TAT: Hogs Sweep Doubleheader

This article originally appeared on February 14, 2014 on The Arkansas Traveler website, uatrav.com.

Arkansas used a pair of dominating pitching performances to beat Jackson State and Butler Thursday at Bogle Park.

In the first game of the doubleheader, freshman Grace Moll allowed only one hit in five innings of work, as the Razorbacks run-ruled Jackson State 8-0. She also struck out eight and gave up three walks.

“I thought she had really good command,” head coach Mike Larabee said. “She threw some really nice changeups and kept them off balance.”

Arkansas failed to score in the first two innings despite leadoff doubles by junior Devon Wallace and sophomore Stephanie Canfield, but Wallace opened up the scoring with a solo home run in the third.

“It was nice to see her get that home run,” Larabee said. “That kind of opened things up.”

Freshman Parker Pocklington capped the Razorbacks’ third inning scoring with a bases-clearing three-RBI double. Arkansas added another two runs in the fourth because of a pair of errors by Jackson State, then senior Jayme Gee ended the game in the fifth with a walkoff two-run home run.

The night cap featured a nearly-unhittable Kimmy Beasley. The junior did not allow a hit until the sixth inning, when Butler’s Cassie Rupel reached on an infield hit, and finished with 10 strikeouts, leading the Razorbacks to an 8-1 victory over the Bulldogs.

Beasley retired 15 of the first 16 batters she faced, but Rupel’s hit and a double by Chelsea Norwood gave the Bulldogs their first run of the night. A wild pitch and a walk gave Butler runners on first and third, but Beasley settled down and struck out the next batter to end the threat.

“Kimmy threw great tonight,” Larabee said. “She’s had her mettle tested before, so it didn’t really affect her. She ended up persevering.”

Offensively, Pocklington continued her hot streak with two home runs. She finished the day 4-for-7 with five RBIs and four runs scored.

“(Pocklington) is mature beyond her years,” Larabee said. “She’s got a good plan at the plate and a great swing.”

Senior Amanda Geile came off the bench in the sixth inning and crushed a pinch-hit home run over the center field wall. The Razorbacks also got a big game from junior Kasey Fagan, who went 4-for-4, including a triple, with one RBI and two runs scored.

The victories improved the Razorbacks’ season record to 4-3. Arkansas returns to action Friday at 4 p.m. against St. John’s.

TAT: State of the Program - Recruiting Remains Consistent Despite Staff Change

This article originally appeared in the February 12, 2014 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

**NOTE: This is the fourth 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.**

Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema assembled a staff of great recruiters when he was hired a little over a year ago, as discussed in part three of the State of the Program series.

However, that has failed to translate to top 25 recruiting classes so far. Bielema’s first recruiting class at Arkansas was No. 27, while his most recent one was No. 29, according to Rivals.com.

This should not be discouraging to Arkansas fans, though, as the Razorbacks haven’t had a highly touted class in several years. Since Rivals started ranking the classes in 2002, Arkansas’ average ranking has been 29.1.

Also, Arkansas’ highest ranking ever was 16th in 2009, but that was an outlier, as its next highest ranking was 24th in 2005 and 2011. In fact, eight of the Razorbacks’ 13 classes since 2002 were ranked in the 24-29 range.

The biggest problem in recent years has been retention.

Of the 25 players signed in the class of 2010, which would have been seniors (or juniors if they redshirted), only 11 were still with the team last season. That’s only 44 percent.

That year, three four-star recruits signed with the Razorbacks. Only Byran Jones finished his career at Arkansas. Calvin Barnett ended up as a two-time All-Big XII defensive lineman and Cam Feldt transferred to North Texas.

In Bielema’s first recruiting class, he signed four four-star recruits. Of the four, three of them contributed significantly as freshmen in 2013.

The star of the signing class was Alex Collins, the No. 13 running back in the country, according to Rivals.com. He had an immediate impact, rushing for 1,026 yards and four touchdowns.

Bielema was also able to keep the No. 2 player in Arkansas, and No. 4 overall tight end in the country, Hunter Henry, in the state. Like Collins, Henry was also a major factor in his first season in the Razorbacks’ offense. He was the team’s second-leading receiver with 28 receptions for 409 yards.

The other four-star recruit that contributed was Denver Kirkland, the No. 13 offensive tackle in the country, who started Arkansas’ final eight games and was named to the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman Team.

This year’s class was highlighted by three four-star players, including the No. 2 player from Arkansas, Bijhon Jackson, who is also the No. 8 defensive tackle in the country.

