Baseball
Hogs vs Cal
This will be the Hogs 1st ever trip to Berkeley, CA. Hell, it’ll be the 1st time any SEC team has traveled to play a series in Berkeley. The series record is tied 2-2. Cal defeated the Razorbacks 7-1 in the 1980 NCAA Midwest Regional in Tulsa, Okla. 
We took 2 of 3 from them @ Baum Stadium last year. 
The Razorback rotation against Cal is expected to feature Mike Bolsinger, Drew Smyly and Brett Eibner. Both teams sport a 6-1 record coming into this weekend. Cal started out their season opening series outscoring Southern Utah 46-0. Cal followed up that performance by getting blanked by UC Davis 8-0. The Bears went 3-0 in the ever so prestigeous CS Bakersfield Tournament against such notable powerhouses Central Michigan, St. Mary’s, and CS Bakersfield.
Cal will be led by the impressive starting pitching rotation of sophomore right-hander Erik Johnson (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 14 Ks in 13 innings), freshman left-hander Justin Jones (2-0, 1.29 ERA, 19 Ks in 14 innings) and sophomore right-hander Dixon Anderson (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 15 Ks in 14 innings). The trio has combined for a 6-0 record with 48 strikeouts in 41.0 innings and a 0.44 ERA this season.
Offensively, the Bears have been led by the hitting prowess of sophomore catcher Chadd Krist, who is leading the Pac-10 with a .577 average (15-for-26) with four doubles, a triple, three home runs and 10 RBI. Cal also features sophomore left fielder Danny Oh, batting .452 with three doubles and a team-high 11 RBI, returning junior All-Pac-10 first baseman/outfielder Mark Canha and junior second baseman Brian Guinn. Last season, Canha led the team with a .366 average, 12 home runs and 43 RBI, while Guinn, hitting .364 this year, is a .321 career hitter. Also bolstering the Bears is the play is sophomore shortstop Marcus Semien (.500) and freshmen starters Tony Renda (3B .407), Devin Rodriguez (DH .381), Jimmy Bosco (RF .375) and Darrel Matthews (CF .333). Overall, Cal is leading the Pac-10 in both team ERA (1.60) and team batting average (.404).
Cal’s projected starting line-up:
No. Pos. Player 2010 stats
6 2B Brian Guinn, Jr. .364, 4 RBI, 0 HR
19 LF Danny Oh, So. .452, 11 RBI, 0 HR
14 3B Tony Renda, Fr. .407, 2 RBI, 0 HR
5 1B Mark Canha, Jr. .318, 8 RBI, 0 HR
27 C Chadd Krist, So. .577, 10 RBI, 3 HR
33 DH Devin Rodriguez, Fr. .381, 7 RBI, 1 HR
25 RF Jimmy Bosco, Fr. .375, 3 RBI, 0 HR
15 SS Marcus Semien, So. .500, 2 RBI, 0 HR
2 CF Darrel Matthews, Fr. .333, 6 RBI, 0 HR
Game 1 Thread here.
Game 2 Thread here.
Game 1 Recap from Cal’s official site:
BERKELEY, CALIF. – The California baseball team kept No. 17 ranked Arkansas (7-1) at bay for most of the afternoon before giving up five runs in the eighth inning to fall to the Razorbacks, 7-3, Friday at Evans Diamond. The Golden Bears (6-2) had owned a 3-2 lead after seven innings behind freshman right fielder Jimmy Bosco’s first collegiate homer in the second inning, and unearned runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
Cal freshman left-hander Justin Jones had limited Arkansas, a 2009 College World Series participant, to only two runs through seven innings before yielding four consecutive hits to begin the eighth inning. The Razorbacks’ Zack Cox gave his squad a 4-3 lead with a two-run single up the middle off Jones (2-1, 7.0 innings, eight hits, six runs, three walks, three strikeouts). James McCann then put the contest away when he followed Cox’s hit with a three-run homer off Bear senior right-handerDaniel Wolford.
The winning pitcher for Arkansas was senior right-hander Mike Bolsinger (2-0, 7.0 innings, six hits, three runs, one earned run, no walks, six strikeouts). Freshman closer DJ Baxendale earned his third save of the season by pitching the final 1.2 innings (no hits, no runs).
