the Golfstat Live app.
The Razorback Lineup
Maria Fassi – 69.60
Dylan Kim – 70.80
Alana Uriell – 70.87
Kaylee Benton – 74.27
Jordy LaBarbera – 78.00
The Field
(2) Alabama, (3) Arkansas, (6) Arizona State, Auburn, Baylor, (5) Duke, (9) Furman, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi State, (13) Northwestern, North Carolina, (14) Oklahoma State, (8) South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, (20) Virginia, (23) Wake Forest
Arkansas blows past Dayton to open series
FAYETTEVILLE — Fifth-ranked Arkansas looked right at home Wednesday afternoon, defeating Dayton, 18-1, with the help of a great start by freshman pitcher Caleb Bolden and a two-homer day from fellow freshman Casey Martin.
It’s the third game this year that Arkansas (6-2) has scored 10 or more runs and the third time it has scored eight or more runs before the third inning.
Martin finished the game 2-for-5 with two home runs and six RBIs while hitting in the nine spot. He had the two-out home run in the bottom of the second inning that opened the floodgates as Arkansas batted around in the second, scoring eight runs, all with two outs.
Martin is also the first Razorback to have a multi-home run game this season and first since Chad Spanberger went deep twice against top-seeded Florida in the SEC Tournament semifinals on May 27, 2017.
As for Bolden, the Texarkana, Texas native looked comfortable on the mound in his first collegiate start, going six strong innings without giving up a run or walk, and he also struck out six on 81 pitches.
Bolden didn’t pitch last week in San Diego and pitched just three innings in relief in game three of the opening series against Bucknell.
It continues a string of great starting pitching the Razorbacks have gotten in the early part of the season.
Bolden’s start on Wednesday marked the sixth time in eight games that an Arkansas starting pitcher went four or more innings and gave up a run or less.
Combined, Arkansas starting pitchers have a 1.47 ERA this season with 41 strikeouts and are holding opponents to a .197 batting average.
Moments That Mattered
The big inning was the second when Arkansas brought eight across, all with two outs, forcing Dayton starting pitcher R.J. Wagner out after just 1.2 innings.
It was Martin’s three-run home run swing that started it and the Hogs went on to get a Jax Biggers single, an Eric Cole walk, an RBI-single by Heston Kjerstad, a two-RBI double by Jared Gates, an RBI-double by Dominic Fletcher, an RBI-single by Evan Lee, and a single from Grant Koch before Dayton recorded the final out of the inning.
As a team, Arkansas was 11-for-21 (.524) in the game with two outs with seven of those hits coming in the second inning. This season, the Razorbacks are 35-for-101 (.347) at the plate with two outs.
Evan Lee and Dominic Fletcher seemed to break out of their offensive slumps they brought into the game as Lee finished the game with three hits, while Fletcher notched two.
Both players came away with two RBIs each as it was Fletcher’s third multi-RBI game this year and first for Lee.
After the Hogs had scored six runs over the fourth and fifth innings to make it 14-0, Arkansas started to go to its bench, but Martin stayed in the game to bat in the seventh with a runner on.
He corked a 1-1 pitch down the left field line that just wrapped around the foul pole for a home run, making it 16-0 Razorbacks.
In the seventh inning, freshman pitcher Zebulon Vermillion entered to relieve Bolden and he finished the game, scattering three hits and allowing just one run, while striking out three.
