Razorback Roundup -- Feb. 23

RAZORBACK ROUNDUPFeb. 23, 2009BLACK HISTORY MONTH ON ArkansasRazorbacks.com: In honor of Black History Month, ArkansasRazorbacks.com will feature daily tributes during the month of February on current and former African-American student-athletes who have achieved excellence in the classroom and in athletic competition at the University of Arkansas. A different student-athlete who has graduated from the university is being featured each day with both men’s and women’s representatives from many of the Razorbacks’ 19 sport programs.BASEBALL (3-0) The Razorbacks, ranked 22nd by Baseball America, opened the season with a series sweep of Pac 10 opponent Washington State. Senior Andrew Darr was outstanding both in the field and at the plate as he prevented a go-ahead home run on Friday night with a leap at the wall and won the game in the bottom of the inning with a two-run home run. Darr also connected on a game-winning squeeze play on Sunday afternoon in the bottom of the eighth to give the Razorbacks the sweep. Arkansas’ pitching was led by Justin Wells who picked up a win and a save in two appearances from the bullpen. Wells threw 4.2 innings and allowed just one hit against the Cougars. The Razorbacks are back on the field on Tuesday for a two-game set with Kansas at Baum Stadium before welcoming Western Illinois to Fayetteville, Friday-Sunday.MEN’S BASKETBALL (13-12, 1-11) The “Celebration of a Championship” is set for this week to honor the 1994 national championship team and staff. A banquet is scheduled for Saturday. On Sunday, prior to the 3:05 p.m. game against Georgia, the coaches and players will sign autographs around the concourse of the arena from noon until 2, and then be recognized on the court at halftime. Four Razorbacks (Rotnei Clarke, Stephen Cox, Nick Mason and Michael Sanchez) were named to the fall Razorback Honor Roll. Arkansas led LSU 61-52 with 7:49 remaining, but the Tigers rallied for a 72-69 victory on Wednesday. Saturday at South Carolina, Arkansas led 50-46 with 8:51 to go, but fell 82-78 in overtime. Freshman Jason Henry had game highs of 27 points and 12 rebounds. Before the “Celebration of the Championship” weekend, Arkansas travels to Alabama for a 7 p.m. non-televised game on Wednesday. The Georgia game Sunday is being televised by Raycom Sports.WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (17-11, 6-7) SEC Sixth Player of the Year candidate Charity Ford came off the bench to lead Arkansas with 19 points in a streak-breaking upset at No. 15 Florida and Freshman of the Year candidate Ceira Ricketts came within a field goal of back-to-back double doubles for the week. With a sweep of Florida (83-76) and Alabama (74-69), the Razorbacks won their fifth consecutive game in league play, giving second-year head coach Tom Collen a pair of milestones — his 250th career win and the Arkansas record for SEC regular season winning streak. Arkansas is open on Thursday before closing the regular season at Auburn on Sunday.FOOTBALL Head coach Bobby Petrino made his first Razorback Club speaking stop of the year with a visit to Mountain Home, Ark., last Monday. He spoke to nearly 400 Arkansas fans at the Baxter County Razorback Club. MEN’S GOLF No. 13 Arkansas returned to the course this week for the 33rd Annual John A. Burns Intercollegiate played on the 6,917-yard, par 72 Leilehua Golf Course. Of the field of 17, Arkansas placed fourth with a 15-under score of 849 (280-286-283). Texas A&M won the title, followed by New Mexico and Arizona. Senior Andrew Landry tied for fourth, just three strokes behind the tournament winner, Arizona’s James Erkenbeck. Freshman Ethan Tracy tied for 10th, David Lingmerth tied for No. 33, Allen McFarren tied for No. 53 and Jamie Marshall tied for No. 60. The Razorbacks next play March 6-7 at the Seminole Intercollegiate.WOMEN’S GOLF Arkansas returns to action at the LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic in Baton Rouge, La., March 13-15.GYMNASTICS (6-3, 3-2) Arkansas