FAYETTEVILLE — No one in Arkansas’ lineup saw more Southern Miss pitches than Carson Shaddy.
And, arguably, no player had a greater impact on the Razorbacks’ explosive seven-run second inning that blew Saturday’s game open and chased Southern Miss starter Stevie Powers. Shaddy finished 3-for-4 with 3 RBI and three runs scored in Arkansas’ 10-2 win over the Golden Eagles.
Shaddy was a home run shy of the cycle, following up a solo shot in Friday’s win over Oral Roberts.
Altogether, Shaddy saw 27 pitches – seven more than any other Razorback – in the win, which places Arkansas in the Fayetteville Regional final Sunday at 7 p.m. against the winner of Southern Miss-Dallas Baptist at 2 p.m.
The senior worked three full counts – reaching base each time – in five plate appearances. His seven-pitch walk to lead off the second inning gave way to Jared Gates’ two-run home run to put Arkansas up 2-0.
Later that inning, Shaddy laced a triple to the gap in right-center off reliever Mason Strickland on another full-count offering, scoring Dominic Fletcher and Luke Bonfield to make it a 7-0 game.
“Shaddy’s a firestarter for us,” Gates said. “Usually when Shaddy goes, we go, so it was good to get Shaddy back doing what Shaddy does. That walk in the second inning kind of started things up and his triple was big, too. It scored two, I believe, with two outs.
“It was good for Shaddy to get us going.”
After diving headfirst into third base on his triple, Shaddy let out a heat-of-the-moment battle cry, at one point taking off his helmet and further igniting a crowd of 10,213 before slapping hands with hitting coach Nate Thompson.
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn appreciated Shaddy’s effort to get to third on the play. In the past, though, he’s spoken with Shaddy about not expending that energy and understanding there is still a lot of game to be played.
Shaddy said the yell didn’t stem from any frustrations. It was more of a feel for the moment he had delivered.
“I got really excited,” Shaddy said. “I couldn’t help it and blacked out a little bit.”
In the fifth, Shaddy took the aggressive approach and singled to shortstop on the second pitch he saw. Then came a strikeout in the seventh in which he chased a pair of pitches down and away. Van Horn said the at-bat was out of character for Shaddy.
“That one time he struck out, he came back and I made the comment, ‘You haven't swung at balls in the dirt like that all year,' and he said 'I know,’” Van Horn said. “He just got a little too anxious.
“But his other three or four at-bats were really good.”
The Fayetteville native capped Arkansas’ second consecutive 10-run performance in regional play with a two-run double in the top of the ninth on his third seven-pitch plate appearance of the night.
Southern Miss coach Scott Berry, who knows Shaddy’s father, Chris, from high school baseball a number of years ago, labeled the senior "energetic" at the plate and in the field.
“He's kind of their guy who really sparks them,” Berry said. “His dad was the same way. I watched (Carson) out there on defense and he was the first guy to compliment somebody on a big play, and it wasn't just his mouth from a distance. He moved his feet to that guy to let him know.
“You can just tell that he's a gamer.”