Razorback Report: Week 2

Overall Record: 5-2
SEC Record: 0-0
Streak: W1

In The Polls – Week 1
D1Baseball – #2
Perfect Game – #2
Baseball America – #3
USA Today Coaches – #4
NCBWA – #5

Week 2 Results (2-1)
Friday, Feb. 23 – vs. #7 Oregon State^ – W, 5-4
Saturday, Feb. 24 – vs. Oklahoma State^ – L, 2-1 (14)
Sunday, Feb. 25 – vs. Michigan^ – W, 4-3

^ Kubota College Baseball Series (Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas)

Week 3 Schedule
Tuesday, Feb. 27 – vs. Grambling – 3 p.m. [SEC Network+]
Friday, March 1 – vs. Murray State – 3 p.m. [SEC Network+]
Saturday, March 2 – vs. Murray State – 2 p.m. [SEC Network+]
Sunday, March 3 – vs. Murray State – 1 p.m. [SEC Network+]

Pitcher of the Week
LHP Hagen Smith

Stats (1 APP/1 GS): 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 17 SO

In one of the most legendary pitching performances in Arkansas baseball history, junior left-hander Hagen Smith tied a single-game program record with 17 strikeouts to lead No. 2 Arkansas to a memorable 5-4 win over No. 7 Oregon State on Feb. 23 in the Kubota College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field. It took Smith only 18 outs and 78 pitches, including 59 strikes, to tie the Hogs’ single-game strikeout record, which had stood for nearly 17 years. Smith recorded 15 consecutive outs via strikeout to begin the ballgame. The Bullard, Texas, native tied the program’s single-game strikeout record with the final out of the sixth inning. Combined, Smith and the Razorback pitching staff recorded 23 total strikeouts in the win over the Beavers, breaking the previous program record of 18.

Freshman of the Week
LHP Colin Fisher

Stats (2 APP/1 GS): 1-1, 0.00 ERA, 7.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 SO

True freshman left-hander Colin Fisher made his first two collegiate pitching appearances and was superb, racking up 10 strikeouts and not allowing an earned run over 7.1 innings of work. Making his debut in a start against James Madison on Feb. 19, Fisher twirled five shutout innings with four strikeouts to earn his first collegiate win. His second appearance came in a relief role vs. Oklahoma State on Feb. 24 in the Kubota College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field, where he struck out six over 2.1 innings out of the bullpen. Fisher’s six-strikeout performance against the Cowboys helped the Arkansas pitching staff tally a jaw-dropping 25 strikeouts in the 14-inning ballgame to break the program record of 23, which was set one night earlier in the Razorbacks’ win over No. 7 Oregon State on Feb. 23.

Razorback Notes

• Arkansas is off to a 5-2 start or better through their first seven games of the campaign for the 22nd consecutive season under head coach Dave Van Horn.
• 16,271 fans were in attendance for Saturday night’s 14-inning marathon between Arkansas and Oklahoma State at Globe Life Field. It is the highest-attended game of the 2024 college baseball season so far. 
• Saturday night’s 14-inning game between Arkansas and Oklahoma State marked the longest game ever played (in terms of innings) — collegiate or professional — at the home of the Texas Rangers, which opened in 2020.
• The Arkansas pitching staff, which racked up 23 strikeouts in Friday’s win against No. 7 Oregon State to break the previous single-game program record for strikeouts (18), tallied 25 strikeouts against Oklahoma State on Saturday to eclipse Friday’s record.
• Hagen Smith’s 17-strikeout performance broke a Globe Life Field single-game record. The previous Globe Life Field single-game strikeout record was held by Oklahoma’s Chazz Martinez, who fanned 14 vs. Northwestern State on Feb. 27, 2022.

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