Wednesday, February 26, 2014

TAT: State of the Program - Arkansas Football Attendance Reaches 10-Year Low


This article originally appeared in the February 26, 2014 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

**NOTE: This is the sixth and final part of a series on the state of the Arkansas football program. For links to previous parts, refer to the bottom of the article.**
Attendance at Arkansas football games reached a 10-year low in 2013.
An average of 67,724 fans watched each of Arkansas’ five home games in Fayetteville, while an average of only 46,278 watched its two home games in Little Rock.
The Fayetteville attendance drop can be attributed to downfall of the Razorbacks’ performance on the field the last two seasons, but the Little Rock attendance drop is more of an anomaly.
In 2011, the average attendance at Arkansas’ Fayetteville home football games was 72,113, the second-highest single-season average in UA history. That season, the Razorbacks went 11-2, won the Cotton Bowl and reached No. 3 in the BCS rankings.
The next year, average attendance dropped to 70,157 in Fayetteville. That’s a 2.7 percent decrease.
Before the 2012 season, many experts expected Arkansas’ success to continue under John L. Smith and the Razorbacks were No. 10 in the preseason polls.
Arkansas’ preseason recognition and success in the previous year led to an impressive 71,062 fans at the Razorbacks’ season opener against FCS Jacksonville State.
Despite rainy weather and an embarrassing loss to Louisiana-Monroe the week before, 74,617 fans came to Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium and saw No. 1 Alabama crush the home team 52-0. It was the sixth-largest attendance in UA history.
The remaining four games in Fayetteville saw an average of only 68,816 fans in attendance.
While attendance in Fayetteville dropped in 2012, Little Rock attendance actually grew by 0.1 percent. That isn’t much growth, but it is growth nonetheless.
Those numbers changed drastically in 2013, as attendance at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock was the lowest since 1996.
In 1996, an average crowd of 43,078 saw four Arkansas games at War Memorial Stadium. Since then, the Razorbacks averaged more than 50,000 per game each year.
That changed last season, as only 46,278 came to the Razorback games against Samford and Mississippi State in Little Rock. The 2013 attendance was a 14.7 percent decrease from 2012.
Fayetteville attendance dropped again last season, but not as much as the Little Rock attendance. The 67,724 fans that came to the Fayetteville home games was a 3.5 percent decrease from the previous season.
This was also the lowest average attendance in Fayetteville since 2003, when the Razorbacks averaged 66,735 fans per game.
Since the Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium’s capacity was expanded to 72,000 in 2001, Arkansas has averaged 69,426 fans per game and has averaged more than 70,000 per game in a season six times.
When the Razorbacks hit the road last season, their attendance drop did not follow. Of the five road games Arkansas played, only one failed to draw more fans that its opponents average home attendance.
Arkansas’ games against Rutgers, Florida, Alabama and Ole Miss actually drew 3.9 percent more fans than those teams’ other home games.
The only road opponent that saw its attendance drop below its season average when the Razorbacks came to town was LSU. Only 89,656 fans saw the Tigers pull out a comeback win, compared to the average of 91,712 that saw their other six games at Tiger Stadium.
It was also the lowest attended Battle for the Golden Boot in Baton Rouge, La., since 2001, when only 89,560 fans went to the game.


Links to previous parts of the “State of the Program” series…

TAT: By the Numbers (Feb. 26)


These stats were originally compiled for the February 26, 2014 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