reached new heights Friday in a near-miss against second-ranked Georgia in Southeastern Conference action in Barnhill Arena. Arkansas scored the program’s second-best team total with a 196.725, falling to the nine-time defending national champions by 0.2. Freshman Jaime Pisani won the all-around title, the second of her career, and four gymnasts tied for the win on the vault, helping Arkansas to a school record with a 49.450. That mark is the highest vault total in the SEC this year. Arkansas travels to No. 6 LSU Friday in the final SEC meet of the season.MEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD No. 2 Arkansas competes next at the 2009 SEC Indoor Championships at Kentucky’s Nutter Fieldhouse in Lexington, Ky. The meet will be contested Fri.-Sun., Feb. 27-March 1.WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD No. 11 Arkansas competes next at the 2009 SEC Indoor Championships at Kentucky’s Nutter Fieldhouse in Lexington, Ky. The meet will be contested Fri.-Sun., Feb. 27-March 1.SOFTBALL (7-7): Arkansas opened play Friday at the FAU/FIU Strikeout Cancer Tournament with a loss to co-host FIU, 10-1. In the day’s finale, the Razorbacks got a solid outing from Kim Jones but couldn’t overcome Florida Atlantic in a 2-1 defeat. On day two, the Razorbacks dropped a pair of 8-0 decisions to No. 16/15 Missouri and Florida Atlantic. In the loss to the Tigers, Jessica Bachkora recorded her eighth stolen base of the season, in eight attempts, and moved into fourth place on the program’s all-time stolen bases list with 39. With play shifted to Miami for the tournament finale, Arkansas beat Fordham in nine innings, 7-3, for head coach Jamie Pinkerton’s 250th career victory. Pinch runner Tori Mort scored the game-winning run in the top of the ninth and Bachkora was 2-for-5 with three RBI in the win. The Hogs return to action this weekend with the home-opening Holiday Inn-NWA Razorback Invitational, Arkansas’ first on its new home field, Bogle Park. The three-day tournament begins Friday and along with the Razorbacks, includes teams from Ball State, Bradley, South Dakota State and Wichita State.SWIMMING AND DIVING (10-1, 3-1) The No. 18 Razorbacks took fifth place, scoring 299 points, at the SEC Swimming and Diving Championship meet last weekend. The team’s fifth place finish is the best SEC finish in program history and two spots up from last season. Junior Yi Ting Siow capped Arkansas’ history-making weekend, capturing the 200 breaststroke title with a Razorback record and NCAA ‘B’ cut time of 2:10.33. During the four day meet, the Razorbacks broke more than 30 personal best times and set nine school records (200- and 500 freestyle, 100- and 200 breast, 200- and 400 individual medley, 200- and 400 medley relay, and 800 freestyle relay). On Saturday, Arkansas is in Athens, Ga., for the NCAA Last Chance Invite.MEN’S TENNIS (6-3): The No. 46 Razorbacks split their Big 12 weekend, defeating No. 57 Oklahoma Friday at Dills Indoor Stadium, 5-2, before falling at No. 8 Texas on Sunday, 5-2. Sophomore Tyler Tarnasky was resilient in two comeback singles wins against the Sooners and Longhorns. Tarnasky lost his first set to OU’s Blake Boswell on Friday before coming back to take the match, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. On Sunday, Tarnasky posted his first career win over a ranked player, coming back against No. 76 Olivier Sajous for his second win of the weekend, 3-6, 6-4 (10-6). The Razorbacks are idle this week before opening SEC dual match play at home against Alabama on March 6 at 1:30 p.m.WOMEN’S TENNIS (4-1): After practicing the last couple of weeks, the 17th-ranked Razorbacks are back in action Wednesday, playing host to SMU at 3 p.m. Senior Aurelija Miseviciute is currently ranked No. 4 in singles while sophomore Anouk Tigu sits at No. 92. In doubles Tigu and Nanar Airapetian are 12th nationally with Miseviciute and Ela Kaluder coming in at No. 56.OLYMPIC SPORTS PRESS CONFERENCETuesday at 1 p.m. in the Barnhill Arena interview room.