Razorbacks Travel to Tuscaloosa for Pivotal SEC Series with Tide
Arkansas Razorbacks (36-14, 16-8)
vs.
Alabama Crimson Tide (27-22, 11-13)
Sewell-Thomas Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Radio: Razorback Baseball Radio Network
Live Stats: Hogwired.com
Game Outlook
Game 51: #8 Arkansas at Alabama
Friday, May 11, 6:30 p.m. – Sewell-Thomas Stadium
Probable Starting Pitchers
AR: 33 Nick Schmidt, LHP (9-1, 2.69 ERA)
UA: 33 Tommy Hunter, RHP (5-4, 4.00 ERA)
Game 52: #8 Arkansas at Alabama
Saturday, May 12, 4 p.m. – Sewell-Thomas Stadium
Probable Starting Pitchers
AR: 28 Jess Todd, RHP (7-2, 3.07 ERA)
UA: 7 Miers Quigley, LHP (4-5, 4.07 ERA)
Game 53: #8 Arkansas at Alabama
Sunday, May 13, 2 p.m. – Sewell-Thomas Stadium
Probable Starting Pitchers
AR: 42 Duke Welker, RHP (5-3, 3.50 ERA)
UA: 15 Will Stroup, LHP (1-0, 4.01 ERA)
Razorbacks Travel to Tuscaloosa for Pivotal SEC Series with Tide
No. 8 Arkansas makes its final SEC-road trip of the season this weekend with a three-game series against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Play begins at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 11, and continues at 4 p.m. on Saturday with the series wrapping up at 2 p.m. Sunday.
All three games can be heard on the Arkansas Baseball Radio Network with Chuck Barrett calling the action. The Friday and Sunday games will be webcast live inside the RazorZone at Hogwired.com courtesy of Rolltide.com.
Arkansas (36-14, 16-8) enters the series one game back of Vanderbilt for the overall SEC lead and holds a two-game edge over Mississippi State in the SEC West. The Hogs boast a 16-7 record on the road this season and have won all four SEC-road series, including a sweep of Tennessee.
Alabama, coached by 13th-year skipper Jim Wells, is 27-22 on the season and eighth in the overall SEC standings at 11-13.
The series opener features the Razorbacks’ ace Nick Schmidt opposite Tide flame-thrower Tommy Hunter. Schmidt is 9-1 on the season with a 2.69 ERA that ranks second in the league and four complete games that is tied for the most. Hunter is 5-4 with a 4.00 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 83.1 innings with five saves out of the bullpen.
The Razorbacks send their hottest pitcher, right-hander Jess Todd, to the mound on Saturday. Todd is 7-2 on the season with a 3.07 ERA, but in his last three starts is 3-0 with a 1.01 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 26.2 innings of work. Alabama will start left-hander Miers Quigley, who is 4-5 with a 4.07 ERA in 79.2 innings. His 13 starts lead the team as does his .242 opponent batting average.
The series finale will pit Hogs’ right-hander Duke Welker against the Crimson Tide’s southpaw Will Stroup. Welker is 5-3 with a 3.50 ERA in 74.2 innings this season. Stroup is making just his second start this season with a 1-0 record, 4.01 ERA, two saves and 33 strikeouts in 49.1 innings.
Alabama leads the all-time series 31-18 with the first meeting coming when Arkansas joined the SEC in 1992. The Hogs swept the Tide last season and have won seven of the last 11 games.
Leading Off …
• The Razorbacks travel to Tuscaloosa this weekend for a three-game set with the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Hogs will be looking for their second straight series win at Sewell-Thomas Stadium after a 10 year drought was broken in 2005. The Tide lead the all-time series 31-18 and 15-5 in Tuscaloosa. But Arkansas has won seven of the last 11 games in the series after a sweep at Baum Stadium last season.
• The Hogs are one game back of Vanderbilt (17-7) for the SEC overall lead and hold a two-game edge on Mississippi State in the SEC West.
• Arkansas hitting coach Todd Butler returns to Tuscaloosa for the first time since leaving the Crimson Tide to join Coach Dave Van Horn’s staff following the 2005 season. Butler spent eight years on Jim Well’s staff at Alabama over two stints from 1995-2000 and 2004-2005. The Razorbacks are 3-1 against the Crimson Tide since Butler came to Arkansas.
• The Razorbacks are hitting .305 with runners in scoring position (RISP) this season. Ben Tschepikow and Logan Forsythe lead the way with impressive .358 averages. Tim Smalling is close behind at .355 with Jeff Nutt at .328 and Danny Hamblin at .315.
• UA has also been impressive with two outs this season. The Hogs are hitting .302 with two down with 138 two-out RBI, which leads the SEC. Casey Coon leads the way with 23 two-out RBI while Danny Hamblin and Jeff Nutt have 16. Coon also has the best two-out batting average at .387 with Logan Forsythe close behind with a .383 average and 15 RBI.
