Hogs Get Oral Roberts in Opening Round of Fayetteville Regional
NCAA Fayetteville Regional
Game 58: #2 Arkansas vs. #3 Oral Roberts
Friday, June 2, 7 p.m. – Baum Stadium
Radio: Razorback Baseball Radio Network
Live Stats: Hogwired.com
Tournament Schedule
Friday – June 2
Game 1: #1 Oklahoma St. vs #4 Princeton – 2 p.m.
Game 2: #2 Arkansas vs #3 Oral Roberts – 7 p.m.
Saturday – June 3
Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs Loser Game 2 – 2 p.m.
Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs Winner Game 2 – 7 p.m.
Sunday – June 4
Game 5: Winner Game 3 vs Loser Game 4 – 2 p.m.
Game 6: Winner Game 5 vs Winner Game 4 – 7 p.m.
Monday – June 5
Game 7: – if Game 5 winner beats Game 4 winner in Game 6 – 7 p.m.
Hogs Get Oral Roberts in Opening Round of Fayetteville Regional
Second-seeded Arkansas will open the 2006 NCAA Fayetteville Regional with third-seeded Oral Roberts at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 2, at Baum Stadium.
Joining the Razorbacks (38-19) and Golden Eagles (38-14) in Fayetteville are top-seeded Oklahoma State (39-18) and No. 4-seed Princeton (19-24-1). The Cowboys and Tigers play the first game of the tournament at 2 p.m. Friday.
It is the Hogs’ 19th appearance in the NCAA tournament and marks the third time Arkansas has hosted a NCAA Regional. The Razorbacks have a 40-38 overall record in NCAA Tournament play and a 30-26 record in NCAA regional action.
It will be the second meeting this season between the Hogs and Golden Eagles with ORU capturing a come-from-behind 5-4 win in Tulsa on May 2. Arkansas knocked off Oklahoma State in their only meeting this season on Feb. 12 in Mobile, Ala., with the Hogs’ pitching staff combining to no-hit the Cowboys in a 3-0 win. UA and Princeton have never met on the baseball diamond.
All of the Hogs games at the NCAA Fayetteville Regional can be heard on the Razorback Baseball Radio Network with Chuck Barrett and Rick Schaeffer calling the action. The radio broadcast can also be heard live inside the RazorZone at Hogwired.com. The entire regional will also be televised regionally on Cox Sports (channel 119 on Cox Cable systems in Northwest Arkansas).
Nick Schmidt will go to the hill on Friday night against ORU. He is 9-3 on the season and boasts a 2.98 ERA. Schmidt’s 135 strikeouts are the second-most strikeouts in a single season in school history and his 11.2 Ks per nine innings ranks 11th nationally. The Golden Eagles will decide between right-handers Chris Ashman and Nick Jones.
Arkansas is 2-1 against Oral Roberts in NCAA Tournament play with two wins at the 2002 Wichita Regional and a loss to the Golden Eagles in the 1983 Midwest Regional in Stillwater, Okla. Oklahoma State has won both postseason meetings with the Hogs (1988 & 1996).
The winner of the Fayetteville Regional will be matched up with the winner of the Clemson Regional for a chance to advance to the College World Series.
A Brief Look at Razorback Postseason Baseball History
Arkansas is making its 19th NCAA Regional appearance in school history. The Razorbacks are 30-26 in regional play and boast a 40-38 overall record in NCAA postseason action. The Hogs are 3-2 in Super Regional games and 7-10 at the College World Series. All 19 of Arkansas’ NCAA appearances have come since the 1973 season. The Razorbacks advanced to the College World Series in 1979, 1985, 1987, 1989 and 2004. This is the fourth straight NCAA appearance for Hogs’ skipper Dave Van Horn. He has advanced to eight straight NCAA postseasons dating back to his tenure at Nebraska.
It also marks the third time in school history Arkansas has hosted a NCAA Regional. The Razorbacks first hosted in 1999 and then again in 2004. UA also hosted a Super Regional in 2004 after knocking off Wichita State twice on Sunday to win the 2004 NCAA Fayetteville Regional.
A Look at the Razorbacks’ Rotation
Friday – Nick Schmidt, LHP (9-3, 2.98 ERA) – Schmidt makes his second career NCAA Tournament start on Friday night against Oral Roberts. He suffered his third loss of the season last week at the SEC Tournament against Ole Miss. The week prior, he set a career high with 15 strikeouts against Auburn. He has seven double-digit strikeout performances this season. Schmidt has six wins over ranked opponents this season (TCU, Hawai’i, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Miss. State and Ole Miss). He didn’t allow a hit until his third start of the season against Louisiana Tech on Feb. 24. He tossed 13.2 hitless innings to open the season. Opposing hitters are now hitting a SEC-best .203 off Schmidt in 108.2 innings.
