FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas had a strong start to Tuesday's game against Grand Canyon.
Then the rain came.
The series opener between the No. 15 Razorbacks and Antelopes was postponed until 2 p.m. Wednesday because of heavy thunderstorms that began about 50 minutes after the first pitch. The game was suspended with Arkansas ahead 2-0 and batting with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the second inning.
Short Hops
Arkansas first baseman Chad Spanberger raise his batting average to .261 with a first-inning single. Spanberger has raised his batting average 48 points in the Razorbacks' last 11 games, including Tuesday...Arkansas and Grand Canyon are playing for the first time....Tickets for Tuesday's game are void and can be exchanged for any other regular season home game - including Wednesday's - through the Razorback Ticket Office.
The teams will play a second game approximately 40 minutes after the completion of the first one. Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said all but three pitchers - Tuesday starter Barrett Loseke and weekend starters Blaine Knight and Trevor Stephan - will be available.
"We've got some guys we don't even travel who haven't pitched the past couple of weeks," Van Horn said. "We've got some guys that need to work. We may extend one or two of our guys who aren't on the (travel) roster."
Arkansas took a 2-0 lead in the first inning when it drew four walks against Grand Canyon starter Gabe Benavides. Jared Gates and Carson Shaddy both drew bases-loaded walks with one out in the inning, but the Razorbacks missed on an opportunity for a bigger rally when Eric Cole grounded into an inning-ending double play.
"We did a good job of taking some borderline pitches in some hitter's counts, and ended up drawing some walks," Van Horn said.
The Razorbacks loaded the bases again in the second with no outs after a pair of infield singles from Evan Lee and Jake Arledge, and a fielding error by GCU third baseman Zach Malis.
"It's got a ways to go," Van Horn said of the suspended game. "We'll see how it works out."