Arkansas Baseball Notebook

March 13, 2006

Week 4: 3-0

Overall Record: 16-1

vs. Cal State Northridge – Fayetteville, Ark.

Friday, March 10: #10 Arkansas 6, Cal State Northridge 5

Saturday, March 11: #10 Arkansas 8, Cal State Northridge 1

Sunday, March 12: #10 Arkansas 8, Cal State Northridge 6

Noting the Razorbacks

No. 10 Arkansas swept Cal State Northridge in a three-game series at Baum Stadium over the weekend … the Razorbacks improved to 16-1 for the second straight season … the Hogs have a 40-2 record in non-conference games since the start of the 2005 season and have won 19 straight non-conference games at Baum Stadium … Arkansas hit .350 as a team against the Matadors to up its season average to .317 … Danny Hamblin connected for his fifth and sixth home runs of the season on Friday and Saturday and drove in four runs on the weekend … he leads the team with 26 RBI … had his 14-game hitting streak and 12-game RBI streak snapped on Sunday … it marked just the second time in 17 games this season Hamblin has not collected a base hit … Blake Parker extended his hitting streak to 13 games on Sunday and drove in what proved to be the game-winning runs with a three-RBI double in the fifth inning in the Razorbacks’ 8-6 win … center fielder Craig Gentry returned to the top of the Hogs’ lineup this weekend after missing three weeks with a broken hand … he .333 on the weekend with a .429 on-base percentage and three stolen bases … Clint Arnold came off the bench on Sunday to register Arkansas’ first four-hit game of the season, improving his batting average 110 points to .310… shortstop John Henry Marquardt was lost for the season with a torn ACL … redshirt freshman Matt Willard took over at shortstop and hit .400 for the weekend with his first career home run … on the mound Charley Boyce turned in his best outing of the season with 6.2 innings of work on Saturday, allowing just one run and striking out four without walking a batter … the UA pitching staff battled a strong wind blowing out to left field all weekend, posting a 3.33-team ERA while striking out 17 and walking just five.

Next Week

Arkansas opens SEC play at defending league champion No. 15 Florida on March 17-19.

Hitter of the Week Nominee

Matt Willard, SS

Redshirt Freshman

New Place, Pa./Council Rock North High School

Redshirt freshman Matt Willard took over the Razorbacks’ starting job at shortstop after John Henry Marquardt tore a ligament in his knee in the first inning on Friday … hit .400 for the weekend with his first career home run … did not make an error in 13 chances at shortstop against Cal State Northridge … walked and scored a run on Friday … equaled his career high with three hits on Saturday against the Matadors … was 3 for 4 with a RBI … connected for his first career home run on Sunday as the Hogs completed the sweep of Cal State Northridge.

Pitcher of the Week Nominee

Charley Boyce, RHP

Senior

Tulsa, Okla./Tulsa Union High School

Arkansas senior Charley Boyce was his usual pinpoint self on Saturday, March 11, against Cal State Northridge … the senior struck out four and did not walk a batter over 6.2 innings against the Matadors … he improved to 2-0 on the season, allowing just one run and lowering his ERA from 5.14 to 3.92 … Cal State Northridge head coach Steve Rousey was impressed with the right-hander’s performance … he was quoted in the Morning News of Northwest Arkansas saying … “I wish we had him. The guy knows how to pitch. You don’t have to throw 90 mph to be good and he proves that. In fact, when we face guys like him, I like to sit down and talk to my pitchers during the game and say, ‘Hey, take notes, because that’s the way you should aspire to pitch.’”