Hogs Host NCAA Fayetteville Regional as No. 7 National Seed

NCAA Fayetteville Regional

Baum Stadium • Fayetteville, Ark.

Radio: RBRN / KFAY (all games)

Live Stats: NCAASports.com • TV: CSTV

Tournament Schedule

Friday, June 1

Game 1: #2 Creighton vs. #3 Oklahoma St., 2:37 p.m.

Game 2: #1 Arkansas vs. #4 Albany, 6:37 p.m.

Saturday, June 2

Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 2:37 p.m.

Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 6:37 p.m.

Sunday, June 3

Game 5: Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 2:37 p.m.

Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 6:37 p.m.

Monday, June 4

Game 7: if Game 5 winner beats Game 4 winner in Game 6, 7:37 p.m.

Arkansas Pitching Rotation

Friday: 42 Duke Welker, RHP (6-5, 3.83 ERA)

Saturday: 28 Jess Todd, RHP (9-2, 2.49 ERA)

Sunday: 33 Nick Schmidt, LHP (10-3, 2.85 ERA)

Hogs Host NCAA Fayetteville Regional as No. 7 National Seed

No. 7-national-seed Arkansas hosts No. 2-seed Creighton, No. 3-seed Oklahoma State and No. 4-seed Albany in the 2007 NCAA Fayetteville Regional at Baum Stadium this weekend.

CSTV will televise the Fayetteville Regional, one-of-three regionals to be broadcast nationally in its entirety. Tom Hart and Carter Blackburn will handle the play-by-play duties for the CSTV broadcasts with Kevin Stocker providing analysis.

The Arkansas games can be heard throughout the state on the Razorback Baseball Radio Network with Chuck Barrett and Rick Schaeffer calling the action. Barrett and Schaeffer will also call each game of the regional that does not include Arkansas on KFAY 1030 AM in Fayetteville.

OSU and Creighton get things started at 2:37 p.m. Friday, June 1, with the Razorbacks and Great Danes slated for a 6:37 p.m. start.

Junior right-hander Duke Welker will go to the hill for the Hogs on Friday night. He is 6-5 on the season with a 3.83 ERA in 91.2 innings of work with 73 strikeouts. Welker is coming off of a dominating performance against then-No. 9 South Carolina in the SEC Tournament last Saturday. Albany will counter with right-handed senior John Naples, who is 8-2 on the season with a 3.29 ERA.

Arkansas is hosting its fourth NCAA Regional and the third in the last four years. It is the Hogs 20th NCAA Tournament appearance and sixth straight. Head coach Dave Van Horn has led the Razorbacks to NCAA play in each of his five seasons, including a College World Series berth in 2004.

The Hogs bring a No. 11 national ranking (Baseball America) into the regional with a 41-19 record. UA is hitting .288 on the season while scoring 7.9 runs per game. The pitching staff boasts a 3.86 ERA and is striking out a school-record nine batters per nine innings.

Jess Todd will pitch for Arkansas on Saturday. He is 9-2 this season with a 2.49 ERA and a team-high 124 strikeouts in 90.1 innings. He is 5-0 over his last six starts with a 0.91 ERA and 64 strikeouts. Nick Schmidt will follow him in the rotation. The junior southpaw has been a stalwart in the Hogs’ rotation since he arrived on campus in 2005. Schmidt is 10-3 this season with a 2.85 ERA and 107 strikeouts.

A Brief Look at Razorback Postseason Baseball History

Arkansas is making its 20th NCAA Regional appearance in school history and their sixth straight. The Razorbacks are 31-28 in regional play and boast a 41-40 overall record in NCAA postseason action. The Hogs are 3-2 in Super Regional games and 7-10 at the College World Series. All 20 of Arkansas’ NCAA appearances have come since the 1973 season. The Razorbacks advanced to the College World Series in 1979, 1985, 1987, 1989 and 2004. This is the fifth straight NCAA appearance for Hogs’ skipper Dave Van Horn at Arkansas. He has advanced to nine straight NCAA postseasons dating back to his tenure at Nebraska.