.455 - Batting average by freshman Andrew Benintendi against Eastern Illinois. After going 0-for-6 against Appalachian State, the centerfielder went 5-for-11 with three doubles and a home run against the Panthers.
0.98 - Earned run average of Arkansas’ starting pitchers through six games. Juniors Jalen Beeks and Chris Oliver and freshman Alex Phillips have combined to allow only three earned runs in 27.2 innings of work.
3.42 - Earned run average of Arkansas’ bullpen through six games. The Razorbacks’ relievers have combined to allow 10 earned runs in 26.1 innings of work.
3 - Times Arkansas has won this season by a score of 8-3. The Razorbacks won by that score Feb. 16 against Appalachian State and against Eastern Illinois Saturday and Sunday. That means half of Arkansas’ games have ended with an 8-3 score.
1 - Time Arkansas won a game by a score of 8-3 last season. It beat No. 2 LSU by that score April 13.
121 - Runs scored by the Arkansas softball team during its 11-game winning streak. That is an average of 11 runs per game.
15 - Runs given up by the Arkansas softball team during its 11-game winning streak. That is an average of 1.4 runs per game. Seven of the runs came in the Razorbacks’ 14-7 win over Florida Gulf Coast Saturday.
7 - Wins that have ended after five innings during the softball team’s 11-game winning streak. The Razorbacks now have nine run-rule victories in 2014.
13 - Run-rule wins by the Arkansas softball team in 2013. Eight were five-inning games and five were six-inning games.
0 - Hits allowed by freshman Grace Moll against Eastern Michigan Friday. She faced the minimum in five innings of work, as the only base runner she allowed (on a walk) was put out on a double play.
20 - Runs scored by Arkansas against North Dakota Friday. The Razorbacks scored 12 runs in the first inning. The 20 runs broke the UA record for runs in a game by two.
31- Career home runs by junior Devon Wallace. She hit two in the Florida Gulf Coast tournament to move into sole possession of second place in UA history for career home runs.
2 - Road wins by the Arkansas men’s basketball team this season after beating Mississippi State 73-69 Saturday. It is the first time since the 2010-11 season that the Razorbacks have won multiple road games.
40 - Points scored by the Arkansas women’s basketball team in the second half against No. 19 LSU Sunday. After scoring only 17 points in the first half, the Razorbacks scored 40 in the second half en route to a 57-53 upset win. It was the Razorbacks first road win over a ranked opponent since beating No. 9 Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn., in 2012.

Friday, February 21, 2014

TAT: Five Keys vs. Eastern Illinois


This article originally appeared on February 21, 2014 on The Arkansas Traveler website, uatrav.com.

1. Challenge Eastern Illinois’ Pitchers Early
Last weekend, Arkansas did a good job of jumping on Appalachian State’s starting pitcher, particularly in the first game.
Jamie Nunn, the Mountaineers’ ace, lasted only three innings against the Razorbacks and gave up eight earned runs on eight hits and four walks. Head coach Dave Van Horn credits his team’s plate discipline for getting Nunn out of the game so quickly.
“We kind of blew his mind early,” Van Horn said at his Thursday press conference. “He didn’t know what to think of us laying off those borderline pitches and he was pitching behind.”
The Razorbacks must have a similar game against Eastern Illinois, as it has a strong pitching staff, led by Jake Johansmeier and Matt Borens.
Johansmeier, a right-handed sophomore, used a steady dose of breaking balls to defeat No. 15 Louisiana-Lafayette, and its high-powered offense, last weekend, allowing just one earned run in six innings of work.
Borens, a left-handed junior, had the same stat line (six innings, one earned run), but took the loss, as Eastern Illinois lost 1-0. However, he used a fastball that topped out around 93 miles per hour. His 6-foot-7 frame, though, made his pitches seem even faster, Van Horn said.
2. Cut Down on Errors
The closest game of Arkansas’ opening series was Saturday, when it won 7-6.
During that game, the Razorbacks committed four errors in the field, conjuring up memories of last season, when they finished with a Southeastern Conference-worst .964 fielding percentage.
To fix these fielding problems, Van Horn said the team spent all day Wednesday practicing just that.
“We really put a lot of time in on our defense,” Van Horn said.
The Razorbacks also used the 40 mph wind gusts Thursday to practice fly-ball communication on defense.
3. Strong Outing by Alex Phillips
Van Horn said he would not change the Razorbacks’ starting rotation, keeping Jalen Beeks, Chris Oliver and Alex Phillips as the Friday, Saturday and Sunday starters, respectively.
Beeks and Oliver, both juniors, each picked up a win, but Phillips earned a no decision last week.
The freshman lasted three innings, giving up two earned runs. While he allowed only three hits, two of them were home runs.
“We’re going to give Phillips another shot out there,” Van Horn said. “I think he was nervous. He left the ball up and was pitching behind. That’s not him usually.”
Van Horn knows what to expect from Beeks and Oliver, because of their experience, but Phillips must turn in a strong outing in order to keep his starting spot.
4. Benintendi Keep Getting On Base
Freshman Andrew Benintendi has one of the weirdest stat lines you’ll ever see.
After his first collegiate series, the leadoff batter and centerfielder remains hitless, so his batting average is .000. However, he did manage to get on base via four walks and three hit by pitches, giving him a .538 on-base percentage.
Van Horn blames a nagging hand injury for his inability to get a hit. Benintendi had surgery in December to repair a broken bone in his hand. Despite the injury, Van Horn said he is pleased with his performance so far.
“I see his batting practice getting better,” Van Horn said. “He doesn’t care about his batting average. As long as we’re winning and he’s getting on base, he’s going to keep playing.”
Against Eastern Illinois, Benintendi will also benefit from having one fewer set of eyes in the stands. His father came to the Appalachian State series from Cincinnati, Benintendi’s hometown, hoping to see his son’s first collegiate hit.
When he went hitless, Van Horn said his teammates joked with him and that Benintendi said that he never plays well when his dad is at his games.
5. Anderson Continue Solid Play
Offensively, junior Brian Anderson is Arkansas’ best player. Against Appalachian State, he went 7-for-14 with four RBIs.
He struggled in the field, though, committing two errors. He sailed a relay throw into the stands that allowed a run to score and he dropped a potential double-play ball at second base.
Last weekend was his first series as the Razorbacks’ full-time second baseman, after he played multiple positions last year, so Van Horn said he was fine with Anderson’s performance.
“He’s still learning, but he’s pretty good there,” Van Horn said. “He has a lot of range. I’d say he did an adequate job, but he’s a lot better than that.”
Clearly, Anderson’s strength is at the plate. If he continues to hit well and Eastern Illinois starts to pitch around him, the Panthers will run into the same problem as Appalachian State.
“Once they got through (Anderson), (Tyler) Spoon took care of business,” Van Horn said.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