Bolsinger’s errors almost cost him the game. After Bosco’s home run in the second inning, the Razorbacks came back with a run in the fourth inning on Andy Wilkin’s solo home run to left field. Arkansas then took a 2-1 lead with a run in the top of the fifth inning on an RBI single by Collin Kuhn. However, Cal ended up taking back the lead by scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Bolsinger threw wildly on a pick-off attempt, and an unearned run in the sixth inning when he threw wildly on a ball hit by Danny Oh. Oh later scored from third base on Mark Canha’s RBI ground out to give the Bears a 3-2 advantage.
Game 2 Recap from ArkansasRazorbacks.com
BERKELEY, Calif. - Tim Carver hit two home runs-the first long shots of his career-and drove in four to help the No. 15 University of Arkansas baseball team to a 9-5 win over California Saturday afternoon at Evans Diamond. The victory runs the Razorbacks’ winning streak to seven games, the club’s longest since the 2006 season. Zack Cox was 3-for-4 with two RBI and Drew Smyly worked five innings with seven strikeouts to pick up his first win of the season.
While Carver collected his first home runs, Andy Wilkins hit the 32nd of his Razorback career, a solo shot in the fifth inning. With his home run, Wilkins ties Troy Eklund (1986-89) for 10th place on Arkansas’ all-time home run list.
Read the rest here.
This Weekend - Hogs vs Troy
Courtesy: Zach Lawson, Athletic Media Relations
FAYETTEVILLE – After taking two of three games during opening weekend, the No. 16 University of Arkansas baseball team returns to the field Friday for the beginning of a three-game series against Troy at Baum Stadium. First pitch of the series opener is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. with games two and three on Saturday and Sunday set for a 1:05 p.m. start.
Through three games, Arkansas (2-1) is hitting .327 as a team with seven players carrying a batting average of .300 or higher. The Razorbacks are led at the plate by Monk Kreder who posted a .625 batting average during the team’s first three games of the season. The Razorbacks’ designated hitter reached base eight times, with a team-high five hits and three walks, and had three RBI during the Ball State series.
Ball State Ties Series, 1-1
FAYETTEVILLE – The No. 15 University of Arkansas baseball team dropped a 5-2 decision to Ball State Saturday afternoon at Baum Stadium. Playing catch up the entire game, the Razorbacks (1-1) had their opportunities to even the score or take the lead, but 12 runners left on base kept the home team on the short end of game two’s outcome.
“We had our chances,” head coach Dave Van Horn said. “We had guys that didn’t put the bat on the ball, completely opposite of last night where we’re driving in runs with sacrifice flies. There were a couple of times where we had a runner on third with less than two outs and couldn’t get them in.”
Read more at ArkansasRazorbacks.com
10 Reasons to be Pumped for the ’10 Hogs
Arkansas baseball fans will have to be forgiven if we feel like our team isn’t getting enough respect headed up to the 2010 season. Having a team that swept through the NCAA regional and super regional rounds (on the road) and finished tied for 3rd overall but being ranked in the 15-20 range in preseason polls (way behind teams they beat on the way like Florida State, Cal State Fullerton and Virginia) will do that to a fan base already plagued by insecurity.
Hog fans have a feeling that 2010 will be a great year on the diamond for their Razorbacks and expectations are threateningly high in Fayetteville, if not across the country. With the season just days away from kicking off at Baum Stadium, here are 10 reasons why Hog fans are pumped about the 2010 Hogs.
1. Returning Post-Season Experience
A glance at the roster will show that the Hogs are replacing several key members of the 2009 team, including the starting middle infield, the Friday night pitcher, and the closer. But it’s important to remember that most of their replacements got plenty of playing time and all played roles in the Razorbacks’ success in the post-season. The starting rotation to open the season will be three pitchers with plenty of experience on the mound—senior Mike Bolsinger, junior Brett Eibner and redshirt sophomore Drew Smyly. Bo Bigham was a key part of the post-season roster and Tim Carver played in over half the games last year. On top of that the Hogs return Andy Wilkins, Zack Cox, Collin Kuhn, Jarrod McKinney, and James McCann.
2. A Non-Conference Schedule that won’t deliver a Beat Down
The 2009 Hogs did well against one of the most difficult out of conference schedules in the country, but it took a toll and the Hogs paid at the end of the regular season. While games against teams like Arizona State provided excitement, this year’s schedule will offer more opportunities to play more guys and get starters some rest and still be in a good position to win games. While this years schedule isn’t a cupcake, it is a little sweeter than last years, and hopefully that will pay dividends in May and June.
