Razorback Roundup: April 13

RAZORBACK ROUNDUPApril 13, 2009BASEBALL (24-8, 10-4): The Razorbacks had a roller coaster week as the team learned on Monday that it had earned its first No. 1 ranking in school history by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and then went out and swept fellow No. 1 Arizona State in a two-game series at Baum Stadium. Arkansas’ weekend was not as glamorous as the Razorbacks lost back-to-back games for the first time this season to Vanderbilt, also at Baum Stadium. Strong starting pitching by the Commodores was the key to the two Arkansas losses. The teams were unable to complete the three-game set due to inclement weather and field conditions on Sunday. Sophomore Brett Eibner had a solid week, raising his season batting average 40 points over four games by hitting .500, including a double and home run. Eibner was also effective as a pitcher, throwing five innings and allowing just two runs against Arizona State. In the Wednesday game against ASU, Arkansas set a Baum Stadium attendance record of 11,014 to break the previous mark of 10,727 against LSU on May 5, 2007. The game also set a record for tickets sold (11,434). The Razorbacks face Louisiana-Monroe at Baum Stadium on Tuesday (6:35 p.m.) and Wednesday (3:05 p.m.) before embarking on a critical SEC road trip to conference leading Georgia.MEN’S BASKETBALL: In an on-line vote of fans for a new feature in the EA SPORTS videogame NCAA Basketball 10, Bud Walton Arena was named the 10th-toughest place to play in America. North Carolina was No. 1, followed by Clemson, Xavier, Pittsburgh, Duke, Kansas, Louisville, Syracuse and Tennessee. Among the top 15, Arkansas finished ahead of Maryland, Illinois, UCLA, Florida and Texas.WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Freshman point guard Ceira Ricketts added to her post-season awards with Freshman All-America honors from Full Court Press magazine. Ricketts was named to the second team. The Razorbacks open the 2008 spring signing period on Wednesday, April 15. Sophomore guard Shanita Arnold announced last week she was leaving the team.FOOTBALL: The football team enters its final week of spring practice. The Razorbacks will work out Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday before the spring game on Saturday at 6 p.m.MEN’S GOLF: No. 19 Arkansas competed in its final regular season tournament, the Reunion Intercollegiate in Madison, Miss., last week. Senior golfer Andrew Landry won the individual title with a one-under 215 (72-72-71). As a team, the Razorbacks finished second of 15 teams, just three strokes behind LSU with a 28-over 892 (297-302-293). The SEC Championship is next on the schedule for the Hogs, Friday through Sunday, in St. Simon Island, Ga.WOMEN’S GOLF: The 16th-ranked Razorbacks travel to the SEC Championship followed by the NCAA Regionals and NCAA Championship as the season continues. Arkansas is making the program’s 14th SEC Championship appearance since adding women’s golf for the 1995-96 season. The SECs are hosted by South Carolina for just the second time since the Razorbacks have had golf and the Gamecocks have not hosted since 1997. In fact, the Razorback program has not competed inside the boarders of South Carolina since the 1999-00 season when they took part in the Lady Gamecock Classic. Arkansas has been pretty steady in the traveling five and does not change this week. The Razorbacks travel lone senior Lucy Nunn, juniors Kristin Ingram and Alex Schulte, sophomore Kelli Shean and freshman Katy Nugent. GYMNASTICS (11-9, 3-3): The 10th-ranked Razorbacks open the 2009 NCAA Championship with a bye before the floor exercise. Arkansas advanced to its second consecutive NCAA Championship and the third in program history by winning the 2009 NCAA South Central Regional Championship in Barnhill Arena. Arkansas scored a 196.300, defeating fourth-ranked Stanford, which also advanced out of the South Central Region. The Razorbacks’ score puts Arkansas in the second session of the first day of the championship in Lincoln, Neb., on Thursday. The NCAA Championship consists of two rounds of six teams on Thursday. The top three teams from each session move on to the Super Six on Friday. The individual championships are Saturday.MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD: Senior Scott MacPherson led a group of seven Razorbacks who punched their tickets to the post-season at the Sun Angel Classic at Arizona State on Saturday. MacPherson won the 3,000-meter steeplechase in a time of 8:45.99. His time is a personal