Hogs get another win in ‘Mary Nutter;’ start year 5-0

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CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. — Freshman Mary Haff earned her third win while fellow freshman Kayla Green and junior Ashley Diaz each homered Monday in the Razorbacks’ 4-2 win over Fordham to close out the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.

With the win, Arkansas moved to 5-0 through its opening weekend of the 2018 campaign. Based on her overall performance in the Golden State, Haff was named the SEC Freshman of the Week.

Up Next

The non-conference season continues Feb. 23-25 with another weekend road trip to the Madeira Beach Spring Invitational in Florida.

Over those three days, the Razorbacks are set to play Marist, Manhattan, Delaware, Villanova and 24th-ranked McNeese.

Arkansas’ home opener is Feb. 28 when the team hosts Missouri State for a midweek game.

Final: Arkansas 4, Fordham 2 | Box Score

After a scoreless first frame for both teams, Green posted the game’s first run with a solo shot to left field.

The Razorbacks plated a run in each of the next two innings to push their lead to 3-0 after an RBI single by Hannah McEwen that scored Aly Manzo in the fourth frame. In her first start, Manzo was 2-for-2 with a run scored.

Meanwhile in the circle, Haff was in complete control through the first five innings of the game. The freshman pitcher tallied a season-high 12 strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work.

With one out in the sixth, Fordham (0-5) had runners on first and second after a walk and base hit through the right side. Sophomore Autumn Storms entered the game but a couple of choppers off the Fordham bats plated two runs to cut Arkansas’ lead to one run.

Diaz got one of those runs back with a line-drive solo shot to left field. The home run was her first of the young season and Arkansas’ seventh big fly of the season-opening weekend.

The lead was 4-2 with Storms back in the circle looking to secure the win. She struck out the first two hitters but Fordham responded by getting its next two runners on with a walk and single.

Storms remained steady and induced a ground ball from the next hitter to pick up her first save of the season.

SEC Freshman of the Week

Haff tallied three of the Razorbacks’ five wins at the Mary Nutter Classic and added a save in another team triumph.

Over 18.1 innings of work, the Winter Haven, Fla., native struck out 31 hitters, posted a 0.76 ERA and held the opposition to a .095 batting average.

She allowed just six hits, two earned runs and two walks in four appearances. Haff is Arkansas’ first SEC Freshman of the Week since 2012.

2018 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic
Feb. 17 vs Grand Canyon – W, 6-2
Feb. 17 vs #21 Utah – W, 4-2
Feb. 18 vs Weber State – W, 5-2
Feb. 18 vs Loyola Marymount – W, 6-5
Feb. 19 vs Fordham – W, 4-2

Barford, Macon talk about Gafford, Kentucky game

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Arkansas seniors Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon met with the media Monday and talked about their final game games and Kentucky.

Big weekend helps Shaddy earn SEC’s top player honor

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FAYETTEVILLE — Redshirt senior infielder Carson Shaddy was named the first SEC Player of the Week for the 2018 season on Monday after his monstrous series against Bucknell, helping the Hogs outscore the Bison 49-7 for the three-game sweep.

Shaddy was the Razorbacks’ most efficient hitter during the season’s first weekend as he totaled an SEC-leading nine RBIs in 12 plate appearances.

He was only 4-for-7 (.571) at the plate, but drew four walks to build up a .750 on-base percentage, which is third best in the league.

On Opening Day, Shaddy started 2018 off with a bang, clubbing four RBIs as part of a 1-for-2 day with a home run.

The four RBIs were the most for a Razorback on Opening Day since Blake Parker drove in four in 2005 against Dallas Baptist.

All four of his RBIs also came before the third inning as he drew a walk with the bases loaded in the first inning and hit a three-run homer in the second.

On Saturday, the Fayetteville native recorded his second-straight four-RBI day, going a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate with two walks.

He finished the weekend with a .571/.750/1.571 slash line, which are all top-10 totals in the SEC.

His slugging percentage is good for second in the conference and he was one of eight players in the league to hit two homers in the first three games.

Up Next

Shaddy and the Razorbacks head west to take part in the Tony Gwynn Legacy Tournament in San Diego, California.

The tournament will begin on Friday, but the Hogs will play one neutral site game against Arizona on Wednesday at Tony Gwynn Stadium on the campus of San Diego State. First pitch is scheduled for 9 p.m. and will be televised on CST.

For the weekend, Arkansas will face Cal Poly on Friday at 3 p.m. and San Diego State on Saturday at 8 p.m.

It’ll finish the weekend against San Diego on Sunday at Noon. All games next week will be televised regionally on CST.

Gafford slams home third SEC weekly honor of season

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FAYETTEVILLE — Leading Arkansas to two double-digit victories last week at Ole Miss and against No. 21 Texas A&M, Daniel Gafford earned his third career SEC Freshman of the Week honor from the league office Monday morning.

