Arkansas Baseball Notebook - May 12
Arkansas Baseball Notebook
May 12, 2008
Week: 3-0
Overall Record: 31-20
Friday, May 9: Arkansas 12, #13 South Carolina 11
Saturday, May 10: Arkansas 6, #13 South Carolina 3
Sunday, May 11: Arkansas 4, #13 South Carolina 2
Noting the Razorbacks
The Razorbacks notched their first ever sweep of South Carolina over the weekend when they took the series from the Gamecocks at Baum Stadium … Arkansas moves to 31-20 on the year and 13-13 in Southeastern Conference play and into the SEC Tournament picture for the first time … The Razorbacks are also .500 in the league for the first time since the opening weekend of conference play … Arkansas’ series sweep of #13 South Carolina is its fourth consecutive series victory over a ranked conference opponent (#21 Florida, #30 Tennessee, #21 Mississippi) … Junior Logan Forsythe continues to swing a hot bat going 6-11 against the Gamecocks with a double, two home runs and four RBI … Forsythe had a streak of nine straight games with at least one RBI snapped on Sunday afternoon … Over the weekend Forsythe raised his season batting average 16 points … Freshman Andy Wilkins returned to the Razorback lineup to hit .500 for the weekend with six hits in 12 at bats … Wilkins delivered the game-winning hit in the Sunday afternoon game with a double off the right-center field wall … Five Razorbacks hit .350 or better in the series … Arkansas’ pitching staff held a formidable South Carolina lineup to a .262 average and just 16 runs with 11 coming on Friday night … Sophomore Dallas Keuchel was the pitching star on Sunday afternoon when he went eight innings and allowed just one run on five hits … Keuchel struck out a career high 10 batters … Freshman Jacob House hit a pinch hit walk off grand slam home run on Friday night to give the Razorbacks a come-from behind victory … Junior Ben Tschepikow currently has a 12-game hitting streak as he went 5-12 on the weekend … Tschepikow’s hit streak is the second longest by a Razorback this season (Tim Smalling, 14 games) and dates back to Apr. 22 … During the streak, Tschepikow is 20-50 (.400) with 15 runs scored and 10 RBI and raised his average 34 points … Tschepikow has also scored a run in 11 straight games.
Hitter of the Week Nominee
Logan Forsythe * Junior
Memphis, Tenn. / Christian Brothers
· Batted .545 for the week with six hits in 11 at bats.
· Walked two times for a .615 on-base percentage.
· Scored five runs and drove in four with one doubles and two home runs.
· Belted two home runs in Arkansas’ Friday night victory, his second two-home run game in two weeks.
· Was 6 for 8 in the first two games of the series.
· Raised his season batting average 16 points to .327 with the week’s effort.
· Had a streak of nine straight games with at least one RBI snapped on Sunday afternoon. During that time he had driven in 19 runs.
· Has hit safely in nine of last 11 games.
· Was brilliant in the field making several highlight reel plays at third.
Pitcher of the Week Nominee
Dallas Keuchel * Sophomore
Tulsa, Okla. / Bishop Kelley
· Picked up his first win since April 11 on Sunday afternoon against South Carolina.
· Tossed eight innings and allowed just one run on five hits.
· Had a career high 10 strike outs.
· Secured the series sweep for Arkansas against #13 South Carolina
· Held the Gamecock 3-4-5 hitters to just 1-9 in the game.
· Gave up just one extra base hit on the day.
· His only run allowed scored on a home run after he had left the game.
Freshman of the Week Nominee
Andy Wilkins * Freshman
Broken Arrow, Okla. / Broken Arrow
· Returned from a 20-game absence to a rib muscle injury to bat .500 in the South Carolina series.
· Went 6-12 in three starts with a double, three runs scored and two RBI.
· Had the game-winning hit in Sunday’s game, a two-RBI double to right center.
· Improved his season batting average to .342.
· Started all three games at first base and had 31 put outs and four assists with no errors.
· Went 4-5 in Arkansas’ Friday night victory, the first four hit game of his career.
Next Week
The Razorbacks rescheduled their game with Mississippi Valley State for Monday afternoon at 2:05 p.m. before they head to Mississippi State for a three-game set with the Bulldogs in Starkville. The weekend games are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday with a 3:00 p.m. start for Saturday.
Monday, May 12: Mississippi Valley State at Arkansas, 2:05 p.m.
Thursday, May 15: Arkansas at Mississippi State, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, May 16: Arkansas at Mississippi State, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 17: Arkansas at Mississippi State, 3:00 p.m.