It also marks the fourth time in school history Arkansas has hosted a NCAA Regional. The Razorbacks first hosted in 1999 and then again in 2004 and last season. UA also hosted a Super Regional in 2004 after knocking off Wichita State twice on Sunday to win the 2004 NCAA Fayetteville Regional.

Leading Off …

• The Razorbacks garnered the No. 7 national seed from the NCAA Baseball Committee. It is the second time the Razorbacks have earned a national seed. UA was a No. 8 national seed on their way to Omaha in 2004.

• The NCAA Fayetteville Regional is matched up with the Columbia (Mo.) Regional. The winner of the Fayetteville and Columbia Regionals will meet in a Super Regional for the chance to advance to the College World Series.

• Nick Schmidt and Jess Todd were both named second-team All-Americans by Louisville Slugger this week. Schmidt becomes just the fifth Arkansas player to be named a two-time All-American and Todd is the 16th Hog in school history to earn All-America honors.

• Todd was named a National Player of the Week by Louisville Slugger this week on the heels of his 17-strikeout performance against South Carolina in the SEC Tournament.

• Southeastern Conference coaches named Todd and Schmidt first-team All-SEC pitchers last Tuesday with Dallas Keuchel earning All-Freshman honors.

• Schmidt and Todd were also first-team pitchers on the SEBaseball.com All-SEC team with the second team including Danny Hamblin at first base, Logan Forsythe at third base and Casey Coon in the outfield. RHP Duke Welker also earned honorable mention honors.

• The Hogs won their third SEC West title in 2007 since joining the Southeastern Conference for the 1992 season. They finished with a 18-12 mark in the league, beating out Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

• Schmidt is one of 10 pitchers named as semifinalists for the Roger Clemens Award. He was named one of 50 semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award in early May.

• Both Schmidt and Todd were named to the SEC All-Tournament team after dominating starts in Hoover. Danny Hamblin and Casey Coon were also named to the team.

• Todd and Schmidt became the first teammates to each record at least 100 strikeouts in a season at Arkansas. Todd has 124 to rank fourth in the SEC while Schmidt’s 107 rank sixth. Todd’s 124 is the fourth-most in school history, while Schmidt’s 107 ranks sixth. Schmidt’s 145 Ks in 2006 are the second-most in a single season at UA.

• Todd is 5-0 over his last six starts starts with a 0.91 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 49.2 innings. He has strung together 12-consecutive scoreless inning over his last two starts.

• Arkansas has been hit by a school-record 102 pitches in 60 games this season (1.70 per game). The mark leads the SEC this season. The old school record of 94 set in 2003.

• The UA pitching staff has struck out 534 batters this season, just 20 shy of the school record set in 1999.

• Casey Coon’s 70 RBI rank second in the SEC while Danny Hamblin has moved into a tie for seventh place with 60. Hamblin tied for eighth in RBI in SEC games with 29.

• Hamblin leads the Hogs with 22 home runs, which leads the league lead and ranks tied for fourth nationally, while his 14 home runs in SEC games were also tied for the most. His 22 home runs are also tied for the second-most in school history in a single season.

• Arkansas’ 72 home runs as a team rank third in the league. The 72 home runs are the fourth-most in school history, 10 off the pace of the 1999 team that cracked 84 home runs.

• Nick Schmidt claimed his fourth-career SEC Pitcher of the Week after tossing a complete-game victory at Tennessee on Friday, March 30. Jess Todd was named the SEC Pitcher of the Week after earning two wins over then-No. 1 Vanderbilt.

• Danny Hamblin’s 213 career RBI rank second all time at Arkansas. He is 20 shy of career record holder Ryan Lundquist (233).

• Arkansas is 4-0 this season in extra inning games and their first hit came on April 21 when Danny Hamblin’s solo home run beat the Georgia. The Hogs had not gotten a single hit in its first two extra-innings wins. UA benefited from a error, intentional walk and a fielder choice to beat Illinois State. UA then beat Vandy in 10 innings when Sean Jones scored from second on a sacrifice fly deep into the right-center field gap after reaching base on a hit by pitch.

