The Best 1-2 Punch on Campus + More from Arkansas’ Game 1 win over Tennessee

FAYETTEVILLE — On a campus that options arguably the highest returning quarterback-running again tandem within the nation and a pair of projected lottery picks, the very best 1-2 punch would possibly belong to the Arkansas baseball crew.

Left-handers Hunter Hollan and Hagen Smith as soon as once more carried the Razorbacks to an enormous series-opening win Friday evening by combining for all 9 innings of their 5-2 victory over Tennessee at Baum-Walker Stadium.

Solely one of many Volunteers’ two runs was earned, and that got here on a leadoff residence run to begin the sport. From that time on, they went simply 5 for 32 (.156) with 13 strikeouts in opposition to the Arkansas duo, which has additionally completed one thing comparable in Sport 1 wins over Auburn and LSU.

“(When) you’ve obtained these two guys to only dominate, we are able to win any sport on a Friday evening with these guys,” teammate Jace Bohrofen mentioned. “I imply, good luck.”

It regarded just like the Razorbacks might need to deviate from their plan early on. Jared Dickey made strong contact on Hollan’s fourth pitch and it simply snuck over the wall in proper area. Then two of the following three Volunteers singled, with a uncommon outfield error placing runners on the corners.

Simply earlier than placing out Hunter Ensley to finish the inning and restrict the injury to just one run, Hollan was referred to as for a balk that made it 2-0.

“I believe he simply will get into the circulation of the sport a bit of bit,” Arkansas baseball coach Dave Van Horn mentioned. “Typically it simply takes pitchers some time to get warmed up, lathered up, no matter you wish to name it. He did.”

Van Horn mentioned they have been hoping Hollan may pitch six innings, however that regarded unlikely when he was sitting at 47 pitches by two. As an alternative, he discovered his rhythm and ended up needing solely 54 pitches to get by the following 4 innings.

“Hunter didn’t have his command (early), however man, did he settle in,” Van Horn mentioned. “He ended up throwing 100-plus, 100 pitches, proper in there, however his finest innings have been actually the fourth, fifth and sixth for my part.”

In six innings, Hollan was charged with two runs — just one earned — on 5 hits and one stroll. He struck out six and completed with 101 pitches, the final of which was lined to proper by Maui Ahuna to strand a runner on second.

He put one runner on in 4 of his remaining 5 innings, however Tennessee went 0 for 7 with runners on base.

“He’s obtained some deception and you may inform he likes to compete in his personal distinctive manner,” Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello mentioned. “I say it jokingly, however all lefties are a bit of bit goofy. He did a pleasant job of blending speeds as he all the time does. I believed our guys nonetheless had aggressive at bats, put up some runs, however when you could have an open door in opposition to a man like that, you had higher cost by it and we sort of went midway by it.”

The one good inning Hollan threw was the highest of the fourth, instantly following Arkansas scoring three runs to take a 3-2 lead.

“I knew as soon as (Tavian) hit the house run, it was like, ‘Okay, I’m getting forward and I’m going to assault proper right here,’” Hollan mentioned. “As a result of 1-2-3, that modified the sport. As soon as I went 1-2-3, the sport was over. I simply needed to go two extra innings and I do know Hagen’s coming into the sport, and he’s not going to get hit. That was actually the momentum shift within the sport, was getting the 1-2-3.”

The Razorbacks have been ready to go to right-hander Dylan Carter if wanted, however their plan all alongside was to go straight from Hollan to Smith, simply as they’ve earlier than.

Smith began Sport 2 in opposition to Ole Miss final weekend, however has in any other case come out of the bullpen because the begin of SEC play. With the remainder of the rotation up within the air, it might have been good to have Smith accessible one of many subsequent two video games, however Van Horn’s mantra of “one sport at a time” is what led to him utilizing each of his prime two arms in Sport 1.

“If we now have the lead and an opportunity to win the sport, we’re going to go for it,” Van Horn mentioned. “If we had an enormous lead or one thing we’d not use Hagen, however that sport was by no means in hand. There’s an excessive amount of offense and firepower over there. Successful by pitch and an error and residential run and the sport’s tied, so that you’ve simply go to go for it.”

As soon as within the sport, Smith was “lights out,” Van Horn mentioned. He confronted one over the minimal whereas incomes his second save of the season.

Seven of the 9 outs Smith recorded got here through a strikeout and he didn’t enable a base runner till there have been two outs within the prime of the ninth inning. It was an unlimited enchancment from his final outing, when he gave up 4 earned runs in 5 innings.

“Me and Coach (Matt) Hobbs tweaked one thing early into my bullpen simply with my foot on the mound,” Smith mentioned. “I obtained again into rhythm with my windup and I believe that helped me throw strikes and have all my pitches working.”

The silver lining for Tennessee, although, is that it made Smith work a bit of bit. He wanted 55 pitches to get by the ultimate three innings and Van Horn mentioned he doubted he’d ask him to throw a second time this weekend.

“He’s leaping at you off the rubber and the ball is leaping at you, too,” Vitello mentioned about Smith. “I’ve watched video of him earlier than and he completely buries some guys. I don’t know that he essentially did that to us. Our guys competed. They only had nothing to indicate for it.

“He is without doubt one of the finest arms within the league and realizing him and realizing Coach Van Horn, they’re anxious to get the ball in his arms.”

Within the three video games Hollan and Smith pitched each inning, they’ve allowed solely six earned runs in 28 innings, which equates to a 1.93 ERA.

Making Tennessee Pay

Simply as they have been within the midweek video games in opposition to Little Rock, defensive miscues performed a key issue Friday evening.

The Razorbacks made an error of their very own, however three pricey errors by Tennessee proved to be greater than it may overcome within the sequence opener.

