Arkansas Baseball Notebook

March 25, 2007

Week: 3-1

Overall Record: 19-7

SEC Record: 4-2 – 1st SEC West

Tuesday, March 21: #9 Arkansas 16, Centenary 14

Friday, March 23: #9 Arkansas 8, #1 Vanderbilt 7 (10)

Saturday, March 24: #1 Vanderbilt 6, Arkansas 3

Sunday, March 25: #9 Arkansas 8, #1 Vanderbilt 3

Noting the Razorbacks

No. 9 Arkansas won two-of-three games from No. 1 Vanderbilt at Baum Stadium this weekend to finish the week with a 3-1 record … the Razorbacks took over sole possession of first place in the Southeastern Conference’s Western Division with a 4-2 league record and a 19-7 overall mark … the week started with the Hogs overcoming an eight-run deficit at Centenary for a non-conference win … UA then took the series opener with the Commodores on Friday night in the 10th inning as Sean Jones scored from second base on a deep sacrifice fly to right-center field for an 8-7 win … Vandy responded with a 6-3 win on Saturday as the Hogs’ right fielder lost a fly ball off the bat of Pedro Alvarez in the eighth inning that fell 75 feet behind him for a three-run inside-the-park home run … the four-run eighth cost the Razorbacks the win and spoiled an excellent start from right-hander Duke Welker, who threw a career-long eight innings and allowed just one earned run … he sat down 12 straight Vanderbilt batters at one point … Arkansas then came out on Sunday and won the series with a offensive outburst of eight runs on 14 hits that was highlighted by a RBI double and a grand slam off the bat of catcher Brian Walker, who tied his career high with five RBI … Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn has found the winning way on Sundays since he arrived in Fayetteville … Van Horn’s squads are now 8-1 on Sunday at Baum Stadium when the series is tied at one game apiece in his tenure … Logan Forsythe led the way at the plate for the week with a .529 batting average in four starts at third base and .545 average against Vanderbilt … he had three doubles, a home run and six RBI while hitting .800 with runners in scoring position … Forsythe has now hit in 10 straight games and 20 of his last 21 with a .421 batting average during those 21 games … he is now leading the team with a .385 batting average and is second on the team with a .435 mark in SEC play … Jeff Nutt is the Hogs’ top hitter in SEC play with a .474 (9 of 19) mark, which ranks sixth in the league … he hit .500 against the Commodores with three doubles and four RBI … Danny Hamblin connected for his 41st career home run on Saturday and his team-high sixth of the season … Arkansas batted .343 as a team with runners in scoring position against Vanderbilt and .395 with two outs, including 10 two-out RBI … on the mound Jess Todd earned two wins over No. 1 Vanderbilt by pitching the final three innings of Friday night’s win and the final six on Sunday … he allowed just three runs in his nine innings of work while striking out nine … Nick Schmidt pitched seven innings on Friday night opposite his former Team USA mate, David Price … Schmidt allowed three earned runs on six hits while striking out eight to move within one strikeout of David Walling for second place all time at Arkansas … Hamblin moves up the Arkansas record book with each at bat … the senior ranks third in career home runs (41) and at bats (795), fourth in career RBI (181) and total bases (401), seventh in walks (108) and hits (239) … fans turned out in record numbers over the weekend at Baum Stadium with a three-game actual attendance of 26,266, which is a new school record … the Hogs also sold 27,083 tickets to the Vanderbilt series, which is also a school record … Arkansas has sold 98,157 tickets in 13 games at Baum Stadium this season for an average of 7,550 per game … Baum Stadium is averaging 5,232 fans in actual attendance this season … the Razorbacks are 11-2 in those 13 games at Baum Stadium this season.

Hitter of the Week Nominee

Logan Forsythe * Sophomore

Memphis, Tenn./Christian Brothers High School

· Logan Forsythe hit .529 in four starts at third base this week and .545 in the Razorbacks’ series win over top-ranked Vanderbilt.

· He had three doubles a home run and six RBI for the week, while posting a .882 slugging percentage and a .550 on-base percentage.

· Forsythe hit .800 (4 for 5) with runners in scoring position.

· He scored eight runs over the four games. He also drew two walks, stole two bases and did not strike out in 20 plate appearances

· Forsythe began the week by going 3 for 6 with two RBI and a double at Centenary.

· He was 3 for 4 with two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored in the Hog’s 8-7 win over the No. 1 Commodores on Friday night.

· Forsythe followed that with his fourth home run of the season and two runs scored on Saturday.

· He wrapped up the series win over Vanderbilt on Sunday with two more hits, two runs scored and a RBI.

· Forsythe has now hit in 10 straight games and 20 of his last 21 games. Forsythe is hitting .412 during that streak with four home runs and 18 RBI.

Pitcher of the Week Nominee

Jess Todd * Junior

Kilgore, Texas/Navarro College/Kilgore

· Jess Todd earned both of Arkansas’ wins over No. 1 Vanderbilt this weekend at Baum Stadium. He pitched nine total innings and surrendered just three total runs while striking out nine.

· He pitched the final three innings on Friday night, allowing two runs on three hits with four strikeouts and no walks.

· Todd then relieved Dallas Keuchel in the fourth inning on Sunday and pitched the last six innings to notch his second win over the Commodores.

· He gave up just one run on four hits in the series-clinching win on Sunday, while striking out five.

Next Week

The Razorbacks travel to Oral Roberts on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. contest with the Golden Eagles. ORU will be looking for revenge after the Hogs won the first game of the season between the two teams 10-2 on March 13 at Baum Stadium. Arkansas then ventures to Knoxville, Tenn., to face the surging Tennessee Volunteers for a three-game SEC road series.

Tuesday, March 27: Arkansas at Oral Roberts, 7 p.m.

Friday, March 30: Arkansas at Tennessee, 6 p.m.

Saturday, March 31: Arkansas at Tennessee, 3 p.m.

Sunday, April 1, Arkansas at Tennessee, 1 p.m.

Download: Overall Statistics 3.25.pdf