Arkansas baseball’s 2022 season was one in all ever-changing expectations. It resulted in Omaha, which did not appear doable in Could. However a postseason surge defied doubts and made the Razorbacks one of many final three groups standing on the Faculty World Sequence.
With the season over due to a shutout loss to eventual nationwide champion Ole Miss, we’re having a look again on the highs — and lows — of Arkansas’ roller-coaster season.
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Michael Turner, C — Turner was one in all Arkansas’ finest hitters all through the season within the cleanup spot. He completed his lone season with the Razorbacks with the perfect single-season batting common (.323) of any catcher in Dave Van Horn’s 20-year tenure.
Turner led the staff with 83 hits and had the bottom strikeout fee of any Razorback with about 19%. He was particularly good within the postseason, with a minimum of one hit in all of Arkansas’ 11 NCAA Event video games for a complete of 21.
Will McEntire, RHP — McEntire went from occasional midweek starter to late-season SEC starter to Faculty World Sequence hero. It was a shocking development for the redshirt sophomore, who had made two appearances earlier than this season.
In his first begin of 2022 in opposition to UAPB, McEntire threw three scoreless innings with two hits, three walks and 5 strikeouts. In his ultimate begin in opposition to Auburn in Omaha, he tossed seven innings with one run, three hits, one stroll and a career-high 9 strikeouts.
Robert Moore, 2B — Moore has been an elite second baseman virtually from the soar. He makes performs that ought to be unattainable look easy, and he is one half of what is possible the perfect center infield in program historical past.
We’ve got to offer shortstop Jalen Battles his flowers, too, as the opposite half of that elite center infield. Battles, like Moore, makes internet gems look routine, and the pair of them contributed to an SEC-leading 60 double performs and second-best .982 fielding share.
Alabama 18, Arkansas 5 — Arkansas’ Could 21 loss to Alabama in Sport 3 of its ultimate regular-season collection was its worst each in margin and in spirit. A 13-run deficit was by far the biggest Arkansas confronted in 2022.
The unhealthy loss to an underwhelming Alabama staff punctuated a 5-6 document within the ultimate month of the common season. Arkansas regarded defeated, and it carried its third straight SEC collection loss into the convention event and went 0-2.
ENDING IN OMAHA: Arkansas baseball’s 2022 Faculty World Sequence run was sudden however distinctive
Arkansas 7, Oklahoma State 3 — Arkansas’ second sport on the Stillwater Regional might need had a bigger margin, however the 7-3 win on June 6 was the most important when it comes to implications. It made the Razorbacks the champions of the highest-scoring regional in NCAA Event historical past and despatched them to tremendous regionals.
Arkansas had suffered a deflating 14-10 loss in additional innings the evening earlier than to power the decisive sport. Low on pitching, Arkansas gave lefty Zack Morris his first profession begin. He threw 3⅓ stable innings, and relievers Kole Ramage, Zebulon Vermillion and Hagen Smith did the remainder.
Smith acquired right into a bases-loaded jam within the eighth however struck out Oklahoma State’s hottest hitter, Roc Riggio, to flee unscathed.
Kendall Diggs’ walk-off house run — Arkansas opened its regular-season collection in opposition to Ole Miss with a loss. However in Sport 2, Van Horn began freshman Kendall Diggs at designated hitter.
Arkansas was attempting to keep away from its second straight SEC collection loss. Ole Miss had tied the sport at 3-3 within the eighth, and Arkansas had two runners on with one out within the backside the ninth.
On a 3-2 depend, Diggs hit his second profession house run in simply his second SEC begin. He gave Arkansas the walk-off 6-3 win, and the Razorbacks went on to win the collection.
It wasn’t Arkansas’ most consequential win, nevertheless it’s arduous to script a greater ending than a walk-off homer by a freshman.
Christina Lengthy covers the Arkansas Razorbacks. You’ll be able to e-mail her at clong@swtimes.com or observe her on Twitter @christinalong00.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Overshadowed by Arkansas’ 52-point offensive performance was the difficulties the Razorbacks had stopping Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier, who scored 29 points on 10-for-20 shooting, including five threes in a 24-point loss against the No. 1 Volunteers.
Now, the Hogs must deal with a quartet of guards against No. 23 Ole Miss. All four can score in the “randomness” of coach Chris Beard’s system. The Rebels’ top four scorers, Sean Pedulla, Jaylen Murray, Matthew Murrell and Dre Davis are all listed as guards and average double figures.
“These guys run motion,” assistant coach Chin Coleman said. “It’s all random and it’s all different and so, while they’re moving and cutting and screening, you’re going to have to guard every kind of screen there is in the game of basketball. That motion is unpredictable. The freedom of movement, cutting, screening. It’s hard to scheme against. It’s hard to scout.”
Arkansas also must contend with an Ole Miss team that wins the turnover battle on both ends of the floor. The Rebels commit the ninth-fewest turnovers in the country (9.3) and are third-best in turnover margin (+7.0).
“We want to stay on the attack and make plays for one another and not have a lot of live-ball turnovers,” Coleman said. “Those are the ones that we can’t defend against. We want to make teams play against our set defense, which is one of the best in the country. If we can do that and not have live ball turnovers, we’ll be fine.”
Tennessee forced the Razorbacks to commit 15 turnovers, picked up 10 steals and turned it into 13 points. Ole Miss ranks fourth in the SEC at 10.2 steals a game.
Tipoff between Ole Miss and Arkansas is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
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The first availability report for Arkansas basketball’s (11-3, 0-1 SEC) matchup against the No. 23 Ole Miss Rebels (12-2, 1-0 SEC) was released by the Southeastern Conference on Tuesday.
Introduced over the offseason, availability reports will be filed one day before contests, with an additional update on game day.
According to the SEC, student-athletes will be designated as “available”, “probable”, “doubtful” or “out” for their next game. For additional clarity on game day, student-athletes will be designated as “available”, “game time decision” or “out.”
Below is the first availability report of the week ahead of Arkansas’ game against Ole Miss, which will tip off at 6 p.m. CT at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville:
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