Quarterback Rafe Peavey is probably the most talked about player of the class, as he could potentially come in and battle Brandon and Austin Allen for the starting or backup job. He is rated as the No. 8 dual-threat quarterback in the country.

Finally, Bielema and his staff was able to land Brian Wallace, the No. 1 player from Missouri and No. 9 offensive tackle in the country.

As long as Bielema can continue to land a few big-name recruits every year, he should win more games. As he wins more games, he’ll sign even more big-name recruits, which will lead to more wins, and it will snowball into a successful team.

Likewise, if Bielema can’t improve his recruiting every year, he won’t win more games.

Recruiting is how programs are built, but it takes time.

Future “State of the Program” dates and links to previous parts…

Part I – Offense

Part II – Defense

Part III – Coaches

Part V – Television (Feb. 19)

Part VI – Attendance (Feb. 26)

TAT: Baseball Runs in the Family

This article originally appeared in the February 12, 2014 special baseball issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

If you look at this year’s roster for the Arkansas baseball team, you’ll recognize several names from last season, such as Anderson and Spoon. You may also see some names from the Razorbacks’ 2012 College World Series team: Baxendale and Sanburn.

You aren’t crazy. D.J. and Nolan aren’t back with the Razorbacks after being drafted into Major League Baseball. Instead, it’s their younger brothers, Blake and Parker.

Blake Baxendale was on the team last year, but redshirted after having Tommy John surgery before the season, while Parker Sanburn is a true freshman.

Not only did they both follow in their older brothers’ footsteps to become Razorbacks, they also had similar relationships.

Growing up in Kokomo, Ind., Nolan and Parker would practice together and throw each other batting practice. While both of them were, or are, pitchers at Arkansas, they also played in the field and batted in high school.

During these batting practice sessions, they would practice getting hit by a pitch, as well as actual hitting. Parker said that both of them were afraid of the ball in high school, but after beaming each other for a while, they weren’t any more.

However, their mother didn’t see it as beneficial as they did.

“We’d show up with welts on our back and mom would say, ‘What did you do to him?’” Nolan said. “She wasn’t too thrilled about that.”

Eventually, Nolan developed into a college prospect and was initially going to play at Auburn, but a visit to Fayetteville changed his mind and he became a Razorback. At Arkansas, he posted a 2.96 ERA in two seasons, before being drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the second round of the 2012 MLB Draft.

A year later, Parker faced the same decision, as he also became a college prospect, but he said it was an easy decision.

“I looked at other schools,” Parker said, “but after playing with Nolan in high school, and then seeing him come here, get five times better and become a better man, that made me think I could do the same thing.”

D.J. and Blake played different positions, so they were a little more competitive. While Blake pitched some in high school, he gravitated to catcher and being a power hitter.

When they were both in high school, Blake would catch for D.J., but their most memorable moments were when Blake stepped into the box to face D.J. at the plate. D.J. said he remembers the battles being pretty even, but Blake remembers something else.

“I think I went 2-for-3 off of him,” Blake said. “I’m never letting him live that down.”

Coming out of Sylvan Hills High, D.J. originally committed to Missouri State, but a late offer from Arkansas, his dream school, made him flip his commitment to the Razorbacks. In three seasons at Arkansas, he compiled an 18-9 record and 2.71 ERA. The Minnesota Twins drafted him in the 10th round of the 2012 MLB Draft.

Like Parker, Blake wanted to follow his brother.

“Blake was always a lot better than I was,” D.J. said. “Once I came, Arkansas was always his choice.”

Parker and Blake will have their first chance to leave their own mark in Fayetteville this season.

Blake could see some action at the beginning of the season, as senior Jake Wise fully recovers from his own Tommy John surgery. He will also likely get playing time as the backup catcher, to give Wise a day off from time to time.

After losing all three of its weekend starters, Arkansas will be looking for new arms on the mound, so Parker will have an opportunity to pitch early in the season.

TAT: Razorbacks Seek Fielding Improvement this Season

This article originally appeared in the February 12, 2014 special baseball issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

Fielding errors plagued the Arkansas baseball team last season. The Razorbacks’ .964 fielding percentage in 2013 was 172nd in the NCAA and last in the Southeastern Conference.

In SEC play, Arkansas committed at least one error in all but six of its 29 conference games.

The Razorbacks started conference play by committing an error in each of their first 18 games. During that stretch, they committed 38 errors and had a fielding percentage of .949.

However, their fielding improved in their final 11 conference games, as they committed only eight errors and had a fielding percentage of .981.