• Wayne Hrozek connected for a two-run double over the right-fielders head in the 10th inning on May 18 to clinch the SEC Western Division for the Razorbacks. It was also their fourth extra-innings win of the season. Hrozek also has a seven-game hitting streak.

• Shaun Seibert injured this right elbow in the fourth inning on Sunday, March 11, and will be out for the season. He underwent Tommy John surgery on Thursday, March 22.

• The Hogs are 7-4 in games played on TV this season.

Razorback Rotation

Friday – RHP Duke Welker (6-5, 3.83 ERA): Right-handed pitcher Duke Welker will make his 18th start of the season after an impressive win over then-No. 9 South Carolina on May 26 in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. Welker allowed just one run while scattering seven hits with eight strikeouts vs. the Gamecocks. Opponents are hitting .231 off the right-hander. He took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against Mississippi State in early April, but took the hard-luck loss after allowing two runs on two doubles in the seventh. He has a mid 90s fastball with a good breaking ball that he is able to throw for strikes. More information: See Page 16. Additional info on Dallas Keuchel, who could start if needed, is also available on page 17.

Saturday – RHP Jess Todd (9-2, 2.49 ERA): Jess Todd is slated to make hits 10th start of the season and his seventh straight on Saturday. His 2.49 ERA is tops in the Southeastern Conference. He has thrown 49.2 innings in his last six starts, including back-to-back complete-game, six-hit wins at Georgia and Auburn. He is 5-0 during that stretch with a 0.91 ERA. Todd has struck out 10 or more batters in five of his last seven starts, including a school and SEC Tournament-record 17 last week vs. No. 9 South Carolina. He was 7-1 in SEC play with a 2.48 ERA that ranked third in the league. He has struck out 124 and walked just 25 this season. The 124 Ks rank as the fourth-most in a single season in school history. More information: See Page 16.

Sunday – LHP Nick Schmidt (10-3, 2.85 ERA): Junior southpaw Nick Schmidt is slated to make his 18th start of the season this weekend in the NCAA Fayetteville Regional. He is coming off of his first complete-game shutout at Arkansas with a 6-0 beating of Alabama at the SEC Tournament. He fanned six and took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. Schmidt would allow two infield singles as he completed his two-hitter. He became Arkansas’ all-time strikeouts leader vs. Florida with seven Ks and he now has 341 in his career. Schmidt passed Matt Carnes (1995-97) who finished his career with 301 strikeouts. His 2.85 ERA ranks fifth in the SEC, while his 10 wins are third in the league. He also leads the league in opponent batting average (.201) and is third in innings pitched (117). More information: See Page 15.

Scouting the Field

#2 Creighton (44-14, 19-5 2nd MVC) – The Bluejays are the second seed in the Fayetteville Regional after finishing second to Wichita State (20-5) in the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and then beating the Shockers in the MVC Tournament to win the title. Creighton is coached by fourth-year skipper Ed Servais who has led the Bluejays to a 44-14 overall record. Arkansas leads the all-time series between the two teams, 7-5, with the last meeting in 2003 when the Hogs captured a 9-5 win to open the season.

CU is led on the mound by starting pitchers Ben Mancuso (10-2, 2.28 ERA), Marc Lewis (8-2, 3.54 ERA) and Zak Moore (5-1, 3.61 ERA). But one of the strengths of the Creighton staff is the relief pitching of Andy Masten (4-3, 1.74 ERA, 16 sv), an Auburn transfer, and ambidextrous hurler Pat Venditte (8-2, 1.83 ERA, 4 sv).

At the plate the Bluejays are hitting .292 with 34 home runs and 99 doubles. Darin Ruf leads the way with a .377 average, eighth home runs and 56 RBI. Chris Gradoville is close behind at .341.

