FAYETTEVILLE — There was not a formal all-regional team at the NCAA Fayetteville Regional, but if there had been voting, Missouri State shortstop Jeremy Eierman would have been the likely choice for most valuable player at the seven-game regional.
Eierman hit go-ahead two-run home runs in two of the Bears' three victories at the regional, a two-run shot with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning against Oklahoma State on Friday and another two-run shot in the sixth inning against Arkansas in the championship game.
The sophomore hit .333 (5 for 15) with a regional-high 6 RBI and three home runs. His top competition for MVP would probably have come from center fielder Hunter Steinmetz, who batted .429 (6 for 14) with 2 home runs, 3 RBI, a tournament-best 7 runs and 4 walks.
Steinmetz also had perhaps the best defensive play of the regional, a full-speed race to the wall in left-center field to haul in a smash from Arkansas catcher Grant Koch just before he ran into the padded wall.
"He really closed on that ball," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. "He was fearless on that play. He never glanced at that wall and he knew it was right there.
"About the time the ball hit his glove, he hit the wall. It was an incredible play. A gutsy play. I think that play shows how hard these teams play and how much they want to win."
The top hitter at the regional with at least three games was Oral Roberts left fielder Michael Hungate, who went 5 for 10 (.500) with a home run and 5 RBI. Oklahoma State's Michael Neustifter went 3 for 4 (.750) while subbing in during both of the Cowboys' games at Baum Stadium.
Arkansas' top hitters were outfielders Jake Arledge and Eric Cole, third baseman Jared Gates, first baseman Chad Spanberger and designated hitter Luke Bonfield, who each hit .300 or better.
Arledge went 5 for 13 (.385) with 2 doubles, 5 walks, 3 RBI and 2 runs scored. The right fielder and leadoff hitter Cole went 7 for 21 (.333) to lead the regional in hits and had 5 RBI, a pair of doubles, a walk and a run scored.
Gates hit 2 home runs en route to a 4 for 12 (.333) showing, with 3 RBI, 4 runs, a walk and a double. Spanberger was 6 of 19 (.316) with a home run, 3 walks, 4 runs scored and 3 RBI. Bonfield hit .300 (6 for 20) with two runs and three walks.
Bonfield, Spanberger and Steinmetz tied with six hits behind Cole's seven.
Perhaps the top hitting feat was accomplished by Oklahoma State third baseman Garrett Benge, who hit for the cycle on Friday and stood to be the hero with a ninth inning triple and run scored that gave the Cowboys a short-lived 5-4 lead in what turned out to be a 6-5 loss on Eierman's two-run homer against Trey Cobb in the ninth.
Arkansas right-hander Trevor Stephan was the top pitcher at Baum Stadium with no runs allowed in 7 1/3 innings. The junior struck out 12 and gave up 4 hits and 3 walks.
The only other pitchers with ERAs of less than the 3.48 registered by Missouri State's Doug Still were Oral Roberts' Miguel Ausua (1.42 ERA in 6 1/3 innings), who lost a 3-0 dual against Stephan in Friday's nightcap, and Oklahoma State's Carson Teel, who allowed one earned run in 3 1/3 innings for a 2.70 ERA.
Missouri State's Jordan Knutson was the most active pitcher at the regional, as the left-hander appeared in all four games, posting a 2-1 record and one save while pitching seven innings and posting a 3.86 ERA.
Arkansas left-hander Kacey Murphy led the Fayetteville Regional with 14 strikeouts while throwing 8 2/3 innings and posting a 5.19 ERA.
The Razorbacks posted the top team ERA of the regional at 3.68, followed by Oral Roberts (4.15), Missouri State (5.66) and Oklahoma State (9.72).
The Cowboys sported the top batting average of .290, following by Arkansas (.269) and Oral Roberts (.269) and then Missouri State (.242). The Bears' six home runs doubled the output of Arkansas and Oral Roberts, while Oklahoma State hit two.
The Bears were the top fielding team with one error in 151 chances for a .993 percentage. Oral Roberts (.991) and Oklahoma State (.986) committed one error each, while Arkansas (.970) committed five errors.