FAYETTEVILLE — Andy Wilkins said he could probably come up with a better opening day scenario, but it’s hard for a freshman to top a debut like this.

A clutch, two-out home run that put his team ahead for good and a 9-4 victory for Arkansas is more than respectable. Wilkins and fellow newcomer Chase Leavitt helped the Razorbacks respond Friday from a 4-0 deficit against Wright State with five two-out RBI.

The Razorbacks ’ coaching staff had to sweat out Wilkins’ arrival in Fayetteville after he was drafted last June in the 25 th round by the Texas Rangers.

One of the top hitting prospects in the Oklahoma high school ranks, Wilkins is expected to be a mainstay in the middle of the lineup and batted fourth Friday.

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He stranded five runners in his first two at-bats Friday, but hitting coach Todd Butler thought Wilkins just missed a Michael Woytek changeup in the third that ended up a deep fly-out to center.

Wilkins was waiting for a breaking ball in the fourth. On the first pitch of the at-bat, he crushed it well over the rightfield bullpen to put Arkansas ahead 5-4.

“The first pitch of the game, my first college at-bat, I was thinking fastball trying to get something to hit, but they were throwing off-speed pitches the whole time,” said Wilkins, the designated hitter Friday. “The first two at-bats weren’t too hot with those pitches, but when I was sitting off-speed pitch it came and I connected with it. That at-bat we really needed to score some runs.”

Leavitt, a junior college transfer who batted leadoff, woke Arkansas out of its slumber in the second after the Raiders jumped to a 4-0 first-inning lead. Woytek threw a 2-2 inside fastball up that the left-handed swinging Leavitt drove into the right-center gap for a triple that scored Aaron Murphree and Scott Lyons.

Leavitt took advantage of a playing opportunity he might not have had without a broken hand to projected leadoff batter Sean Jones, who is out for probably the first month.

“He’s a very good base runner who’s fast,” Butler said. “He can be a better base runner, and he’s a good leadoff hitter with Jones out. Jones is outstanding, but Leavitt takes balls and swings at strikes.”

Several first-year players are expected to get some at-bats this weekend with the Razorbacks looking for everyday starters at various positions. Leavitt’s and Wilkins’ two-out heroics Friday could keep them in the lineup today.

“The main thing I like to do is be loose, and if you’re going to be a good hitter you have to be able to hit with two strikes and pick it up early out of the pitcher’s hand,” Leavitt said. “That’s what we work for, to be able to come in and help the team, and that feels really good.”