Baseball Weekly Update - March 16
Arkansas Baseball Notebook
March 16, 2009Week: 3-1Overall Record: 12-3
Tuesday, March 10: Centenary 8, Arkansas 3Friday, March 13: Arkansas 11, Florida 4Saturday, March 14: Arkansas 8, Florida 4Sunday, March 15: Arkansas 4, Florida 2
Noting the RazorbacksArkansas (12-3) moved up in the Baseball America poll last week to No. 18 and ranked No. 20 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll, No. 21 in the Rivals.com poll and No. 24 in the NCBWA poll … After dropping a mid-week game to Centenary, its first road trip of the season, the Hogs came back to Baum stadium to sweep the Florida Gators … The Arkansas sweep puts it in first place in the SEC West and makes the Razorbacks the only undefeated SEC team … Arkansas’ opening series sweep is the first time since 1998 that it has swept a conference opener (only two games in ’98) and the first time since 1993 that it has swept a three-game conference opening series … Senior Ben Tschepikow had a fantastic week as he extended his hitting streak to 10 consecutive games with three multi-hit games … He batted .615 for the week with eight hits, four runs scored, two home runs, five walks and eight RBI … Against the Gators, Tschepikow batted .500 with five hits, three runs scored, a home run, four walks and five RBI … Tschepikow has had a hit in every game in the month of March and during that span has raised his overall batting average 107 points to a team leading .403 and also leads the club in hits, RBI, total bases and stolen bases … Arkansas’ pitching staff as a whole was very good in the Florida series as it accumulated a 3.33 ERA over the three games … The Razorbacks surrendered just 10 hits and nine walks while striking out 30 and holding Florida to a .174 batting average … The Hogs also played good defense, committing just one error … Junior Dallas Keuchel was nearly unhittable on Friday night against Florida as he retired the first 14 batters he faced on way to his second victory of the season … Keuchel tossed seven innings and gave up one earned run on four hits and struck out nine batters, one shy of his career best … Sophomore Andy Wilkins also had a big week with the bat as he hit .500 in the Florida series (.385 for the week) … Against Florida, Wilkins knocked out five hits in 10 at bats with four runs scored, three RBI, two home runs, two walks and his first stolen base of the season … Wilkins’ home run on Friday night to center field was the game-winning hit … Redshirt freshman Collin Kuhn led the Razorbacks with six hits in the Florida series as he batted .429 from the leadoff spot … Junior Stephen Richards was excellent in two appearances this week, both against Florida … In 1.2 innings of relief, Richards picked up a save on Sunday afternoon as he retired the two batters he faced with strike outs … In eight appearances and 11.2 innings of work, Richards has yet to allow an earned run and has struck out 14 of the 40 batters he has faced … The Razorbacks play a mid-week series with Nebraska at Baum Stadium before heading to Auburn for their weekend series.
Hitter of the Week NomineeBen Tschepikow * SeniorFayetteville, Ark./Fayetteville* Batted .615 for the week with eight hits in 13 at bats over four games with four runs scored, eight RBI, a .722 on-base percentage and 1.077 slugging percentage.* In Arkansas’ weekend series with Florida he batted .500 with five hits in 10 at bats with three runs, five RBI, a .643 on-base percentage and .800 slugging percentage.* Had multi-hit games in three of his four games for the week including a three-hit performance against Centenary.* Had multi-RBI games in three of four games and drove in all three runs in Arkansas’ game with Centenary.* Produced the game-winning hit in Arkansas’ win on Saturday, a single to right field that drove in two. He leads the team in game-winning hits this year.* Scored the game-winning run in Arkansas’ Sunday victory after earning a walk, stealing second, moving to third on an error and then scoring on a wild pitch.* Raised his average 56 points during the week.* Is in the midst of a 10-game hit streak that has raised his average 107 points.* Paced the Razorbacks to their first 3-0 start in SEC play since the 1998 season.* Was perfect in 17 chances in the field.
Player AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO GDP OB% SF SH SB-ATT PO A E FLD% 1 Ben Tschepikow .615 4-4 13 4 8 0 0 2 8 14 1.077 5 0 1 1 .722 0 0 1-3 9 8 0 1.000
Pitcher of the Week NomineeDallas Keuchel * JuniorTulsa, Okla./Bishop Kelley HS* Was 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in one start, going seven innings, allowing four hits, one run, one earned, one walk and nine strikeouts.* Held the Gators to a .174 batting average.* Was one strikeout shy of a career best * Was dominating against Florida retiring the first 14 batters he faced on Friday night.* It was his second straight win against the Gators in two seasons and during those games he has allowed just two runs in 15.1 innings.
Player ERA W-L APP GS CG SHO/CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR AB B/Avg WP HBP BK SFA SHA29 Dallas Keuchel 1.29 1-0 1 1 0 0/0 0 7.0 4 1 1 1 9 0 0 0 23 .174 0 0 0 1 1
Freshman of the Week NomineeCollin Kuhn * Redshirt FreshmanBeaver Dam Wis./Beaver Dam HS* Batted .353 for the week making three starts in four games with one double, a triple, three runs scored and a RBI* In the Florida series batted .429 with six hits in 14 at bats. Posted a .429 on-base percentage from the leadoff position and slugged .623 slugging percentage. Scored three times against the Gators with a RBI.* In Sunday afternoon’s game, led off with a triple and scored Arkansas’ first run of the game.* Had the first three-hit game of his career in Saturday afternoon’s win with a double, run scored and RBI.
Player AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO GDP OB% SF SH SB-ATT PO A E FLD% 25 Collin Kuhn .353 4-3 17 3 6 1 1 0 1 9 .529 0 0 4 0 .353 0 0 0-0 6 0 0 1.000
Tuesday, March 17: Nebraska at Arkansas, 6:37 p.m.Wednesday, March 18: Nebraska at Arkansas, 3:05 p.m.Friday, March 20: Arkansas at Auburn, 6 p.m.Saturday, March 21: Arkansas at Auburn, 3 p.m.Sunday, March 22: Arkansas at Auburn, 1 p.m.
