Razorbacks rebound, rock Oklahoma State with 18 runs

Arkansas left fielder Jared Wegner (left) and second baseman Peyton Stovall celebrate after they scored runs during the fifth inning of a game against Oklahoma State on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023, in Arlington, Texas.

ARLINGTON, Texas — There was no Sunday hangover for the Arkansas baseball team.

Less than 24 hours removed from a lopsided loss to TCU, the sixth-ranked Razorbacks run-ruled No. 8 Oklahoma State with an 18-1 victory at Globe Life Field. The teams agreed to a 10-run rule after seven innings on the final day of the College Baseball Showdown. 

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said his team showed character with the way it responded from Saturday’s 18-6 loss to 17th-ranked TCU. 

“You learn a lot about your team a lot of times after a bad loss, or just even a loss,” Van Horn said. 

“They didn’t sulk and they didn’t point their finger at each other. They just got some rest and got up this morning and got after it.”

Arkansas left fielder Jared Wegner had a pair of two-out extra-base hits to cap five-run second and third innings. His three-run triple in the second gave the Razorbacks a 5-0 lead, and his two-run home run in the third put Arkansas ahead 10-0. 

Van Horn moved Wegner from fifth to third in the batting order Sunday after sitting third baseman Caleb Cali. Wegner went 2 for 4 with 1 walk, 2 runs and 5 RBI. 

“His back-side triple with two outs and the bases loaded, that was a thing of beauty,” Van Horn said. “I would have loved a grand slam, but other than that, that was what I wanted to see — going the other way. They tried to get him out all weekend. The pitchers were going away, they were coming in and he got hit twice. He just kept taking good at-bats, good swings and he took a lot of pitches.” 

Wegner, who transferred from Creighton after hitting .348 with 14 home runs last season, finished his debut weekend with the Razorbacks 6 for 11 with 4 extra-base hits and 8 RBI. He hit a three-run home run Saturday night against TCU. 

“It was pretty good,” Wegner said when asked about his performance. “It was a fun weekend.”

The Razorbacks (2-1) recorded 14 hits, walked 10 times, were hit by 3 pitches and scored 13 runs with 2 outs against the Cowboys (1-2). Arkansas scored five runs in the second, third and fifth innings. 

“They just took what they got, and when they got one they didn’t miss it much,” Van Horn said. “It was just a team offense that got it done today.” 

Left-hander Hunter Hollan was efficient in his pitching debut for the Razorbacks. The Hallsville, Texas, native who pitched last season at San Jacinto (Texas) College allowed 1 run, 3 hits and 2 walks, and struck out 5 in a 4-inning start. He threw 38 of 68 pitches for strikes. 

“I really didn’t have my best stuff and was having to battle a little bit,” Hollan said. “But when you have 10 runs in the third inning it’s pretty easy to settle down and pitch and throw to the catcher.”

Right-handers Koty Frank, Cody Adcock and Gage Wood each pitched one scoreless inning for the Razorbacks. Wood, a freshman, struck out the side in the seventh inning after a rough 10-pitch debut Saturday.

“He’s thrown nothing but strikes since he’s been here,” Van Horn said of the Batesville native. “We wanted to get him back out there if he felt OK, and he told us he did. 

“It was good for him.” 

Arkansas chased Oklahoma State right-handed starter Bayden Root with Wegner’s bases-clearing triple in the second inning. Root allowed 5 runs, 4 hits and 2 walks, and struck out 3 in 1 2/3 innings. 

The Razorbacks loaded the bases twice against him in the second inning. Kendall Diggs and Jace Bohrofen singled, and Jayson Jones walked with no outs. Arkansas took a 2-0 lead on John Bolton’s infield single and an RBI groundout by Tavian Josenberger. 

More from WholeHogSports: Photo gallery from Arkansas 18, Oklahoma State 1

Bohrofen singled to lead off the third inning against Oklahoma State right-hander Evan O’Toole and scored on a sacrifice fly by Bolton. 

Peyton Stovall added a two-run single up the middle before Wegner’s 365-foot home run to left field gave the Razorbacks a 10-0 lead. 

“I didn’t see that coming,” Oklahoma State coach Josh Holliday said of the blowout loss. “I knew we were a little bit thinner in terms of available arms…but (the Razorbacks) are good, and when they had runners on base they got extra bases and put big ol’ numbers up.”

Shortstop Marcus Brown, a Springdale native who graduated from Shiloh Christian, put Oklahoma State on the board with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Razorbacks responded with five more two-out runs in the top of the fifth. 

Josenberger’s 417-foot home run to the Oklahoma State bullpen in right-center field began the scoring. Stovall and Wegner followed with walks, and scored on Brady Slavens’ double to left field. 

Two more runs scored when Slavens came home on a wild pitch and Parker Rowland walked with the bases loaded. 

The Cowboys struggled on the mound for the second consecutive day. Vanderbilt had 11 hits in an 11-9 victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday. 

“We just simply played poorly in all phases of the game and obviously the score got away from us in a hurry,” Holliday said. 

“Today we were guilty of playing the score, whereas yesterday we did a better job of playing the pitches and fought our way back in the game.”

Arkansas scored its final three runs in the top of the seventh inning against Oklahoma State left-hander Drew Blake. Rowland and Harold Coll had sacrifice flies to score Reese Robinett and Hunter Grimes, and Peyton Holt singled up the middle to score Jones. 

Fifteen position players played for Arkansas and 14 accounted for at least one hit, run or RBI. 

“We feel like we have a little bit of depth (among position players),” Van Horn said, “and we showed that when we got some guys off the bench and they went in there with a fearless attitude and swinging the bat.” 

The Razorbacks are scheduled to play again Tuesday at 3 p.m. against Grambling State in their home opener.