Arkansas Baseball Update

May 7, 2006

Week: 3-1

Overall Record: 34-15, 14-10 SEC

Tuesday, May 2: Oral Roberts 5, #14 Arkansas 4

Friday, May 5: #14 Arkansas 4, Alabama 3

Saturday, May 6: #14 Arkansas 13, Alabama 6

Sunday, May 7: #14 Arkansas 5, Alabama 3

Hitter of the Week Nominee

Brian Walker

Sophomore

Tulsa, Okla./Tulsa Union High School

· Brian Walker carried Arkansas to a series sweep of Alabama this weekend with a .600 batting average (6 for 10)

· The sophomore from Tulsa had three doubles and a home run against the Crimson Tide

· Walker drove in five runs over the weekend, setting a new career-high with 26 this season

· He posted a .714 on-base percentage and a 1.100 slugging percentage

· He drew three walks and was hit by a pitch

· Walker had a RBI double and a home run on Friday night to keep the Razorbacks in the game for a dramatic 4-3 win in 11 innings

· He was 3 for 3 with three RBI on Saturday and reached base five times

· Walker singled on Sunday and reached base three times with two walks

Noting the Razorbacks

No. 14 Arkansas swept past No. 6 Alabama this weekend at Baum Stadium with a little help from a new friend – Rosie the baby water turtle … Rosie was found in the Hogs’ dugout prior to Friday’s game and became a good luck charm … Rosie helped Arkansas move into second place in the SEC West and into third place overall in the SEC … the Razorbacks improved their record to 34-15 on the season and 14-10 in league play … Arkansas is now 16-8 on the season against top-25 competition – the most in the SEC … it was the third straight series win for the Hogs over the Crimson Tide and the first sweep since UA took three games from Alabama at George Cole Field in 1994 … the Razorbacks hit .333 with runners in scoring position for the series … 12 of the Hogs’ 20 RBI in the three games came with two outs … Arkansas got an 11th-inning single from Logan Forsythe for a come-from-behind 4-3 win on Friday night … Brian Walker kept the Hogs in the game with a RBI double and his fourth home run of the season … Alabama issued a school record 16 walks, including a school-record six to Jake Dugger … Devin Collis (7-2) earned the win, pitching the final two innings and not allowing a hit … the Razorbacks bats came alive on Saturday and tied their SEC season-high with 13 runs and 14 hits … the Hogs jumped out to a 9-0 lead behind Walker and Forsythe and cruised to the win behind the pitching of starter Daryl Maday and closer Devin Collis … Maday allowed just one run on five hits in to improve to 1-0 in his first SEC start of the season … Collis came on and pitched the final 2.1 innings to earn his eighth save of the season … Danny Hamblin collected three hits, including his first triple of the season … he also drove in a run to become the first Arkansas player to drive in 60 runs in a season since Rodney Nye plated 78 in 1999 … Walker was 3 for 3 with three RBI and reached base five times … Forsythe drove in a career-high fur runs and scored three more on two hits and a walk … The Razorbacks rallied for a series sweep on Sunday with a four-run sixth inning … Jake Dugger provided the heroics with a three-run home run high off the scoreboard in right-center field … David Hum also singled home a run in the inning as a pinch hitter … Matt Willard then plated an insurance run in the eighth inning with a two-out single … Charley Boyce got the win out of the bullpen with 2.1-scoreless innings of work … he allowed just one hit and struck out two … Boyce is just the second pitcher in school history to record 30 career wins for the Razorbacks … he also tied Gerald Hannahs (1971-74) for fourth place with is 225th career strikeout … Brian McLelland pitched the final 1.1 innings to earn his first career save … Walker finished the weekend with a .600 batting average, a .714 on-base percentage and a 1.100 slugging percentage … he hit two doubles, a home run and drove in five … Walker raised his batting average 25 points in three games, while not striking out and drawing three walks … Forsythe finished the series with a .333 batting average and raised his average 29 points … Collis pitched five innings in three appearances this weekend … he allowed just one hit and one unearned run while fanning four and posting a .056 opponent batting average … Collis is 7-2 on the season with eight saves and a 1.95 ERA in 37 innings of work … Arkansas is now 22-5 when they score first and 24-5 when its starting pitcher throws at least five innings …

Next Week

Arkansas travels to Ole Miss for a three-game SEC series this weekend. Game times at Ole Miss are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday, 4 p.m. on Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday. All three games this week can be heard on the Razorback Baseball Radio Network with Rick Schaeffer. Live audio broadcasts can be accessed inside the RazorZone at Hogwired.com.

Friday, May 12: Arkansas at Ole Miss, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 13: Arkansas at Ole Miss, 4 p.m.

Sunday, May 14: Arkansas at Ole Miss, 1:30 p.m.

Download: vs. Alabama.pdf