Saturday – Daryl Maday, RHP (2-2, 2.51 ERA) – Maday will make the first NCAA Tournament start of his career on Saturday. He has made five starts this season, averaging 5.1 innings per start with a 2.36 ERA in those starts. He beat Alabama in his first SEC start and then beat Auburn on the final weekend of the regular season. Maday is 2-2 in 18 appearances and five saves. He has worked 43.0 innings and allowed just 12 earned runs while striking out 31 and walking 12. Maday moved into the starting rotation after getting Trey Holloway out of trouble in the first inning at LSU on April 29.
Sunday (if necessary) – Shaun Seibert (4-0, 2.77 ERA) – Seibert will make his 10th start of the season if the Razorbacks win one of their first two games at the Fayetteville Regional. He is 4-0 after beating Auburn in the regular-season finale. He worked five innings and allowed just one run on five hits, while tying his career high in strikeouts with seven. The sophomore from Edwardsville, Ill., has a 2.77 ERA, which ranks second in the SEC. He has made 16 appearances this season and pitched 55.1 innings with 56 strikeouts and just 14 walks.
Leading off …
• Arkansas is hosting a NCAA Regional for the third time in school history. The Hogs welcome Oklahoma State, Oral Roberts and Princeton to Fayetteville.
• UA also hosted in 1999 and 2004. The Razorbacks won the 2004 Fayetteville Regional and the captured the NCAA Fayetteville Super Regional to advance to Omaha for the fifth time in school history.
• The Hogs have won six straight games at Baum Stadium.
• Head coach Dave Van Horn is 9-5 in NCAA Tournament games at Arkansas and 24-16 in his Division-I coaching career. He has qualified for eight consecutive NCAA Tournaments and has advanced to the College World Series three times (2001, 2002 & 2004).
• Arkansas is 2-1 vs. Oral Roberts in NCAA Tournament play and 0-2 against Oklahoma State. The Razorbacks and Princeton have never met on the baseball diamond.
• LHP Nick Schmidt will start on Friday night against Oral Roberts. He is 9-3 on the season and second in the SEC in strikeouts with 135.
• Schmidt’s 135 strikeouts are the second-most in a single season in school history. He trails only David Walling’s 155 in 1999.
• Schmidt’s 224 career strikeouts already rank sixth in school history. He is one strikeout short of Gerald Hannahs (1971-74) in fifth with 225 and five back of teammate Charley Boyce in fourth with 229. Matt Carnes (1995-97) is the school’s all-time strikeout leader with 301.
• Schmidt was named to the College Baseball Foundation’s All-America team.
• Devin Collis made his 31st appearance of the season against Alabama on Thursday, May 25, at the SEC Tournament. He is tied with Kevin Vent for eighth place in single season appearances. Phillip Stidham holds the school record with 36 in 1989 and 1991.
• Danny Hamblin’s 67 RBI are tied for the 10th-most in a single season in school history.
• On Wednesday night, in Hoover, Ala., Arkansas couldn’t hold off eventual SEC Tournament Champion Ole Miss in the opener, 9-4. The Hogs took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, but the Rebels responded with two runs in the fifth, two in the seventh and three runs in the ninth inning.
• On Thursday, Arkansas and Alabama took a scoreless tie into the seventh inning. The Razorbacks’ defense crumbled, misplaying two bunts as the Crimson Tide laid down three sacrifice bunts and put four runs up in the inning. UA responded with a three-run home run in the eighth inning off the bat of David Hum, but it wasn’t enough.
• Arkansas has lost five straight SEC Tournament games dating back to the 2004 tournament. Head coach Dave Van Horn is 2-8 in SEC Tournament games.
• Chris Hollensworth missed his eighth straight start with back spasms at the SEC Tournament.
• The Hogs now have 63 home runs as a team and 40 in SEC play, which is second to Kentucky. The 63 home runs are the seventh most in school history.
Scouting the Field
#1 Oklahoma State enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed after finishing second in the Big 12 during the regular season with a 39-17 overall record. The Cowboys had reeled off 20 wins in their last 24 games before going 0-3 in the Big 12 Tournament last week.
#3 Oral Roberts enters the four-team regional as the No. 3 seed and one of the hottest teams in the country. The Golden Eagles are fresh off of another Mid-Con Tournament championship and have won 26 of their last 28 games. That streak includes two wins over Oklahoma State and Wichita State and a 5-4 win over the Razorbacks.