#3 Oklahoma State (38-19, 16-11 Big 12) – The Cowboys are coached by Frank Anderson and enter the regional as the No. 3 seed. OSU has dropped six straight games entering the weekend, but in the tradition of Oklahoma State baseball, is one of the top hitting in the country.

The Pokes boast a 42-18 edge in the all-time series, including a 3-0 mark in NCAA Tournament play. OSU beat the Hogs 6-5 in an elimination game at the 2006 Fayetteville Regional. Arkansas’ last no-hitter came at the expense of Oklahoma State, when Nick Schmidt, Brian McLelland and Devin Collis combined for a no-no vs. the Cowboys on Feb. 12, 2006 in Mobile, Ala.

The OSU offense is hitting .327 with 76 home runs, 21 triples and 135 doubles for an impressive .526 slugging percentage. Ty Wright leads the Cowboys’ attack with a .417 batting average and a .468 on-base percentage. Tyler Mach is close behind at .410 with 15 home runs and 76 RBI. Corey Brown is the top home run hitter with 19 and has driven in 65 runs.

On the mound, OSU’s Oliver Odle has a team-best 14 starts and a 6-4 record with a 4.54 ERA. Freshman Andrew Oliver is 6-1 with a 5.18 ERA and Joe Kent is 4-2 with a 3.33 ERA. Justin Friend serves as the Cowboys’ closer with seven saves and a 2.86 ERA in 63.2 innings.

#4 Albany (29-27, 13-11 America East) – The Great Danes captured the America East Conference Tournament with a 1-0 win over Binghamton earn their first NCAA Tournament appearance. John Mueller leads his Albany squad into Baum Stadium as the No. 4 seed with a date against Arkansas in the opening round. It is the first meeting between the Hogs and Great Danes.

Albany is hitting .284 as a team with 37 home runs and 120 doubles. They have swiped 53 bases and have a .392 on-base percentage. Steve Wyland, an All-America East honoree, has a team-best .379 batting average and 44 RBI. Tom Hill (.317) and Steve Sayre (.283) are tied for the home run lead with six each.

On the mound, the Great Danes send senior right-hander John Naples to the hill on Friday night. He is 8-2 with a 3.29 ERA over 76.2 innings this season. Alexander Beaulieu is the closer with 10 saves and a 2.19 ERA in 24.2 innings. Casey Walsh and Cory Warrings serve as Albany’s No. 2 and No. 3 starters.

Hamblin Red Hot

Danny Hamblin had had a tough time getting the hits to fall in early in the season as he got off to a terrible start with a .119 batting average (5 for 42) at the first of March.

But over the last 43 games Hamblin is on fire, hitting .327 with 12 doubles, 21 home runs, a .790 slugging percentage, a .402 on-base percentage and 60 RBI to raise his average to .280. That average was .328 in conference play, including 10 doubles, a league-best 14 home runs and 29 RBI. Hamblin is second on the team and seventh in the SEC with 60 RBI this season. His 22 home runs also lead the league and rank tied for fourth nationally.

Hamblin continues to move up the Arkansas record book as well with each at bat. The senior ranks as the career leader in home runs (57) and first in at bats (926). He is second in career RBI (219), second total bases (519), sixth in walks (119) and third in hits (281).

Starting Rotation Getting it Done for Hogs

Arkansas’ starting rotation of Nick Schmidt, Jess Todd and Duke Welker has proven to be one of the best in the country this season. They have combined for 21-9 record and a 3.02 ERA over a combined 43 starts. The trio has logged 271 innings and struck out 266 batters.

The top two spots in the rotation – Schmidt and Todd – have teamed for a 15-4 record (starts only, Todd has four wins out of the bullpen) and a 2.61 ERA with 193 strikeouts over 179.1 innings of work.

Forsythe Finds a Home

In and out of the lineup over the first two weekends of the season, Logan Forsythe’s name is penciled in on an everyday basis these days. Maybe the best defensive third baseman in the SEC, entering the season his bat was a question mark after hitting just .189 as a true freshman.

