Razorback Roundup -- Feb. 15

BASEBALL: Preseason honors continued for the Razorback baseball team as Andy Wilkins and Mike Bolsinger were named SEBaseball.com preseason All-Southeastern Conference performers. Wilkins earned a spot on the first team, while Bolsinger was placed on the second team. The 2010 season opens this weekend with a three-game home series against Ball State. Game one of the season-opening series is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. with games two and three set for 1:05 p.m.MEN’S BASKETBALL (13-12, 6-4): The Razorbacks split their games last week, picking up a win over LSU at home before losing on the road at Alabama. The Hogs matched the fourth-longest SEC winning streak in school history with the victory against the Tigers, 87-52, in which 10 Arkansas players played at least 14 minutes. Courtney Fortson and Rotnei Clarke led the way with 17 and 16 points, respectively. At Alabama, the Razorbacks carried a lead into halftime for the second straight game, but were outscored in the second half, ending their winning streak at five. Fortson returned to his home state and scored 18 in the loss. Despite the loss, the Razorbacks are still tied for the SEC Western Division lead with Mississippi State with six games to play. The Razorbacks return to Bud Walton Arena for a game with South Carolina on Wednesday at 8 p.m. before a road trip to Auburn on Saturday.WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (11-14, 3-9): Arkansas picked up a pair of wins in conference action last week. Arkansas defeated Auburn and South Carolina, and returns home hosting Ole Miss and Alabama in the final two games in Bud Walton Arena this season. Freshman Quistelle Williams had her first double-double at South Carolina and senior Charity Ford scored 32 points in the two-game road swing.FOOTBALL (8-5): It was announced last week that Arkansas’ comeback win in the fourth quarter and overtime of the 2010 AutoZone Liberty Bowl drew the largest audience of any bowl game segment on ESPN, according to Liberty Bowl officials. The game drew a 4.4 rating for ESPN, and more than 10.5 million viewers watched the fourth quarter and overtime. The fourth quarter and overtime of the Liberty Bowl was the highest-rated segment of any bowl game on ESPN during the 2009-10 bowl season, according to Liberty Bowl officials. MEN’S GOLF: The Razorbacks completed their first round at the Battle at the Beach in Newport Coast, Calif., and after three players shot better than par, sit in second place at six-under-par heading into play Monday (today). The Razorbacks (349) are one stroke behind Oregon State. Ethan Tracy continues his hot start to the spring with a four-under 67 to place himself in a tie for third while David Lingmerth and Austin Cook each shot one-under par 70s. Jamie Marshall and Dalton Owens both shot even par. The Battle at the Beach continues with 18 holes Monday and Tuesday.WOMEN’S GOLF: The Razorbacks return to the links this weekend at the Central District Invitational in Parrish, Fla. It is the first of six regular season spring events for Arkansas. Senior Kelli Shean was the team’s leader in the fall, averaging 72.25 strokes per round and winning the first event of her collegiate career.GYMNASTICS (3-3, 2-3): Competing without senior Amy DeFilippo in the lineup, No. 3 Arkansas dropped a 196.725-195.875 decision at No. 9 Georgia. The Razorbacks had a 49.25 on vault and a 49.025 on beam. Both scores are the third-best of the season and the best on the road in three away meets. Casey Jo Magee and Jaime Pisani each had a 9.925 on vault, which ties for the fifth-best mark in school history. They also tied for the individual event title. Magee now has 10 individual wins this year and 50 for her career. Pisani has 10 this year and 23 for her career. Arkansas is home this week against LSU in Barnhill Arena at 7 p.m. on Friday.SOCCER: Head coach Erin Aubry’s club placed 16 student-athletes on the 2009 Fall Southeastern Conference Honor Roll, including two student-athletes with perfect 4.0 grade point averages — sophomore Kailey Anders and senior Kat Moffett. Other members of the team on the honor roll are junior Kelsey Allison, junior Sam Bolton, junior Lauren Hallauer, freshman Anna Heintz, freshman Brittany Hudson, junior Beth McVean, sophomore Erin Moskos, junior Kelly O’Connor, freshman Daniella O’Shea, junior Laurel Pastor, senior Kathleen Paulsen, senior Kim Schleif, senior Sophie Wentz and sophomore Kendal Winston.SOFTBALL (2-3): Arkansas opened the