Baseball
Razorbacks host Oral Roberts in midweek matchup at Baum-Walker
After winning a third road series last week, Arkansas looks to continue its winning stretch Tuesday when they return home for a single midweek game against Oral Roberts.
FAYETTEVILLE — After winning a third road series last week, Arkansas looks to continue its winning stretch Tuesday when they return home for a single midweek game against Oral Roberts at Baum-Walker Stadium.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and you can hear the game on ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home. It will will be broadcast online via SEC Network+ and the Watch ESPN app.
The Razorbacks (24-8, 8-4 SEC) are riding high after taking two-of-three on the road against then-No 15 Auburn last weekend.
Arkansas battled back from a 6-3 series-opening loss to win game two, 9-6, in 15 innings. The Hogs followed up the marathon game with an 8-0 shutout of the Tigers the next day to win their second conference series on the road this year and in a tie for first in the SEC Western Division.
Looking to build on its two-game winning stretch, Arkansas will take on an Oral Roberts team that it hasn’t seen in the regular season since 2012.
The Hogs and Golden Eagles have faced off four-consecutive times in the postseason as they have been matched up in the same regional in three of the past four years.
In last year’s NCAA Fayetteville Regional, Arkansas won its opening game with ORU, 10-2, behind a two-home run performance by Heston Kjerstad.
Kjerstad is one of Arkansas’ hottest hitters going into this week as he hit two homers against Auburn, one being in the top of the 15th inning of game two that was the final tally Arkansas needed for the victory.
Kjerstad is batting .309 for the year with a team-leading seven homers, as well as 22 RBIs. His seven home runs ranks in a tie for eighth in the SEC.
Follow live
Tuesday’s game with the Golden Eagles will be available via SEC Network+ and the ESPN app. Brett Dolan (PxP) and Troy Eklund (Analyst) will have the call.
Fans can listen to the radio call on ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home and via the Razorback Gameday app as Phil Elson and Bubba Carpenter will have the call from Baum-Walker Stadium.
Pregame coverage begins 30 minutes prior to first pitch. There will also be a live radio link available on ArkansasRazorbacks.com.
Important Links
Live Video – WATCH
Live Stats – VIEW
Live Audio – LISTEN
Probable Starters
(ARK) RHP Marshall Denton (1-0, 2.84 ERA, 10 K, 1 BB) vs. (ORU) TBA
Razorback Prime Nine
• After a road series win at No. 15 Auburn last week, Arkansas returns home for a single midweek game with Oral Roberts. This is the first regular-season matchup between the two programs since 2012.
• Arkansas won its second road series in conference play last week when it took 2-of-3 from Auburn. It’s the Hogs’ third road series win overall this year, matching their most since 2015.
• The Razorbacks won a marathon 15-inning game on the backend of a doubleheader with Auburn on Friday. It was the longest game in terms of innings since 2004 (16 innings vs. SE Missouri St.).
• Freshman Patrick Wicklander has made 13 appearances this year, seven as a starter. In those games as a starter, the San Jose native has a 1.98 ERA, six earned runs allowed and 39 strikeouts.
• Patrick Wicklander has held opponents to a .186 batting average this season, which is the second-lowest among all freshman pitchers in the SEC.
• Arkansas and Oral Roberts have faced off four-consecutive times in the postseason before Tuesday’s game. The Hogs and Golden Eagles have been matched up in the same regional in three of the last four years.
• Junior Dominic Fletcher added to his league-best doubles total last week, hitting two against Auburn giving him 16 for the season. He’s tied with Mississippi State’s Jake Mangum for the SEC’s best mark.
• Right-hander Marshall Denton will be making his third start of the year on Tuesday against Oral Roberts. In each of his last starts, he went two-plus scoreless innings with only one walk allowed.
• Redshirt senior Trevor Ezell batted in the leadoff spot for the first time this year last week and he responded with a .389 average, including two multi-hit games, two home runs and a team-best seven RBIs.
Up next
Arkansas goes back on the road for the weekend as it travels to sixth-ranked Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Commodores will be the Razorbacks’ fourth ranked opponent of the year and third on the road.
The series begins on Friday at 7 p.m. and runs through Sunday.