This season, Arkansas’ infield will be made up of four players who got significant playing time last year. Juniors Eric Fisher, Brian Anderson and Brett McAfee have solidified starting positions at first base, second base and shortstop.

This consistency in the infield, compared to last season, when head coach Dave Van Horn used seven different infield combinations during SEC play, will improve the team’s fielding, Anderson said.

“When you’re in and out of the lineup, it’s hard to play and let it go,” Anderson said. “Just having the confidence that you’re going to be in the lineup (will help).

“People know what to expect and where they’re going to play. That gives us a better sense of consistency.”

Van Horn said that junior college transfers Michael Bernal and Bobby Wernes would compete for the starting role at third base.

Sophomore outfielder Tyler Spoon said that he can tell this team’s infielders are working a lot more than last year’s team, which has led to improved fielding. The Razorbacks are on the field every day taking ground balls and working on throws.

Also, last season Anderson played shortstop, third base and outfield, meaning there were several different combinations of shortstops and second basemen. Shuffling players in and out like this doesn’t allow them to develop timing in the middle infield.

“The middle infielders have been working a lot more together,” McAfee said.

Anderson said that his move to second came after a practice this fall, when Van Horn watched him field ground balls there and liked what he saw.

“It was an open spot in the infield,” Anderson said. “I think it was a point of need.”

Arkansas’ fielding woes last year can also be contributed to mental mistakes, McAfee said. Once a player made a mistake, it stuck with him and sometimes spread to the entire team.

“We had a very talented team last year,” McAfee said. “The errors that happened shouldn’t have happened.”

The Razorbacks should be better defensively in the outfield, too. Spoon is the only returning starter, but a pair of newcomers have impressed him. Freshman Andrew Benintendi has already been named the starting centerfielder, while the other outfield spot is still an open competition.

One player vying for the spot is redshirt freshman Garrett Rucker.

“He’s an unbelievable defender,” Spoon said. “It’s going to be good to have him in the outfield.”

TAT: Underclassmen Make Up 2/3 of the Roster

This article originally appeared in the February 12, 2014 special baseball issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

Youth is a major storyline heading into Arkansas’ baseball season this year, as the Razorbacks lost 13 players to graduation or the draft.

The 2014 roster consists of 17 true freshmen and 26 total underclassmen, both of which lead the Southeastern Conference.

Arkansas’ youth is most evident on the mound, where head coach Dave Van Horn must replace all three of his weekend starters from last year. Ryne Stanek, Barrett Astin and Randall Fant started nearly three-fourths of the Razorbacks’ games in 2013.

“I don’t feel good about (the pitching situation) right now,” Van Horn said after the team’s first practice Jan. 24. “We’ve got a long way to go on the mound, big time. It’s a little spooky.”

Van Horn said that sophomores Trey Killian and Colin Poche would be the most obvious replacements, as they tied for fourth on the team with five starts each last season. Juniors Chris Oliver and Jalen Beeks will also get looked at as potential starters.

Beyond those four, Van Horn said they’ll look at some freshmen, but want to be careful with them.

“We’ve got a couple of freshmen with good arms, but they just don’t have the experience that you’d like,” Van Horn said. “We’ve got to try to, hopefully, bring those along a little slower.”

The Razorbacks are also returning only 56.1 percent of their position starts from 2013.

However, of the eight position players who started at least 45 games last season, five of them returned, including Arkansas’ lone senior, catcher Jake Wise.

Many experts expected Wise to be drafted last year, but an injury suffered late in the season that required Tommy John surgery scared teams away. Instead, he is back in Fayetteville and was voted one of the team captains by his teammates.

“His attitude’s been good, and probably the most verbal he’s ever been, because he’s normally a quiet kid,” Van Horn said. “He’s taken a leadership role on this team.”

If Wise is not fully healthy by the season opener Feb. 14, Van Horn said they are trying to get redshirt freshman Blake Baxendale ready to play.

Like Wise, Baxendale is coming off of Tommy John surgery. If neither Wise nor Baxendale can play full time, Van Horn said freshmen Alex Gosser and Carson Shaddy or junior college transfer Krisjon Wilkerson could see some action.

The infield will be mostly recognizable, as juniors Eric Fisher, Brian Anderson and Brett McAfee will be back at first base, second base and shortstop, respectively. Third base will have a new face, though. Van Horn said junior college transfers Bobby Wernes and Michael Bernal are competing for the starting spot in the hot corner.

The most notable freshman on the team is Andrew Benintendi. Sophomore Tyler Spoon said that he is a “phenomenal hitter,” and will definitely contribute this season. In fact, Van Horn has already named him the starting centerfielder and leadoff batter.