• Arkansas has been hit by an amazing 88 pitches in 50 games this season (1.76 per game). The mark already ranks fourth in school history and leads the SEC this season. The Razorbacks need to be hit by one pitch to tie for third and are six back of the school record of 94 set in 2003.
• The Hogs rank second in on-base percentage (.401) in the SEC and second in runs scored (413) and second in doubles (112).
• In SEC games only, UA ranks either first or second in 10 offensive categories, including slugging percentage (2nd, .474), on-base percentage (1st, .399), runs scored (2nd, 178), home runs (2nd, 30), RBI (2nd, 165), doubles (1st, 57), hit by pitches (1st, 44), total bases (2nd, 400), walks (2nd, 108) and sacrifice flies (1st, 16). The Hogs also rank third in batting average (.298).
• Casey Coon’s 60 RBI rank second in the SEC while Danny Hamblin has moved into seventh place with 51. Hamblin is tied for third in RBI in SEC games with 26.
• Danny Hamblin leads the Hogs with 17 home runs, which ranks tied for the league lead and tied for ninth nationally, while his 11 home runs in SEC games are also tied for the league lead. Arkansas’ 60 home runs as a team rank second in the SEC. Hamblin earned SEC Hitter of the Week honors after batting .462 with two home runs and eight RBI vs. Florida.
• Brian Walker is once again turning it on during the second half of the season. The junior is hitting .324 over his last 25 games with six doubles, six home runs and 19 RBI.
• Nick Schmidt was named one of 50 semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award last week.
• 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.
• Schmidt and Todd both threw back-to-back complete games at Georgia and Auburn. The Hogs have an SEC-best five complete game in league play and six overall.
• Danny Hamblin’s 210 career RBI rank second all time at Arkansas. He is 23 shy of career record holder Ryan Lundquist (233).
• The Arkansas pitching staff leads the league with a 3.77 ERA during SEC play while the offense is third in the league in batting average at .298.
• Arkansas is 3-0 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.
• Shaun Seibert injured this right elbow in the fourth inning on Sunday, March 11, and will be out for the season. He will undergo Tommy John surgery on Thursday, March 22.
• The Hogs are 4-3 in games played on TV this season.
Scouting the Crimson Tide
Alabama enters the weekend series with a 27-22 record and an 11-13 mark in SEC play. Tide coach Jim Wells is in his 13th year at the helm of the Alabama program and has his team fighting for a berth into the 2007 SEC Tournament. The Crimson Tide currently holds the eighth and final spot in that tournament that will take place at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala.
The Alabama offense is led by leadoff hitter and center fielder Emeel Salem. He is hitting .347 with six home runs, 29 RBI and 21 stolen bases. He is hitting .327 in SEC play with six stolen bases. The Tide is hitting .289 overall as a team and .270 in conference play. UA has connected for 50 home runs, 70 doubles and 61 stolen bases. Brandon Belcher is leading the way in SEC play with a .370 average while Alex Avila has hit eight home runs and driven in a team-best 24 runs during league play.
The Crimson Tide pitching staff boasts a 4.06 ERA for the season with a .254 opponent batting average. The Tide average 7.8 strikeouts per nine innings and 3.2 walks. Tommy Hunter has moved into the Friday night starting spot in the rotation after Bernard Robert was dismissed from the team. Hunter is 5-4 with a 4.00 ERA and five saves in 83.1 innings of work. Miers Quigley leads the team in starts with 13 and will go to the hill on Saturday. He is 4-5 with a 4.07 ERA in 79.2 innings. Southpaw Will Stroup will get the call and Sunday. He is 1-0 on the year and making just his second start. Josh Copeland is currently handling the closing duties with four saves and a 2.97 ERA in a team-high 27 appearances.
Razorback Rotation
Friday – LHP Nick Schmidt (9-1, 2.69 ERA): Junior southpaw Nick Schmidt is slated to make his 15th start of the season on Friday night against the Crimson Tide. He is coming a no decision against LSU. Before that he had reeled off two straight complete games with a 12-1 win at Auburn two weeks ago. He became Arkansas’ all-time leader strikeouts vs. the Florida with seven strikeouts and he now has 327 in his career. Schmidt passed Matt Carnes (1995-97) who finished his career with 301 strikeouts. His 2.69 ERA ranks second in the SEC, while his nine wins are also second. He also leads the league in opponent batting average (.197) and is third in innings pitched (97.0). Schmidt does not have a decision in two career starts against Alabama with a 4.05 ERA and 15 strikeouts. More information: See Page 14.
