OMAHA, Neb. — South Carolina Coach Ray Tanner said weeks ago that Arkansas had a team that could win the national championship.
The Razorbacks get a chance to take another step toward accomplishing that feat tonight against the Gamecocks.
South Carolina (46-17) and Arkansas (45-20) will meet in a winners’ bracket game at 8 tonight after both teams opened with victories at the College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park on Saturday. South Carolina advanced with a 7-3 victory over Florida while Arkansas defeated Kent State 8-1.
Kent State (46-19) and Florida (47-19) will play an elimination game beginning at 4 p.m. today.
Arkansas and South Carolina met earlier this year at Baum Stadium, where the two-time defending national champions took 2 of 3 from the Razorbacks. South Carolina overcame an early six run deficit to win the series opener, 8-6, in 10 innings before Arkansas evened the series with a 7-6 victory over the Gamecocks in Game 2.
South Carolina came back to win the deciding game, 10-7, to take the series and send the slumping Razorbacks to 12-12 in SEC play. Arkansas lost 2 of 3 at home to Auburn the following weekend before getting hot in the NCAA Tournament.
The Razorbacks are 6-1 in the NCAA Tournament with their loss an 8-1 defeat to Baylor in the first game of a bestof-3 super regional at Baylor Ballpark. Arkansas recovered with 5-4 and 1-0 victories over Baylor to clinch its seventh World Series appearance and third in the past nine years under Van Horn.
“We’re confident and playing good baseball right now,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said after the Razorbacks practiced on Sunday. “We’re pitching well, fielding well, and it seems like we’re getting some timely hits. Any time you start winning you start feeling a lot better about going to the ballpark. These guys have been bouncing around pretty good for a couple of weeks now.”
Arkansas faces a challenge tonight in South Carolina, which has won 22 consecutive games in the NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks are attempting to be the first team to win three consecutive World Series championship since Southern California won five consecutive national titles from 1970-1974.
“It’s just amazing what’s South Carolina’s done with 22 wins (NCAA Tournament) in a row,” Van Horn said. “ They’ve done it every way.”
Ryne Stanek (7-4, 2.91 ERA) will start for the second time this season against South Carolina. Arkansas staked Stanek to a six-run lead in the opener of the regular-season series at Baum Stadium, but he suffered back spasms and left after 5 innings while giving up 6 hits and 5 runs.
“I made some mistakes in that game and they made me pay for them,” said Stanek, who’s been healthy again for several weeks. “South Carolina is a good team and they always play well in the postseason. It’s going to be another good test and, as long as I stay in the zone, I should be OK.”
The Razorbacks totaled 10 hits in Saturday’s 8-1 victory over Kent State, and they are looking for another productive effort tonight. The bottom of the order led the way, with No. 9 hitter Jake Wise hitting a home run and two-run single and No. 8 hitter Matt Vinson adding a two-run double.
They helped compensate for No. 3 hitter Matt Reynolds and cleanup batter Dominic Ficociello, who were 0 for 6.
“We drove in seven of our eight runs with the middle of the order not really doing a whole lot,” Van Horn said. “That’s a good sign because we know those guys in the middle are going to hit.” Information for this article was contributed by the Associated Press.
At a glance At TD Ameritrade Park, Omaha, Neb.
Double Elimination FRIDAY’S GAMES UCLA 9, Stony Brook 1 Arizona 4, Florida State 3 (12) SATURDAY’S GAMES Arkansas 8, Kent State 1 South Carolina 7, Florida 3 SUNDAY’S GAMES Florida State 12, Stony Brook 2
Stony Brook eliminated Arizona 4, UCLA 0 TODAY’S GAMES All times Central Kent State vs. Florida, 4 p.m.
Arkansas vs. South Carolina, 8 p.m.
TUESDAY’S GAME Florida State vs. UCLA, 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES Kent State/Florida winner vs. Arkansas/South Carolina loser, 7 p.m.
Sports, Pages 13 on 06/18/2012