Arkansas Baseball Notebook - March 2

Arkansas Baseball Notebook

March 2, 2008

Week: 3-1

Overall Record: 6-1

Wednesday, Feb. 27: #30 Arkansas 2, Kansas 1

Friday, Feb. 29: #30 Arkansas 9, Louisiana Tech 8

Saturday, March 1: #28 Texas A&M 15, #30 Arkansas 7

Sunday, March 2: #30 Arkansas 8, Ohio State 6

Noting the Razorbacks

Arkansas posted a 3-1 overall record and a 2-1 mark in a second-place finish at the Domino’s Pizza Aggie Baseball Classic in College Station, Texas, over the weekend … the No. 30 Razorbacks opened the week with a 2-1 win over Kansas … James Mahler started and allowed just one hit with six strikeouts over 3.1 innings … the bullpen allowed just three hits in 5.2 innings with Mike Bolsinger earning the win … Bolsinger pitched two innings with five strikeouts … freshman center fielder Brett Eibner came through with the big hit with a scorching two-RBI single past the third baseman … Arkansas won a back-and-forth battle in dramatic fashion on Friday afternoon in the opening game of the Domino’s Pizza Aggie Baseball Classic … Aaron Murphree’s walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning rallied the Hogs to a 9-8 win over Louisiana Tech … Cliff Springston pitched 1.2-scoreless innings to keep Arkansas in the game and Travis Hill recorded the last Tech out in the top of the ninth to earn the win … Ben Tschepikow paced the Razorbacks with three hits while Murphree finished 2 for 5 with three RBI … the Razorbacks lost a slugfest on Saturday night against host Texas A&M … two errors led to nine-unearned runs over two innings as the Aggies won 15-7 … freshman Andy Wilkins paced the Hogs at the plate, going 3 for 4 with two RBI and a run scored … the Diamond Hogs finished off the weekend on a good note Sunday afternoon with an 8-6 win over Ohio State … Arkansas used four home runs to power the offense, including two by Murphree, who hit three over the weekend and has four on the season … Ryan Cisterna and Chase Leavitt also added home runs … Springston pitched six inning out of the bullpen in relief of Shaun Seibert … Springston sat down 12 Buckeyes in a row at one point and surrendered just one run with three strikeouts to improve to 2-0 on the season … Travis Hill pitched the Hogs’ out of trouble in the ninth inning to earn the save … Murphree was joined by Cisterna and Springston on the Domino’s Pizza Aggie Baseball Classic All-Tournament team … Murphree finished the Domino’s Pizza Classic with a .308 batting average, three home runs, a double and seven RBI … Murphree is hitting .385 on the season with a 1.000 slugging percentage four doubles, four home runs and 13 RBI … Wilkins hit .455 for the week with two doubles and two RBI as well as a .538 on-base percentage and a .638 slugging mark … Wilkins has a .455 average on the season with a .556 on-base percentage, two doubles, a home run and eight RBI … Casey Coon also began to find his stroke at the plate this past week with five hits, including three doubles and three RBI … Cisterna hit .364 in College Station with two home runs, three RBI and also threw a base runner out at second base … Chase Leavitt was a catalyst at the top of the Arkansas lineup this past weekend … the St. George, Utah, native batted .500 (4 for 8) with five runs scored, four walks, two hit by pitches and home run … he posted an unbelievable .714 on-base percentage over the three games and slugged .875 … Hill (1-0) has three saves in three chances while pitching 4.2 innings over four appearances … injuries continue to be a major problem for the Razorbacks as another outfielder went down on Sunday vs. Ohio State … junior Wayne Hrozek was lost for four-to-six weeks with a broken right hand when he was struck by OSU hurler Alex Wimmers the seventh inning … Logan Forsythe also pulled his hamstring on Saturday and did not play on Sunday.

Hitter of the Week Nominee

Chase Leavitt * Junior

St. George, Utah/Snow Canyon HS/Dixie CC/CC of Southern Nevada

· Chase Leavitt hit .500 (4 for 8) in three starts at the Domino’s Pizza Aggie Baseball Classic.

· He scored five runs as a catalyst at the top of the Razorbacks’ lineup.

· Leavitt drew four walks and was hit by two pitches to post a .714 on-base percentage.

· Leavitt led off Sunday’s game vs. Ohio State with his first home run as a Razorback.

· He posted a .875 on-base percentage for the week.

Pitcher of the Week Nominee

Cliff Springston * Junior

Lorena, Texas/Lorena HS/Baylor

· Cliff Springston made three appearances out of the Hogs’ bullpen and pitched 8.2 innings, allowing just one run.

· He threw a team season-high six innings out of the pen on Sunday vs. Ohio State to earn the win and improve to 2-0 on the season.

· Springston sat down 12 Buckeyes in a row from the last out of the fourth inning through the second out of the eighth inning vs. OSU.

· He posted a 1.04 ERA for the week with six strikeouts and just one walk.

· Opponents hit just .194 off the hard-throwing left-hander.

· Springston faced the minimum vs. Kansas on Feb. 27 with one strikeout and allowed just one hit with two strikeouts on Feb. 29 vs. Louisiana Tech.

Freshman of the Week Nominee

Andy Wilkins * Freshman

Broken Arrow, Okla./Broken Arrow HS

· Andy Wilkins turned in another outstanding week for the Razorbacks, splitting time between first base and third base.

· He hit .455 (5 for 11) in three starts, including two at first base and his first start of the season at third base vs. Ohio State on Sunday.

· Wilkins posted a .538 on-base percentage and a .638 slugging percentage for the week with two doubles and two RBI.

· He went 3 for 4 with two RBI and a double against #28 Texas A&M on Saturday night.

This Week’s Schedule

Tuesday, March 4: South Dakota State at Arkansas: Postponed

Wednesday, March 5: South Dakota State at Arkansas (DH): 1:05 p.m.

Wednesday, March 5: South Dakota State at Arkansas (DH): 45 after game 1

Friday, March 7: Siena at Arkansas, 4:05 p.m.

Saturday, March 8: Siena at Arkansas, 1:05 p.m.

Sunday, March 9: Siena at Arkansas, 12:05 p.m.