Bybee Brilliant in Hogs' Tuesday Win over Spartans

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Ben Bybee struck out four over five innings of one-run ball to lead No. 1 Arkansas (28-3) to a 5-1 midweek win against San Jose State (12-20) and to its program-record 22nd consecutive win at Baum-Walker Stadium.

With Tuesday night’s win, the Razorbacks improve to 28-3 overall on the season, their best 31-game start in program history. Arkansas’ 28 wins through its first 31 games of the season surpasses its 27-2-2 record in 1982, when head coach Dave Van Horn was the team’s starting second baseman and the Southwest Conference Newcomer of the Year.

Making his second start of the year, Bybee matched his career high with five innings of work on the mound. The right-hander limited the Spartans to a run on two hits, including a solo homer, while striking out four and issuing zero walks.

Bybee, who earned the win to move to 2-0 on the season, has recorded a 1.00 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 9.0 innings over three games. The sophomore from Overland Park, Kan., is limiting opposing hitters to a .133 batting average this year.

After falling behind by a run in the second, Arkansas posted a three-spot in the bottom half of the inning thanks to RBI hits from Peyton Stovall and Nolan Souza. Stovall tied the game at one with his two-out RBI single to right before Souza, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week, gave the Hogs a 3-1 lead with his two-out, two-RBI double to right center.

Stovall, who finished 2-for-5 with an RBI, was one of two Razorbacks with multiple hits in Tuesday’s win. Wehiwa Aloy, who clobbered his team-leading ninth home run of the season via a solo shot in the fifth, also went 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Souza, meanwhile, finished 1-for-2 with a team-leading two RBI and a team-high three walks. For the season, the true freshman from Honolulu, Hawai’i, is now slashing a team-best .362/.493/.741 with six homers and 20 RBI in 21 games.

Ben McLaughlin extended the Hogs’ advantage in the bottom of the third with his leadoff home run to center. The Razorback first baseman, who connected on his fifth homer of the year, finished 1-for-4 on the night.

In relief of Bybee, Christian Foutch (1.0 IP, 2 SO), Gage Wood (1.0 IP, 1 SO), Hunter Dietz (0.1 IP, 1 SO) and Stone Hewlett (1.2 IP, 2 SO) emerged from the bullpen and combined for four scoreless with six strikeouts to secure the 5-1 win.

Due to impending rain in the area, first pitch in tomorrow’s double midweek series finale between Arkansas and San Jose State is now 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, on SEC Network+. The game was originally scheduled for a 3 p.m. start.

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