OMAHA, Neb. — Arkansas' bats cooled considerably in the early-summer heat of East Nebraska.
The Razorbacks’ offense that averaged more than seven runs per game was silenced during their three-game national championship series against Oregon State. Arkansas scored seven runs on 14 hits, and struck out 38 times against the Beavers.
Arkansas, which scored a combined 23 runs in three CWS game entering the finals, batted .147 overall (14-for-95), .200 with runners on base (6-for-30) and .222 (4-for-18) with runners in scoring position against Oregon State.
“They kept us off balance really well and located their fastballs,” second baseman Carson Shaddy said. “It seemed like they never really made mistakes. You have to give credit to them.”
Arkansas’ first five batters - Eric Cole, Casey Martin, Heston Kjerstad, Luke Bonfield and Dominic Fletcher - were a combined 7-for-58 with 21 strikeouts during the three-game series. Cole, the Razorbacks’ leadoff man, was 0-for-10 with three walks, including one with the bases loaded, and did not score a run.
The Beavers entered the College World Series with a 3.34 ERA - the lowest by a team that Arkansas faced all season. The Razorbacks had several chances against Oregon State - they loaded the bases four times in the three games - but only came up with three RBI hits in the entire series, and none with the bases loaded. Arkansas stranded 22.
“We came into (the series) with the right mindset,” hitting coach Nate Thompson said. “Everybody wants to do well and everybody is competing. We couldn’t get on the right side of it. We had some opportunities and we just didn’t capitalize.”
Arkansas failed to score a run over its final 13 innings at the plate, which was its longest such stretch this year. The shutout Thursday was the Razorbacks’ first since a 2-0 loss to LSU on April 9, 2017 - a span of 99 games without going scoreless.
“We didn’t hit as well as we wanted to, but it’s also a credit to their pitching,” shortstop Jax Biggers said. “Every guy they brought in was ready to compete and they made good pitches, and they just kind of got us out of our zone.
“Sometimes it just doesn’t work out the way you want it to.”
Arkansas’ final 20 batters Thursday were retired by Oregon State freshman starter Kevin Abel. As the pressure mounted for the Razorbacks to start a rally, players began to press, Shaddy said. Four of the team’s final eight outs were strikeouts.
“During the seventh and eighth we were really trying to get to him, and I think we were trying to do too much,” Shaddy said. “You have to credit him. He pitched a hell of a game.”