31.5 F
Fayetteville

Hogs travel to Sea Island this weekend for SEC Championships

Season Stats | Championship Central

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ men’s golf team travels to the SEC Championship this weekend, taking on the nation’s best teams in St. Simons, Georgia at Sea Island Golf Club.

The conference championship returns to Sea Island Golf Club for the eighth consecutive year, as all 14 teams will assemble at the par 70, 6,898-yard course on April 21-24. Live scoring is available at Golfstat.com or via the Golfstat Live app.

The SEC Championship has a brand new format this season that includes 54 holes of stroke play the first two days of competition with the top eight teams advancing to match play the final two days. The championship match will take place on Monday, April 24.

The Rundown
Schedule: Friday-Monday, April 21-24
Course: Seaside Course, Sea Island Golf Club
Yardage: 6,898 – Par 70

Championship Format
Friday: 36 holes of stroke play
Saturday: 18 holes of stroke play
Sunday: Quarterfinal and Semifinal Matches
Monday: Championship Match

Razorback Lineup
1. Alvaro Ortiz, Jr. (71.6)
2. Luis Garza, Fr. (71.8)
3. Dylan Naidoo, Fr. (73.4)
4. Mason Overstreet, Fr. (73.7)
5. Charles Kim, So. (73.4)

Best of the Best
The SEC Continues to boast the best golf in the country, holding nine of the top 30 teams in the land, including three of the top 10, more than any other conference in the nation. The Razorbacks have held steady in the rankings all year and enter the league championship ranked No. 29 in the country.

Young Talent
Arkansas features the youngest lineup in the league with one junior, one sophomore and three freshmen. The Razorback lineup has combined for just three years of SEC Championship appearances, the fewest among any program in the conference. Arkansas starts three freshmen, while Georgia and Tennessee start two and no other program starts more than one.

Balanced Attack
Four of the five players in Arkansas’ lineup have finished inside the top five this season, while No. 5 golfer Charles Kim has the only victory with his dramatic finish at the SunTrust Gator to capture the individual title. Alvaro Ortiz leads the team with six top-10 finishes, while Luis Garza has the sixth-best scoring average in the SEC among freshmen.

Head-to-Head in the SEC
Arkansas played 12 of the other 13 teams in the league during the regular season, beating seven of them head-to-head, including then 2nd-ranked Florida on its home course to capture the SunTrust Gator Invitational, one of two team victories this year. The Razorbacks have the third lowest team score in the conference this season with an eight-under 272 at TPC Sawgrass.

Quest for a Championship
The Razorbacks hoisted their lone SEC championship trophy in 1995 and have two individual SEC Champions in the last 21 years, as Sebastian Cappelen captured the title at eight-under in 2013 and Bud Still found himself atop the leaderboard in 1995 at 10-under. A Razorback individual title this weekend would be the second in the last five seasons.

Steady in the SEC
The Razorbacks have finished in the top six at the SEC Championship eight straight years under head coach Brad McMakin, making it the only SEC program to accomplish the feat. Arkansas’ best finish under head coach Brad McMakin came in 2009, posting a runner-up finish led by current #ProHogs David Lingmerth, while last year’s T-3rd place showing was the best finish in the last eight years.

Fletcher nearly goes for cycle as Hogs dominate Memphis

Box Score (PDF)

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas tied a season-high with 16 runs scored Tuesday night to power past Memphis, 16-7, at Baum Stadium.

Freshman Dominic Fletcher nearly hit for the cycle in the game as he hit a single, double, and a triple in his first three at-bats. He was one of four Razorbacks with multi-hit performances in the game.

The win moves the Hogs record to 30-8 for the season, the fastest to 30 wins by any team in the SEC, and is their 10th-straight midweek win. Arkansas remains a perfect 13-0 when scoring 10 or more runs in a game this year.

Fletcher’s performance at the plate was nearly one for the ages as he locked up everything but the home run for the cycle by the fifth inning. Had he hit the home run, it would have been the first cycle by a Razorback since Kyle Harris did it in 1994 against Tennessee.

Fletcher finished the game 3-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored. Both the RBIs and the runs scored are season-highs.

Sophomore Jax Biggers also turned in a three-hit game, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. It’s his fifth-straight multi-hit game and second three-hit game in his last seven.

On the mound, freshman Matt Cronin earned his second victory after throwing 1.1 scoreless innings at the end of the fifth and through the sixth.

Arkansas had retaken its second lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth after Cronin entered the game, scoring four runs on six hits.

It was the last lead change of the game as Arkansas took a 11-7 lead into the sixth and scored five more runs in the bottom half of the sixth on just three hits, to make it 16-7 for the final three innings.

Moments That Mattered

Memphis got a three-run first inning off a Andy Bowman home run to take a 3-0 lead, but the Razorbacks responded in a big way with seven runs over the second and third innings. A Jake Arledge two-RBI double got the scoring started for the Hogs. He later scored on a Chad Spanberger groundout to tie the game at 3-3.

Arledge finished the game with two hits and three runs scored. Both of his RBIs in the game came from the double in the second inning. In 11 of his last 12 games, Arledge has at least one hit.

