Noting the Razorbacks

Arkansas Baseball Notebook

April 16, 2007

Week: 4-0

Overall Record: 29-10

SEC Record: 11-4 – 1st SEC West/Overall

Wednesday, April 11: #9 Arkansas 2, Missouri State 0

Friday, April 14: #9 Arkansas 14, #17 Florida 3

Saturday, April 14: #9 Arkansas 7, #17 Florida 1

Sunday, April 15: #9 Arkansas 10, #17 Florida 7

Noting the Razorbacks

No. 9 Arkansas swept through four games during the week to improve to 29-10 on the season … the three-game sweep of Florida at Baum Stadium over the weekend vaulted the Razorbacks to the top of both the SEC West and the overall SEC standings … the Hogs own a two-game lead over Mississippi State (8-5) in the Western Division and Vanderbilt (9-6) and South Carolina (9-6) in the East … the Razorbacks opened the week with a 2-0 shutout over Missouri State, which was the second shutout of the season for the UA pitching staff … Nick Schmidt became the Razorbacks all-time strikeout king in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday with seven strikeouts to give him 307 in his career, passing Matt Carnes (1995-97), who had 301 … Duke Welker followed that up with a career-high 8.1 innings in the second game of the doubleheader with seven strikeouts … Jess Todd then fanned a career-high 11 in five innings of work on Sunday … Arkansas pounded the baseball all over the park against the Gators with wins of 14-3, 7-1 and 10-7 … the 31 runs came on 33 hits for a .344 batting average as the Razorbacks improved their SEC batting average to .312 and raised their overall average to .301 … the pitching staff posted a solid 2.67 ERA for the weekend and lead the SEC with a 3.67 ERA during SEC action … Arkansas ranks second in SEC play in hitting with a .312 batting average … the Hogs were clutch once again over the weekend with a .424 (14 for 33) average with runners in scoring position and a .412 average and 14 RBI with two outs … UA has raised its season RISP average to .314 while their average with two outs has shot up to .311 … Sean Jones lead the Hogs with a .500 (4 for 8) batting average over the weekend with two doubles and a stolen base … Logan Forsythe continued his hot hitting with a career-high four hits and six RBI to power the Razorbacks to a sweep on Sunday … he hit .429 for the weekend with eight RBI and three doubles … Forsythe has hit in all 15 SEC games this season and 31 of his last 34 games … he ranks seventh in the SEC in overall batting average (.368) and fourth in league play at .406 … Danny Hamblin tore into Florida pitching with a .462 batting average, two home runs and eight RBI … he raised his average another 20 points over the weekend to .268 after opening the season in a 5-for-42 (.119) slump to open the season … Hamblin is tied for second in the SEC with 11 home runs overall and tied for third in home run in league play with five … the Hogs’ bullpen was lights out all week with a 1.42 ERA over four games and 12.2 innings … RHP Travis Hill recorded 4.1-scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out seven of the 13 batters he faced … Brian McLelland also threw two-scoreless, hitless innings for the week … on the career record watch Hamblin is third in at bats (846), for fourth in hits (257), second in home runs (46), seventh in runs scored (179), third in RBI (196), second in total bases (458), sixth in walks (112) and third in extra-base hits (106) … Dugger is second all time in walks (146), 10 back of Tim Thomas’ school record of 156 and ninth in hit by pitches (25) … Schmidt is fourth in career starts (45), tied for fourth in career wins (25) with Brian Cook, fifth in innings pitched (289.1) and sixth in ERA (2.74).

Hitter of the Week Nominee

Danny Hamblin * Senior

Rowlett, Texas/Rowlett High School

· Danny Hamblin tore into Florida pitching in the Hogs’ three-game sweep over the weekend with a .462 batting average.

· He finished the weekend with two home runs, eight RBI and a .923 slugging percentage.

· Hamblin went 3 for 4 in the Razorbacks’ 14-3 win in the series opener on Saturday. He hit is 10th home run of the season and tied his career high with six RBI and scored three runs.

· He followed that with a 2-for-4 performance in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday with a RBI and a run scored.

· Hamblin connected for his second home run of the weekend and his 11th of the season with a two-run shot in the seventh inning on Sunday to tie the game before the Hogs went on for the 10-7 win.

Pitcher of the Week Nominee

Duke Welker * Junior

Puyallup, Wash./Woodinville High School/Seminole [Okla.] State

· Duke Welker earned his fifth win of the season with a dominating performance in the second game of a doubleheader sweep of the Gators on Saturday.

· He pitched a career-high 8.1 innings, allowing just one run in the ninth inning and five hits.

· Welker struck out seven on 115 pitches and sat down 15 UF hitters in a row from the fourth inning through the first out of the ninth inning.

· He allowed a single in the first and a double in the third inning and did not surrender another until the top of the ninth inning.

· Welker retired the first batter of every inning as he held the potent Florida lineup in check with just one extra-base hit.

Next Week

The Razorbacks hit the road for the week with a four-game road swing that begins in Springfield, Mo., on Wednesday, April 18, at 6 p.m. against Missouri State. Arkansas then travels to Athens, Ga., to begin the second half of the SEC season against the Georgia Bulldogs. The series begins on Friday at 5:37 p.m. on Cox Sports Television. Saturday’s game at Foley Field is slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch with the finale getting underway at noon.

Wednesday, April 18: Arkansas at Missouri State, 6 p.m.

Friday, April 20: Arkansas at Georgia,5:37 p.m. (Cox Sports Television)

Saturday, April 21: Arkansas at Georgia,1 p.m.

Sunday, April 22: Arkansas at Georgia, Noon