3. TALENT TALENT TALENT…
The 2010 Hogs are arguably the most talented team to ever take the field at Baum Stadium. Seven of them are already signed on to play in the Cape Cod League this summer, and that doesn’t even include Andy Wilkins, who spent last summer playing for Team USA. Standout freshmen like Matt Reynolds, Matt Vinson and DJ Baxendale have the potential to contribute early and often on a team filled with talented returning players.
4. …and LOCAL TALENT
Who doesn’t like rooting for the in-state players? When the Razorbacks take the field this season they will do so with a number of really talented players from the Natural State. Returning players like Bo Bigham (Texarkana), Tim Carver (Fayetteville), and Drew Smyly (Little Rock) will have a huge impact, and freshmen players like DJ Baxendale (Jacksonville) and Matt Vinson (Alma) will carry the tradition on. Dave Van Horn recruits nationally and on opening day players from California to Wisconsin to Florida will have Arkansas across their chest, but there will be more Arkansans representing the Razorbacks than maybe ever before.
5. Zack Cox is a Legitimate SEC Star Player
Cox wasn’t healthy for the first half of last year but when he got healthy he showed what he can really do, both offensively and defensively. And one thing he can do and do well is hit monster home runs. His average wasn’t impressive last season but he hit .344 in the Cape over the summer with a wood bat, and was a Cape Cod All-Star and the his team’s All-Star game MVP. He’s projected to be a first round draft pick (remember he’s a year older and thus draft eligible after this season). And don’t forget it was Zack Cox that was on base and scoring on Andrew Darr’s Super Regional double and Brett Eibner’s CWS home run.
6. Mike Bolsinger is in a “Contract Year”
Mike Bolsinger was one of the Hogs’ best pitchers last season and arguably the most valuable pitcher on the team. He was drafted, disappointingly, in the 33rd round, and decided to come back for his senior year. The Razorbacks benefit not only in getting back a great pitcher, but getting back one that is in, essentially, a contract year. As a senior, Bolsinger will not have the leverage that juniors have in the draft, so he will have to put together a great season to improve on his draft slot this year.
7. Power Potential
Most baseball fans love to see the small game: hit and run, stolen bases and bunts. And in college baseball, where the defense isn’t as fast or accurate as it is in professional baseball, that is usually a good strategy. Putting a lot of pressure on the other team usually pays off if you can execute. But nobody minds seeing the big guys put baseballs over the outfield fence, either. And the 2010 Razorbacks have a collection of guys that can do just that. Andy Wilkins, Zack Cox and Brett Eibner all showed their power potential last year. Catcher James McCann has reportedly added 30 pounds since last year and could be a power threat, and Travis Sample has had a year to adjust to D1 pitching. The Hogs should have a good mix of technically good hitters who can bunt and hit and run, and legitimate SEC mashers.
8. Omaha Fever!
The fans got a taste of what it’s like to win in Omaha for the first time in 20 years, and they like it. And plenty of players on the 2010 know what it feels like to reach the College World Series, and they want to get back. A feeling of unfinished business can be a huge motivator, and these Razorbacks definitely have that.
9. Dave Van Horn.
Now entering his 8th season as the head coach of the Razorbacks, Dave Van Horn has not only taken the program to a higher level—one where post-season appearances are expected, not hoped for—he has brought fan excitement to a nearly unmatched level around the country. And for good reason: DVH not only builds quality teams, recruits quality players and coaches a quality game…he provides quality entertainment.
Dave Van Horn ejected vs. Auburn
10. It’s Razorback Baseball!
Coming off a last place finish or a first place finish, a new season of Razorback baseball is always exciting. It’s an affordable option to take your family to that provides a laid back environment punctuated with moments of pure excitement. And, you get a seat in the best stadium in college baseball. In the 2007 regional, the Hogs were playing on Friday night against Oral Roberts. Nick Schmidt was warming up and the fans had just called the Hogs. A Princeton dad was sitting next to me and said “wow, is it always like this?” And the truth is no, it’s not always like that. There isn’t always palpable electricity in the air. The fans aren’t always on the edge of their seats. But a lot of the time there IS electricity in the air, and a lot of the time the fans are on the edge of their seats (if not out of them completely). If you come out to Baum for games in 2010 you are guaranteed to see talented players, exciting games, crazy finishes and amazing Razorback moments.
GO HOGS!