The lead was padded in the third when the Hogs took advantage of three straight walks to Jared Gates, Carson Shaddy, and Eric Cole before Fletcher cleared the bases with his first triple of his career down the right field line, making it 7-3.

Fletcher now has nine multi-hit games this season and three with three hits or more. It’s his first game with two or more hits since going 2-for-3 against Alabama on April 2.

Memphis did tie the game for a second time by putting up a four spot in the top half of the fifth, getting a lead-off home run from Tyler Webb and then scoring three on a double down the right field line by Zach Schritenthal with two outs. Cronin was brought in to stop the rally and he did exactly that, striking out Jason Santana to end the fifth and then going 1-2-3 in the sixth.

Razorback Quotables

“I think all of our hitters did a good job, for the most part. They were really battling and getting deep into their at-bats and getting pitch counts up.” — Coach Dave Van Horn on the team’s approach at the plate

“They feed off of each other, confidence-wise. They feel confident at the plate. They feel like we have a good line-up that compliments each other. They know that, to stay in the lineup, they’ve got to produce, and they’ve been doing a great job.” — Van Horn on his team’s dynamic

“Any time you’re in the box with runners in scoring position, you’re just trying to get the job done for the team and I happened to be lucky enough to get those two hits tonight.” — Dominic Fletcher on producing RBIs at key points in the game

“I feel like our team does a really good job of responding to big innings when other teams put up big runs on us, especially early in the game. We’re able to respond and we’re able to look at a lot of our games. The Friday night game against Mississippi State, as well as others, I think our team is very mature in its approach.” — Luke Bonfield on the team being able to respond to deficits

Up Next

Arkansas heads to North Little Rock, Arkansas for its annual game at Dickey-Stephens Park on Wednesday. The Hogs will face the Memphis Tigers for the second game of this midweek series with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

There will be no television coverage of the game, but it can be heard on the radio on the Razorback Sports Network with Phil Elson calling the action.

Karl Roesler talks about switching to 3-4 defense

Video from WholeHogSports.com

Karl Roesler on moving to outside linebacker, the purpose of the 3-4 and more.

Josh Harris glad he’s earned starting spot for Hogs

Josh Harris on earning a starting job, patience, advice from his father and more.

Randy Ramsey talks about loving the 3-4 defense and more

Video from WholeHogSports.com

Randy Ramsey on loving the 3-4, gaining strength and more.

Razorbacks to host Louisiana-Monroe in final midweek home game

FAYETTEVILLE — Down to four home games left in the 2017 regular season, Arkansas returns to Bogle Park Wednesday evening to host Louisiana-Monroe.

First pitch of the midweek matchup is scheduled for 6 p.m. in a game that will televised on the SEC Network.

General admission is free for all home games with gates opening one hour prior to first pitch.

Game Information
What: Arkansas (26-16) hosts ULM (28-17)
When: 6 p.m. CT
Where: Bogle Park (Fayetteville, Ark.)
How to Follow: SEC Network | Live Stats | Game Notes

Series vs ULM
Entering the final home midweek of the season, Arkansas leads the all-time series against ULM with 10 wins in 13 meetings. The Razorbacks also hold a 6-2 advantage in Fayetteville, only the past three have been played at Bogle Park. Wednesday’s game will be the first in the series since the 2013 season.

Last Time Out
Ashley Diaz delivered a game-winning single in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Arkansas the program its first-ever win over Texas A&M. Tori Cooper was 2-for-4 with two RBI in the game while Nicole Schroeder opened the scoring with a solo shot in the fifth inning, her 13th home run of the season.

Perfect Timing
Ashley Diaz’s seventh-inning single to beat Texas A&M was the sophomore’s first hit of the weekend. In the at-bat against the Aggies’ Trinity Harrington, Diaz fell behind 0-2 before sending the 2-2 offering over the left fielder’s head and driving in the game-winning run. Prior to that moment, Diaz had been 0-for-8 with a sacrifice bunt in the series.

RPI Check
Behind a pair of top-30 wins last week (def. Tulsa & Texas A&M), the Razorbacks moved up to a season-best No. 24 in the April 17 release of the NCAA RPI. All 13 SEC teams are inside the top 40 including this weekend’s opponent, Mississippi State (34). Arkansas is also ranked 24th in this week’s NFCA coaches’ top 25 and receiving votes in the USA Softball poll.

Be at Bogle
Game two of the Arkansas-Texas A&M series (April 15) was played in front of 1,276 fans which represents the No. 3 home crowd in program history. Earlier this season, the program record of 1,544 was established at the Razorbacks’ 2-1 win over No. 14 Tennessee (March 18).

Up Next
Following Wednesday’s game, the Razorbacks will play their next seven games on the road beginning with a weekend set at Mississippi State beginning Saturday evening. Arkansas closes out its home schedule May 5-7 when its hosts Georgia.

Hogs’ Terrell named to third straight SEC Community Service honor

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Redshirt sophomore Branch Terrell has been named to the SEC Community Service Team announced by the Southeastern Conference Tuesday afternoon.