TAT: State of the Program - On-Field Struggles Lead to Early Start Times and Poor TV Ratings for Arkansas


This article originally appeared in the February 19, 2014 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

**NOTE: This is the fifth installment of a six-part series on the state of the Arkansas football program. For a preview of the upcoming parts of the series, refer to the dates below the article**
The Southeastern Conference’s deal with ESPN has not only guaranteed the conference a large sum of money, but maximum television coverage, as well.
However, the Razorbacks have not fully benefitted from the television exposure, as they have been given several early start times because of their struggles on the field.
Over the last two years, eight of Arkansas’ 24 games have been televised at either 11 a.m. or 11:21 a.m. on SEC TV, which was formerly known as the SEC Network. The name of the channel changed this season after ESPN’s announced it would create a separate channel called the SEC Network.
The most any other SEC team has played is four. Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt have each played four such games. LSU is the only team that hasn’t played any.
The early start times, coupled with poor performance on the field, has also resulted in low ratings for the Razorbacks.
Arkansas’ highest-rated conference game last season was the LSU game, which received a 3.1 rating and was No. 15. Every SEC team except Kentucky, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt had a higher-rated game in 2013.
If you average the rankings of all 46 SEC games that received ratings, Arkansas is 11th in the SEC, with an average ranking of 29.8, according to SportsMediaWatch.com.
Texas A&M, the conference leader in that category, had an average ranking of 11.6.
The Razorbacks’ six games that have ratings data on SportsMediaWatch.com averaged a 1.5 rating, which is No. 25 in the country, but only No. 12 in the SEC. Arkansas is ahead of Vanderbilt, which is No. 39 with an average rating of 1.1, and Kentucky, which is No. 49 with an average rating of 0.8.
During those six games, just under 2.5 million fans were estimated to watch each game, compared to the nearly 6.5 million and 5.3 million that watched Alabama’s and Texas A&M’s games, respectively.
While Arkansas’ television viewing numbers are down, the conference is going through a TV boom. The SEC averaged 3.8 million viewers per game for 120 rated games.
That is 30.3 percent more viewers per game than the No. 2 conference, the Big Ten, which averaged 2.9 million viewers per game for 82 rated games.
The SEC Network deal is great for Arkansas’ program, but in order to take full advantage of it, the Razorbacks must start playing in the later games with a larger television audience, and the only way to do that is by winning.


Future “State of the Program” dates and links to previous parts…
Part VI – Attendance (Feb. 26)

TAT: An Open Letter to Jeff Long


This column originally appeared in the February 19, 2014 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

