FAYETTEVILLE — If the first two practices of the preseason are any indication, Arkansas has a budding hitting star in newcomer Braydon Webb.
The redshirt junior, who transferred to the Razorbacks from Grayson Community College last year, was the talk of Baum-Walker Stadium at Sunday’s scrimmage. Hitting leadoff, Webb went 3-for-3 with 2 home runs - including a grand slam - 5 RBI, a double, 2 walks and 4 runs scored in a 6-inning scrimmage. He also reached base on a throwing error by shortstop Casey Martin.
About the only blemish on his record was a caught stealing following a first-inning walk, but consistent with past Arkansas practices he was allowed to stay on base and scored later in the inning.
Webb’s grand slam was the final swing of the day - a line drive pulled to left field and into the home bullpen. The homer came against sophomore left hander Liam Henry a few pitches after Webb hit a hot shot toward third base that was just foul. Henry walked the bases loaded in the three at-bats before Webb came to the plate for the sixth time.
Webb, who bats from the right side, also had a home run against left hander Caden Monke in the fourth inning that cleared the 375-foot mark in left-center field and a double against Kevin Kopps that went off the base of the wall in left field in the second inning. Webb took a wide turn around third, perhaps looking for his second triple in as many days, but scurried back to second ahead of a strong throw from left fielder Bryce Matthews.
It was the type of performance Arkansas’ coaches said was possible in the offseason. Webb, who is projected to start in left field, is the team’s leading candidate to hit first in the order.
It’s easy to see why with his quick bat speed and quickness on the bases. Those are similar characteristics to Trevor Ezell, who was All-SEC as the team’s leadoff man a year ago.
Webb was a leadoff hitter at Grayson last season and batted .450 with 14 home runs and 66 RBI. He was also successful in 18 of 20 stolen-base attempts.
“I think he’s a good option there,” Arkansas hitting coach Nate Thompson said last month. “He’s a pretty good on-base guy and kind of a table setter.
“He’s just a really good athlete and that’s one of the things we really liked about him, was his versatility.”
Webb also had two hits in the Razorbacks’ first preseason scrimmage Saturday. The performances come four months after he suffered a hairline fracture in his left, non-throwing shoulder blade area while diving for a catch in fall ball. The injury kept him from playing in either of Arkansas’ fall exhibition games against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
“It’s a very rare injury and only like 1 percent of people hurt it,” Webb said earlier this month. “I just happened to land on it wrong diving for the ball. I did catch it, though.”
The injury kept Webb from being able to bat full speed until late November. Webb said it made him have to be patient and positive, but it also forced him to focus on his lower body in workouts. The added leg strength is something he can feel in his at-bats now.
“It was an area I could improve on,” Webb said. “I can tell all the rehab work and the work in the weight room has paid off with the bat speed.”
Other highlights from Sunday’s scrimmage:
• Starters Kole Ramage and Kopps had similar outings. Both allowed 2 hits and hit a batter, and Kopps issued a walk. Kopps struck out 4 in 2 2/3 innings and Ramage struck out 3 in 3 innings. The junior right handers are in contention to be the Razorbacks’ third weekend starter behind Connor Noland and Patrick Wicklander.
• Christian Franklin had an RBI single against Kopps in the first inning - his second RBI hit in two days. Franklin also drew a walk, was hit by a pitch and reached on an error. He struck out twice.
• Martin made a good backhanded stop and throw to rob Cason Tollett of a single in the third inning.
• Casey Opitz, playing first base while taking a day off from catching, made consecutive backhanded stops and accurate throws to the covering Ramage at first base in the third inning. The first of the plays beat the speedy Robert Moore, while the second was an easier play against Matt Goodheart, who is not running full speed because of a hamstring injury.
• Tollett hit a first-pitch single to opposite field against Monke with two outs and Zack Gregory followed with a two-run double to score Opitz and Tollett in the next at-bat in the fourth inning. Gregory was thrown out at third base trying to extend the hit into a triple.
• Heston Kjerstad had one of the day’s best at-bats with a seven-pitch battle against freshman right hander Travis Hester. Kjerstad hit a two-run single to left field.
• Freshman right hander Mark Adamiak struck out the first three batters he faced - Tollett, Gregory and Jesse Pierce - before running into trouble in the final inning following an error and a walk. Opitz had a two-run double on the final pitch Adamiak threw. There was not a radar gun visible at Sunday’s scrimmage, but Arkansas pitching coach Matt Hobbs said last month that Adamiak’s velocity had been measured in the mid-90s.
• Opitz and Gregory each had two hits and drew a walk while playing for the Black team that scored 15 runs against pitchers Kopps, Monke, Adamiak, Hester and Henry.
• Moore, the second baseman who is at Arkansas in lieu of playing his senior year of high school baseball, has shown quick hands defensively. One play that stood out Sunday was a throw across his body to force out Webb at second base. Moore charged to his left on a grounder from Kjerstad, then fired a good strike to Martin covering second.
The only change to Sunday’s defensive alignment was a flip between Tollett and Opitz at first and catcher. Here is a look at where players lined up Sunday:
Catcher: Dominic Tamez and Cason Tollett
First Base: Cole Austin and Casey Opitz
Second Base: Robert Moore and Zack Gregory
Third Base: Jacob Nesbit and Jesse Pierce
Shortstop: Casey Martin and Cullen Smith
Left Field: Braydon Webb and Bryce Matthews
Center Field: Christian Franklin and Curtis Washington
Right Field: Heston Kjerstad and Trey Harris
Goodheart has been the team’s designated hitter both days. In addition to the hamstring injury, he is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and is not expected to be able to play in the field until well after the start of the season.
Cullen Smith is not eligible to play this season after transferring from East Tennessee State. He and outfielder Trey Harris have not batted in either scrimmage.