He has dispelled any questions about his bat over the last two months and enters regional play as the Razorbacks leading hitter. His glove has not let anyone down either, making play after play at third base. He boasts a .930 fielding percentage at third base this season with eight errors in 114 chances, all coming on throws.

Forsythe has a .352 batting average, eighth home runs and a career-best 50 RBI. He is second on the team in slugging percentage at .552, is second on the team in on-base percentage at .431, and leads the team with 19 stolen bases. He has hit safely in 45 of the Hogs last 55 games and in 26-of-30 SEC games this season.

Todd Returns to Dominance in Starting Role

Junior Jess Todd has started seven straight SEC weekend games and turned in dominating performances in each. He started with 10 strikeouts in five innings against Florida on April 15 but did not get a decision. The next week at Georgia Todd only fanned seven but threw his first complete game as a Hog and induced four double plays. He followed a similar pattern with a complete-game six hitter at Auburn. He struck out eight with just two walks to improve to 6-2. Against LSU he hurled 8.2-scoreless innings as the Hogs shutout LSU for the first time in school history. Todd matched his career high with 10 strikeouts in the game. He matched those 10 strikeouts again at Alabama with his fourth straight win with six innings of work. He set a new career high with 12 strikeouts over nine innings in a no decision on May 18. He one-upped himself at the SEC Tournament with a school and tournament record 17 strikeouts against South Carolina.

He leads the team with 124 strikeouts and just 25 walks in 90.1 innings. Todd leads the team and ranks fourth nationally with a 12.35 strikeouts per 9.0 innings. He also has a 5.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He has lowered his ERA to 2.49 from a high of 5.09 following the March 23 win over Vanderbilt. Todd is 7-1 in SEC games with a 2.48 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 65.1 innings.

Arkansas’ Keys to Winning

There have been two factors that have proven to be tell-tale signs of Razorback wins in 2007 – scoring first and getting at least five innings out of their starting pitcher. Arkansas is 36-9 when they score first and 29-10 when its starting pitcher throws at least five innings.

Hitting When it Counts – RISP

A key to the Razorbacks’ offense in 2007 has been their hitting with runners in scoring position. Overall, Arkansas is hitting .288, but that average is still to .294 with runners on second or third base. Below is a breakdown of the Hogs’ averages with runners in scoring position.

Player RISP RBI

Wayne Hrozek .355 (11 for 13) 19

Tim Smalling .350 (14 fro 40) 23

Ben Tschepikow .345 (20 for 58) 27

Logan Forsythe .342 (26 for 76) 50

Casey Coon .326 (28 for 86) 70

Danny Hamblin .311 (19 for 61) 60

Razorbacks in the National Polls

Arkansas’ run at the SEC Tournament last weekend caused the Hogs to climb up this week’s polls. Baseball America moved the Razorbacks up to No. 11 – up two spots – while the USA Today Coaches’ poll also moved the Hogs up one to No. 11. The Hogs stayed at No. 9 in this week’s Collegiate Baseball poll. The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association jumped ten Razorbacks up four spots to No. 13 and Rivals.com has UA at No. 11.

Big Innings Key Razorbacks’ Offense

Arkansas has made a habit out of putting up crooked numbers on the scoreboard this season. The Razorbacks are averaging 8.1 runs per game and a big part of that has been innings where UA score three, four or even five-plus runs. The Hogs have scored three-or-more runs in 62 innings this season, including 17 four-run innings and 18 innings of five or more runs. Arkansas has scored seven runs in an inning four times this season and eight runs in the fifth inning on Saturday, Feb. 24, against Illinois State.

Big-Inning Breakdown

Three-Run Innings: 28

Four-Run Innings: 17

Five-Run Innings: 9

Six-Run Innings: 4

Seven-Run Innings: 4

Eight-Run innings: 1

Game-Winning Hits

Coming through with the game-winning base hit is not an easy thing to do. Here we will track the Razorback players that come through in the clutch this season. Casey Coon leads the way with five game-winning hits, while Danny Hamblin Logan Forsythe and Jeff Nutt have four.

