Razorback Report: Week 6

Overall Record: 19-3
SEC Record: 5-1
Streak: L1

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

Week 6 Results (2-1)
Thursday, March 21 – at #23 Auburn* – W, 1-0
Friday, March 22 – at #23 Auburn* – W, 6-5
Saturday, March 23 – at #23 Auburn* – L, 8-6

* SEC opponent

Week 7 Schedule
Tuesday, March 26 – vs. Little Rock – 6:30 p.m. [SEC Network+]
Thursday, March 28 – vs. #8 LSU* – 6 p.m. [ESPN2]
Friday, March 29 – vs. #8 LSU* – 7 p.m. [SEC Network]
Saturday, March 30 – vs. #8 LSU* – 2 p.m. [SEC Network+]

* SEC opponent

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, 2 BB, 12 SO

Hagen Smith fired six scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts, his fourth double-digit strikeout game of the season, to improve to 4-0 and log his team-leading fourth quality start of the year in the Razorbacks’ series-opening 1-0 shutout road win against top-25 ranked Auburn on March 21. With his 12-strikeout effort, Smith raised his career total to 261 to move into a tie for fourth on Arkansas’ all-time career strikeouts list. For the season, the junior left-hander, who allowed just three hits and two walks in his dominant performance against the Tigers, boasts a 1.24 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 29.0 innings and has held opposing hitters to a .116 batting average. Over his last five starts, the Bullard, Texas, native boasts a minuscule 0.32 ERA to go along with 60 strikeouts.

Freshman of the Week
C Ryder Helfrick

Stats (1 GP): 1.000/1.000/4.000 (1-for-1), 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

True freshman Ryder Helfrick’s ninth-inning go-ahead home run in his first career SEC at-bat powered the Razorbacks to series-clinching win over top-25 ranked Auburn on March 22. Helfrick, who entered the game as a defensive replacement at catcher in the seventh inning, jumped all over the very first pitch he saw in his one and only at-bat of the series and hammered the game-winning home run, which was just the second home run of his collegiate career, over the 37-foot green monster in left field in the top of the ninth. An inning earlier, the Discovery Bay, Calif., native provided a key defensive play to set the table for his game-winning home run by throwing out Cooper Weiss, Auburn’s leadoff hitter who tops the SEC in stolen bases, at second to eliminate a run-scoring threat and give Arkansas the opportunity to take the lead in the ninth.

Razorback Notes

• Arkansas has won six consecutive weekend series and eight of the last nine nine weekend series against Auburn dating back to the 2015 campaign.
• The Razorbacks’ loss in Saturday’s series finale against the Tigers snapped their season-long 15-game winning streak, which was tied for their second-longest overall winning streak under head coach Dave Van Horn and matched their longest in-season winning streak in the Van Horn era.

For complete coverage of Arkansas baseball, follow the Hogs on Twitter (@RazorbackBSB), Instagram (@RazorbackBSB) and Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Baseball).