Saturday – RHP Jess Todd (7-2, 3.53 ERA): Jess Todd is slated to make hits seventh start of the season and his sixth in SEC play on Saturday. He thrown 26.2 innings in his last three starts, including back-to-back complete-game, six-hit wins at Georgia and Auburn. Todd fanned 10 over 8.2 innings last week to shutout LSU. He struck out 10 Gators in five innings, allowing just two runs – both after he left the game four weeks ago. He is 7-2 on the season with a 3.07 ERA in 67.1 innings of work and two saves. Todd is 13th nationally in strikeouts per nine at 11.36. He has been more efficient with his pitches the last three weeks, inducing six double plays while still fanning 25. He has struck out 85 and walked just 20 this season. More information: See Page 15.
Sunday – RHP Duke Welker (5-3, 3.50 ERA): Right-handed pitcher Duke Welker will make also make his 15th start of the season after a well-pitched loss last Sunday against LSU. He allowed four earned runs over seven inning with five strikeouts and just one walk. Two straight inconsistent starts has him moved back to the Sunday slot in the rotation against the Tigers. He had left both of those games (at Georgia and Auburn) with leads. Opponents are hitting .211 off the right-hander, which ranks fourth in the SEC. He pitched a career-best 8.1 innings in a win over Florida four weeks ago. Welker took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against Mississippi State, but took the hard-luck loss after allowing two runs on two doubles in the seventh. He has a low-to-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.
Hogs Rotation Among Nation’s Best
The starting rotation of Nick Schmidt, Jess Todd and Duke Welker is proving to be one of the most dominating in the country. The trio boasts a combined record of 21-6 and a 3.05 ERA over 239 innings this season.
The Razorbacks are 12-2 in Schmidt’s starts this season while he has thrown a career-best four complete games, including three in SEC play. He leads the league with a .197 opponent batting average.
Welker hasn’t gotten the run support he has need all season, but has still been a reliable arm that has came through when the Hogs need him most. Opponents are hitting just .211 off the 6-7 right-hander that is 5-3 with a strong 3.50 ERA.
Todd has served in a variety of roles for the Razorbacks this season. He began the year in the bullpen as the closer and has turned into a dominate starter. Todd has hurled 26.2 innings over his last three starts with three wins and a 1.01 ERA. His SEC ERA is down to a team-best 2.86 and his 11.36 strikeouts per nine innings ranks 13th nationally.
Walker Once Again Catching Fire in the Second Half of the Season
Arkansas junior catcher Brian Walker is well know for his early season swoons. However, he is just as well known for his late season surges. Walker has made a habit of being one of the Razorbacks’ best and most consistent hitters over the second half of the season in his three years on campus.
That trend continues in 2007 as the Tulsa, Okla., native is hitting .324 with six home runs and 19 RBI over the last 25 games. His average had dipped to .183 heading into the Sunday finale against top-ranked Vanderbilt on March 25. The Hogs needed a win to capture the series and Walker’s fifth-inning grand slam proved to be all they would need in an 8-3 win. Below is a look at Walker’s second-half hitting sprees and where he was when they began.
Season 2nd-Half Numbers 1st Half Numbers
2005 .324, 6 2B, 6 HR, 19 RBI (29 gms) .177, 2 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI (24 gms)
2006 .337, 4 2B, 6 HR, 19 RBI (32 gms) .202, 7 2B, 2 HR, 18 RBI (24 gms)
2007 .318, 6 2B, 4 HR, 13 RBI (21 gms) .183, 1 2B, 3 HR, 13 RBI (25 gms)
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 9-1 record, a 2.69 ERA and a .197 opponent batting average in 97 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.
In 2007 USA Baseball instituted a new selection and balloting procedure for the most prestigious award in amateur baseball. After accepting nominations from sports information directors across the country, a committee voted to determine the 50 semi-finalists. The names of the 50 semi-finalists will now be forwarded to a voting body of 125 who will select the five finalists and the eventual 2007 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Winner.
Forsythe Finds a Home at Third Base
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 the Alabama series as the Razorbacks leading hitter. His glove has not let anyone down either, making play after play at third base. He boasts a .935 fielding percentage at third base this season with six errors in 92 chances, all coming on throws.
Forsythe has a .345 batting average, six home runs and a career-best 42 RBI. He is second on the team in slugging percentage at .525, is third on the team in on-base percentage at .412, and leads the team with 10 stolen bases. He has hit safely in 38 of the Hogs last 45 games and in 21 of 24 SEC games this season.
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 beginning of March. But the senior continued to drive in runs and as the calendar rolls over to May, Hamblin is one of the hottest hitters on the team.
Over the last 33 games, Hamblin is hitting .333 with nine doubles, 16 home runs, a .786 slugging percentage, a .405 on-base percentage and 41 RBI to raise his average to .275. That average goes up to .333 in conference play, including seven doubles, a league-best 11 home runs and 26 RBI. Hamblin is second on the team and seventh in the SEC with 51 RBI this season.