Date Opponent Player Result (Inning)

2/4 at Louisiana Tech Brian Walker HR, 3 RBI (8th)

2/9 at Troy Sean Jones HR, RBI (8th)

2/11 at Troy Casey Coon HR, 2 RBI (1st)

2/18 Wisconsin-Milwaukee Casey Coon 2B, 2 RBI (7th)

2/18 Wisconsin-Milwaukee Jacob Julius 2B, 3 RBI (1st)

2/23 Illinois State Jake Dugger 2B, 2 RBI (3rd)

3/9 Kansas Wayne Hrozek 2B, RBI (5th)

3/11 Kansas Tim Smalling 1B, RBI (6th)

3/13 Oral Roberts Tim Smalling 1B, RBI (2nd)

3/16 at Kentucky Logan Forsythe HR, 3 RBI (1st)

3/18 at Kentucky Danny Hamblin HR, 2 RBI (2nd)

3/21 at Centenary Danny Hamblin HR, 2 RBI (7th)

3/25 Vanderbilt Jeff Nutt 2B RBI (1st)

4/1 at Tennessee Matt Willard 2B, 2 RBI (2nd)

4/3 Northern Colorado Logan Forsythe HR, 3 RBI (4th)

4/4 Northern Colorado Matt Willard 3B, 3 RBI (5th)

4/8 Mississippi State Tim Smalling HR, 3 RBI (2nd)

4/14 Florida (1) Danny Hamblin 1B, RBI (4th)

4/14 Florida (2) Sean Jones 2B, RBI (3rd)

4/15 Florida Logan Forsythe 2B, 3 RBI (8th)

4/21 at Georgia Danny Hamblin HR, RBI (10th)

4/22 at Georgia Jeff Nutt 2B, 2 RBI (1st)

4/25 Wichita State Casey Coon HR, 4 RBI (1st)

4/27 at Auburn Casey Coon 1B, RBI (1st)

4/29 at Auburn Jeff Nutt 1B, RBI (1st)

5/12 at Alabama Casey Coon HR, 3 RBI (5th)

5/18 Ole Miss *Wayne Hrozek 2B, 2 RBI (10th)

5/23 vs. Alabama Wayne Hrozek 1B, RBI (2nd)

5/24 vs. South Carolina Logan Forsythe 1B, RBI (1st)

5/26 vs. South Carolina Jeff Nutt 1B, RBI (2nd)

* indicates walk-off

Schmidt Named Golden Spikes Semifinalist

Arkansas junior left-handed pitcher Nick Schmidt was named one of 50 semifinalists for the 2007 Golden Spikes Award by USA Baseball. Schmidt has a 10-3 record, a 2.85 ERA and a .201 opponent batting average in 117 innings this season.

This year will mark the 30th consecutive year that the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award has been presented to the nation’s premier amateur baseball player. The winner’s name will be announced on June 29, 2007, during the 2007 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Show presented by Major League Baseball.

Schmidt Named Semifinalist for Roger Clemens Award

Junior Nick Schmidt was named one-of-10 semifinalist for the Roger Clemens Award. The Roger Clemens Award goes to the top pitcher in college baseball.

Records Watch

On the individual career record watch Danny Hamblin became the career leader in home runs with 57 after his 22nd homer of the season in the SEC Tournament Championship Game on Sunday … he passed Ryan Lundquist, who had 56 from 1996-99 … he is also first player in school history with 900 at bats and currently has 926 … Hamblin is third in hits (281), third in doubles (61), fourth in runs scored (199), second in RBI (219), second in total bases (519), third in sacrifice flies (16), tied for first in games played (242), sixth in walks (116) and second extra-base hits (121) … Jake Dugger is Arkansas’ career leader in walks (162), tied for third in games (235), fourth in at bats (848), seventh in home runs (34), seventh in runs (180), ninth in RBI (157), seventh in total bases (390), eighth in hits (239) and tied for seventh in hit by pitches (27) … LHP Nick Schmidt is second in career starts (51), third in career wins (27), third in innings pitched (333.1) and tied for eighth in ERA (2.89).

