Arkansas baseball weekly notebook

Overall Record: 10-1, 0-0 SECLast Week’s Record: 4-1, 0-0 SECRecent Results:March 1 – McNeese State 8, Arkansas 6 – Baum StadiumMarch 2 – Arkansas 8, McNeese State 3 – Baum StadiumMarch 4 – Arkansas 15, Wisconsin-Milwaukee 6 – Baum StadiumMarch5 – Arkansas 13, Wisconsin-Milwaukee 9 – Baum StadiumMarch 6 – Arkansas 7, Wisconsin-Milwaukee 3 – Baum StadiumUpcoming Games:March 10, 8 p.m. – Arkansas at San Diego State – San Diego, Calif.March 11, 8 p.m. – Arkansas at San Diego State – San Diego, Calif.March 12, 8 p.m. – Arkansas at San Diego State – San Diego, Calif.March 13, 3 p.m.- Arkansas at San Diego State – San Diego, Calif.Star Watch:

Player of the Week Nominee:Kyle Robinson – OF/1B – 6-3 – 215 – Boca Raton, Fla.

Notes: Senior outfielder/first baseman Kyle Robinson enjoyed a blistering week at the plate, hitting .474 (9-for-19) with three home runs, 13 RBI and nine runs scored … Posted a .947 slugging percentage on the week with a .542 on-base percentage … Robinson had at least one hit in each game last week and is on a career-best, six-game hitting streak … Opened the week with a career-high four hits in four at bats against McNeese State, driving in two runs and scoring once … After a loss in the series opener vs. McNeese, Robinson jumpstarted the Razorback offense in game two, hitting a first inning grand slam to put the Hogs in front 4-0 … Finished that game going 2-for-4 at the plate with four RBI and two runs scored … Robinson also drove in four runs and homered in the series opener vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee, going 1-for-3 with two runs scored and a walk … Scored three runs and went 1-for-4 with a RBI in second game of series … Hit the game-winning home run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh in series finale with Milwaukee to complete the sweep … Robinson was a perfect 3-for-3 in stolen bases and didn’t commit an error in 13 chances in the field … For the season, Robinson leads Arkansas with a .465 batting average, three home runs and 21 RBI.
Pitcher of the Week Nominee:DJ Baxendale – RHP – 6-2 – 190 – Jacksonville, Ark.

Notes: Sophomore right-handed pitcher DJ Baxendale pitched in a pair of games over the last week, earning a win and a save … Baxendale threw five shutout innings on the week, allowing just one hit, while striking out five batters … Picked up second save of the season vs. McNeese State on Wednesday, coming in with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth and retiring the only batter he faced … Improved his record to 2-0 with a win in Saturday’s series-clinching win vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee … Tossed 4.2 shutout innings against the Panthers, allowing just one hit, while fanning five … For the season, Baxendale has a 3-0 record with two saves … He has yet to allow a run in 14.1 innings pitched, while striking out 18 batters and holding opponents to a .163 batting average.
Freshman of the Week Nominee:Dominic Ficociello – INF – 6-4 – 185 – Fullerton, Calif.

Notes:Freshman infielder Dominic Ficociello had an impressive week at the plate, hitting .500 (9-for-18) with 15 RBI and three runs scored … Ficociello also added two doubles and a triple … Posted multiple RBI in each of the five games, including five in series-clinching win over Milwaukee on Saturday, and has now had at least two RBI in six consecutive contests … Had a .722 slugging percentage and a .478 on-base percentage on the week … Opened the week with a 2-for-4 performance and three RBI against McNeese State … Drove in two more runs and had a hit with a run scored in second game of McNeese State series … Doubled, had two RBI and went 1-for-3 with a run scored in series opener vs. Milwaukee … Tied a career-high with three hits and drove in a career-high five runs in series-clinching win over the Panthers … Went a perfect 2-for-2 in series finale against UWM with three RBI and hit first career triple … For the season, Ficociello is hitting .394 and is second on the team with 19 RBI.
Team Notes: Arkansas posted a 4-1 record over the past week, splitting a two-game midweek series with McNeese State and sweeping a three-game set from Wisconsin-Milwaukee … The Razorbacks closed their season-opening, 11-game homestand with a 10-1 record … The 10-1 start for Arkansas is the best start to a season since 2008 when the Hogs opened the year with an 11-1 mark … As a team, Arkansas hit .327 during the last week with six home runs, 45 RBI and nine stolen bases … The Arkansas pitching staff posted a 5.40 team ERA on the week … Arkansas hits the road for the first time in 2011 next weekend with a four-game series at San Diego State … Game times against the Aztecs are scheduled for 8 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Individual Notes – Hitting: Matt Reynolds was one of the hottest Razorbacks at the plate, hitting .571 (8-for-14) with a home run, a RBI, 10 runs scored and two stolen bases … Dominic Ficociello had at least two RBI in each game last week and finished the week with 15 RBI in five games, while hitting .500 (9-for-18) with two doubles, a triple and three runs scored … Kyle Robinson hit his first three home runs of the season last week and had 13 RBI … Robinson batted .474 (9-for-19) with nine runs scored and was a perfect 3-for-3 in stolen bases … Jacob Morris hit .333 (6-for-18) with eight runs scored, three RBI and six walks, while Jarrod McKinney hit .375 (3-for-8) with two runs scored, a homer and two RBI … Matt Vinson also homered during the week and had five RBI … The home runs by McKinney and Vinson came back-to-back in the eighth inning of Friday’s game vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee, marking the first back-to-back home runs for the Razorbacks since Brett Eibner and Andy Wilkins accomplished the feat on June 4, 2010, vs. Grambling State … Robinson leads the Razorbacks with a .465 batting average on the season, three home runs and 21 RBI … Reynolds is also hitting over .400 on the season, batting .405 with a homer, seven RBI, 16 runs scored and a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen bases … Ficociello is batting .394 and is second on the team with 19 RBI … Morris is hitting at a .360 clip, while McKinney is hitting .320 on the campaign.
Individual Notes – Pitching: DJ Baxendale appeared in two games, earning a win and a save … Baxendale threw five shutout innings on the week, giving up just one hit and striking out five … Nolan Sanburn had two shutout appearances, pitching 3.2 scoreless innings with six strikeouts … Zack Hall and Colby Suggs each had a scoreless inning to their credit on the week … Barrett Astin pitched in three games on the week and had a 1-0 record with a 1.12 ERA … Astin tossed eight innings and gave up one run, while striking out seven … Randall Fant appeared in two games and surrendered a run in 3.1 innings … Cade Lynch started two games and had a 1-0 record with a 3.38 ERA … Lynch allowed three runs on three hits with eight strikeouts in eight innings … Baxendale leads the Razorback pitching staff on the season with a 3-0 record, two saves and has yet to allow a run in 14.1 innings pitched … Baxendale has 18 strikeouts and is holding opposing hitters to a .163 batting average … Astin has also appeared in five games and is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA on the year … Lynch has compiled a 1-0 record with a 1.93 ERA in four appearances, including two starts … Sanburn has not allowed a run in three relief appearances, throwing 4.2 shutout innings with seven strikeouts.