best, a regional qualifier and is No. 10 on Arkansas’ all-time list. He currently ranks second in the NCAA and leads the SEC. Arkansas’ 4×100-meter relay qualified for the NCAA Regional Championships in May. Senior Cedric Zellner, junior Alain Bailey, senior Mychael Stewart and senior J-Mee Samuels combined for a time of 40.09 and finished third.WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD: Junior Katie Stripling led a group of Razorback pole vaulters at the John Jacobs Invitational at the University of Oklahoma on Saturday. Stripling won the event with a clearance of 13-11.25. Her jump is a season best, an improved regional qualifier and ties for the fourth-best jump in Arkansas school history. She currently ranks fourth in the NCAA and second in the SEC. Junior Janice Keppler also improved her regional-qualifying mark. She cleared 13-1.5 to finish third. Senior Sarah Landau was fourth with a clearance of 13-1.5, also a regional qualifier.SOCCER: The soccer team traveled to Lawrence, Kan., for the final road contest of its spring season. The Razorbacks gave up an early goal off a KU corner kick and lost a 1-0 decision. Arkansas’ next and final match of the spring season will be an April 25 matchup against Missouri State at Razorback Field at 1 p.m. Immediately following that game, the team will host a free youth soccer clinic for fans in attendance. The clinic will begin at approximately 3 p.m.SOFTBALL (24-17, 10-8): The Razorbacks opened their week Wednesday with a come-from-behind victory at No. 11 Oklahoma in a game that featured four lead changes and one tie. Miranda Dixon hit a pair of home runs and drove in six in the 11-9 win. Amie Hubbard added three RBI as the Razorbacks won for the first time in Norman and for just the second time against Oklahoma. In game one of its series with No. 19 LSU, Arkansas scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to snap a six-game skid against the Tigers with an 8-7 win. Brittany Robison drove in the game-winning run with a single to center field. Brittany Griffiths had three RBI and Dixon homered for the third consecutive game. The Tigers, however, took the series with wins in game two and three by scores of 10-4 and 7-4, respectively. Before the series finale with LSU, the Razorbacks’ new home field, Bogle Park, was officially dedicated in a pre-game ceremony in front of a facility-record 1,020 fans. Arkansas, which sits in third place in the SEC West, takes on Centenary in a mid-week contest in Sherwood, Ark., before heading to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for a weekend series with perennial power Alabama.MEN’S TENNIS (10-12, 2-8): The No. 42 Razorbacks wrapped up their home schedule with matches against No. 69 Mississippi State and No. 2 Ole Miss over the weekend. On Friday against the Bulldogs, the Hogs won the doubles point but failed to follow through in singles, falling in a tight match, 4-3. Friday’s match was the first time all season the Hogs lost a match after winning the doubles point. The Rebels, in town Sunday, split the first two doubles matches with the Hogs and Blake Strode and partner Chris Nott gave the No. 2-ranked team of Jonas Berg and Bram ten Berge a scare, but the Rebs took the match and the doubles point. In singles, Ole Miss took control early, clinching the match at No. 3 singles. Ole Miss won the match, 5-2. Strode picked up his 21st and 22nd wins over the weekend, leading the team in singles victories. Matt Hogan and Dmitry Lebedev won both their weekend matches, giving them a 3-1 record this spring. Saturday, the Razorbacks travel to Baton Rouge, La., to play LSU in their final regular season match of the year at 1 p.m.WOMEN’S TENNIS (12-6, 7-3): The 14th-ranked Razorbacks clinched their second straight SEC Western Division title with Sunday’s 5-2 victory at No. 28 Ole Miss. No. 5 Aurelija Miseviciute improved to 9-0 in the SEC with a 6-2, 7-5 win over No. 29 Kristi Boxx. Arkansas won at No. 67 Mississippi State on Thursday, 4-0. Arkansas plays host to LSU on Saturday for Senior Day at 1 p.m. at the George M. Billinglsey Tennis Center. Arkansas is also hosting the SEC Tournament April 23-26. VOLLEYBALL: The Razorbacks are making the program’s only spring competitive appearance this weekend taking part in the Second Annual SEC Coaches Beach Volleyball Championship in Siesta Key, Fla., on Saturday. The tandem of Kelli Stipanovich and Caria Dortch will represent the Razorbacks on the beach this year.OLYMPIC SPORTS PRESS CONFERENCE:Tuesday at 1 p.m. in the Barnhill Arena interview room.