Brett Eibner key to 2010 Razorbacks
For Razorback fans, the best story of 2009 took place in Baum Stadium. From day one of the season—a day that ended with Andrew Darr blasting a walk-off, two-run home run in the bottom of the tenth minutes after robbing a home run in the top of the inning—it was clear that it would be a season of amazing moments, each one more incredible than the last. Several Razorbacks notched game-winning hits, game-saving defensive plays or clutch pitching performances during the course of the season. Andrew Darr even got back in the act in June, trumping everything in the season up to that point when he hit a game winning double in Tallahassee that sent the Hogs to Omaha.
Darr’s double, too, was destined to be surpassed.
If the 2009 Razorbacks were a movie, a subplot would wrap around neatly Brett Eibner, probably better than it would on any other player. Without question one of the most talented players on the roster, Eibner struggled for most of the season while his team surged up the polls. His struggles were periodically relieved with brief flashes of greatness, and he added his signature to several key wins. He delivered a game winning triple against Western Illinois; dominated Missouri State twice, both on the mound and at the plate; hit two home runs and drew a walk-off base on balls against Oklahoma; and in the game perhaps most indicative of his talent, threw a complete game 1-hit shutout of Georgia in Athens in which he struck out 12 Bulldogs.
Each of these moments was more than a victory, it was hope that Eibner’s talent would be finally turned all the way on, that his contributions would be more consistently available. But his struggles always returned—both at the plate and on the mound—and he found himself watching from the bench more than he was used to. In the game that would end on Darr’s double in the Super Regional against Florida State, it began about Brett Eibner, who pitched brilliantly for 4+ innings and entered the fifth inning in control, and with a 1-1 tie. But he broke down there and allowed a Seminole rally. But Darr came through in the final frame with his double, and gave Eibner another chance at redemption.
A week later, facing elimination from the College World Series, Eibner stepped to the plate against Virginia’s closer, down two runs, with Zack Cox on first and two outs on the scoreboard. And in that moment, Eibner was who the Hogs were: down, but not out, and capable at any moment of redefining the game. Eibner’s blast into the left field stands at Rosenblatt Stadium will be remembered as THE defining and lasting moment of a season of defining moments. In Chuck Barrett’s words: “It has been one frustrating season for Brett Eibner, and oh, how he just made amends.”
And for Eibner, it might just be a step towards redemption—a step towards putting a season, where he hit .231 at the plate and lost as many games as he won on the mound, behind him. A step towards becoming the star player that comes through for his teammates consistently instead of a great player that produces occasionally.
There is no doubt that Brett Eibner has the talent to be an elite SEC player. He showed enough of it in high school to be a fourth round draft pick, he showed it in his freshman season where he led the Hogs in RBI and hit near .300. And he even showed it last year, in his moments.
Dave Van Horn builds talented, deep teams. The kinds of teams where every position is a battle and unexpected stars are created. And with those kinds of teams it is difficult to say that one player is the key. But if anybody is the key to the 2010 team, it is Brett Eibner. The Hogs need the best Brett Eibner that they can get. They need his speed, range and arm in centerfield, they need his veteran presence on the mound, and they need his right-handed bat in the middle of the order, splitting the two lefty power hitters Andy Wilkins and Zack Cox.
In the story that was the 2009 season, Brett Eibner was a supporting character, playing out his own subplot, one about disappointment and redemption. The success of the 2010 Hogs season could depend in a large part on Brett Eibner playing a lead role.
Hog Baseball: Razorback Finally Take the Field (Indoors)
It may have happened a day late, but Arkansas got a step closer to baseball season when Coach Dave Van Horn led his team through its first practice at noon Saturday. The ice and snow kept the Razorbacks off the field but they managed to hold an indoor practice in the Willard and Pat Walker Pavilion.
Van Horn noted that being inside for practice wasn’t the worst case scenario by any means, even though up to six inches of snow fell in Fayetteville Friday afternoon and evening.
“It gave us the opportunity to work on those little things – the bunt coverage, first and third defense,” he said. “Instead of all of a sudden being in a game without working on those things enough because you’ve had great weather. So today was fine.”
Before practice started, the team hit in the indoor batting cages at Baum Stadium before moving to Walker Pavilion. The practice inside featured team stretching and individual skill drills for the first half, later moving into a series of defensive oriented workouts that should benefit the Razorbacks come Feb. 19 in their season opener against Ball State. Read More
Baseball's Getting Closer
So there’s going to be more news to follow. With the basketball team’s performance, baseball season can’t get here fast enough.