Razorback Quotables
“He (Bolden) came out, threw a lot of strikes and lived at 90, 92 mph with a pretty good slider. When he kept the ball around the knees, he had a lot of success.” — Coach Dave Van Horn on Caleb Bolden’s performance
“It was a great inning for us. Anytime you can put together an inning like that, the way it all went down when Hunter Wilson drew a 3-2 walk, we got six hits in a row, and they really weren’t cheap, they were hit pretty good. Some on the line, some in the air. Just a really good inning that gave us a chance to relax a little bit.” — Van Horn on the eight-run second inning
“We wanted to use (Casey) Martin as a second leadoff guy. If Jax Biggers isn’t playing there’s a chance he will lead off. He will be our leadoff guy next year for sure and could be our leadoff guy this year.” — Van Horn on Casey Martin batting in the nine spot
“I was seeing the ball pretty well. Hunter (Wilson) did a really good job before me getting the next batter up. Our hitters did a really good job today.” — Casey Martin on his two-home run day
“I was just looking for at bats. I was really fortunate to get two today up the middle and that other hit really got me going. Just kept telling myself, they’re going to come; hits are going to come. You have a great approach, just hit the ball hard and they will start falling for me. — Evan Lee on breaking out of his hitting slump
“It was my first career start and my adrenaline was rolling. We came in here and watched some film on them and I found some weaknesses that I was able to pound.” — Caleb Bolden on his strong pitching performance
“Thought he (Martin) had a really good game. It’s been a real pleasure watching him grow through the fall from when he came in to now. I think he is going to continue to improve and get better just like this offense is. We’ve had some struggles earl,y but as an offense I think you will really see us evolve and get better at our game.” — Evan Lee on Martin’s day at the plate
Up Next
The Razorbacks will come back on Thursday to finish the two-game series with the Flyers starting at 3 p.m. at Baum Stadium.
The game will be televised on SEC Network+ via the Watch ESPN app and WatchESPN.com.
Van Horn breaks down Hogs’ big win over Dayton
Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn was pleased after the Hogs had 16 hits, including a pair of homers from Casey Martin to beat Dayton, 18-1.
Home runs, Haff lift Razorbacks to mid-week victory
FAYETTEVILLE — With the help of four home runs, Arkansas opened its home schedule Wednesday evening with a 9-0 win over Missouri State.
In the circle, freshman Mary Haff had seven strikeouts and allowed just one hit to secure her sixth win of the season
All nine of the Razorbacks’ runs came courtesy of the long ball including the game-ending shot by Haydi Bugarin in the bottom of the fifth.
Arkansas is now 10-1 on the season and Wednesday’s game marked the fifth run-rule victory of the season. The Razorbacks also got home runs from Loren Kryzsko, Tori Cooper and Hannah McEwen.
“We’re going to get more contributions and we’re going to see a little more balance one through nine,” coach Courtney Deifel said. “It doesn’t really matter who we put in there. They’re producing and making the most of the opportunity. It’s a fun team to watch right now.”
Up Next
The Razorbacks continue their home stand this weekend with six games during the Razorback Invitational The team is set to host Central Connecticut State, Dartmouth and Northern Colorado. The 11-game, three-day tournament begins Friday at Bogle Park.
Final: Arkansas 9, Missouri State 0 (5 inn.) | Box Score
After stranding two in the first inning, the Razorbacks broke through with back-to-back solo blasts by Krzysko and Cooper, respectively. The big fly was the 15th of Cooper’s career.
McEwen continued her hot swinging with a grand slam in the fourth to push the lead to 6-0. The freshman outfielder now has three home runs this season, including two grand slams.
While her teammates were hitting the ball out of the park, Haff retired the first 12 Missouri State hitters she faced and was perfect through four innings.
She didn’t allow a hit until the lead-off hitter in the fourth singled to shallow center field but Haff responded by striking out the next three hitters.
Wednesday’s game was her fifth appearance of the year with at least seven strikeouts.
The Razorbacks’ half of the fifth began with a walk to A.J. Belans and a one-out free pass issued to Cooper.
Bugarin came to the plate, and facing a full count, drove a pitch to deep left field to secure the home-opening triumph. The win pushes the Razorbacks to a 20-19 edge in their all-time series with Missouri State.
Krzysko and Autumn Buczek both recorded two hits in the game while Cooper scored three runs against the Bears. With Wednesday’s output, Arkansas has now hit 19 home runs through its first 11 games of the 2018 campaign.