Benintendi was projected to be a high draft choice last season out of high school, but word spread that he would be asking for a large signing bonus, so teams backed off. The Cincinnati Reds ended up selecting him in the 31st round of the 2013 MLB draft, but Benintendi decided to come to Arkansas instead.

In an interview with Hawgs Illustrated, Benintendi’s high school coach, Jack Kuzniczci, said that he was only the third 16-year-old to start on the Midland Redskins’ 18-under team, a prestigious competitive league team. The other two were Hall of Famer Barry Larkin and future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey, Jr.

Along with Benintendi and himself, Spoon said redshirt freshman Garrett Rucker could compete for playing time in the outfield.

“He just made a huge explosion this year offensively,” Spoon said. “He’s an unbelievable defender. It’s going to be good to have him in the outfield.”

The first chance to see these freshmen in action is 3:05 p.m. Friday when the Razorbacks play Appalachian State in their season opener. Arkansas also plays at 12:05 p.m. Saturday and 1:05 p.m. Sunday.

TAT: By the Numbers (Feb. 12)

These stats were originally compiled for the February 12, 2014 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

3 - True road wins by the Arkansas men’s basketball team since Mike Anderson became the head coach. The Razorbacks beat Auburn in each of the last two seasons and beat Vanderbilt Saturday.

38 - True road games played by Arkansas since it won two consecutive road wins. The last time it happened was when the Razorbacks beat No. 18 Ole Miss and Georgia back-to-back in the 2009-10 season. Arkansas will have a chance to snap that streak Thursday at Missouri.

2.6 - Seconds remaining when sophomore Michael Qualls made his game-winning three-pointer against Vanderbilt. It was his second game-winning shot of the season, after his dunk with 0.2 seconds remaining beat No. 13 Kentucky.

3 - Times the lead changed in the final 27 seconds of the Arkansas-Vanderbilt game Saturday. Senior Coty Clarke made a free throw with 27 seconds left to give Arkansas the lead, then Vanderbilt took the lead on a pair of free throws before Qualls’ three that gave the Razorbacks the lead for good.

11 - Points scored by senior Mardracus Wade against Vanderbilt, tying a season-high he set in the season opener against SIU-Edwardsville. He also played 27 minutes, which also tied a season-high.

80 - Percent of free throws made by Arkansas against Alabama Feb. 5. It was the second-consecutive game the Razorbacks made at least 80 percent of their free throws, after making 92.6 percent against LSU.

18 - Margin of defeat by the Arkansas women’s basketball team against No. 6 South Carolina Sunday. It was the largest loss of the season by the Razorbacks, who had an average margin of defeat of 6.4 points per game in their seven previous losses.

44 - Combined turnovers forced by Arkansas against Florida and No. 6 South Carolina. The Razorbacks have a turnover margin of plus-23 in those two games.

6.6 - Average turnover margin by the Razorbacks. Before the game against South Carolina, Arkansas had a plus-6.5 turnover margin, which ranked 10th in the NCAA and second in the Southeastern Conference.

15 - Points scored by freshman Kelsey Brooks against Florida Thursday. That is a career-high in an SEC game. She also totaled seven steals against the Gators.

6 - RBI by junior Kelsey Fagan in her debut for the Arkansas softball team Friday. The transfer from Florida recorded one RBI against UC Davis, then collected five against UNLV in the second game of the doubleheader.

6 - Home runs hit by the Razorbacks in their season-opening tournament in Las Vegas. Fagan hit a pair, while seniors Amanda Geile and Clarisa Navarro, sophomore Claire Clark and freshman Parker Pocklington each had one.

TAT: Hogs in the Pros (Feb. 12)

These stats were originally compiled for the February 12, 2014 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

NBA

2/4-2/10

Patrick Beverley, Houston Rockets

• 3 games, 3 starts
• Averages: 30 min., 12.3 pts., 2.7 reb., 3.3 ast., 1 blk., 1.7 stl.

Joe Johnson, Brooklyn Nets

• 3 games, 3 starts
• Averages: 24.3 min., 10.7 pts., 2.7 reb., 1.3 ast.

NBA D-League

2/4-2/10

B.J. Young, Rio Grande Valley Vipers

• 2 games, 0 starts
• Averages: 9 min., 3 pts., 1 ast.

Overseas Basketball

Rotnei Clarke, Wollongong Hawks (Australia)

• Last Game: 34 min., 18 pts., 4 reb., 5 ast., 1 stl.

Gary Ervin, Adelaide 36ers (Australia)

• Last Game: 25 min., 6 pts., 1 reb., 1 ast.