Making a shock begin, right-hander Andrew Lindsey regarded actually good by the primary two innings of the sport. He labored round a bunt single to begin the second and already had 4 strikeouts by the point the third inning rolled round.

“I believed we did an incredible job of preventing,” Van Horn mentioned. “The primary two innings, it regarded like Lindsey was going to throw about 70 pitches and get a bunch of outs. … As a coach, you’re simply hoping that we are able to put on him down a bit of bit as a result of he was throwing the ball on the sides and recognizing it up mid-90s, throwing an excellent cutter and breaking ball.”

Certain sufficient, that’s what occurred. Parker Rowland fell behind 0-2 earlier than finally poking a single the opposite manner for an opposite-field single to begin the third. John Bolton ought to have grounded right into a double play to erase the bottom runner, however Tennessee botched the chance.

Second baseman Christian Moore fielded the chopper up the center, however his toss again to shortstop Maui Ahuna overlaying the bag ended up close to the outfield grass. It was dominated an E6 and put runners on the corners for Tavian Josenberger.

The Kansas switch put collectively an “excellent” at bat, Van Horn mentioned, fouling off a few pitches and dealing the rely full earlier than launching a 384-foot homer to right-center that gave Arkansas a 3-2 lead.

“He obtained him a fastball and he didn’t miss it,” Van Horn mentioned. “He hit it laborious. It was sort of a line drive residence run that sort of stayed beneath the wind. The wind began dying down there within the third or fourth inning. It was the most important swing of the sport. It obtained us the lead.”

A throwing error by Moore put Brady Slavens on base to begin the third inning and he got here round to attain on a bases-loaded double play by Rowland.

Bohrofen Stays Sizzling

The Razorbacks tacked on one other insurance coverage run within the fifth inning when Jace Bohrofen launched a two-out homer off the Hunt Heart in proper area. It’s the third straight sport by which he’s hit a house run and his ninth lengthy ball of the yr.

Bohrofen mentioned Tennessee had attacked him with inside fastballs his fist two occasions up, leading to strikeouts. Contemplating new reliever Seth Halvorsen was often known as a fastball pitcher, so Bohrofen went up looking for one and obtained it.

“I really feel actually good on the plate, very assured proper now,” Bohrofen mentioned. “Simply obtained to maintain working counts and attending to hitters counts. Simply hold getting my finest swing off. The primary two bats tonight I felt just like the pitcher did a very good job of simply holding me off stability, after which that third at bat, I used to be simply prepared for a fastball and I put an excellent swing on it.”

It was the one hit in 4 at bats for Bohrofen, whose batting averaged dipped to .415 by 34 video games. He’s beginning to garner some nationwide consideration due to his sizzling hitting — however he’s nonetheless largely beneath the radar at this level.

Jared Wegner Damage Replace

For the second straight sport, beginning left fielder Jared Wegner was out of the lineup due to a hairline fracture in his left thumb.

He was in a position to play as a defensive substitute within the ninth inning, however was not requested to hit through the sport. Thought-about “50/50” earlier within the week, he’ll continued to be day-to-day the remainder of this weekend.

“He’s feeling a bit of higher,” Van Horn mentioned. “He didn’t hit with the crew in pregame. He sort of did some hitting on his personal. Began feeling a bit of bit higher, simply swinging flippantly. However felt like he may go on the market, put that glove on and run and catch a ball. So we’ll see the way it’s feeling tomorrow and take it sooner or later at a time.”

Wegner has been one among Arkansas’ largest offensive threats this season, slashing .351/.486/.739 with a team-high 12 homers and 44 RBIs.

Up Subsequent for Arkansas Baseball

A number of hours after the soccer crew wraps up spring ball with its annual Purple-White sport, the Arkansas baseball crew will attempt to clinch its sequence in opposition to Tennessee, with first pitch scheduled for six p.m. CT Saturday.

Each groups left the second and third sport of the sequence as “TBA” in relation to beginning pitchers and neither coach definitively named a starter following the sport.

Tony Vitello mentioned right-hander Chase Dollander was “greater than more likely to begin” for the Volunteers. He’s a projected top-10 choose on this summer season’s MLB Draft, however has struggled some this yr and has a 4.19 ERA in 43 innings.

The almost certainly candidate to begin for the Razorbacks is right-hander Will McEntire. He’s coming off a begin by which he gave up solely two runs in 4 2/3 innings after lacking a lot of the week with the flu.

The sport will likely be streamed on SEC Community-Plus.

Different Arkansas Baseball Tidbits

• The introduced attendance was 10,562, which was the second-best of the season at Baum-Walker Stadium, behind solely the Saturday sport of the Alabama sequence that drew 10,713. “The followers have been unbelievable tonight,” Dave Van Horn mentioned. “It was packed. They have been loud. They have been into it. … It was a enjoyable environment.”
• Tavian Josenberger’s third-inning blast prolonged Arkansas’ streak to 30 consecutive video games with a house run. The Razorbacks have additionally homered 32 of 34 video games general.
• Josenberger’s lengthy ball had a 101 mph exit velocity and 28.9 diploma launch angle, plus traveled 384 ft, in accordance with the UA’s TrackMan system. Jace Bohrofen’s fifth-inning homer was a scorching line drive with a 104 mph exit velocity and 24.1 diploma launch angle, serving to it go 356 ft.
• Kendall Diggs went 2 for 3 with a pair of singles, a stroll and a stolen base. He has now reached base in 25 consecutive video games. The longest on-base streak of final season belonged to Robert Moore, who reached in 31 straight video games.
• Oh yeah, this occurred within the Hog Pen through the sport:

Arkansas vs Tennessee Highlights

Arkansas vs Tennessee Postgame Interviews

Arkansas vs Tennessee Field Rating (Sport 1)

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Extra protection of Arkansas baseball from BoAS…