#4 Princeton earned the automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament field in early May by winning the Ivy League title. The Tigers have a 19-24-1 overall record after challenging early-season road trips, but finished strong with an 11-9 mark in conference play.
Arkansas Against the NCAA Tournament Field
Arkansas boasts a 19-10 record against teams that qualified for the 2006 NCAA Tournament. Exactly half of the Razorbacks opponents – 13 of 26 – received one of 64 bids.
Arkansas‘ record against the field
Seed Team Record
1. (4) Alabama 3-1
1. (7) Georgia 1-2
1. Oklahoma State 1-0
1. Kentucky 2-1
1. Ole Miss 1-3
2. Vanderbilt 2-1
3. Mississippi State 2-1
3. Oral Roberts 0-1
3. Wichita State 1-0
3. Hawaii 1-0
3. South Alabama 1-0
4. TCU 1-0
4. Texas-Arlington 3-0
Schmidt Named SEC Pitcher of the Year by Coaches
Sophomore left-hander Nick Schmidt was named the SEC Pitcher of the Year by conference coaches prior to the SEC Tournament. He and Alabama’s Wade LeBlanc were named All-SEC first-team squad.
Hogs’ outfielder Jake Dugger was the only other Razorback to earn All-SEC honors, garnering second-team accolades.
Schmidt is 9-2 on the year with a 2.98 ERA and 135 strikeouts, while Dugger set career highs in batting average (.323), home runs (12) and doubles (11).
Tough Losses in League Play
Arkansas has lost 14 games to SEC teams this season, including regular-season conference action and the SEC Tournament games. Ten of those losses have come by two runs or less. The Hogs have lost seven games in league action by just one run. UA has dropped two more games by two runs and one game by three runs. Only four of the Razorbacks’ losses in SEC action are by more than three runs this season. Two of those one-run losses have been on walk-off home runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Walker Catching Fire for Hogs
Arkansas catcher Brian Walker is once again on fire at the plate as postseason play rolls around. He is hitting .444 over his last 11 games with five home runs and 15 RBI. He raised his average from .213 to .260 in that stretch and was named the SEC Player of the Week after going 6 for 10 with eight RBI against Alabama. Walker has new career highs in home runs (8) RBI (36) and doubles (10).
Hamblin Putting Together Banner Year
Arkansas junior first baseman Danny Hamblin is putting together one of the most complete seasons in the SEC. He is the only player in the SEC to rank in the top 10 in home runs (tied for seventh) and stolen bases (seventh). Hamblin is second in the league with 67 RBI. He also ranks tied for seventh in home runs (16) and is just outside of the top 10 in total bases (126). The slugging first baseman now has 21 multiple-RBI games this season.
Schmidt Sets Single-Season Career High for Ks
Nick Schmidt set a new career high for strikeouts in the middle of April and continues to rocket up the record books. The left-hander has fanned 135 batters this season in a career-high 108.2 innings, which is the second most in a single season in school history. Schmidt has seven double-digit strikeout performances this season. In comparison, he fanned 89 batters as a freshman in 99.2 innings of work.
He is averaging 11.18 Ks per nine innings, which ranks second in the SEC. His 98 strikeouts in SEC play led the league.
Schmidt enters Friday night’s game against Oral Roberts 20 Ks shy of David Walling’s school record of 155 in 1999.
Collis Closing the Door
Senior Devin Collis never did get comfortable on the mound for Arkansas last season. But all of that has changed in 2006, the St. Charles, Mo., native fourth in saves in the SEC with nine, including five in conference action. Collis has an impressive 2.47 ERA to go along with a 7-3 record in a team-best 31 appearances.
Arkansas’ Keys to Winning
There have been two factors that have proven to be tell-tale signs of Razorback wins in 2006 – scoring first and getting at least five innings out of their starting pitcher. Arkansas is 23-5 when they score first and 28-9 when its starting pitcher throws at least five innings.
Hogs at Their Best Against the Best
The Hogs have an impressive 17 wins against teams ranked in the top-25 this season. The 17 wins against the top-25 teams is the most in the SEC West and second to Kentucky’s 18 in the SEC.
Records Watch
Members of the 2006 Razorback baseball team are beginning to climb up both the season and career record charts as the year progresses.
Hitting
• Danny Hamblin is sixth in school history with 34 home runs; eighth in RBI with 158; ninth in total bases with 374; ranks third in strikeouts with 163.
