OMAHA, Neb. — Vanderbilt Coach Tim Corbin, whose team plays Louisville today at the College Word Series, had some fun with Cardinals Coach Dan McDonnell during Friday’s news conference.
Corbin mentioned that when Duke beat Vanderbilt 18-5 to open those teams’ super regional after Louisville already had won its super regional by sweeping two games from East Carolina, McDonnell texted Corbin’s wife, Maggie.
“He’s texting my wife to make her feel good during our super regional, which was kind of him, and just telling her to hang in there,” said Corbin, whose Commodores beat Duke the next two games. “I know our teams will now be playing, but we’ve become close through the years.
“If he continues texting [Corbin’s wife], I guess it’s good and bad. It’s good during our game that he’s distracted. It’s bad that there’s something going on I don’t know about.”
9 lives for Hogs
Arkansas fans might want to start making travel plans for the 2029 College World Series.
Years that end in “9” have been good for the Razorbacks.
The Razorbacks made their first College World Series appearance in 1979 under Coach Norm DeBriyn. Ten years later they were back in the CWC in 1989 for what was DeBriyn’s fourth and final appearance.
Arkansas didn’t make the CWS in 1999, but the Razorbacks won their first SEC regular-season championship, and their 22 conference victories under DeBriyn that season remain a school record.
In 2009, the Razorbacks made their first CWS appearance under Coach Dave Van Horn, who played for DeBriyn and replaced him in 2003.
This year, Arkansas advanced to the CWS for the 10th time overall and sixth in Van Horn’s tenure.
Zeb on name team
Arkansas pitcher Zebulon Vermillion ranked third on Baseball America’s list of most impressive names among college players announced this week.
Ahead of Vermillion were Texas A&M-Corpus Christi second baseman Itchy Burts and Presbyterian outfield Zacchaeus Rasberry.
Other players on CWS teams to make the All-Name team were Michigan pitcher Blake Beers and Vanderbilt pitcher Kumar Rocker, the son of former Arkansas defensive line coach Tracy Rocker;
Local flavor
The University of Arkansas athletic department had a full-page ad in Saturday’s edition of the Omaha World-Herald designed to get local fans behind the Razorbacks.
The ad — which appeared in the World-Herald’s College World Series special section with the headline “NEED A TEAM TO ROOT FOR?’ — features a photo of the Razorbacks celebrating with a dogpile after beating Ole Miss in the super regional. There also is a cut-out photo of Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn — who led Nebraska to the CWS before taking the UA job — and five reasons “To Join Our Dog-Pile.”
The first four reasons include Arkansas playing in Omaha for the third time in five years and thus the city is becoming the Razorbacks’ summer home; Van Horn being the greatest of all-time; calling the Hogs is as fun as it appears to be; and Arkansas is the closest CWS team.
The fifth reason reads: “One Razorback. One Husker. Come on, it only makes sense.”
It’s the fourth time Arkansas has run a full-page ad in the World-Herald along with College World Series appearances in 2012, 2015 and last year.
“The ads have been received well through the years and there is no doubt Omaha has embraced the Razorbacks,” Arkansas senior associate athletic director Kevin Trainor said. "So many fans in Omaha and this part of country were familiar with Coach Van Horn from his time at Nebraska. Certainly with our recent success, fans are accustomed to seeing the Hogs in Omaha.”
Arkansas Red Raiders
Texas Tech sophomore infielder Easton Murrell had as many hits in his College World Series debut on Saturday against Michigan as he did last season when he played at Arkansas.
Murrell, who transferred to Texas Tech after last season, pinch hit in the seventh inning on Saturday and singled to right field. He then stayed in the game to play third base and finished 1 for 2.
Last season, Murrell batted .125 (1 for 8) in seven games for the Razorbacks.
Texas Tech sophomore pitcher Bryce Bonnin also played for Arkansas last season.
Bonnin, the Red Raiders’ No. 3 starting pitcher, is 6-1 with a 4.42 ERA. He has 58 strikeouts and 41 walks in 59 innings. Last season, he was 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA in 19 innings at Arkansas.
Nice name
Heston Kjerstad replied to a fan Saturday who tweeted at him by naming his child after Arkansas’ sophomore right fielder.
“Welcome to Omaha!” Gregg Young tweeted to Kjerstad. “Last year my wife was pregnant at CWS. When you went up to bat and smoked it, she said, “if we have a boy, he’s going to be named Heston!’
“Now, we have a 7mo old Heston, named after you! We are bringing him to CWS! Would love a picture of two!”
Kjerstad’s response?
“Great name choice!! Catch me after one of the games and we can get a picture!”
Impressive fungo
When Michigan Coach Erik Bakich was an assistant at Vanderbilt, he got Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn’s attention during pregame warmups.
“I was really impressed at how strong he was, because he hit fungo with one hand,” Van Horn said. “It was amazing.
“I’ll never forget it. It was really impressive.”
Family tradition
Michigan senior first baseman Jimmy Kerr — who had a two-run triple against Texas Tech — is a third generation College World Series player for the Wolverines.
Kerr’s grandfather, John Kerr, was a pitcher on Michigan’s 1962 national championship team. His father, Derek Kerr, was a backup catcher for the Wolverines when they made the CWS in 1984.
Holt out
Texas Tech outfielder Gabe Holt, who has started 59 games and is batting .320, didn’t play Saturday because of a thumb injury he suffered in the super regional against Oklahoma State.
Red Raiders Coach Tim Tadlock said after Saturday’s game that Holt is day-to-day.
S-E-C! S-E-C!
With Arkansas, Auburn, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, the SEC tied its own CWS record with four teams from one conference.
Prior to this season the most recent CWS with four teams was in 2015, when Arkansas also was part of the field along with Florida, LSU and Vanderbilt.