Razorback Roundup -- Jan. 10

RAZORBACK ROUNDUPJan. 11, 2010BASEBALL: The Razorbacks averaged 7,906 fans per game during to the 2009 season to rank No. 2 in national attendance. Arkansas has ranked in the top five in national attendance the past six years, leading the country in 2007. The Razorbacks finished third in total attendance with 245,092 fans passing through the gates at Baum Stadium last season. The top teams in the attendance rankings all hail from the SEC with LSU claiming the top spot and Ole Miss, South Carolina and Mississippi State rounding out the top five. The Razorbacks are ranked No. 23 in the Collegiate Baseball Fabulous 40 NCAA Division I preseason poll. Arkansas opens its season Feb. 19 with a three-game series against Ball State at Baum Stadium.MEN’S BASKETBALL (7-8): The Razorbacks played just one game last week, taking old Southwest Conference rival and No. 2 Texas to the brink before eventually falling, 96-85. Arkansas played arguably its best game of the season in the loss, which was a two-point game with just over a minute to play. Sophomore Rotnei Clarke, who ranks second in the SEC in scoring, tallied a game-high 24 points and was trailed closely by fellow second-year player Courtney Fortson, who scored 19 and dished seven assists. The game ended Arkansas’ non-conference schedule and the Hogs open SEC play on Thursday at Mississippi State in a game televised by ESPNU beginning at 6 p.m. The Razorbacks return to Bud Walton Arena to take on Alabama Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in a game carried by the SEC Network.WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (8-8, 0-3): The Razorbacks traveled to Ole Miss for their first SEC road trip of the season and dropped an 86-71 decision on Sunday. Senior Ashley McCray posted a season-best 14 points and had five rebounds in Oxford, leading four players in double-figures. Arkansas plays its next two SEC games in Bud Walton Arena, hosting Mississippi State on Thursday and Georgia on Sunday. FOOTBALL (8-5): The football program announced Steve Caldwell and Kris Cinkovich as members of its staff this past week. Caldwell will coach defensive ends while Cinkovich will coach the wide receivers. Additionally, sophomore quarterback Ryan Mallett announced he will return for his junior season. Arkansas finished the season with a 20-17 overtime win against East Carolina in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. MEN’S GOLF: The Razorbacks are off until Feb. 14-16 when they compete at the Battle at the Beach in Newport Beach, Calif.WOMEN’S GOLF: The Razorbacks are idle until the Central District Invitational Feb. 22-23 in Parrish, Fla. GYMNASTICS (1-0): No. 8 Arkansas opened its season at home on Saturday with a 195.400-192.650 victory over No. 20 Arizona. Sophomore Jaime Pisani captured the all-around title with 39.125 points. She tied for the individual title on floor and tied for second on bars. Seniors Amy DeFilippo (bars), Sarah Nagashima (beam, tie) and Casey Jo Magee (floor, tie) also won or tied for individual event titles. DeFilippo’s 9.90 on bars is a career best and ties for the fifth-best mark in school history. Arkansas’ 49.200 team total on bars also ties for the fifth-best mark in school history. The Razorbacks travel to No. 4 Florida this week. The meet, on Friday at 6 p.m., is being televised by CSS.SOFTBALL: Arkansas Begins practice for the 2010 season Monday at Bogle Park under the direction of first-year head coach Mike Larabee. The Razorbacks open the season Feb. 12-14 at the Metrodome Classic in Minneapolis, Minn. SWIMMING AND DIVING (5-1, 2-1): Arkansas’ Chelsea Franklin, Yi-Ting Siow and Haley Smith, along with diver Alex Roman, each won two events Saturday to lead the Razorbacks over North Texas at Arkansas Natatorium. Fourteen event wins carried the Hogs to a 192-106 victory over the Mean Green, giving Arkansas its fifth dual-meet victory of the season. No. 18 Arkansas returns to action Saturday when it travels to Columbia, Mo., for a dual meet against No. 25 Missouri.WOMEN’S TENNIS: Arkansas begins is spring schedule this weekend at the Florida Gulf Coast Eagle Invite in Ft. Myers, Fla. The Razorbacks are coming off a strong showing in the fall and enter the spring season ranked No. 19 in the nation. The tournament is set to serve Saturday through Monday at the FGCU Tennis Complex. MEN’S TENNIS: The Razorbacks return to the courts for the season opener Sunday at 1 p.m. against No. 46 Washington at the George M. Billingsley Tennis Center and Dills Indoor Courts. Arkansas is ranked No. 53 in the preseason and will be led by three returning lettermen – senior Dmitry Lebedev, and juniors Chris Nott and Matt Hogan. MEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD: No. 5 Arkansas picked up six event wins at the Arkansas Invitational on Friday. Senior Scott MacPherson outkicked SEC cross country champion Barnabus Kirui of Ole Miss to win the mile. MacPherson crossed the line in a personal-best time of 4:08.22 (No. 3 in the NCAA) and paced his teammates to a 1-2-4-5-6-7 finish for Arkansas in the event. Freshman Brede Ellingsen earned a silver finish in the high jump. Making his Arkansas debut as a mid-year addition to the roster, he cleared the NCAA provisional-qualifying height of 7-0.25 and is tied for fourth for the NCAA’s best high jump.WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD: No. 17 Arkansas picked up four NCAA leaders (400 meters, 800 meters, mile and pole vault), two NCAA automatic qualifiers (pole vault), two NCAA provisional qualifiers (400 and 800 meters) and six event wins at the Arkansas Invitational on Friday. Additionally, sophomore Tina Sutej was second in the pole vault, behind senior Katie Stripling, with an NCAA automatic-qualifying and personal-best height of 13-11.25. She ranks No. 2 in the NCAA and broke her own Slovenian National record of 13-9.25. The squad competes next at the Virginia Tech Invitational Friday and Saturday.