Arkansas Baseball Notebook

Arkansas Baseball Notebook

April 29, 2007

Week: 3-1

Overall Record: 35-12

SEC Record: 15-6 – 1st SEC West/T1st Overall

Wednesday, April 25: #7 Arkansas 10, Wichita State 2

Friday, April 27: #7 Arkansas 12, Auburn 1

Saturday, April 28: Auburn 11, #7 Arkansas 9

Sunday, April 29: #7 Arkansas 8, Auburn 1

Noting the Razorbacks

No. 7 Arkansas posted a 3-1 record for the week and won their fourth SEC-road series of the season at Auburn … the Razorbacks opened the week with a resounding 10-2 throttling of No. 10/7 Wichita State at Baum Stadium … UA improved to 35-12 on the season is tied for the overall SEC lead with a 15-6 conference record … the Hogs are 7-0 in rubber games this season and 13-1 on Sunday … Arkansas is three games up on Ole Miss in the SEC West and four up on Mississippi State … the Hogs’ offense carried the load by scoring 39 runs with a .342 batting average over the four games … that average got even better against the Tigers at .357 … Arkansas hit .296 for the week with runners in scoring position and .358 with two outs, including 17 two-out RBI … the pitching staff posted a 3.34 ERA for the week and received complete-game victories from Nick Schmidt and Jess Todd … Schmidt improved to 9-1 overall and 5-1 in league play with a four-hit gem that included eight strikeouts … Todd allowed just six hits and fanned eight as well … it was back-to-back complete games for both pitchers … Todd has allowed just three earned runs over the last two starts (18 innings) for a 1.50 ERA … Duke Welker went four innings on Saturday and left with the lead before the bullpen ran into trouble and took the loss … Brian Walker turned in his biggest weekend of the season, hitting .500 in three starts with three home runs, a double and five RBI … he posted a 1.333 slugging percentage vs. the Tigers and a .571 on-base percentage … Walker has now homered in four straight games for the Razorbacks becoming the first Hogs to accomplish that feat since Ryan Fox did it during the 2003 season … Danny Hamblin raised his overall average to .281 at Auburn this past weekend with a 7-for-14 performance that included two home runs and six RBI … he passed Jeff King for second place in career RBI at Arkansas … he also took the outright SEC lead with 10 home runs during league play and is one back of Florida’s Matt LaPorta for the SEC lead with 16 total home runs … Hamblin is five shy of Ryan Lundquist’s school record of 56 career home runs … Jake Dugger broke the school walks record on Sunday at Auburn with his 157 career base on balls … Casey Coon had a big week at the plate as well with eight RBI to give him 55 on the year, which ranks second in the SEC … Hamblin is up to 50 RBI and Logan Forsythe is close behind with 42 … on the career record watch Hamblin is second in at bats and just one shy of Kendrick Moore’s school record of 880 (879), for third in hits (268), second in home runs (51), fifth in runs scored (190), second in RBI (209), second in total bases (485), third in sacrifice flies (16), fifth in games played (229), sixth in walks (114) and second extra-base hits (112) … Dugger is Arkansas’ career leader in walks (157), eighth in games (224), fourth in at bats (804), tied for seventh in home runs (33), 10th in runs (174), ninth in RBI (154), ninth in total bases (378), eighth in hits (231) and eighth in hit by pitches (26) … Schmidt is second in career starts (47), tied for third in career wins (26) with Dennis Fletcher, third in innings pitched (306.1) and sixth in ERA (2.76).

Hitter of the Week Nominee

Brian Walker * Sophomore

Tulsa, Okla./Union High School

· Brian Walker homered in all three games of the Razorbacks’ series win at Auburn.

· He went 6 for 12 (.500) during the series with three home runs, a double and five RBI.

· Walker has homered in his last four games becoming the first Hog to do that since the 2003 season.

· He collected a career high four hits with two RBI in the series clinching game on Sunday afternoon, including a solo home run and a RBI double.

· Walker posted a 1.333 slugging percentage in the three games at Auburn with a .571 on-base percentage.

· He hit .667 (2 for 3) with runners in scoring position and was 2 for 2 with two RBI with two outs.

Co-Pitcher of the Week Nominee

Nick Schmidt * Junior

St. Louis, Mo./Vianney High School

· Nick Schmidt won his ninth game of the season with a complete-game effort on Friday night at Auburn.

· The left-hander surrendered just four hits and struck out eight as he improved to 9-1 overall and 5-1 in SEC action.

· It was the second straight complete game for Schmidt. He has complete games this season and seven for his career.

· Schmidt allowed just one run and was efficient with his pitches, throwing just 114.

Co-Pitcher of the Week Nominee

Jess Todd * Junior

Kilgore, Texas/Kilgore High School/Navarro College

· Jess Todd recorded his second straight complete-game road win on Sunday with an 8-1 win at Auburn.

· He struck out eight while surrendering just six hits on 113 pitches.

· Todd did not allow an extra-base hit and induced two double plays

· He retired eight straight in a stretch from the fourth to the seventh inning and faced the minimum of three hitters in four innings.

· The complete-game win at Auburn came in almost identical fashion as last week at Georgia where he allowed just six hits on 113 pitches.

· Todd has allowed just three earned runs in 18 innings over his last two starts with 15 strikeouts and a .194 opponent batting average.

Next Week

The Razorbacks return home for a showdown with SEC West rival LSU next weekend at Baum Stadium. The series begins with a 7:05 p.m. contest on Friday night. Saturday’s game will begin at 3:07 p.m. and be broadcast by Fox Sports Net. The series finale on Sunday will be broadcast by Cox Sports Television and begin at 12:35 p.m.

Friday, May 4: LSU at Arkansas, 7:05 p.m.

Saturday, May 5: LSU at Arkansas, 3:07 p.m. (FSN)

Sunday, May 6: LSU at Arkansas, 12:35 p.m. (CST)