On the single-season charts, Hamblin is second in home runs with 22 … Casey Coon is ninth in RBI (70) and second in hit by pitches (21) … Schmidt is tied for eighth in victories (10), tied for third in starts (18), tied for fifth in innings pitched (117) and sixth in strikeouts (107) … Jess Todd is fourth in strikeouts (124) and Duke Welker is tied for third in starts (18).

The Razorbacks are also quickly moving up the record books in team categories as well … UA’s 102 hit by pitches are a school record … 127 doubles are tied for eighth all time … the Hogs’ 70 home runs are tied for fifth-most … the 410 RBI and 280 walks rank ninth … the 34 sacrifice flies are tied for fifth … the 36 sacrifice hits are 10th … the 534 innings pitched are 10th … the 534 strikeouts are second … five shutouts are ninth.

Hogs Post 3. 20 GPA during Spring Semester

The Arkansas baseball team proved they were truly student-athletes during the 2007 spring semester with an impressive 3.20-team grade point average. The 3.20-team GPA follows 3.12 GPA in the fall of 2006, a 2.9 GPA in the spring of 2006 and a 3.15 GPA during the fall of 2005.

The Razorbacks had 32 players compile a GPA of 3.0 or better with two players, Brandon Barr and Brad Secrist, making a perfect 4.0.

Senior right-hander Brian McLelland earned his degree in chemical engineering in December. Volunteer assistant coach Bubbs Merrill also earned his degree in sociology and former Hog Clay Goodwin finished his masters in adult education.

Fourteen Razorbacks posted GPAs of 3.5 or better during the fall, including Barr (4.0), Casey Coon (3.8), Thomas Hauskey (3.81), Travis Hill (3.81), Scott Limbocker (3.8), Brian McLelland (3.71), Sam Murphy (3.81), Chad Pierce (3.60), Stephen Richards (3.8), Secrist (4.0), Shaun Seibert (3.53), Jess Todd (3.8), Ben Tschepikow (3.8) and Michael Wild (3.5).

Hogs Lead Country in Actual Attendance – Again

The NCAA and Southeastern Conference recognize paid attendance as their method of ranking attendance, but Arkansas keeps both an actual attendance and paid attendance. After 26 games at Baum Stadium in 2007 the Hogs are leading the way once again. The Razorbacks have sold 233,350 tickets for an average of 8,046 per game. UA is averaging 5,699 fans per game in actual attendance with a school record 165,298 fans passing through the gates this season.

In 2006, Arkansas set school records in both tickets sold and attendance over 29 games at Baum Stadium, including the NCAA Regional. The Razorbacks sold 206,352 tickets for a 7,116 average (the average is second all time). A record 164,608 fans passed through the gates in actual attendance for an average of 5,676.

In 2005, the Hogs also set a then-school record in actual attendance with 146,902 fans showing up at Baum Stadium. That averages out to 5,247 fans per game and is believed to have led the country.

Baum Stadium is underwent its third expansion since prior to the 2003 season with the addition of 20 luxury suites, over 1,500 chairback seats and an expanded Hog Pen in 2007. Baum Stadium will now features 34 luxury suites, 8,237 chairback seats and a capacity of 10,737 with additional standing room only available.

In an informal survey by the Baton Rouge (La.) Advocate, Arkansas led all SEC schools in actual attendance in 2005 and 2006. Below is a breakdown of both paid and actual attendance at Baum Stadium over the past four seasons.

Year Tickets Sold Actual Attendance

2007 233,350 (8,046) 165,298 (5,699)

2006 206,352 (7,116) 164,608 (5,676)

2005 200,378 (7,156) 146,902 (5,247)

2004 188,753 (4,840) 146,007 (3,743)

2003 100,372 (3,585) 60,510 (2,161)

Download: 2007 Fayetteville Regional Release.pdf