The Benton, Arkansas, native has picked up the honor for the third consecutive year, after being named to the 2015 and 2016 teams while serving as a member on the SAAC Executive Board as the Community Engagement Chairperson.

He has volunteered his time to causes in the community such as the Operation Baton Rouge, Book Hogs and the Sweat Hogs program. Holding a cumulative GPA of 3.9, Terrell is a four-time member on the Dean’s and Chancellor’s List, as well as earning the Academic Champion Award. He also earned a spot on the Athletic Director’s List and is a two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member. The accounting major was also named an ITA Scholar Athlete from the national organization during his freshman season.

Terrell is 5-2 this spring in singles action, including a 3-0 mark at the No. 2 spot. Overall, he is 10-10 this season and 20-16 for his career.

“Branch’s tennis has improved a lot this year,” said head coach Andy Jackson. “He has worked very hard on it. His commitment to service has stayed very high, as he is an example to all of us. The Razorbacks are very proud of him.”

Volunteer Projects

Helped collect household items for flood victims for Operation Baton Rouge

Christmas Shop with Razorbacks at Toys-R-Us

Volunteered with youths at Baldwin Baptist Church

Razorbacks Read at Washington Elementary

Book Hogs at Leverett Elementary

Taught tennis during Elementary Kids Day at Benton Parks & Recreation

Children Fun Run at Fayetteville High School

Lift Up America

Razorbuddies Program at local elementary schools

Sweat Hogs program at Owl Creek Elementary

Razorbacks chosen to host five NCAA postseason championship events

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas has been selected to host five NCAA postseason championships, including its first NCAA Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships and its 13th NCAA Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships, it was announced on Tuesday.

Arkansas will be host the 2019 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships (May 17-22, 2019 Women’s, May 23-29, 2019 Men’s) at The Blessings, marking the first time it will host the final round of an NCAA Championship, outside previous NCAA Championships hosted in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field.

The Randal Tyson Track Center will welcome back the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Championships on March 12-13, 2021.

In addition, Arkansas will be home to a 2019 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Regional (Nov. 15, 2019), a 2019 NCAAA Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Preliminary (May 23-25, 2019) and a 2022 NCAA Gymnastics Regional (April 2, 2022).

Since the Razorbacks entered the Southeastern Conference in 1992, Arkansas has hosted 92 SEC, regional and national competitions.

A recent study estimated the annual economic impact of Razorback Athletics to be more than $162.7 million annually.

Arkansas will host the 2019 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Regionals on Nov. 15, 2019 at the Razorbacks’ home course at AGRI Park. The regionals will mark the fifth time, the University of Arkansas has hosted an NCAA Cross Country regional at AGRI Park with the previous events coming in 2007, 2012, 2014 and 2016.

The Randal Tyson Track Center will host the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships for the 13th time in 2021.

Since the facility’s opening in 2000, Arkansas has hosted the event 12 times, including for nine straight seasons (2000-09) and 12 of the last 18 championships.

The Randal Tyson Center, home to the fastest indoor track in the world, will host the 2021 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Championships, March 12-13, 2021.

Barnhill Arena has quickly become a familiar stop on the way to the NCAA Gymnastics Championship.

For the sixth time in its history, Arkansas will host a NCAA Gymnastics Regional on April 2, 2022. Barnhill Arena served as a home site for regionals in 2006, 2009, 2012, 2014 and 2017.

The first three times the Razorbacks hosted, they advanced to the NCAA Championship. In two of those years, 2009 and 2011, Arkansas reached the NCAA Super Six.

Florida, Mississippi State make statements in the SEC

SEC Network’s Chris Burke breaks down the most interesting storylines from around the conference after an exciting weekend in baseball.

Women’s golf team begins postseason play this week

Notes | Live Scoring

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas begins postseason play this week traveling to Birmingham, Ala., for the 2017 Southeastern Conference Championship at Greystone Golf and Country Club.

Arkansas has one team title, two individual titles and four top-4 finishes this season. Although the Razorbacks have already gone toe-to-toe with some very talented fields, the SEC Championship will be one of the deepest that Arkansas faces all year.

However, the battle-tested Razorbacks return to the links with an experienced lineup, one that gives them the best chance to win a championship. Junior Alana Uriell leads the team with a 72.23 stroke average. The Carlsbad, Calif., native captured her first collegiate victory in the final event of the fall.

Sophomore Maria Fassi is next with a 73.41 stroke average. Fassi led Arkansas with a 1-under 215 at last year’s event finishing tied for fifth overall in her first SEC Championship.

Newcomer Kaylee Benton has given Arkansas a lift this season. The UNLV transfer grew up in Arkansas, returned to her home state, and is averaging 73.50 as a sophomore. She has been the Razorbacks’ low finisher in two events this season.

Sophomore Cara Gorlei has also played in all eight events this year and checks in with a 73.82 stroke average. Lone senior Summar Roachell rounds out the Razorback lineup. The Conway native is making her fourth SEC Championship appearance with the Razorbacks.

Razorbacks’ Bonfield talks big weekend against Georgia

Arkansas junior Luke Bonfield joins SEC Now to discuss his season so far and play fact or fiction with Peter Burns.