I went to my first Razorback sporting event when I was five months old. It was a football game against Alabama in 1994.
Of course, I remember nothing about it. My parents tell me that I slept through the entire game, but that doesn’t matter. I was there.
That game started what became a love affair between me and the Razorbacks.
However, I almost wasn’t able to go. My parents bought tickets several months in advance, anticipating Arkansas’ Fayetteville home opener would be my first game.
They didn’t buy me a ticket, though. They thought, understandably so, that because I was a baby and wouldn’t be taking up a seat, I didn’t need a ticket.
After finding out a couple weeks prior to the game that they needed a ticket for me, they started searching for an extra one, but the game was sold out. Finally, they resorted to desperate measures.
My mom and grandmother got together and wrote a letter to then head coach Danny Ford, explaining the situation, as well as a letter “written by me,” in which I said I would give up my pacifier for a ticket.
They hand delivered the letters to Ford, who read them and sent them to former head coach and then athletic director Frank Broyles. Broyles was moved by the letters, got me a ticket and the rest is history.
Why should you care about this story? Because people still run into this problem, nearly 20 years later.
As I was entering Bud Walton Arena before the the LSU game Saturday, I overheard a man begging a lady in the ticket office for a ticket for his son. I don’t know how old the child was, but he was clearly young enough to where his father would be holding him throughout the entire game.
The ticket office lady could not sell him a ticket because the game was sold out.
This saddens me because this is a problem that could easily be fixed. There needs to be a special “young child ticket.” The ticket could cost the same as a ticket for a normal person, but it would not be assigned to a specific seat like a regular ticket. It would essentially be a general admission ticket that could only be used by children of a certain age.
Having a ticket like this would benefit the program in many ways.
If a family orders tickets ahead of time and purchases one of these special tickets, that will leave more regular tickets available for other fans and would not result in an empty seat.
If a family is unaware their child needs a ticket even if they won’t be taking up a seat and they arrive at the event with too few tickets, this special ticket would always be available for purchase, even during sellouts, because an actual seat is not required.
Finally, it would keep the fan base healthy.
I am unsure if the father was able to find a ticket for his son, but I hope he did. The son will not remember the game when he’s older, but I guarantee his father would tell him the story about being at the game at which Bill Clinton, Nolan Richardson, Eddie Sutton and players from Arkansas’ Final Four teams were honored.
These types of experiences set the tone for young fans. Without my personal experience, I may not be a student at Arkansas and may not be as big of a sports fan as I am today.
So, Jeff Long, the ball is in your court. I am not asking you to quit playing football games in Little Rock or to fire a coach. All I am asking for is a simple policy change.
Broyles endeared himself to me and my family. Now you have a chance to impact the future generation of Razorback fans.

TAT: Hogs Crush Northwestern State


This article originally appeared on February 20, 2014 on The Arkansas Traveler website, uatrav.com.

The rout was on from the start.
Arkansas’ softball team used a stiff wind blowing out to left field to power a six-run first inning on its way to a 9-1 five-inning mercy rule win over Northwestern State at Bogle Park Wednesday night.
Junior Devon Wallace led off the home half of the first with a triple off the left field wall. It was the first three-bagger of her career at Arkansas.
Northwestern State retired the next two batters, but one was a sacrifice fly by freshman Parker Pocklington to put the Razorbacks on the board.
After that, the next seven batters reached base via three singles, two doubles and a pair of walks. Five eventually scored, as the Razorbacks took a commanding 6-0 lead.
One of the doubles was hit by junior Kasey Fagan, who finished the game 2-for-2 with two doubles, an RBI, a walk and two runs scored. The performance raised her batting average to .464 and slugging percentage to an impressive 1.071 on the season.
“(Fagan) has unbelievable discipline at the plate,” head coach Mike Larabee said. “If they don’t pitch to her, she’s going to take the walk instead of expanding the strike zone. She’s just crushing the ball right now.”
The Razorbacks added a couple runs in the fourth on Fagan’s second double and a sacrifice fly by senior Jayme Gee. Junior Sierra Bronkey’s RBI-single in the bottom of the fifth gave Arkansas the eight-run margin necessary for a mercy rule.
It was the sixth mercy-rule victory of the season for the Razorbacks.
In the pitcher’s circle, freshman Grace Moll was solid, only wavering in the second inning, when she gave up three hits and walked two. Only one run scored.
“(Moll) got the ball up a little bit, which is a little uncharacteristic of her,” Larabee said. “It definitely wasn’t her A-game, but it shows you how dominant she can be, that she kept her composure and got out of the jam.”
In the other four innings, Moll allowed a walk, but that was the only other base runner. She gave up three hits and three walks, while striking out five in five innings of work, improving to 3-1 on the year. The one earned run dropped her season ERA to 1.88.
Arkansas returns to action Friday at the FGCU Tournament in Fort Myers, Fla. The Razorbacks first game of the tournament is against Eastern Michigan. First pitch is set for 10:15 a.m.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

TAT: By the Numbers (Feb. 19)


These stats were originally compiled for the February 19, 2014 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

