FAYETTEVILLE — Before the season started, Mississippi State pitcher Preston Johnson was asked what series he looked forward to the most.
“Probably going to Arkansas,” Johnson said. “Especially since last year they came in here and, for lack of better words, embarrassed us.
“It would be nice to go out there and do the same thing to them at their home park.”
There wasn’t anything nice for the defending national champion Bulldogs or Johnson on Friday night at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The No. 2 Arkansas Razorbacks beat Mississippi State 8-1 — and knocked Johnson around for 7 runs and 7 hits in 4 innings — before an announced crowd of 11,548.
It was the seventh consecutive victory for the University of Arkansas (20-4, 6-1 SEC) over Mississippi State (16-11, 3-4), including a sweep last season when the Razorbacks won 8-2, 11-5 and 6-4 at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville, Miss.
Arkansas Coach Dave Van didn’t take offense to Johnson’s preseason comments.
“I can see his point,” Van Horn said. “We went in there last year and we played really well. We got it going offensively that weekend and some things went our way.
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“We had a great weekend. You don’t forget things like that. I know I don’t if it happens to us.
“I don’t think that it’s stuck up on a bulletin board over in our facility at all. We had a good inning against him. He’s got a good arm. He’s a good pitcher.”
Arkansas right-hander Connor Noland and shortstop Jalen Battles were pitching and hitting stars.
Noland went 7 innings and allowed 1 run and 4 hits without a walk and 6 strikeouts.
Battles hit home runs in his first two at-bats and drove in three runs. He also drew a walk.
Noland and Battles both said they hadn’t been aware of Johnson’s comments.
“Obviously, that’s new to me,” Noland said. “But it’s a competitive game.
“They’re great team. We’re a great team, and whenever [a sweep] happens, you come together and you look forward to that series. I think everybody’s looking forward to this one.”
Said Battles, “It’s fun to play Mississippi State. I mean, it’s always going to be a good game. So we just go there and play.”
Mississippi State Coach Chris Lemonis said the Razorbacks won all phases of the game.
“They outpitched us, outhit us and outdefended us,” Lemonis said. “When that happens, it’s not a good recipe for your ball club.”
Battles’ first home run came with one out in the second inning on the first pitch he saw from Johnson.
“It looked like he [Johnson] tried to sneak a fastball in on him, and he just opened up and hammered it. He hit it a long way,” Van Horn said. “You knew right when it left the bat that it was going to stay fair and it was going to go a long way.”
Battles’ drive over the left field wall was measured at 420 feet, according to Arkansas’ TrackMan system, for a two-run home run that also scored Braydon Webb.
“I was looking for a fastball,” Battles said. “Through our whole prep for this dude, we knew he was heavy fastball, and I mean, I didn’t miss it.”
It was the start of a six-run inning for the Razorbacks in which they sent 10 batters to the plate and took a 6-0 lead.
Cayden Wallace kept the rally going with a two-out single and Peyton Stovall walked.
Michael Turner and Chris Lanzilli followed with RBI singles and Robert Moore hit a two-run triple.
Battles hit his second home run — also a drive over the left field wall on a fastball — on an 0-2 pitch to give the Razorbacks a 7-0 lead in the third inning. The home run was measured at 366 feet.
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In falling behind in the court, Battles pulled a ball down the left field line that was ruled foul and upheld on video review after Van Horn challenged the call.
“At first I was hoping I’d get that double,” said Battles, who also hit two home runs against the University of Central Arkansas last season in the Razorbacks’ 21-8 victory. “But I was kind of glad I didn’t just because a bomb feels better than a double.”
Johnson struck out Battles swinging on a 3-2 count with the bases loaded on the last of his 97 pitches, but the Razorbacks already had done more than enough damage.
Mississippi State’s only run came on catcher Logan Tanner’s home run in the fourth inning.
Turner’s sacrifice fly in the seventh inning scored Wallace — who doubled and stole third base — to give Arkansas an 8-1 lead.
“It’s a good cushion,” Noland said of pitching with a 6-0 lead going into the third inning. “I can be aggressive within the zone and let my defense play, and that’s just what I did.”
Noland threw 72 strikes on 104 pitches.
“Fastball, curveball, slider,” Bulldogs first baseman Luke Hancock said of Noland. “He was really good. He shoved it to us all night.”
Noland said he had good command of his fastball the entire game.
“I figured out the curveball about the second inning and felt like I could throw it for a strike whenever I needed it,” he said.
Zebulon Vermillon and Kole Ramage threw perfect eighth and ninth innings in relief for the Razorbacks.
“I thought they came in and did a great job of throwing strikes and that’s what we wanted — a couple of veterans to go out there and just go one inning each,” Van Horn said. “Both are available for the rest of the weekend.”