• Hamblin’s 16 home runs this season are 10th in single season home runs and his 67 RBI tied for 10th. His 59 Ks this season are fourth in a single season.
• Jake Dugger ranks third all-time at Arkansas with 128 career walks. He is also tied for fourth in career strikeouts with 151. Dugger’s 28 career home runs are tied for 11th.
Pitching
• Charley Boyce holds the school records for starts (55) and innings pitched 382.1. He ranks second in career wins (30) and career appearances (86). Boyce is fourth in career strikeouts with 229.
• Boyce also ranks 10th in SEC history with 382.1 innings pitched.
• Nick Schmidt (224) is sixth on Arkansas’ all-time strikeout list. His 2.89 career ERA is currently tied for eighth in school history for pitchers with more than 100 career innings.
• Schmidt’s 135 strikeouts this season rank second on the single-season list. He is 20 back of David Walling’s 155 in 1999.
• Devin Collis’ nine saves so far this season is tied for fifth in a single season and ranks tied for seventh for a career. He is tied for eighth in appearances with 31 this season. Phillip Stidham holds the school record with 36 appearances in 1991 and 1989.
Injuries Taking Their Toll on Hogs Lineup
Injuries have taken their toll on the Arkansas lineup this season. The Razorbacks have played only 12 games this season with their entire starting lineup and just four when you factor in the losses of SS John Henry Marquardt and 2B Ben Tschepikow early in the season. Arkansas position starters have missed a combined 65 starts this season due to injury.
Schmidt Named Semifinalist for Brooks Wallace Award
LHP Nick Schmidt was named a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award this week. The award is given to the nation’s top collegiate baseball player by the Collegiate Baseball Foundation in Lubbock, Texas.
The selection committee for the Wallace Award is comprised of a national panel of preeminent coaches, sports information directors, former winners and beat media who most closely follow the sport.
Schmidt Named to CBF All-America Team
Arkansas left-handed hurler Nick Schmidt was named to the 2006 College Baseball Foundation All-America tea. The St. Louis, native is one of seven pitchers named to the 29-man team that was compiled by the College Baseball Foundation. The sophomore is 9-3 on the season with a 2.98 ERA, 135 strikeouts and a .203 opponent batting average.
Boyce Gets No. 30
Arkansas senior right-hander Charley Boyce became just the second Razorback pitcher in school history to record 30 wins over a career. He collected win No. 30 on Sunday against Alabama, pitching 2.1 innings of scoreless relief. Scott Tabor (1979-82), the school’s all-time wins leader with 34, is the only other Hog to accomplish the feat.
Boyce has a career record of 30-20 and a 3-2 mark this season. He posted six wins in 2003, 10 wins in 2004 and 11 wins as a junior last season.
Schmidt Accepts Invite to USA Baseball Team Trials
Arkansas sophomore left-handed pitcher Nick Schmidt has accepted an invitation to the 2006 USA Baseball National Team Trials on June 22-July 1 in Durham, N.C. The trials will be held in exhibition games with the New England Collegiate League. Schmidt is one of 20 players to accept the initial invitation with 16 more players to be announced at a later date. The USA Baseball National Team will consist of a 22-man roster that will be chosen from the 36-player pool that will be announced on July 2. Schmidt was also selected to the team trails last season, but did not make the 22-man roster.
Bullpen Getting it Done When it Counts
The much questioned Arkansas bullpen is quietly getting things done, even if it stops the hearts of many Hog fans in the process. It may not always be pretty, but the Razorbacks are now 34-2 when leading after seven innings and 32-1 when leading after eight innings. UA’s only loss when leading going into the ninth inning came on Saturday, April 23, in the second game of a doubleheader at Mississippi State when Brian LaNinfa hit a one-out walk-off home run. The Hogs are 4-2 when tied going into the ninth inning.
Team Saves Record Falls
Arkansas set a new team saves record last weekend against Alabama. The Hogs’ pitching staff now has 19 saves in 38 wins this season, breaking the old record of 17 set in 1989. Devin Collis leads the way with nine, while Daryl Maday has five, Chris Rhoads has three and James Gilbert and Brian McLelland have one each.
Newcomers Shining for Hogs
Several newcomers have stepped into the everyday lineup and pitching rotation to help Arkansas open with a 38-17 record.
James Ewing, a true freshman from Beaumont, Texas, has flourished early in his Razorback career. He is leading the team with a .375 batting average. Ewing has won the everyday job at second base. He has 10 doubles and 18 RBI.
Redshirt freshman Matt Willard made the most of his redshirt season and has come out smoking in year two. The Newtown, Pa., native is hitting .288 with seven doubles, two home runs and 20 RBI.