College Baseball Blog has released their top 100 players…and there are three Hogs in the list.
#77 – Andy Wilkins
Arkansas junior first baseman Andy Wilkins. He is from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and attended Broken Arrow High School. He had an outstanding high school career as a senior batted .538 (63 for 117) with 18 doubles, a triple and 12 home runs. He also scored 52 runs and drove in 53 his final year with a .635 on-base percentage and slugged 1.017. He also hit .496 as a junior with a school record 17 home runs and 16 doubles while scoring 30 runs and driving in 60. He finished the season with a 1.109 slugging and .519 on-base percentage. He was named a Louisville Slugger High School All-American twice and rated as the 11th best prospect out of Oklahoma by Baseball America. The Texas Rangers selected him in the 25th round but could not come to terms with him making him head to Fayetteville Arkansas to play for the Razorbacks.
Plus he wears the greatest baseball number of all time.
#33 – Brett Eibner
Arkansas junior RHP/outfielder Brett Eibner. He graduated from The Woodlands High School. During his senior season, he hit .417 with six home runs and 15 RBI while going 5-0 on the mound with a 2.80 ERA including 58 strikeouts. He picked up several honors after his senior season including being named 15-5A first-team all-district outfielder and third-team 5A All-State by the Texas Sports Writers’ Association. He was selected in the 2007 MLB Draft in the fourth round by the Houston Astros but decided to head to Arkansas.
#3 – Zack Cox
Sophomore infielder/RHP Zack Cox from Arkansas. He is from Louisville Kentucky and attended Pleasure Ridge Park High School where he had an outstanding career both at the plate and on the mound. He had a career batting average of .449 while hitting 33 home runs. On the mound, he was even better with a 38-3 record with a 1.03 ERA and 495 strikeouts over 300 innings. He was named an Under Armour, Rawlings and Louisville Slugger All-American while being named Mr. Baseball in Kentucky as a senior. He was selected in the 20th round by the LA Dodgers but decided to head to Arkansas.
Read more about it on the board.
Also, Baseball America released their preseason poll, with the Hogs at #17.
Wilkins Makes National Team
(CARY, N.C.) – USA Baseball announced Wednesday night the 22 members of its 2009 National Team (Collegiate). The roster is headlined by shortstop and 2008 National Team member Christian Colon (Cal State Fullerton; Capey, Puerto Rico), and consists of five outfielders, six infielders, 10 pitchers, and one utility player. Two additional players will stay with the team to serve as alternates.
The National Team was selected after 10 days of trials that included eight intrasquad games and practices at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C.
The USA Baseball National Team is comprised of the top non-draft-eligible college players in the United States. In 2009, the National Team will play in two international friendship series in North Carolina against the Canadian National Team and the Guatemalan National Team before heading to Japan for the 37th Annual USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series and the World Baseball Challenge in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. [read more]
Hogs fall to LSU to end season
OMAHA, Neb. The Arkansas baseball team’s season ended on Friday afternoon at the College World Series with a 14-5 loss to Southeastern Conference rival LSU in Omaha, Neb., after an amazing run that saw the Razorbacks go from an afterthought to a tie for third in the college baseball ranks.
Arkansas (41-24) gave everything it had in a pair of victories at the CWS over Cal St. Fullerton and Virginia, but could not solve LSU’s (54-16) pitching or contain the Tigers’ bats in two losses to the SEC Champion. Arkansas’ third-place finish at the College World Series matches its second best in program history (1985). The Razorbacks were the national runner up in 1979. [read more]
Omahogs slip past Virginia 4-3 in twelve innings, will face LSU again Friday
OMAHA, Neb. — Andrew Darr doubled in the go-ahead run in the top of the 12th inning and Arkansas, which had been down to its last strike in the ninth, rallied to defeat Virginia 4-3 in the College World Series on Wednesday night.
Brett Eibner’s two-out, two-run homer off Virginia closer Kevin Arico in the top of the ninth tied it at 3, and Arkansas’ Dallas Keuchel put a runner third base in each of the last four innings but escaped each time.
Arkansas (41-23) plays LSU on Friday and would have to beat the Tigers then and again Saturday to reach next week’s best-of-three finals.
Virginia (49-15-1) was eliminated after going 1-2 in Omaha.
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