58.8 - Three-point field goal percentage by the Arkansas men’s basketball team against LSU Saturday. The Razorbacks made 10-of-17 shots behind the arc.
7 - Times Arkansas has made at least 10 three-pointers in a game this season. The Razorbacks also did it against SMU, Clemson, UT Martin, No. 10 Florida, Missouri and Vanderbilt.
10 - Different starting lineups used by head coach Mike Anderson this season. The 10th different lineup was used against Missouri, when freshman Bobby Portis, junior Rashad Madden and seniors Coty Clarke, Fred Gulley III and Kikko Haydar started Thursday.
31 - Points scored by players off the bench against Missouri Thursday, compared to the Tigers’ 11 points off the bench. Arkansas is averaging 32.6 points per game off the bench, while its opponents are averaging only 19.2 points.
19 - Players who were hit by a pitch in the Appalachian State-Arkansas baseball three-game series this weekend. Appalachian State players were hit seven times, while Arkansas players were hit 12 times.
107 - UA record for most hit by pitches in a single season. The record was set in 2007 and happened in 64 games. That’s an average of 1.7 hit by pitches per game.
220 - Hit by pitches the Razorbacks are on pace to have during the regular season if they continue their current pace of four per game. The NCAA record is 125, set by Nevada in 1997.
7 - Times freshman Andrew Benintendi has reached base this season. Four times he has come around to score after reaching base.
0 - Hits by Benintendi. He has reached base on four walks and three hit by pitches. Benintendi’s batting average is .000, but he has an on-base percentage of .538.
.500 - Junior Brian Anderson’s batting average through three games this season. That is the best average on the team among players with multiple at bats. He is 7-for-14, with two doubles and four RBI.
.300, 1 - Arkansas’ team batting average and total home runs in the first series of last season, against Western Illinois. The Razorbacks were 30-for-100 and Eric Fisher hit the only home run.
.462, 3 - Arkansas’ team batting average and total home runs in the first series of this season, against Appalachian State. The Razorbacks were 27-for-91 and Fisher, Krisjon Wilkerson and Tyler Spoon each hit a home run.
15 - RBI by junior Kasey Fagan so far this season, leading the Arkansas softball team. The transfer from Florida also has a .423 batting average and three home runs.
14 - Walks by junior Devon Wallace so far this season, leading the Arkansas softball team. She collected 79 walks last season, breaking the Southeastern Conference single-season record. Her average of 1.4 walks per game this season matches her average from last season.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

TAT: Hogs Overcome Errors to Improve to 2-0


This article originally appeared on February 15, 2014 on The Arkansas Traveler website, uatrav.com.

The Razorbacks continued their hot offensive start Saturday at Baum Stadium, but fielding errors kept Appalachian State in the game.
Arkansas beat the Mountaineers 7-6, despite committing four errors and its pitchers hitting three batters.
“A couple of (the errors) are ones that shouldn’t happen,” head coach Dave Van Horn said. “We’re going to hit people. It’s early and we’re trying to pitch inside. Hopefully we can smooth some of that stuff out.”
A day after the Razorbacks scored 12 runs on 13 hits, four different players collected multiple hits Saturday. Junior Brian Anderson went 3-for-5 and scored two runs, while sophomore Tyler Spoon and juniors Eric Fisher and Krisjon Wilkerson each had two hits.
On the mound, junior Chris Oliver pitched five innings of one-hit ball and struck out five batters. He allowed only one earned run.
Sophomore Landon Simpson struggled in relief of Oliver, giving up five hits and three earned runs in 1.2 innings of work, but junior Michael Gunn stopped the bleeding.
After allowing an RBI-triple on his second pitch of the game, Gunn settled in and retired seven of the next eight batters he faced. The batter he failed to retire was hit by a pitch that barely grazed the Appalachian State player.
“I hung a curveball, but after that I just tried to concentrate on the next pitch and after that, the next pitch,” Gunn said.
Gunn gave up no earned runs and struck out two batters in 2.1 innings.
Arkansas jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning with a solo home run by Fisher and a fielder’s choice that pushed Wilkerson across the plate.
Appalachian State responded the next inning by capitalizing on three errors by the Razorbacks’ defense, tying the game at 2-2.
Junior Joe Serrano executed a hit-and-run that allowed freshman Andrew Benintendi to score and Spoon followed with a three-run home run that gave Arkansas a 6-2 lead in the fourth.
Fisher’s RBI-single in the sixth provided all the scoring the Razorbacks would need, as the Mountaineers could manage only three more runs the rest of the game.
It was Arkansas’ first one-run win since May 22 against Ole Miss last season in the Southeastern Conference Tournament. The Razorbacks were 9-4 in one-run games last season.
“Early in the year like this, it’s good to get the young guys to see and feel what a close game comes down to,” Oliver said.
Arkansas will have a chance to sweep the series Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.