Gafford joins NBA players Bobby Portis and Patrick Beverley as the only Razorbacks to earn the honor three times and is the only player in the league to claim the honor three times this season.

Gafford led Arkansas in scoring last week, averaging 18.5 points per game, going a combined 13-of-15 (.867) from the floor. At Ole Miss, he finished with a team-high 19 points on 6-of-7 shooting to go along with six rebounds. Against No. 21 Texas A&M, Gafford shot 7-of-8 from the floor for 18 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal.

The El Dorado, Arkansas, native is shooting 62.3 percent from the field this season, ranking fourth among all freshmen in the country, including 32nd overall in the nation. In SEC play alone, Gafford ranks third in field-goal percentage, shooting 61.1 percent (69-113).

Averaging 12.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game against SEC teams, Gafford has scored in double-figures in 10 of his 14 career conference games. The big man is responsible for 54 of Arkansas’ 97 dunks this year, more than four SEC teams.

Arkansas hosts the Kentucky Wildcats for Super Tuesday on ESPN tomorrow night at 8 p.m. in a sold-out Bud Walton Arena.

Razorbacks drop to No. 11 in rankings, fifth in SEC

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FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas maintained its top-15 ranking, coming in at No. 11 in this week’s Road To Nationals weekly rankings.

The Razorbacks ranked No. 19 in the preseason rankings and have not dropped below No. 11 since its season opening the season at LSU Jan. 5.

The balance beam continues to be the Razorbacks’ strongest event, coming in at No. 4 once again with an average of 49.207.

Arkansas has been ranked as one of the top beam squads in the nation since the beginning of the season.

Leading the way is freshman Sophia Carter who ranks No. 27, while sophomores Jessica Yamzon and Michaela Burton are just behind Carter and tied for No. 28.

Fellow sophomore Hailey Garner, who competed on the balance beam for the first time this season last Friday, comes in at No. 33 in her first appearance in the beam rankings.

In total, five of the six athletes on beam rank in the top 60.

The Razorbacks come in at No. 9 on the uneven bars, as their second best event averaging a 49.071. Seniors Braie Speed and Amanda Wellick rank No. 54 and No. 59 on the event, respectively, to lead Arkansas.

On vault the Razorbacks rank No. 20, while they come in at No. 25 on the floor.

Arkansas is in a battle for the fourth spot in the Southeastern Conference with No. 9 Kentucky, less than a tenth behind the Wildcats.

The Razorbacks rank as the No. 5 team in the league and is looking to finish as the in the top half as the top four teams in the conference make the evening session at the SEC Championships on March 24.

This week’s rankings will be the last rankings based solely on a team’s average score as Road To Nationals will move to a Regional Qualifying Score system in next week’s rankings.

Weekly Rankings | Average
1. Oklahoma – 197.638
2. LSU – 197.481
3. UCLA – 197.357
4. Utah – 197.329
5. Florida – 197.100
6. Michigan – 196.593
7. Alabama – 196.539
8. Oregon State– 196.442
9. Kentucky – 196.329
10. Washington – 196.314
11. Arkansas – 196.268
12. Denver– 196.250
13. Boise State– 196.242
14. Nebraska– 196.238
15. Georgia – 196.179
16. Auburn – 196.019
17. Arizona State – 195.889
18. BYU – 195.779
19. Minnesota– 195.708
20. Missouri – 195.663
21. California – 195.629
22. Iowa State – 195.467
22. George Washington – 195.568
24. Central Michigan– 195.500
25. Iowa State– 195.467

Morning Rush Hour 3

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Monday

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Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Monday

Morning Rush Hour 2

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Morning Rush Hour 1

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Schultz’ titles push Arkansas to 10th at SEC meet in Texas

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Freshman diver Brooke Schultz proved again Friday night why she is considered the best diver in the Southeastern Conference.

A six-time SEC Diver of the Week, Schultz won her second SEC Championship in as many events, this time claiming the three-meter title with a personal-best score of 385.65.

Entering the week, Arkansas had never had a diver win an SEC Championship. Schultz has won two since Wednesday.

Schultz becomes the ninth SEC diver ever to win the 1m and 3m titles in the same season and the first since Kahlia Warner of Florida in 2016. After finishing second in the prelims with a score of 354.90, Schultz paced the field in finals, winning by 16.65 points.

The day began with the 400 individual medley. Two of Arkansas’ four participants clinched spots in the evening finals, as freshman Peyton Palsha and senior Chloe Hannam each qualified for the C-final.

Palsha, her second finals appearance in her SEC Championship debut, swam the eighth-fastest time in her heat, turning in a then-personal-best 4:13.29.

In the finals, Palsha broke her personal best with a third-place showing in the C-final in 4:11.41, finishing 19th overall.