Hamblin continues to move up the Arkansas record book as well with each at bat. The senior ranks second in career home runs (52) – four shy of the school record of 56 by Ryan Lundquist – and first in at bats (890), second in career RBI (210), second total bases (490), sixth in walks (114) and third in hits (270).
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 .297, but that average jumps to .305 with runners on second or third base. Ben Tschepikow and Logan Forsythe lead the way with impressive .358 averages. Tim Smalling is close behind at .355 with Jeff Nutt at .328 and Danny Hamblin at .315.
Player RISP RBI
Ben Tschepikow .358 (19 for 53) 26
Logan Forsythe .358 (24 for 67) 42
Tim Smalling .355 (11 for 31) 21
Jeff Nutt .328 (19 for 58) 38
Danny Hamblin .315 (17 for 54) 51
Razorbacks Rocket Up in the RPI
The Razorbacks’ 36-14 overall record and 9-5 mark against ranked opponents have them flying high in the NCAA’s latest RPI. The NCAA began releasing its Ratings Power Index this season. The RPI is the NCAA’s official measure of team quality used by the tournament selection committee. This ranking was through the Sunday, May 6 games. There are five SEC teams among the top 14 in the country.
Pseudo-Ratings Power Index (RPI)
Record Team
1 37-11 Rice
2 41-9 Vanderbilt
3 38-14 Texas
4 37-10 North Carolina
5 35-14 South Carolina
12 36-14 Arkansas
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 8.3 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 56 innings this season, including 15 four-run innings and 17 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: 25
Four-Run Innings: 15
Five-Run Innings: 8
Six-Run Innings: 4
Seven-Run Innings: 4
Eight-Run innings: 1
Razorbacks in the National Polls
Arkansas’ series loss vs. LSU last weekend kept the Hogs slipped slightly in week’s polls. Baseball America dropped the Razorbacks at No. 8 – down one spot – while the USA Today Coaches’ poll also moved the Hogs down one to No. 8. The Hogs fell to No. 6 in this week’s Collegiate Baseball poll – down three. The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association slid the Razorbacks up a spot to No. 9 while Rivals.com dropped Arkansas at No. 9.
Todd Returns to Dominance in Starting Role
Junior Jess Todd has started four 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. Last week vs. 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 is second on the team with 85 strikeouts and just 20 walks in 67.1 innings and leads the team with a 11.36 strikeouts per 9.0 innings. He also has a 4.3 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He has lowered his ERA to 3.07 from a high of 5.09 following the March 23 win over Vanderbilt. Todd is 6-1 in SEC games with a 2.86 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 50.1 innings.
Tschepikow Back at Full Strength
Junior infielder Ben Tschepikow finally appears to be back at full strength in 2007. He was bothered by back problems throughout his freshman season in 2005 where he hit .400. He was then put on the shelf 14 games into his sophomore season and underwent surgery to correct the problem.
The athletic Fayetteville native is back to his old self, even after shoulder problems slowed him down over the last couple of weeks. He has been spraying balls all over the field in 2007. Tschepikow is hitting .306 with seven doubles, a triple, a home run and 26 RBI. He also has a .388 on-base percentage with 16 walks and only 15 strikeouts. Tschepikow has an impressive .358 average with runners in scoring position.
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. Danny Hamblin and Casey Coon lead the way with four game-winning hits, while Tim Smalling, Jeff Nutt and Logan Forsythe have three game-winning hits each.
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)
* indicates walk-off
Schmidt and Todd Both on Roger Clemens Award Watch List
Schmidt and junior-college transfer Jess Todd are on the Roger Clemens Award watch list. The Roger Clemens Award goes to the top pitcher in college baseball.
Schmidt and Hamblin on Brooks Wallace Award Watch List
Schmidt and Danny Hamblin are also on the Brooks Wallace Award watch list, which goes to the top player in college baseball.
Hogs Post 3.11 GPA During Fall Semester
The Arkansas baseball team proved they were truly student-athletes during the 2006 fall semester with an impressive 3.12-team grade point average. The 3.11-team GPA follows 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 Believed to 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 204,929 tickets for an average of 7,882 per game. UA is averaging 5,306 fans per game in actual attendance with 137,945 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 166,181 (7,550) 108,014 (4,696)
2006 206,352 (7,116) 164,608 (5,676)
2005 200,378 (7,156) 146,902 (5,247)
2004 (regular season) 134,525 (4,204) 91,779 (2,868)
2004 (w/postseason) 188,753 (4,840) 146,007 (3,743)
2003 100,372 (3,585) 60,510 (2,161)
Download: 07 Arkansas Baseball Notes – Alabama.pdf