season at the Metrodome Classic this past weekend in Minneapolis. The Razorbacks finished with wins over Iowa and Iowa State. Arkansas hit .242 as a team during the three-day tournament. Jessica Bachkora paced the Razorbacks with a .500 average (8-for-16) and six runs scored. Miranda Dixon led the team with two home runs and six RBI. The Razorback’s staff ERA was 2.08 and the hurlers struck out 23 batters while issuing only seven walks. Arkansas returns to action this weekend at the North Texas/Sleep Inn Classic in Denton, Texas. Arkansas takes on teams from Sam Houston State, Missouri State, Buffalo, Drake and host North Texas.SWIMMING AND DIVING (6-2, 2-1): Arkansas returns to action Wednesday through Saturday when it travels to Athens, Ga., for the SEC Swimming and Diving Championship, hosted by the University of Georgia.MEN’S TENNIS (4-4): The No. 50 Razorbacks dropped a 7-0 decision at No. 44 Oklahoma over the weekend. The tandem of senior Dmitry Lebedev and junior Christopher Nott picked up the lone win of the match on the top doubles court with an 8-7(5) win over David Pultr and Costin Paval of Oklahoma. The duo is 7-1 for the spring season. Arkansas competes next in a doubleheader this weekend against Oregon and Cal Poly in Eugene, Ore. The Hogs face the Ducks at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and return to the courts Saturday against the Mustangs at 2 p.m.WOMEN’S TENNIS (6-1): The No. 17 Razorbacks gained their sixth win Saturday at No. 32 Tulsa, 4-3. Arkansas trailed the Golden Hurricane 3-1, but stormed back to win the final three singles matches. The Hogs were able to win a sensational clincher match at the No. 4 spot after sophomore Stephanie Roy, who was fighting cramps after dropping her first set, defeated Anastasia Erofeeva, 6-4, 6-4, in the final two sets, giving Arkansas the win. The team is back in action on Saturday when it travels to Houston to take on the Rice Owls. First serve for that match is at 11 a.m.MEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD: Seniors Alain Bailey and Dorian Ulrey picked up NCAA automatic-qualifying marks on day one of the Tyson Invitational for No. 8 Arkansas. Ulrey was running for the collegiate record in the mile (3:55), but fell just short (3:57.80) to finish fourth. His time is an NCAA auto time, ranks No. 2 is the NCAA and leads the SEC. Senior Scott MacPherson led a trio of Razorbacks to provisional qualifiers in the 5,000. He was second (13:51.43), freshman Solomon Haile in (13:58.03) and freshman Eric Fernandez sixth (14:08.46). All three were under the NCAA provisional-qualifying time (14:10). In the long jump, Bailey won with an NCAA automatic jump of 26-2.75, which is a personal best, ranks No. 2 in the NCAA and the SEC, and No. 6 in school history. Freshman Cobi Hamilton and MacPherson picked up NCAA provisional qualifiers on day two. Hamilton finished 11th in the 200 in a personal-best and NCAA provisional-qualifying 21.16. His time ranks No. 5 in the SEC and second among freshmen. Junior LaShawn Butler finished 20th in 21.36. MacPherson finished second overall and first among collegians in the 3,000. He clocked an improved NCAA provisional-qualifying and personal-best time of 7:58.18. His time ranks No. 2 in the SEC and No. 8 in the NCAA.WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD: For the second time in as many weeks, No. 11 Arkansas clocked a school record in the 4×400-meter relay, this time Saturday at the Tyson invitational. Junior Edina Brooks, junior Shelise Williams, sophomore Whitney Jones and freshman Regina George combined for a time of 3:32.87. They set a new school record, the NCAA and SEC leading time, and an NCAA automatic-qualifying time. On Friday, Williams set her third school record of the week. She finished second in the 400 meters with a school record of 52.43. Her time is a personal best, ranks No. 2 in the NCAA and leads the SEC. In the 3,000 meters, junior Miranda Walker picked up a fifth-place finish in 9:40.53, a nine-second personal best and ninth-best in the SEC. In the mile, sophomore Kristen Gillespie clocked a personal-best and NCAA provisional-qualifying time of 4:43.91 to finish fifth. In the 400, George finished ninth with a personal-best and improved NCAA provisional-qualifying time of 53.73.VOLLEYBALL: Mackenzie Rhea, Kristin Seaton and Kelli Stipanovich were named to the 2009 Fall Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll. Rhea was one of three University of Arkansas student-athletes to post a 4.0 grade-point average.