Hannam swam a 4:14.92 to qualify for the C-final, where she finished seventh in a time of 4:14.04 to finish 23rd overall.

Along with Hannam and Palsha, senior Jessie Garrison also turned in an NCAA ‘B’ cut time in the prelims, finishing eighth in her heat, 32nd overall, in a time of 4:19.38. Junior Madison Umberger touched sixth in her heat, 38th overall, in a personal-best 4:23.72.

Senior Olivia Weekley clocked Arkansas’ only automatic qualifying time in the 100 butterfly with a time of 53.89 in her heat to finish 25th overall.

Junior Marlena Pigliacampi touched sixth in her heat in a season-best 54.73 to finish 32nd overall, while senior Taylor Weiss also recorded a season best with a time of 55.23 to finish 37th overall, fifth in her heat.

The Razorbacks had seven athletes compete in the 200 freestyle. Freshman Ayumi Macias led the way for Arkansas, finishing 28th overall, winning her heat in a time of 1:48.29.

Junior Kiera Michailoff-Russell won her respective heat as well in a time of 1:49.57 to finish 39th overall. Senior Chelsea Tatlow finished 32nd overall finish, after finishing seventh in her heat with a time of 1:48.51.

Junior Annah Carney placed third in her heat in a time of 1:49.07 to finish 35th.Freshman Kenedy Thaman finished fifth in her heat, recording a 38th-place finish in a time of 1:49.36.

Freshman Alyssa Lemon touched in a time of 1:50.91 to finish seventh in her heat and 51st overall, while junior Erin Kelly touched fifth in her heat in 1:54.42 to finish 61st.

Action will pick back up on Saturday morning from College Station at 10 a.m. with the 200 butterfly, 100 backstroke and 100 breaststroke.

Standings – Day Three
1. Texas A&M – 737
2. Tennessee – 544.5
3. Georgia – 543
4. Auburn – 374.5
5. Missouri – 355
6. Kentucky – 350
7. Florida – 347.5
8. South Carolina – 333.5
9. Alabama – 319
10. Arkansas – 252
11. LSU – 210
12. Vanderbilt – 120

Late inning rally in California lifts Hogs to 4-0 start

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. — Arkansas improved to 4-0 Sunday evening with a pair of wins on day two of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.

The Razorbacks opened with a 5-2 victory over Weber State and capped their day by erasing a five-run deficit to rally past Loyola Marymount.

Sophomore Autumn Storms recorded both wins in the circle while freshman catcher Kayla Green turned in a pair of multi-hit efforts.

Up Next

The Razorbacks return to the Big League Dreams complex Monday morning for their final game of the weekend, taking on Fordham at 10:30 a.m.

The two teams last met in 2013 as part of the NCAA Norman Regional. Fordham, the preseason A-10 favorite, played in last year’s NCAA Tournament.

Game 1: Arkansas 5, Weber State 2 | Box Score

Arkansas jumped out to an early lead, generating four runs through the first two innings.

Senior Autumn Buczek led off the game with a walk and eventually came around to score on a base hit by fellow senior A.J. Belans.

The Razorbacks extended their advantage with three runs in the second after freshman Hannah McEwen knocked a two-run single through the infield and senior Loren Krzysko followed with an RBI single of her own, scoring Buczek for the second time in as many innings.

Storms made the start and kept the opponent off the scoreboard until the third inning when the Wildcats plated two runs on a line shot down the line in left field.

Weber threatened to add more but McEwen ended that thought with an outfield assist to third, cutting down a runner trying to move from first to third on a single to right.

The rest of the game belonged to freshman Mary Haff who entered the game in the fifth and struck out six without allowing a hit on her way to earning the first save of her collegiate career.

She struck out the first five WSU hitters she faced. Arkansas tacked on an insurance run in the fifth, taking advantage of a pair of miscues in center field.

Game 2: Arkansas 6, Loyola Marymount 5 | Box Score

With the score tied 5-5 in the bottom of the seventh, Belans got things started with a walk and moved into scoring position on a one-out single by Green.

Freshman Linnie Malkin stepped to the plate and delivered the game-winning hit to left center which brought Belans around to score and complete the comeback.

After a quiet first inning for both teams, Loyola broke through with four hits and three runs in the top of the second including a two-run homer by Sabrina Tebou.

The Lions added two runs in the fourth to push their lead to 5-0 but Arkansas responded with two runs of its own in the bottom of the fourth including a solo home run off the bat of Belans. She was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a walk in the game.

Storms started the fifth inning and was the dominating factor for the remainder of the game. She struck out seven of the first nine hitters she faced.

Meanwhile, the Razorbacks’ offense was chipping away at its deficit with two runs in the fifth and the tying run in the sixth.

Down a run in the sixth frame and with runners at the corner, Buczek singled past the shortstop which allowed pinch runner Sydney Benz to score the equalizer.

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