Hunter Dietz didn’t just give Arkansas a strong start Saturday afternoon.
He gave the Razorbacks some confidence and yet another win after a loss when they needed it most.
The left-hander turned in seven scoreless innings as the Hogs rolled to a 9-0 victory over UT Arlington at Baum-Walker Stadium. With the win, Arkansas improved to 8-3 and evened the weekend series at one game apiece in front of an announced crowd of 10,997.
The series finale is set for Sunday at 11 a.m. The first pitch was moved up two hours because of rain expected later in the day.
Dietz allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out eight. He threw a career-high 93 pitches and landed 60 for strikes. For a pitcher who had logged only 7.2 total innings in his college career entering the day, it marked a major step forward.
He retired 12 straight hitters at one point, staying in rhythm and attacking the zone. Even when UT Arlington put a runner on with two outs in the seventh, Dietz answered with a strikeout to close his afternoon.
“Two weeks ago after my 2-inning outing in Arlington, I was talking to [catcher Ryder Helfrick] and he was like, ‘Oh, you doubled your career innings,’” Dietz said. “And then after my 4-inning outing last week against Xavier he was like, ‘Oh, you doubled it again.’
“I don’t know how I’m going to throw … however many innings I have to throw to double it next week. But, yeah, it feels really good just to go out there and kind of feel like I am who I am.”
Dietz sets tone early
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn had seen flashes from Dietz in preseason scrimmages. On Saturday, it showed up under the lights of a weekend series.
“That was nice to see,” Van Horn said. “We felt like if he kept his stuff he was going to be able to get really deep into the game.”
Last weekend against Xavier, Dietz felt his off-speed pitches were sharp but believed his fastball wasn’t at its best. This time, he had command of everything. His fastball sat in the 95-96 mph range and reached 98 mph during the second inning.
“Every single one of my pitches work off my fastball,” Dietz said. “Being able to command my fastball to any part of the zone opens my cutter, it opens up my curveball. Being able to land my curveball really helps, too.”
The redshirt sophomore’s mix of fastball, curveball, cutter and changeup kept hitters guessing. After battling injuries in his first two seasons, he now looks like a key piece of the Razorbacks’ weekend rotation.
Razorbacks provide early support
The Arkansas offense didn’t wait long to back its starter.
In the bottom of the second inning, Reese Robinett led off with a single. Maika Niu followed with a one-out hit to center field. Nolan Souza then drove in the game’s first run with a single, bringing home Robinett and moving Niu to third.
Damian Ruiz added a two-out single to left field that scored Niu and pushed the Razorbacks ahead 2-0.
The Hogs kept building in the third inning. Helfrick and Kuhio Aloy collected hits before Nick Perry entered in relief. Robinett singled again, and Zack Stewart lifted a sacrifice fly to plate another run.
Niu then delivered the big swing of the inning. The senior transfer launched a three-run home run into the left-field bullpen. The ball traveled 341 feet and marked his third homer of the season.
“I thought I did just enough to drive in another run,” Niu said. “But, you know, the wind here, sometimes it helps.”
That blast stretched the lead to 6-0 and gave Arkansas plenty of breathing room.
Power and pitching close it out
The Razorbacks added the final runs in the eighth inning. Carson Brumbaugh and Ruiz each reached with two-out singles. Kozeal followed with a drive down the right-field line that struck the foul pole for a three-run home run.
The 373-foot shot was Kozeal’s team-leading fifth homer of the season and capped the scoring at 9-0.
With a slight lineup adjustment that placed Souza at third base in place of TJ Pompey, Arkansas finished with 12 hits compared to two for UT Arlington.
“I feel a lot better about it than I did yesterday,” Van Horn said. “But you know I’m not all giddy about it, believe me. Tomorrow’s a new day. Let’s see if we can do it again.”
Freshman Mark Brissey handled the final two innings. He gave up one walk and struck out three, keeping the shutout intact.
“I thought Brissey came in and did a nice job … and pounded the zone,” Van Horn said. “We didn’t skip a beat.”
The victory marked the third shutout in five games for the Hogs. Van Horn said the staff’s depth and competition have raised the standard on the mound.
“The pitching staff has been great,” Van Horn said. “Honestly, it’s been real consistent. There’s a fight to get on the mound, a lot of competition amongst teammates. [There are] probably some guys frustrated they haven’t been out there or out there enough, and when they get out there they seem to do a really good job, which that’s how you build it.”
For Arkansas, Saturday was about steady pitching, timely hitting and evening the series. Dietz led the way, and the Razorbacks followed.
