Diamond Hogs Notebook: Arkansas turned the Tide, Bohannon talks Hog Call

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn is shown during a game against Alabama on Sunday, April 2, 2023, in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE — Nearly halfway into its series against Alabama, things were not going well for the sixth-ranked Arkansas baseball team. 

The Razorbacks were soundly beaten Friday, 12-1, and they were being no-hit and trailing 4-0 after 3 1/2 innings Saturday. 

From there, Arkansas outscored Alabama 14-7 and rallied for a hard-fought series win at Baum-Walker Stadium. The Razorbacks won 5-4 in Sunday’s series finale.

“I think the key for us was just never getting too up or down,” Arkansas catcher Parker Rowland said. “You can't get frustrated when you get shut down early. You've got to just keep attacking and keep going. We have a very strong offense top to bottom. At any time we can get going. We just didn't get frustrated, didn't let them get to us.” 

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said the team showed “some serious attitude” on the field Saturday when they rallied from down 4-0 to win 9-6. 

“I loved it,” Van Horn said. “They were quiet and intense and we elevated our game yesterday. 

“Today, they came out maybe a little bit looser, but you could tell the focus was there and they were going to fight, and they knew what we were up against.” 

Like the first two games, the Razorbacks got behind early when Dominic Tamez hit a two-run single for the Crimson Tide. But there were quicker responses Sunday than the first two days.

Each time Alabama scored to tie or take the lead, Arkansas answered with an equal or greater number of runs in the bottom of the inning. 

It was the first time this season Arkansas won a series that was tied 1-1 going into the finale. 

“As far as just the overall effort, it was amazing,” Van Horn said. “The dugout was wound up. It was intense.”

Bohannon explains

Alabama coach Brad Bohannon was complimentary of Arkansas’ crowd Sunday. 

“I think the crowd won the series for Arkansas, and I say that with tremendous respect for the team,” Bohannon said. “They’ve got a great team. Their record is what it is for a reason and they’re ranked where they are for a reason, because they’ve got a lot of really good players. I really think the difference in them winning the series was I feel like the crowd willed them to win the series.” 

Bohannon was greeted with boos, then a Hog Call before the game. He was ejected during the seventh inning of Saturday’s game and mockingly called the Hogs on his way off the field. 

According to the Baumology Twitter account, Bohannon appeared to have some fun with the crowd during the seventh-inning stretch Sunday when he raised his arms once during the Hog Call, then tipped his hat to the crowd.

“I kind of blacked out there,” Bohannon said of his ejection. “I hope it didn't seem disrespectful. I love playing here. The fans are awesome. It's one of the sickest places to play in college baseball. The only thing I don't like about coming here is it's really hard to win.”

The Crimson Tide are 2-7 in Fayetteville under Bohannon. 

Tamez good in return

Tamez, a catcher and designated hitter, hit well for Alabama during the series. 

Tamez had five hits and drove in four runs in his first games back at Baum-Walker Stadium. The San Antonio native played for the Razorbacks during the 2020 season that was canceled after 16 games. 

“I thought he swung the bat extremely well,” Van Horn said. “He caught well yesterday, too.

“He’s always been a good hitter and his catching has gotten a lot better. His arm is good. He played really well.”

Bohannon said he was pleased with Tamez’s play. 

“He had a great experience here, and a lot of times when kids go back play a school that they were at before…they reach back and try to do too much,” Bohannon said. “I just thought he did a good job of being himself.” 

Tamez transferred to McLennan (Texas) Community College for its 2021 national championship season, then to Alabama last year. In 7 games against the Razorbacks, Tamez is 8 for 26 with 7 runs and 6 RBI. 

“He’s a really good young man,” Van Horn said. “It was really for his good at the time to go, because of our situation, to go play.” 

Missed opportunities 

Alabama had 44 hits during the series, but only scored 22 runs. 

The Crimson Tide stranded 10 base runners Sunday to bring their series total to 34 left on base.

“You’re not going to go on the road and beat a great team doing that,” Bohannon said. “We competed really well this week and we did a lot of really good things. At some point you’ve got to make one more pitch and get one more hit, and we just didn’t do that enough to win the series.” 

Alabama was 8 for 36 (.222) with runners in scoring position, including 1 for 5 in the finale. 

“I thought we did an outstanding job,” Van Horn said of pitching with runners on base. “The number of runs that were scored today and yesterday, when you look at Alabama’s numbers overall, I don’t think I could have expected us to do much better.”

Cali positioned well

Defensively, Arkansas third baseman Caleb Cali was always in the right place against the Crimson Tide. 

Cali never had to move on lineouts by Ed Johnson in the second inning and Tamez in the third. He was also positioned well for a pair of seventh-inning groundouts to third base. 

Van Horn said spray charts prepared the Razorbacks well.

“They really hit to the same spots,” Van Horn said of the Crimson Tide, “and we just moved him around, and Cali kind of knew where he was going. I’d move him a foot here or there, or a step here or there, and it paid off. He did a nice job. He probably had five or six plays today and made them look easy.” 

Noteworthy

• Arkansas first baseman Brady Slavens was dropped to eighth in the lineup and went 1 for 4. Slavens advanced Harold Coll from first to third base in the sixth inning, and Coll scored the go-ahead run when Rowland singled in the next at-bat. 

• Rowland’s RBI hit in the sixth inning was his first in an SEC game since the conference opener against Auburn on March 17. 

• Alabama left-hander Grayson Hitt is rated the No. 51 prospect for this year’s MLB Draft by Baseball America. Hitt allowed 3 runs, 4 hits and 3 walks, and struck out 3 during his 80-pitch start that lasted 4 innings.