David Hum and Wayne Hrozek have shared the DH duties in 2006. Hum has 26 starts and a .276 batting average to go along with five home runs, while Hrozek is hitting .280 in 24 starts.
Junior college transfer Chris Rhoads has thrown quality innings for the Hogs’ as a starter early in the season and now out of the bullpen. The right-hander is 3-2 with a 3.57 ERA and three saves in 45.1 innings of work.
Logan Forsythe had his redshirt pulled in late March and has started 23 games. He came alive against Alabama four hits to raise his average 29 points. He currently has a .182 (16 for 88) with three home runs, nine RBI, a double and eight walks. Forsythe set a career high with four RBI on Saturday, May 6.
Boyce Climbing Up Arkansas’ Record Books
Charley Boyce is climbing up the Arkansas record books each time he takes the field. The senior from Broken Arrow, Okla., is the school’s all-time leader in career starts (55) and career innings pitched (382.1). Boyce is second in career victories (30) and career appearances (86). He is also fourth in career strikeouts with 228.
His sophomore and junior seasons also rank as some of the best in school history. Boyce’s 11 wins last season are tied for the third-most in a single season, while his 10 victories in 2004 are tied for eighth. His 19 starts in 2004 are tied for the most in school history. Boyce’s 122.1 innings in 2005 are the second-most in a single season in school history, while his 115.1 innings in 2004 rank eighth.
Ewing X2
Arkansas’ James Ewing in not the only freshman named Ewing to be making a splash on the college baseball scene in his rookie campaign. James has an identical-twin brother, Michael, who is starting at first base for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles.
James, UA’s starting second baseman, is hitting with a .378 batting average while driving in 16 runs and collecting seven doubles. Michael is hitting .318 with seven home runs and 35 RBI.
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 Jake Dugger are leading the way for Arkansas this season with six game-winning hits each. Brian Walker has five.
The Combined No-Hitter
Nick Schmidt, Brian McLelland and Devin Collis combined for the 12th no-hitter in Arkansas history on Saturday, Feb. 11, against Oklahoma State in the Jaguar Invitational in Mobile, Ala.
Schmidt threw the first six innings before McLelland came on to hold OSU hitless for a frame. Collis carved up the Cowboys over the final two innings. It marked the first time in 71-recorded years of OSU baseball that the Cowboys had been held hitless in a nine-inning game.
The no-hitter was the first for Arkansas since Scott Roehl’s no-no against Kansas State on March 20, 2001, in Shreveport, La. It was the first combined no-hitter since Brian Cook and Brian Dennison teamed up to hold Evangel without a hit on April 2, 1991. More on all 12 Arkansas no-hitters can be found on page 116 of your 2006 Razorback baseball media guide.
Hogs Post 3.15-Team GPA During Fall Semester
The Arkansas baseball team proved they were truly student-athletes during the 2005 fall semester with an impressive 3.15-team grade point average.
The 3.15-team GPA was the highest of any male team on campus with 26 of 41 players earning a 3.0 or better GPA. Razorback position players compiled a 3.27 GPA, while the pitching staff put together a 3.0 GPA during the fall.
Senior right-handed pitcher Charley Boyce and former shortstop Scott Hode received their degrees in December, while Trey Holloway and Josh Smith are scheduled to graduate in May.
Two Hogs, freshmen Taylor Ardoin and Brad Secrist, earned perfect 4.0 GPAs during the fall. Eleven Razorbacks posted GPAs of 3.5 or better during the fall, including Brian Walker (3.91), Thomas Hauskey (3.86), Lee Land (3.83), Brandon Barr (3.83), Brian McLelland (3.82), Hunter London (3.75), Trey Holloway (3.69), Jake Dugger (3.60), Shaun Seibert (3.60), James Ewing (3.60) and Danny Hamblin (3.53).
Razorbacks Pick Captains for 2005
The Razorbacks selected their 2006 captains by a vote of the team prior to the start of the season. Senior pitcher Charley Boyce, junior first baseman Danny Hamblin and sophomore catcher Brian Walker were chosen to represent the Razorbacks this season.
Player Number Corrections From Media Guide
There are a few numbers changes from your 2006 Arkansas baseball media guide. The new numbers are reflected on the roster page on page seven of this notes package. The corrected numbers are #30 Chris Rhoads, #37 Tommy McClain, #40 Brett Bollman, #43 Hunter London and #44 Brad Secrist.
Download: NCAA Fayetteville Regional Bracket.pdf
